Biography of Abraham, character of the faith

Abraham is considered the significant example of faith, so much so that the Bible mentions him as ” Abraham the father of faith ” making him remain very important to the holy scriptures. We all wonder what he did he? He really was a very ordinary person, only he resisted different fights and with a high level of difficulty, but he was successful in facing them.

 Who was Avraham?

Abraham is one of the protagonists of the bible, his story is very important, that is why the first thing we should know is where was Abraham born ? Abraham was born in 1813 BC in Ur kaśdim, which today has disappeared and is modern Iraq.

The story tells that Terah, father of Abraham, was a descendant of Noah, to be more exact, he is part of the tenth generation descended from Noah, the sons of Terah were Abraham, Nahor and Haran. Haran was the father of Lof, but he had a sudden death and passed away in his hometown. Abraham decides to marry Sara, who was his half-sister, but Sara was a barren woman. We get these stories from the bible, Abraham lived with his family in Ur.

In reality, it was not that he was comfortable there, he was surrounded by his relatives and the truth was that he lived very well. But one day Abraham is called by God, who tells him something that amazes him: leave your house, leave your city and go out to the lands that I will indicate to you. Abraham, Terah, Sarah, and Lot then marched from Ur to Canaan.

The Book of Genesis The Life of Abraham

The life of Abraham in the bible narrates from the moment that God appeared on his way, changed his life radically. We all know that the bible is not in charge of carrying out the detailed biography of anyone, much less of the prophet Abraham, but in it they teach us different events in which the deep faith of the holy patriarch is manifested, towards the work of God towards his life. . It is in Genesis 12:1 it is related what God said to Abraham ?:

“12 God said to Abraham, “Leave your people and your relatives, and go to the place that I am going to show you. 2: With your descendants I will form a great nation. I am going to bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3: I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you. Thanks to you, I will bless all the nations of the world!”

4-5: Abraham obeyed God and left Haran, not stopping until he reached the region of Canaan. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, the slaves he had bought in Haran, and everything he had. At that time Abram was seventy-five years old. 6: Abraham went through all that region, and came to Shechem, where the tree of Moreh is.

7: There God appeared to him and said: “All this region I will give to your descendants.” Since God appeared to him there, Abraham built an altar for him. 8: Then he went on his way to the mountainous area that is east of Bethel. When he got there, he pitched his tent. The city of Ai was to the east, and the city of Bethel to the west. There he also built an altar to worship God. 9: Then Abraham left there, advancing slowly, locating himself in the southern desert.”

 Why did Abraham obey the order that God gave him?

There are those who wonder why the prophet Abraham obeys the Lord in this order, which if we analyze it a little is quite strange. it’s simple Abraham was a noble man who fully trusted God, He believed that if God asked him to do so, it would be because it was the best for him and his family and it was with that confidence that he left for a place he didn’t even know where where he was located, God directed his path as promised.

 How was the trip?

Of course, it is considered a laborious trip, since they had to walk through unknown lands and journeys for long hours, the food, let’s say, was not the best since, they drank water from the wells they obtained and rested in the places where there was water and where it grew pasture for cattle. Upon reaching the land of Canaan, which was an attractive and fertile land, it was when they stopped his path, apart from the fact that it is there that God makes his appearance and gives the following instructions to Abraham.

Abraham, Terah, Sara and Lot, already in Canaan, decide to stay there. It was not until the death of Abraham Teré’s father that he died at approximately 205 years of age. That the famine is unleashed on the lands and that is when God sends him to run from there and go to the country that he indicated,   Abraham’s faith continued intact and serving God.

All signs point him to Egypt, Abraham was a smart man and he knew his wife was beautiful. Although his faith for God was eminent and he loved his companion, but he made a strong decision because he did not have any type of trust towards the Egyptian. The book of Genesis 12:10 recounts when Abraham arrives in Egypt.

“10: Then there was a famine in the land, and Abraham went down to Egypt to dwell there; because the famine in the land was great. 11: And it came to pass when he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife: Behold, now I know that you are a beautiful-looking woman; 12: And when the Egyptians see you, they will say: It is his wife; and they will kill me, and they will reserve your life for you. 13: Now, then, say that you are my sister, so that it may go well for you, and my soul may live for your sake.

