Abraham-Father Of Nations Series

Theme: Abraham: Father of Nations

Text: Genesis 12:1--3

Introduction: The Lord is good, and His love endures forever!!

Today, we will meditate on the great personality of the world History, namely Abraham. I titled it as “The Father of Nations”. This passage has three great things: Great nation, great name and great honour. He became the Father of Nations, he is the Father of Faith and he is the Father of Jesus Christ.

1. FATHER OF NATIONS

Abram was a second son of Terah, and an ordinary person in Ur of Mesopotamia. His father was an idol maker and a vendor. His one day asked him to stay on his factory, Abraham broke all the idols. His father asked him and he said that they were fought with each other, and broke one another’s hands and legs. He married twice but had three wives, such as Sarah, Hagar (Genesis 16:1-4), and Keturah (Genesis 25:1-4) and he died in Hebron of Canaan. He lived for 175 years (Genesis 25:7).  He had 318 Soldiers at his home.

It is interesting to note, according to Genesis 11:10-26, when Abraham was born, in the year 292 AF (AF = After the Flood), Noah was still alive and would have lived for another 58 years (Noah died in 350 AF, at age 950), Shem died in 502 AF, at the age of 600, but Abraham had already expired at the age of 175, in the year 467 AF. Abraham was survived by his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Shem (ref: abarim-publications.com).

Genesis 11 explains how the whole world was trying to create a great name of the them through building a Babel tower. But God decided to make Abraham as great. So, Abraham had transcended from One man to many Nations (Genesis 12:1-2).

Because God told to Abraham: “I have plans to make great people from your descendants” (Voice). “I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation” (GNT). ‘I shall magnify thy name’ (Wycliff), ‘make your name famous and distinguished’ (AMPC), cause your reputation to grow so that you will become a blessing and example to others (voice). He is called Avaram in Hebrew.

After the promises, God changed the name from Abram to Abraham (high father to father of a multitude) (Genesis 17:5). The first two letters of his name, ‘Ab’ means ‘father’. Expanding ‘Ab’ into ‘Abram’ means ‘exalted father’. When God changed his name to Abraham, the added syllable increased its meaning to ‘father of a multitude’. When the name was changed his mission was changed, destiny was changed. Names contain identity, character and power.

Abraham has become a lofty mountain peak from which flows three great rivers of earth's populations: Jews, Arabs and Ishmaelite. Then three great religious groups claim him as the founder of their religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Except the first 10 Chapters of Genesis, rest of the Bible is the story of Abraham and his descendants. The name Abraham is mentioned 313 times in the Bible. New Testament referred his name 74 times. He is first mentioned in Genesis 11:26. The name “Ibrahim” is mentioned 69 times in the Quran, in 25 Surahs, in 63 verses. Prophet Abraham married Hajira (Hagar).

Abram was chosen because he would be a great and powerful nation, he would instruct his children to keep the way of the Lord and do the right and just things (Genesis 18:18-19). According to the Book of Jubilees, Abraham taught all of them ‘the unity of life, covenant of God and the future plan of God.’

Before his death. He divided his properties and land among them. These nations follow the Circumcision and highly treat Abraham as the founder of their religions. Also, we understand that the descendants of Keturah whom Abraham sent to the east to settle down while he was alive, today those nations are found in the African continent. (Genesis 25:6).

Abraham in his last days called his Eight Sons: Ismael, Isaac, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah; and his 14 grandsons of which 12 are of the children of Ismael (Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar) and two of them( Easu and Jacob) are children of Isaac (Genesis 25:1, 12-16, 24-26).

Muhammad-bin-Abdullah was born in 570 A.D. he was son of Kedar (Qaydar) son of Ismail son of Ibrahim. 

2. FATHER OF FAITH

Abram might have the influence of his forefather Enosh (Genesis 4:26) in worshipping YHWH and could have desired to be righteous like Abel (Matthew 23:35) and Noah (Genesis 6:9). He was a contemporary of Melchizedek, the Priest. (Genesis 14:18-20). 

Paul says in the epistle to Galatians: “Abraham, our father of faith, believed God, and the substance of his faith released God’s righteousness to him. So the true children of Abraham have the same faith as their father! And the Scripture prophesied that on the basis of faith God would declare gentiles to be righteous. God announced the good news ahead of time to Abraham: “Through your example of faith, all the nations will be blessed!” And so the blessing of Abraham’s faith is now our blessing too! (Galatians 3:6-9).”