them. PDF God's Seven Promises to Abraham - Open Door Outreach PDF BLESSING OF ABRAHAM - The Kingdom of Jesus . 23. 0000020385 00000 n Rev (Dr.) Richard Udoh is the senior pastor of The Father's house Ministry, a fast growing gospel church. Who are these nations? The answer is by no means clear from the text. Many commentators assume they are to be the descendants of Isaac and that the Bible is talking exclusively about the Jewish people. Gods blessing to Abraham is recorded in Genesis 12:13: The Lord had said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your fathers household to the land I will show you.I will make you into a great nation,and I will bless you;I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing.I will bless those who bless you,and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earthwill be blessed through you.Here, Abraham is blessed, and that blessing includes the promise that he will have a great name (reputation) and that he would become a great nation (have many descendants). Yet only two sentences previously the Bible had said: , . (Genesis 15:6) It is difficult to believe that Abraham was now seeking reassurance. More likely is that the Hebrew word, in the sense of how will this come about (that I will inherit)?, also fits in well into the flow of this passage. He was known by kings 44.Hoffman notes that in ancient Arabic the word raham means a multitude and suggests that although this word is not currently used in Hebrew it may once have been part of the Jewish lexicon. The arrow of conviction, "Go," "call," and "come.". For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened." 5. Psalm 41 Blessing #1: God wants to deliver you, even in times of trouble. Actually it is 6 (number of man) pieces of armor the Saints don in Ephesians 6:10-18. , The land of Canaan was given to Abraham and yet was occupied by other people. Today also Israel has sovereignty over much of Judea and Samaria, but another people occupy the land., The Zionist venture has always required a considerable amount of trust. To think that a people could arise from near annihilation and establish a vibrant state was never an entirely logical proposition. Even today more missiles are aimed at Israel from its borders than anywhere else in the world. Its external problems seem formidable and even insoluble. Yet the message of the Abraham stories is that God, working through history, will resolve these problems provided the Jewish people maintain their trust in Him.. Bible Studies Articles/Stories New/Special Jesus Maturity 40.Nachmanides commentary to the Torah on Genesis 17:1. A midrash, on the other hand, sees circumcision as bringing a repair of a physical perfection (Bereishis Rabba 6:1). Rashi follows up on this. Rashi also brings another explanation that this is a command and that Abraham is to be complete or wholehearted in the trials to which he will be subjected. This could be referring specifically to the command of circumcision (Beer Yitzchak)., 42.This explanation is at variance with that of Rashi (Rashi to Genesis 17:9) who suggests that Elohim is only a God to the Jewish people inside the land of Israel. Otherwise, it is as if they had no God. See also Babylonian Talmud, Kesubos 110b.. These seven promises are written in a crescendo form, building up to the last two promises which form the apex of the crescendo. The basis of this covenant is for Elokim throughout their generations .. to be a God to you and to your offspring after you, (Genesis 17:7) and that in all the land of Canaan.. 0000003188 00000 n It is suggested is this essay, however, that the land of Canaan will belong to Abraham even though he does not have the means yet for establishing his ownership. Gods promise is more than just a promissory note the land will be his and not just for subsequent generations -. for me with His own precious blood. You are a gifted and brilliant young man. The blessing of Abraham is also sometimes misused in prosperity theology to claim that believers today can be just as rich and successful as Abraham was. The first blessing is Genesis 12:1 unto a land that I will shew thee: Your email address will not be published. Abundant Life Crusades, If we could be A. Support Us MSEP01 - What is the Blessing of Abraham? When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YKVK appeared to Abram, and said to him: I am El Shedai, walk before me and be perfect. 1. Nachmanides commentary to the Torah on Genesis 12:9. Based on Bereishis Raba 40:6, he shows that Abrahams visit to Egypt has many similarities to the Egyptian exile. He also mentions in his Introduction to the book of Exodus that all the events in the lives of [the Patriachs] are illustrations to allude to and to foretell all that would come upon [their offspring] in the future., 3.Mishnah Torah, Laws of Idol Worship 1:3. Luzzatto suggests that the name comes from the three-letter root shin daled daled, and notes that the Arabic word shadid means strong. Hence, its meaning would be Omnipotent God. This is similar to the explanation of Nachmanides and Ibn Ezra of Mighty God. The call is followed by several promises of God, which are referred to as "The Seven Blessings of