Intro to Abraham Day 1

You will need your Bible today

We are about to begin to study one of the most pivitol and important men in Scripture. The call and obedience of Abraham is the most tangible beginning of our Salvation. God had had it in His mind since before the creation of the world. He made clear to Adam and Eve that He would reconcile what they had broken, but it is with Abraham that we see God's plan begin to take shape. It would be thousands of years before our Savior walked the Earth, but Abraham believed God, that all that He promised would happen and his faith was counted as righteousness. Abraham's faith was remarkable. He is as important to today as a role model of faith as he is for being the forefather of Christ.
The next 2 lessons will be an introduction to Abraham before we actually start to study the Biblical text. Abraham, and by extention Israel, takes center stage from this point in Scripture, until the end of Revelation. With the exception of a few prophets, the Bible is all about God's relationship with "Abraham's offspring." The better we understand God's promises to Abraham, the better we can understand His relationship with us.
We will start with a little history. Please read Genesis 11:10-26.
In Genesis 14:13, Abram (he doesn't become Abraham until chapter 17) is refered to as a Hebrew. The name comes from his great, great, great, great grandfather, Eber. In ancient times clans were named after prominent men in their lineage. The descendants of Eber (Heber) were called the Hebrews. Abraham's children continue to be called Hebrews until God gives his grandson, Jacob, the name Israel. Jacob's descendants were called the Israelites until shortly after King Solomon died. Because of his sin, God split the nation of Israel into two, the northern kingdom, Israel, and the southern kingdom Judah. When Judah was taken into captivity by the Bablyonians around 605 BC, they began to be called Judahites, and their religion, Judahism. Over time Judahite was shortened to Jew.* Throughout the Bible, Hebrew, Israelite and Jew are interchangeable names for the Abraham's descendants.
In the New Testament the Israelites continue to take center stage, however a new dimension is added. The Gospel of Matthew traces Jesus' lineage back to Abraham, He was an Israelite, from the the tribe of Judah. Jesus' priority while He was on Earth was to preach the Kingdom to the Jews. There were a handful Gentiles that Jesus ministered to, but most all of His ministries were to Jews. Even after Jesus ascended into Heaven the disciples preached specifically to the Jew. It wasn't until a Christian hating, Jew named Saul got knocked off his horse and encountered Jesus for himself that the Word came to the Gentiles (that's everyone who isn't Jewish). Paul (he took his Roman name after he meet Jesus) spent his entire ministry preaching Jesus to Gentiles, and spreading faith in Christ to the known world.
Paul wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. One of the themes that carries through his books is the connection between faithful Jews and Christians. Ours is the same God, the same Spirit, the same Savior. The same faith that saved Abraham is the same faith that saves us. Paul makes the point that through faith in Christ we become children of Abraham.
"It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring recieved the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith...Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring- not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. Romans 4:13 & 16
"Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Understand, then , that those who believe are children of Abraham, The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." Galatians 3:6-9
"You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourseves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and hers according to the promise." Galatians 3:26-29
In Romans 11:11-24, Paul reminds the Gentiles that we were wild olive shoots that were grafted into the olive root. As Christians we share the roots of our faith with Israel. Father Abraham becomes our father as well.
Tomorrow we will continue our introduction of Abraham, then over the next several weeks we will study his life as told through Scripture. Abraham is the father of our faith and our connection with all that God revealed through the Old Testament. Through Christ we become heirs with Abraham of the Promise. We share a vast history with Israel. I believe the best way to understand who we are is to know where we came from. As we study the life of Abraham we will begin to better understand who we are in Christ.
"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father." Isaiah 51:1 & 2a



* Moore, Beth. The Patriarchs: Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Nashville, TN. Lifeway Press. 2005.pg. 9