Please come wearing a face covering and follow all social distancing guidelines. www.tanach.org. Blessing number six of Abraham Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, Scriptures: 7 fold blessing of abraham. VI. In this sermon outline we God wants us to be a blessing to all people. Nachmanides commentary to the Torah on Genesis 12:2. | We were asked to sign the book of special guests. means my princess and may have been a form of endearment. A. However, it is also possible that these are just common kosher animals and there is no specific symbolism with respect to the kind of animals and birds in this vision., The text relates that the Israelites will be oppressed in Egypt for 400 years and that the fourth generation will be redeemed. But how do . , Abrahams siring in his old age is fully elaborated in the Torah and there must be messages here. One is that these tribes have a place in the Near East just as do the offspring of Isaac. Another may be that these nations were once raised in the household of Abraham and would have picked up religious sparks from their upbringing. Some time in the future, they will seek their true roots and by embracing his ideas will once again become part of the extended Abrahamic family. The commonalty of nations rather than their differences also flows from the story of Noah and his forming the common ancestry of man.. There is, moreover, a fundamental problem with the notion that Abrahams sole claim to greatness was his defense of monotheism. The God who created and rules the world is Elokim. Yet it was YKVK, the God of individual providence, who called upon Abraham to leave in his old age his birthplace and family and to embark on a new and, at this stage, unrevealed mission. Years ago my wife and I were guests of the Lord Mayor of Cheltenham, England. To understand the principles discovered by Abraham, all of which will form the underpinnings of Judaism, a good starting point is an analysis of the seven blessings bestowed upon Abraham by God. The Tanach Study Center. Elokim is forging a special relationship with Abraham and his descendants by promising to be a God to them.41 At first glance these two sentences seem similar to each other, but they do in fact express very different ideas. In the last but one sentence, Elokim promises to be a God to Abraham and his seed forever and this would include periods of exile. In the last sentence, He also promises to be their eternal God but in the land of Canaan.42 In essence, He asserts that He will be their God throughout the entirety of Jewish history. Jesus is our High Priest under the order ofMelchizedeksits on the blood sprinkled mercy seat. The Three-Fold Blessing is Yours - cfaith 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.. The seven blessings bestowed upon Abraham by YKVK and Elokim are clearly prophetic in nature. The full implications of the Abraham story are now coming together. Why were Abraham and Sarah told to leave Haran in their old age? Clearly, no age is too late to confront spiritual challenges. Prior to God communicating with him at age 75, Abraham may well have concluded that he had led a meaningful life and little remained for him to accomplish. If he had thought this he was mistaken. The most consequential aspects of his life were yet to come. in our live to serve him. . (Genesis 17:13) There will always be circumcised Jews in the world because Gods covenant with Abraham is eternal and His representatives need to be eternally here on earth. England. Web Pages and HTML Sources are If God is your source, it does not matter how bad the economy is, you can be fully confident that God will surely bless you a hundred-fold if you faithfully invest in the preaching of the Gospel. , which occurs four times, and this keyword highlights the theme of this passage. Five of these seven benefits reflect Gods involvement alone, as they begin with the words . Because of his firm believe in what God has disclosed. Pagans held that the gods controlled different aspects of nature and function within nature. It would have been far from their mindset to imagine that any god would be interested in engaging in a relationship. Yet this is precisely what Abraham proposed. The land of Canaan is first defined early in Genesis: Canaan begot Zidon, his first born, and Heth; and the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, the Arvadite, the Zemarite and the Hamatite. Afterwards, the families of the Canaanites branched out. And the Canaanite border extended from Zidon going towards Gerar as far as Gaza, going towards Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. (Genesis 10:15-19), The land of Canaan is the territory in which Canaan, the grandson of Noah, and his descendants lived. Zidon was in the north and encompassed a large area in Lebanon, and Gerar was its southern border. This city is close to Gaza, but further inland and somewhat to the south of Gaza. - 13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for You must be born again. . . 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. As people of faith, we are justified in Christ. At Babel men sought to make a name for themselves and it only ended up dividing then but through Abraham the whole world has been blessed and believer are united in Jesus Christ. This is applied creative ability and those that acknowledge they have that gift can change the world. . This 5th blessing given by Elokim is about the eternity of the Jewish people and its role in world history. The land of Canaan, what will in future be called the Land of Israel, is to be their core possession. This is where the forefathers walked, set up religious monuments, and prayed to God. This is the territory that defines the Jewish people among the nations of the world, just as the territory of the seventy nations of the world defines them. As chapter 10 states on four occasions regarding the descendants of Shem, Ham and Yaphet . However, the blessing Abraham received from God went far beyond those immediate, personal blessings. A firstborn son received a double-blessing. Galatians 3:29 says, "If ye be Christ's then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." That means you are blessed spiritually, physically, and financially. 