Abraham" or the seven-fold blessing: Throughout Abraham's life once called by God, we see . Most of what you sent me in your response by way of your video teaching is addressed in the blog. 1. (Joshua 1:-6) , The sixth blessing is connected to the fifth blessing by its thematic content. Nevertheless, in the Torah scroll it is separated from the previous blessing by a paragraph gap and should therefore be considered a separate blessing., At long last, Abraham is told by Elokim that he will have a son through Sarah and she also will give rise to nations and kings. A different explanation is provided by Cassuto who proposes that this name is used in the Bible within the context of fertility. The blessing of Abraham is also sometimes misused in prosperity theology to claim that believers today can be just as rich and successful as Abraham was.First, well take a look at the historical context of Abrahams blessing. 7 Blessings from God - Awesome Church 0000031703 00000 n Try, Slow Down, Big Fellawhat A Motorcyclist Taught Me About Preaching, Spit-Shine Tomorrow's Sermon Before You Go To Bed Tonight. MySpace Facebook, John 8:39 - "They answered and said to Him, 'Abraham is our father.' 11 0 obj <> endobj xref 7. , The land of Canaan was given to Abraham and yet was occupied by other people. Today also Israel has sovereignty over much of Judea and Samaria, but another people occupy the land., The Zionist venture has always required a considerable amount of trust. To think that a people could arise from near annihilation and establish a vibrant state was never an entirely logical proposition. Even today more missiles are aimed at Israel from its borders than anywhere else in the world. Its external problems seem formidable and even insoluble. Yet the message of the Abraham stories is that God, working through history, will resolve these problems provided the Jewish people maintain their trust in Him.. . This 5th blessing introduces a new name for God, encompassing a new aspect of His being El Shadai. In the conclusion of our 4-part series on this covenant . The major Bible texts of the three promises. What Was God's Promise to Abraham? - Christianity.com There are more than 40 blessings in the Word given to Abraham either for him or trailer <]/Prev 297657>> startxref 0 %%EOF 44 0 obj <>stream However, the blessing Abraham received from God went far beyond those immediate, personal blessings. He was faithful until the end. could also be the nations that Abraham will father. He has already fathered Ishmael. The reader will learn shortly that he is to father Isaac. When Sarah dies, Abraham will father children from a second wife Katurah. These and the offspring of Ishmael will leave Canaan to go southwards into the Arabian Peninsula. The offspring of Isaac will remain in Canaan, but a branch of this family will go eastwards to form the nation of Edom. What are Abraham's Blessings? - cfaith The History of Jewish, Christian and Islamic Messianism" of extreme interest. And He promised that all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham. God made the promise to Abraham and Abraham responded with faith and obedience. You must be born again. . King James Bible. It could be a directive or even a summary of the blessings preceding it, although this is not how most commentators understand it. Nachmanides suggests that Abraham will become the standard by which blessings are bestowed upon others. There is discussion among Jewish commentators as to the symbolic meaning of circumcision. Most agree that it is a means of distinguishing the Jewish people from the rest of humanity. Abraham's 7-Fold Blessing Obedience turns into Promises: 1. , What is the purpose of this covenant? Or to put the question another way - circumcision is to be a. that God will show him. But in what direction is he to go? Nachmanides suggest that Abraham wandered from place to place to find the land chosen for him, but this is a difficult explanation. Religion creates Penitents while Jesus casts them Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, do I really unde How to Handle a matter wisely; trust in Jesus, Placebo; Howard Pitman's trip to the third heaven. Others, a 3-year old from the womb. The translation adopted here is a three-some. God rewarded Abraham's faith by giving him a long life and great prosperity. The seven blessings with their accompanying stories concern themselves in the main with matters of faith and history. But what of the values that Abraham practiced? These will be the subject matter of the next essay. This son to be named Isaac will be circumcised at eight days of age so that he is firmly grounded in the covenant and it is only appropriate that this covenant be concluded prior to this son being born.. "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly." Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,read more. 7 fold blessing of abraham pdf. Blessing number four. There are hints in the text that this dispute between uncle and nephew was not only about economic resources but also a philosophical one. The two covenants are , as in the previous covenant with YHVH. Nevertheless, in both passages the word to, is still used with reference to humanity in the Noah passage that , (Genesis 9:11) and in this passage that an uncircumcised person will . This seven fold blessing to Abraham is not only for Abraham and the nation of Israel. Isaac was able to sow in Genesis 26:12, in the time of famine, and reaped a hundred fold harvest. 