Abraham

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Father Abraham

Once there was a man named Abram. One day the Lord came to talk to Abram, and Abram asked, "Who will have all my things when I die". God promised Abram and his wife Sarai that one day they would be parents, even though they were old and had no children. God wasn't sure that Abram understood. So that night He took him outside, and said, "Do you see all the stars that are in the sky"? When Abram looked up, the whole night sky was full of stars. Then God said, "That is how many children you will have, I will make you a father of many nations".

Quite a few years later when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord decided to change Abram's name to Abraham, which means "father of many." He also changed Sarai's name to Sarah. God told them again that they would be parents and that they would have a boy. It was hard to believe that he and Sarah would have a child in their old age.

One day three visitors came to Abraham's house. He hurried to meet them. "May I get you something to eat and drink?" Abraham asked. "Please come in and join us, and have a rest on the couch." The visitors agreed, so Abraham brought them some food to eat. While the visitors were eating, they asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?" Abraham thought this was a little strange, but he replied, "She's in the other room". Then one of the men spoke and said, "I will come back to see you at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Later when the visitors had left, Abraham and Sarah realized that the man who had told them this was indeed God.

A year later Sarah did have a son. She and Abraham named him Isaac, which means "he laughs." They were very excited, and remembered to thank God for Isaac.

So it happened that one day God came to Abraham and said, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” Abraham said.

“Abraham, I want you to take your only son, whom you love, and go to a mountain I will show you. There I want you to sacrifice your son as a burnt offering to me.”

Remember, Abraham had waited a long, long time for his son Isaac. It seemed impossible that he would ever even have a son. But God had promised, and God kept His promise. Now was God going to take his only son away?

But God had also promised that from Abraham would come as many children as there are stars in the sky. And God always keeps His promises. That must have been what Abraham kept telling himself early the next morning when he went to gather wood for the sacrifice. Abraham bundled the wood up and put it on his donkey, and then Abraham, Isaac, and two of Abraham’s servants set out on the way God had directed them.

After walking for three days, Abraham looked up and saw the place where God was leading him. Abraham said to the two servants, “Wait here with the donkey while Isaac and I go to worship God.” Then he took the wood for the sacrifice and laid it on his son Isaac’s back. So Abraham and Isaac walked on together. Abraham couldn’t say a word. After they had been walking a while, Isaac said, “Father?”
“Yes, my son,” Abraham said.
“We have the wood for the sacrifice and the fire, but where is the lamb?”

That question must have nearly broken his father’s heart.

But, God had promised Abraham that through him many people would be blessed. And God always keeps His promises.

“God will provide the lamb,” Abraham said. He probably didn’t even know what he was saying. He didn’t understand, but he trusted God.

The two walked up the mountain in silence. Abraham couldn’t have loved his son more. How hard that walk must have been.

When they got to the top of the mountain, Abraham built an altar. He laid the sticks of wood on the altar, and then he tied his son with rope and laid him on the wood. His heart was breaking. Still, he trusted that God was good. He couldn’t understand why he had to sacrifice his son. He only knew that God had commanded it.

Remember God keeps His promise and if we have faith and trust in Him, He will provide for our needs.

Abraham took out his knife and raised it in the air. Just then the angel of the Lord called out, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” Abraham said.

“Do not harm your son Isaac,” the angel said. And Abraham put down the knife.

Then the angel said to Abraham (it was really God speaking), “Now I know you really believe in me.”

Just then Abraham saw a ram tangled by its horns in a nearby bush. Here was the animal for his sacrifice.

God HAD provided the lamb - just like Abraham said he would!

And so Abraham called the place on that mountain “The Lord Will Provide.”

And then God called to Abraham again. “Because you obeyed me, even when I asked you to do a hard thing, I will richly bless you. From you will come a great nation, and all people on earth will ask to be blessed the way I have blessed you, all because you obeyed my command.”

Syriac Orthodox Sunday School of North America

ܡܕܪܫܬܐ ܕܚܕܒܫܒܐ ܕܣܘܪ̈ܝܝܐ ܬܪ̈ܝܨܝ ܫܘܒܚܐ ܒܐܡܪܝܟܐ ܘܟܢܕܐ