Preliminary: Depth Study 3 Judaism Presented by Mark Shafton Learn about: Abraham and the Covenant. Learn to: Outline the life of Abraham. Describe the covenant with the Patriarchs; including promises of a People and land

The Life of Abram (Abraham) Story of Judaism begins about 4000 years ago Northern desert region of Arabia Tribes of nomadic people called Semites (named after Shem, the son of Noah) Lived on fringes of desert, maintained a Stone Age culture – typical of people in this period

Each tribe – ruled by an elder/Patriarch Tribes wandered seeking food for themselves and pasture for their animals mainly goats Semites like others of their time practised Animism – (a religion where the forces of nature were centrally connected everyday belief/practice; all things contained a soul) Most of the Semites’ divinities (Elohim) were connected with nature or the sky

Semites believed that spiritual power pervaded certain unusual an mysterious natural objects in the natural world such as an outcrop of rocks, oases etc… Large stone pillars (like Stonehenge) were venerated as homes of the spirits which gave life to all things; freshwater springs and rivers were though to contain their deities who controlled life/death. Personal spirits were believed to inhabit sandstorms and the darkness of night.

Each tribe had its own deities (gods) which were concerned with the well being of the tribe The Semite people would please, appease and cajole their deities; hoping to receive their blessings It is in this context that Abram (Abraham) is born

The Patriarchs Abram Abraham) is the first of three great Patriarchs in Judaism; the other two being: Isaac and Jacob Genesis 11: : 18 contains his story According to historians, Abram lived in the eighteenth century BCE Married to Sari (Sarah) Lived in the city of Ur on the banks of the Euphrates river

In Abram’s time at Ur, the city was caught up in war and social disorder To escape this turmoil he moved his family to Haran about 500 miles to the north west of Ur He rejected the nature spirits of his tribe and placed all his faith in El-Shaddai (Oh Mighty God) Abram’s God told him to leave his country and take his family to another land where God would bless his tribe and make them a great nation

When his father died, he became a nomadic wanderer in the land of Canaan; taking the advice of God – he moved his family to this new land (Gen 12: 1-3 see next slide) The locals knew Abram and his people as Ibri and Ibris meaning ‘from across’ (the Euphrates river) Eventually, these Canaanite terms for Abram and his people became to be pronounced as Hebrew and Hebrews

Genesis 12: 1-3 God’s command to Abraham Leaving your country, your people and your father’s household and go 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 the peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.

Life in Canaan Famine comes to Canaan and Abram must move his family to Egypt where food is more readily available God commands Abram back to Canaan which would be his own land; the land where he would build a great nation

The Abrahmic covenant God enters into a covenant with Abram To your descendants I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates (Ex: 15:18) Later God makes the covenant of circumcision with Abram: (Gen 7: 1-14 see next slide)

…I will confirm my Covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers…You will be the Father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations…I will establish my Covenant as an everlasting Covenant between me you and your descendants after you for many generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan where you are now and alien, (next slide)

I will give as an everlasting possession to you and generations after you; and I will be their God …This is my Covenant…the Covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undego circumcision, and it will be a sign of the Covenant between you and me…Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. (Gen 17: 1-14)

How to build a nation with no legal heir (child)? (Note significance of change of names – symbolises a new relationship now exists – Abram and Sari before the Covenant; Abraham and Sarah after the Covenant has been made) Abraham has no children with his legal wife Sarah Sarah conceives a child well past her child bearing years Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah; [Isaac means (he who laughs as Sarah laughed when God had told her what he would do for her)]

The Sacrifice of Isaac Abraham is asked to take Isaac to Mt Moriah to sacrifice his son to God as a test of his faithfulness to the Covenant This was a way of testing his faithfulness to God’s unfolding purpose Mt Moriah is believed to be the mountain on which the Temple would eventually be built many centuries later Biblical law forbids child sacrifice (Deut 12: 29-31) This child is Abraham’s legal heir Sarah’s shame/guilt has been lifted with the birth of Isaac

God does not go through with the sacrifice of Isaac because he knows that Abraham is faithful to the Covenant God repeats his promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as many as the stars in the sky; and that the nations of the earth would be blessed because of Abraham.

Abraham's absolute faith in God is expressed in the Covenant with God The words of agreement are accompanied by an external sign: circumcision of all males belonging to Abraham’s clan This rite is called ‘berit’ – the ‘covenant of Abraham. The berit is both a physical and spiritual sign that Abraham is the spiritual ancestor of all Jewish people

The covenant between God and Abraham describes a relationship that exists for the Jewish people as a whole (Gen 15) and each individual male Jew (Gen 17). All Jewish men are circumcised