13. Joshua was well aware of these two promises. He entered Canaan with the explicit purpose of capturing the land of Canaan and distributing it to the twelve tribes. The Israelites also conquered and settled in Beth El (Joshua 12;9-16, 16:1-2). There is still debate as to the location of Bet El, but it may well be the present Arab villages of Beitin or El Birah. This town is also strategically located on the narrow central mountain range, with a connecting road heading eastwards to Jericho. The Root of Every Blessing: The Abrahamic Covenant Contact Us God wants to bless us and meet every need of our lives. Web Pages and HTML Sources are for, The just shall live by faith. Copyright 2010 Bible-pedia. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. "You shall be the father of many nations": This speaks of CREATIVE ABILITY. And in Galatians 3:13-14, Paul relates this blessing as being bestowed. 7. The blessing of Abraham begin in Genesis 12: 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy fathers house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. God will bless those who bless him; furthermore, Abraham will be a blessing. This particular revelation also comes at a time of crisis for Abraham. By defeating the Mesopotamian kings, he could well be fearful that they will try to avenge his attack. God tells him, however, that there is no reason for him to fear for God will be his. - 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: 0000010222 00000 n God wants us to be a blessing to all people. v%`E\6 This is applied creative ability and those that acknowledge they have that gift can change the world. He knows what we have need of before we know ourselves. It is no coincidence that this sentence closely resembles the opening sentence from another episode in Abrahams life when he demonstrates a similar trust in God in the Binding of Isaac story. In this story, also, Abraham is told:, In this instance, also, Abraham is asked to make a radical break in his lifes direction by sabotaging everything he has been working towards and together with his son travel to an unknown destination. In this instance, too, his trust in God will result in a multiplication of the beneficence granted to him up to now. It is very noteworthy that there is considerable difference between the extent of Gods territorial gift in this 5th blessing and the previous one. In this Elokim-bestowed blessing, Abraham is promised the whole of the land of Canaan (Genesis 17:8), whereas in the previous YKVK blessing he is promised from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River (Genesis 15:18). What accounts for this difference? (Genesis 12:8 and 13:4)? Many commentators follow the lead of midrashim and assume this was part of Abrahams outreach program. He was announcing the existence of God and welcoming all to embrace monotheism. Yet in the one instance in which this expression is used in the Torah outside of Genesis it is a scene in which only God and Moses are present. God doesnt bless us just to make us happy; He blesses us to make us a blessing. In many ceremonies, the Sheva Brachot prayers are read or chanted in both Hebrew and English. The call of Abram (later to be called Abraham) in Genesis Ch. We signed our name By Exodus 1, the children of Abraham, the Israelites, are a great people, and the rest of Exodus through Joshua records how the people became a nation with their own land and law. The Sevenfold Abrahamic Covenant blessings Redeemed at the Cross The seven blessings are adapted from ancient rabbinic teachings, beginning with the blessing over the wine and ending with a communal expression of joy. Here God promises a revival in the life of every giver. The blessing of Abraham finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16) and the Redeemer of the world.The rest of the Bible records how these promises were fulfilled and the blessing of Abraham advanced. Seven miracles wrought by Christ on the Sabbath day: -. Fruitfulness is self-replicating abundance produced without undue strain but rather by the blessing of God. Rashi to Genesis 17:1 as explained by Beer Yitzchak. This is also the explanation of Rav Saadia Gaon. Rabbi Joseph Solveitchik takes a different approach and explains that Gods creation is not fully complete, but God will partner with Abraham and they will both be creators (Chumash with commentary based on the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Lead us in our calling.We do this by letting the Holy Spirit Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all I. of the land as well as the power and authority over the family. When Abraham stood on the mountains of Israel, God promised him in Genesis 12, "I will bless those who bless you.and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.". The blessing of Abraham is three-fold. You will be a blessing For the past year I've been closely following Amir TSARFATI on his BEHOLD ISRAEL YouTube channel. 