14: And it came to pass when Abraham entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was exceedingly beautiful. 15: The princes of Pharaoh also saw her, and praised her before him; and the woman was brought into Pharaoh’s house. 16: And Abram did good to her for her sake; and he had sheep, cows, donkeys, servants, maidservants, donkeys and camels. 17: But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai Abram’s wife.

18: Then Pharaoh called Abraham, and said to him, What is this you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 19: Why did you say: she is my sister, making me choose to take her as a woman? Now, then, here is your wife; she take it, and go. 20: Then Pharaoh commanded his people concerning Abraham; and they accompanied him with everything he had with his wife.

 What happened some time after Egypt?

Time passed and Abraham was a man who owned sheep, cattle and tents. Lot who was with him also had a flock. This is how the discord arose between the shepherds of Abraham and those of Lot.

We have already mentioned the intelligence that Abraham possessed because he then proposes to Lot that they separate, the truth is that Abraham wants Lot as his son and allows him to choose the first place where he wants to live. Lot chooses the most fertile land that was located east of the Jordan River and near Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham on the other hand decides to move to the Membre oak forest near where he built the altar. There Abraham and Lot part

“13.- So Abraham went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him. 2: And Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. 3: And he returned by his journeys from the Negev towards Beth-el, to the place where his tent had been before between Beth-el and Ai, 4: to the place of the altar which he had made there before; and there Abraham called on the name of Jehovah.

5: Also Lot, who was with Abraham, had sheep, herds, and tents. 6: And the land was not enough for them to dwell together, for their possessions were many, and they could not dwell in one place. 7: And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abraham’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle; and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land. 8: Then Abraham said to Lot: That there should be no altercation between them and their shepherds since they are a family.

9: Is not the whole earth before you? I beg you to stay away from me. If you go to the left hand, I will go to the right; and if you go to the right, I will go to the left. of Zoar, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.11: Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan; and Lot went toward the east, and they parted one from another.

12: Abraham camped in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tents as far as Sodom. 13: But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against Jehovah in a great way. 14: And Jehovah said to Abraham, after Lot departed from him: Now lift up your eyes, and look from the place where you are towards north and south, and east and west. 15: For all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.

16: And I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth; that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, your offspring will also be counted. because I will give it to you. 18: So Abraham moved his tent and came and dwelt at the oak of Mambre, which is in Hebron, and built an altar there to the Lord.

The bible says Abraham father of faith for children and at one time he was also for many. After the separation between Lot and Abraham approximately twelve years wars broke out between two groups of kings. On one side were the kings: Quedorlaómer de Elam, Tidal de Goím and 3 more kings. On the other side were the kings: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Seboim, the king of Soar.

One of the sides took Lot, his shepherds and all those who lived in his house as his prisoners, when Abraham found out about this he took some of his servants and went to free Lot, at night he faced a battle which he wins and secures the release of his nephew and other prisoners. The Bible Abraham in Genesis 14 best recounts how the Bible’s Abraham  frees Lot.

Abraham and his heirs

God says to Abraham upon reaching Membre de Canaan: Look at this land, it will be all yours, I give it to you and to all your descendants. You will be the progenitor of many people and of a great people and I will be the God of all of you, and you will be my People. At that moment we suppose Abraham thought: but how will this happen if I don’t have children and the Lord would continue speaking to him, Abraham thinking: well for my Lord nothing is impossible.

It was not until a time when Sarah, the barren wife, began to think that they would need heirs and came up with the brilliant idea of ​​taking one of her slaves, Hagar, and offering her to Abraham, Hagar quickly conceived but began to become haughty and this offended and made Sara jealous who was the wife, Abraham tells Sara that she is his love and that the slave belongs to him and he can do with her what he thinks best.

God did not allow Hagar to go very far because he appeared to her and told her to return to her masters and that she would give birth to a male child who would be named Ishmael because he has heard your affliction. The biblical story of Hagar and Ishmael tells how the events took place, see Genesis 16.

Abraham’s family tree is said to be made up of 8 sons, Ishmael, Isaac, Midian who are spoken of in the Bible, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Ishbak and Shuah.

God’s covenant with Abraham

God had already promised Abraham that he would be the father of many people, Abraham and Sarah wanted to have a son. But time passed and nothing they could conceive. Abraham and Sarah were already quite old.