7 fold blessing of abraham - nodelivery.fun I. Most of what you sent me in your response by way of your video teaching is addressed in the blog. Psalm 41 Blessing #1: God wants to deliver you, even in times of trouble. OF THE GLORIFIED CHRIST TO HIS CHURCH. 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. 35.Rashi regards Isaac and Jacob as being offspring who will be sojourners in a land not their own. Following Seder Olam, his chronology is Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob was born (Genesis 25:26), and Jacob was 130 years old when he went down to Egypt (Genesis 47:9). The Israelites were therefore in Egypt for 210 years. On the other hand, we have argued that Canaan was already deeded to Abraham. Plus, the Bible itself states that the Israelites were in Egypt for 430 years (Exodus 12:40). These remain difficulties. There are Jewish commentators who view circumcision in terms of self-improvement. For example, a person will see his circumcision and remember that his sexual organ can be used for both good and evil.47 This may be true, but it is not the primary purpose of this Elokim-directed command. Moreover, it is not coincidence that circumcision of the sex organ is commanded in a passage which gives prominence to the themes of fertility and offspring. It is here, after the death of his father, God's call and promise to Abraham is first recorded. Scripture tells us that the blessing Abraham received from God is for you too. . . The Canaanites will live in the coastal plain of the land of Canaan otherwise not occupied by the Philistines, the lowlands (shfela) of Canaan and its valleys, and the Jordan valley. The other tribes will inhabit the central mountain range. Hence, the land of Canaan is the land whose perimeter is the territory of the Canaanites and whose central core is occupied by these other tribes. This entire area is to become the territory of the Israelites and will be apportioned to the Israelite tribes. What will be your perpetual state of being? I AM A SON AND HEIR OF GOD THROUGH CHRIST. If Abraham would get out of your God would do three (3) things that will make him a blessing and he had to be a blessing so that God will do three (3) more things for him. As our Lord, He requires us to be generous, to give to others, to help widows and orphans, support ministries, etc. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 0000001668 00000 n 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.. The Sixfold Blessing of the Tithe - From His Presence Cain and Abel: A pivotal story in the Torah, Satire in the Bible - the Ziggurat of Babylon, God's universal message to Abraham and his descendants, 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, JOSEPH - THE RIGHT PERSON IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, The redemption from Egypt and God's role in the natural world and world history. And He promised that all peoples on earth would be blessed through Abraham. What To Do While Waiting For Breakthrough, MAKING GOD FAMOUS: Honouring God As Apostle Paul. The Seven Promises (Genesis 12:2-3) 1) I will make you a great (12:2a) 2) I will you (12:2b) 3) I will make your great (Gen 12:2c) 4) You shall be a (Gen 12:2d) 5) will bless those who bless you (12:3a) 6) The one who you I will (12:3b) 7) In you all the of the earth shall be blessed (12:3c) Abraham's Journey of Faith Overview of Genesis 12:1-3 Both Abrahams question and Gods answer are linked by the word to. 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. God bless. THE SEED OF THE WOMAN AND THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM - Academia.edu Yet there is an additional layer of prophecy contained within the Abraham stories. Everything that Abraham did will have significance in terms of later Jewish history - his travels and religious acts in the land of Canaan, and even his and his wifes laughter on learning about Sarahs future pregnancy. Prelude to Successful Action in A Commentary on the Book of Exodus by Umberto Moshe David Cassuto, p78. B. 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 rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (verses 69, emphasis added). The Seven Fold Blessing - Karuna Sadan We should know that God keeps his word and will perform everything he claims He will do. whose overriding concern is the general providence of mankind, the imminent aspect of God, who relates to humanity on an individual, family or tribal basis., Yet there is a lot more to the Abraham stories than matters of faith. In a way that defies a completely rational explanation, Abraham acted out the outlines of future Jewish history. Nachmanides was the first to elaborate on this idea with his well-known principle: . RECEIVING THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM - Faithlife Sermons 4:7. | Thanks a lot for reading. much commentary, since it could imply that Abraham has doubts about Gods promise. However, in contrast to the covenant with Noah, this particular covenant is not a unilateral one, in that Abraham is expected to be a direct participant by fulfilling the directive of circumcision. Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, A. The Sevenfold Blessing His Leaving started a chain of reactions. Abraham was an Old Testament prophet born about 2000 B.C. The Egyptian Exodus and Canaanite conquest - facts or fiction? 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. . C. He wants us to have life and more abundantly. 