0000010001 00000 n The leper also was cleansed in the same place with a seven-fold sprinkling of the blood of the killed bird (Leviticus 14:7,11). What Abraham must do now is to point out to future generations the extent of this gift. Blessing number three in Genesis 12:2 and I will bless thee, Genesis 12:1-3. representative to the world to promote justice and righteousness. Especially note how God understands our complete inadequacy to fill the role, but, through His son Jesus Christ, we are in fact worthy to receive the seven-fold blessing of Abraham. 4:7. , 16.See Hosea 4:13: They sacrifice on the mountain tops and burn offerings on the hills under oak, poplar and terebinth where the shade is pleasant., 17. He promised to bless those who bless Abraham. The 7-Fold Promise in the Abrahamic Covenant - Albert Finch Ministry You shall be the father of many nations : This speaks of CREATIVE ABILITY. Describing the water which He gives. B. each according to its language, by their families, in their nations. The land of Canaan is where the language of the Jewish people will be heard and where their families and tribes will reside. These are their religious/international borders, and these are the borders that like a magnet will pull the Jewish people whenever they are in exile. God's seven blessing to Abraham God's masterplan for a utopian society - righteousness, justice, and the way of God "Possessing" the land for the burial of Sarah Isaac and Ishmael - a story yet incomplete The moral and religious conflict between Judaism and Islam THE BINDING OF ISAAC-THE NON-EVENT THAT CHANGED THE WORLD 0000025195 00000 n The number 8 in the Bible has the connotation of being one level above the holy. This is because the act of circumcision binds the Jew in the strongest way possible to a holy purpose. God bless. . 7 fold blessing of abraham - kestonrocks.com Hidden manna, the white stone, and a new name. Abraham wasa man who just wanted one son, but of whom God made the father of a great nation. Perhaps because of this there is a midrashic tradition that Abrahams greatness was not only his awareness of a Single God but to his willingness to go through trials to demonstrate his allegiance to Him. One of these trials was his confronting the Mesopotamian ruler Nimrod and being placed in a burning furnace when his father delivered him to the king for smashing the idols in his idol store. The Bible points out the similarities between the fertility of the plain of the Jordan and that of the land of Egypt. Abraham and Lot had just returned from Egypt. By choosing the richness of the Jordan plain, Lot was demonstrating his preference for the lifestyle of Egypt and his rejection of the way of life of Abraham. Abraham falls on his face in subjugation, and laughs to himself in wonderment (although not in disbelief). Sarah is well passed the age of giving birth to children. Abraham suggests that Ishmael be chosen instead - to which Elokim replies: Indeed Sarah your wife shall bear you a son;and you shall call his name Isaac;and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you;behold, I have blessed him, and I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly;he will beget twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time the next year. ' list only seven of the blessings given to or through Abraham. bless thee,A. Sefer Bereishis, p72, OU Press). Nachmanides, on the other hand, assigns no particular significance to this form of the verb and assumes it to be common idiomatic Hebrew usage. 12 marks the beginning of God's preparation for a people - His people. Commenting on this verse, a midrash says the following: The book of Joshua emphasizes that Abrahams family was pagan, and this is the background that he broke away from: Not surprisingly, therefore, most commentators see Abrahams greatness in his appreciation of God as being the Creator and Master of the universe and his bringing of monotheism to the world. The seven blessings bestowed upon Abraham by YKVK and Elokim are clearly prophetic in nature. . Unlike the pagan deities, YKVK is not satisfied with occasional homage. He wants a nation that is God-centered and is cognizant of the fact that everything they have is not a natural right but a Divine gift. Get out of your country, from your family and from your fathers house, to a land that I will show you. 7. I will take you for My people, and I will be your God. Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. Visionaries will lead the future. Prior to being given the fourth blessing, Abraham finds himself involved in local politics and conflict and successfully attacks invading forces from Mesopotamia to rescue his nephew Lot. This is not an irrelevant side-story to the biblical narrative. Without intention, Abraham suddenly finds himself a regional power with an empire extending from close to Egypt up to Mesopotamia. At this point, he does not have the resources to keep this empire together and almost certainly no desire either but he is pointing out to later generations that it is part of YKVKs design that Israel become a regional power between the empires of Mesopotamia and Egypt..