One day God asks Abraham to go outside to see the stars and count them. God promises Abraham again that he will have a great offspring just as the sky has a star. Abraham’s joy was great, although that seemed impossible, he thought that at his advanced age he had already managed to father a son.

This was God’s covenant with Abraham they made: the Lord would give him a great offspring, but in return Abraham had to circumcise all the children of his people including those he had bought. And his people were to make this action a tradition, all the children of Canaan were to be circumcised at 8 years old.

The Lord also told Abram that his name and that of his wife Sarai would change, that now they should be called Abraham and Sara also mentions that Sara was going to father a son and that he would be blessed and will be the confirmation of their pact. God emphasizes that he should not worry about his son Ishmael, because he has heard his prayers and he will be blessed and will be able to father 12 children.

Sara and Abraham’s desire

In Canaan the events were still the same, when one fine day. Abraham was outside his tent and Sara was inside and suddenly 3 men appeared in the tent, this visit surprised everyone because for that side of Canaan it was strange when visitors appeared. Abraham received them and gave them the best of attention, Abraham asked Sara and told her to prepare a good meal for the visitors, so Sara decided to bake bread and in her honor they killed a calf to eat.

After this reception, when the travelers were about to leave, one of them asked, “Where is Sara?” will have a son. Sara, who was actually inside the store, laughed because from her kitchen she could hear the conversation that was being held outside, the truth is she thought about it for a moment but this was something that seemed impossible to her.

By that date, Sarah was already 90 years old and Abraham was 100 years old. To tell the truth is that at that time people lived much longer than now. But it is also true that they were too old to conceive a child.

The third man asked: What is the reason why Sara laughs? At that moment Sara was embarrassed and tried to explain that she had not laughed. This visitor exclaimed: for God nothing is impossible. It is at that moment when Sara and Abraham understand that these 3 men were angels sent by God.

“18.- Then Jehovah appeared to him in the oak of Mamre, while he was sitting at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2: And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran out of the door of his tent to meet them, and prostrated himself to the ground, 3: and said: Lord, if now I have found favor in your eyes, I beg you not to pass your servant . 4: Now let a little water be brought, and wash your feet; and lie down under a tree,

5: and I will bring a morsel of bread, and sustain your heart, and afterward you shall pass over; for that is why you have passed near your servant. And they said: Do as you have said. 6: Then Abraham went quickly to the store to Sarah, and said to her: Quickly take three measures of fine flour, and knead and make baked loaves under the embers. 7: And Abraham ran to the cows, and he took a tender and good calf, and gave it to the servant, and he hastened to prepare it.

8: He also took butter and milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stayed with them under the tree, and they ate. 9: And they said to him: Where is Sarah your wife? And he replied: Here in the store. 10: Then he said: Surely I will return to you; and according to the time of life, behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sara was listening at the door of the shop, which was behind him.

11: And Abraham and Sarah were old, and Sarah had already ceased the custom of women. 12: So Sarah laughed among herself, saying, After I am old shall I have delight, my lord also being old? 13: Then the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Is it true that I am going to give birth when I am old? 14: Is there anything difficult for God? At the appointed time I will return to you, and according to the time of life, Sarah will have a son.

15: Then Sarah denied, saying: I did not laugh; because she was afraid. And he said: It is not so, but you have laughed.”

What happened in Sodom?

These 3 angels in the body of a man were on their way to Sodom. Abraham who accompanies them, upon arrival the path stopped after seeing the appearance of the Lord. He didn’t even notice that his visitors followed.

On this visit, God told Abraham that he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because these cities were sunk in sin. Abraham exalted by all the news asks the Lord not to condemn the city because there were pure and good-hearted people there, God replies that if there are 50 clean people in Sodom he forgives the city for love of them, Abraham asks a and again but with different figures (45, 40, 30, 20) until reaching 10 sir and if only ten clean people were found in Sodom and God’s answer was always the same, he would forgive them for the love of that Ten. This was God’s covenant with Abraham .

Lot goes out and offers his daughters but they demand the presence of the visitors who were in their house. The angels call Lot and tell him to take your family and leave the city, Lot wakes up his son-in-law and tells him that God will destroy the city and that they must leave there, but for them this is a cause for ridicule, without insisting Lot takes to his wives and daughter and runs away when he finds himself at the entrance the angels inform him that for his kindness they have been forgiven and to go to Zoar, a small town in the mountains with his family but he does not look back because he would be consumed with the city.