0000021186 00000 n 49. And He finished speaking with Him, and Elokim ascended from upon Abraham. (Genesis 17:19-22), Bible critics have noted that the couple are told twice about Sarahs impending pregnancy, once here and again in the very next section. There, Abraham and Sarah are informed by one of the three angels of YKVK that in a years time Sarah will have a son. Sara is listening through the tent wall and the intent is clearly that she should hear this news. This suggests to these scholars that two different textual sources exist regarding Sarahs pregnancy. Rashi, on the basis of Bereishis Rabba 39:1 and Sanhedrin 99b comments on the phrase , 18. Lead us in our calling.We do this by letting the Holy Spirit Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. We signed our name below the signature of Queen Elizabeth the Queen of England. , Of course, the very fact that Abraham was able to dialogue with God and question His justice was only possible because of Abrahams appreciation that YKVK is a personal God who listens. There he meets and blesses Pharaoh, Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh, and his twelve sons. 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. (GALATIANS 4:7), THROUGH JESUS CHRIST I RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF ABRAHAM AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. One is that the Bible was redacted during a later period of history and the name Ur of the Chaldeans is an anachronism. This would also date the redaction of the Pentateuch to sometime from the 7th century BCE onwards. Against this it could be argued that the redactors of the Bible must surely have know that the Chaldeans were in Ur for a limited period and they were introducing a very obvious anachronism into the Biblical text with no good reason for doing so. Alternatively, the name Chaldeans could have been a later edition to an earlier written text, although again it is unclear what this addition was adding, since it is likely that Ur was sufficiently well known that it did not require this type of identification. The third possibility, and this is the suggestion favored by this author, is that the Bible was written shortly after the Exodus as the Bible describes and Ur Kasdim is not the ancient southern Mesopotamian city of Ur. This is, in fact, the position of many Jewish commentators. The Talmud, Maimonides, Josephus and the Book of Jubilees, for example, all describe locations in Assyria and south-east Anatolia for Ur of the Chaldeans. The Book of Jubilees writes that: Ur son of Keed built the city of Ara of the Chaldees, and called its name after his own name and the name of his father"(Jubilees 11:3). , A convert to Judaism is called a child of Abraham. Islam and Christianity also consider themselves spiritual heirs to Abrahams legacy. The Koran establishes its Abrahamic lineage through Ishmael. Christianity views Abraham as an important exemplar of faith and a spiritual and possibly a physical ancestor of Jesus.45 In the theology of Paul, all who believe in God are spiritual descendants of Abraham. 0000001469 00000 n III. 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.. He who controls the land, controls what's on it and determine what is allowed. 0000025146 00000 n The first blessing is Genesis 12:1 unto a land that I will shew thee: When we put on the spiritual armor, doesn't the amount of equipment equal seven, too? (Deuteronomy 18:13). Just as you are to avoid magical practices and retain your trust in Me, so also are you to walk before Me and maintain your belief in Me. D. He will do more than we can think or ask. 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). (Genesis 17:1), The name El Shedai is explained by many Jewish interpreters as being derived from the two Hebrew words She and dai, which mean that and sufficient. In the conclusion of our 4-part series on this covenant . A different explanation is provided by Cassuto who proposes that this name is used in the Bible within the context of fertility. Conclusion. , 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.. At one time, it was the largest city in the ancient world. It also was on the coast and therefore a port; but the coastline has since moved further into the ocean and the ruins of Ur are now inland. The Chaldeans of Ur of the Chaldeans are a Semitic tribe who invaded Ur at the end of the 7th century BCE. God also protected him and kept him safe. Through Abraham all nations on earth will be blessed. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, the high priest; and Abraham was called a man of faith. Joy Chinonyerem is an ardent follower of Christ who believes in Living the Christian Life according to the tenets set by Christ himself. and then continues his journeying southward. At this time there is a famine in the land and Abraham elects to go southwards to Egypt. In Egypt, his wife narrowly escapes having relationships with the Pharaoh when she is forcibly taken into his harem.. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. More plausible is that this exile was Gods immutable decree. He also decreed that it be in the form of servitude and oppression. In this instance, Abraham was not to be privy to the details of Gods justice. There was nothing therefore to discuss. The Blessing Of Abraham Is Salvific. Praise the Lord! 7 fold blessing of abraham pdf. #2 Land. There are more than 40 blessings in the Word given to Abraham either for him or those who would be through blessings would be blessed. Tony's Sermons , The blessings are in a crescendo literary format, with each blessing building on the previous one and revealing ever-increasing beneficence. The Blessing of Abraham: Seeking an Interpretive Link between Genesis The 7 Blessings Of Abraham Abraham was a man who just wanted one son, but of whom God made the father of a great nation. where to buy georgia bourbon snow cream; SMOJ. Our lights need to shine in the sin dark world. Most nations are also endogenous to a land. Their country of birth defines their nationality and that country has been linked to that nationality from time immemorial. But this is not how it is to be for Abraham and his descendants. Everything is to be a gift from God and has to be earned children, land, and even agricultural sustenance on this land. . Abraham will also become the progenitor of kings: and I will make nations of you, and kings shall descend from you. (Genesis 17:6). Let no man despise thee. Leader: Come, all who desire blessing! 