Lot manages to reach Zoar, but when he gets there his wife takes a look back and immediately becomes a pillar of salt, because God had rained sulfur on the city and burned Sodom and Gomorrah with fire.

birth of isaac

After Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed in the morning, Abraham goes up to Mount Monre where he had built the altar of the Lord and sees how the smoke comes out of Sodom.

After such a long wait and that visit from the angels to Sara’s store, nine months later Sara gives birth to a son, Isaac, that was the name they gave him, it meant joy because Sara laughed when she found out and God had already ordered Abraham That’s what they would call it.

After the birth of Isaac son of Abraham, Hagar began to be jealous of the little one, because her son was no longer the only one that Abraham had fathered.

Abraham decides to give a banquet on behalf of Issac but listens as Hagar makes fun of how old Sara looked and raising Isaac, at that moment Abraham remembers the words of God when he announced the birth of Isaac who says that this will be his sole heir. That’s when Abraham, outraged, decides to kick Hagar and Ishmael out of their home. The next morning Abraham takes water and bread and gives it to Ishmael and they leave for the desert.

Being in the desert, water and food run out and Hagar begins to lose strength. Ishmael begins to pray and God appears to them and tells Hagar that I have heard your son’s prayer, he showed her a river, told her to take Ishmael and that he had been blessed and from him they would form a nation.

 Isaac’s Event

When Isaac son of Abraham was older God asks Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Although for Abraham this was an atrocious and painful request, he decided to obey him in what he was ordered at that moment, although none of that went with the promises that God had given him regarding his offspring. For God this was about the sacrifice of Abraham that he had to perform. In Genesis 22 of the bible, this story is told of how God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac.

God asks Abraham to take his son, his only son Isaac, whom he and Sarah love so much, to the land of Moriah and I will tell you what offering you must sacrifice. In the morning Abraham took a donkey, a servant and his son cut some wood for the sacrifice and went to the place that God indicated to him. Three days passed when Abraham saw in the distance the place that God had indicated to him. Abraham ties up the donkey and tells his son to walk to the site.

When they are walking, Isaac begins to ask the question and in a matter of seconds he says to Abraham: my father, we carry the fire here and also the wood; but where is the sacrificial lamb? Abraham responds by saying: My son, God will provide us with the sacrificial lamb.

Arriving at the mountain he begins to build an altar, all as the Lord had requested Abraham takes his beloved son and places him on the altar and Abraham extended his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. Just at that moment Abraham hears a voice that tells him: Do not extend your hand over the boy, do not do anything to him; because I already know that you fear and obey God, and at no time have you refused to sacrifice your only son. Take that sheep and slaughter it in his honor

Abraham opens his eyes and made a bundle of nerves lowers the boy, takes the sheep and sacrifices it, thanking him for allowing his son to live. That voice confirms to Abraham what God had told him at some point. As you have not refused to kill your son, I will bless you, and multiply your offspring as there are stars in the sky, as there is sand in the sea, I promise that your offspring will possess the gates of their enemies, since you have obeyed my voice .

Last years

Sara dies and is buried in what is now known as the cave of the Patriarchs in Palestine, Abraham years ago and we assume that due to his old age he had bought the Machpelah field and this was the one used for Sara’s burial.

After this fact, Abraham tries to secure the alliance of the only heir, his son Isaac. Abraham told his faithful servant named Eliezer to go to Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac, Eliezer left when he returned, bringing with him Rebekah, the granddaughter of Nacor, his brother, which made Rebekah his great-niece.

For Abraham, life was also quite busy, after the death of Sara, Abraham married again, this time he had six children with Quetura, his new wife, these children were called Zimram, Jocsán, Medan, Midian, Isbac and Sua.

There are those who wonder how long Abraham lived ? Well, Abraham died at the age of 165, and they buried him next to his first wife Sarah. The rest of his family were also buried with them Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah and Leah in what is known as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

The story of Abraham for children becomes easier to understand when they see it, that’s why we leave you this video hoping that you find it fun and enriching for the little ones in the house.