7 fold blessing of abraham. below the signature of Queen Elizabeth the Queen of England. Jacob Offers Blessings (Genesis 46:28-49:33). So the greatest thing we can do as believers is to live to please Him on a daily basis. "6@FBuR[RmNxZZ} 4 QJJ 0H@TX01P* cKs^B8a The seventh blessing of Abraham Genesis 12:3 and in thee shall all If we are in Christ, then we are heirs according to the promise given to Abraham- says Paul. A further discovery of Abraham, possibly while still in Mesopotamia, is that God is the absolute measure of justice and righteousness, and as such is the model for all of human ethics. An alternative explanation suggests itself. Abraham is acting as a trailblazer for the Jewish people and pointing out the geo-political and religious significance that Shechem will have in the future. You shall be a blessing 5. Shechem is nestled between the two mountains of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Mount Gerizim is luscious and green, while Mount Ebel is less so. The Bible instructed that blessings and curses be pronounced on these two mountains once the Israelites arrived in Canaan and they were to erect great plastered stones with words of Torah and an altar on Mount Ebal. The book of Joshua records that this is indeed what Joshua did (Joshua 8:30-35). (Genesis 12:6). This shaded grove where people could gather may well have had religious significance as a place of worship. Genesis 12:2 and make thy name great, 0000002068 00000 n Moreover, given their prophetic nature it is not surprising that many aspects of the Abraham stories reverberate to this day. 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). Frequently, the kings did not reign as Gods loyal representatives but often followed their own desires. All rights reserved. thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that The blessing of Abraham is right standing with God and receiving the Holy Spirit through Faith. . By contrast, the borders in the previous blessing are geo-political borders. Israel can expand beyond its core territory whenever there is national consensus, and eventually its power and influence will extend from Egypt to Mesopotamia. This is not a directive but permission to do so, and God through His aspect of YKVK will help them achieve this. In fact, the Israelites already began establishing these greater borders early in their history by capturing the east bank of the Jordan at the time of Moses. Considerable expansion of territory was also achieved in the time of King David. Anyone, including Gentiles, who comes to Him in repentance and faith is made part of His kingdom, while those Jews who reject Him will be left out. The blessing of Abraham is misunderstood by many Christians and church leaders. A passionate preacher & a prolific writer. Beth El would also continue to have considerable religious significance to Abrahams family. Jacob slept in Beth El on his way to Padam Aram and had a vision there of angels on a ladder ascending and descending between heaven and earth. He also made a conditional oath to God that he would tithe his possessions and return to offer sacrifices there if God allowed him to successfully return to Canaan. When he did return to Canaan, this was to be his second stop and he built an altar there and God appeared to him again (Genesis 35:6-15). The Israelites sanctuary was first erected in Shiloh (Joshua 18:1-3), but shortly thereafter Beth El became one of the places in Canaan were the ark was set up and the priests offered sacrifices there (Judges 20:18, 2628; 21:2). 25. VI. Abraham's story picks up with his family settling in Haran, which today would be the country of Turkey. Commentary on Genesis 12:1-9 - Working Preacher And through this promise, God binds Godself to this people forever. 12.Midrash Raba 39:11. Examples given by the midrash are a person who wanted to buy a cow from Abraham would be blessed even before the value of the cow had been assessed. Abraham would pray for a barren woman and the woman would conceive. However, there are other suggestions from the commentators. Rashi for example, following a midrash, suggests that Abraham will have the power of blessing in his hands. The blessings of Abraham are two-fold: financial and protective. Just another site The land of Canaan is the territory in which Canaan, the grandson of Noah, and his descendants lived. Zidon was in the north and encompassed a large area in Lebanon, and Gerar was its southern border. This city is close to Gaza, but further inland and somewhat to the south of Gaza. Leader: Come, all who long for salvation! But this did not limit the possibilities. As the YKVK aspect of God says to Joshua: At long last, Abraham is told by Elokim that he will have a son through Sarah and she also will give rise to. By the end of the negotiations, God will agree that if ten righteous people can be found in the city of Sodom, He will save the city., (Genesis 18:33) The negotiations had come to an end with the implication that ten righteous people were not to be found in these cities and that justice was indeed being pursued. www.abundantlifecrusades.com, Home Abraham's 7-Fold Blessing Obedience turns into Promises: 1. I have replied that He was no saint nor was he perfect. King James Bible. What is the blessing of Abraham? | GotQuestions.org Judaism is often regarded by its followers as a religion only for self-improvement and for achieving the World to Come. This is indeed the case but it has another function too. Through his ideas, the example he projects, and his dealings with others, Abraham is to be the means of bringing spiritual benefit to the rest of mankind and thus the means by which God can bestow His loving kindness and bounty on all of humanity.