Hebrew Bible Paper - Abraham
Abraham stands as one of the most important figures in the Hebrew Bible, and is central to the understanding of God’s solution to the problem of mankind. Man, the mysterious creature that God wraught as a semi-experiment, is constantly prone to believe he is self-sufficient and capable of survival without God, the central problem God must deal with in the Hebrew Bible. To solve this problem, God decides to strike fear in the heart of man and to revolutionise his lifestyle by creating laws and empowering a chosen group of people, who will spread the word of God by example. These people are the Hebrews, and Abraham is the father of their race, the man from whom all Hebrews descend. He is chosen for this crucial position because he already possesses all the qualities God desires for his people. God says of Abraham, "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment". Thus, a study of Abraham’s character is a study of the Hebrew people’s character, and, ultimately, a study of the qualities God desires for all people.
At the time of Abraham, the world appears to be a violent, immoral place. Chapter 14 of Genesis describes the many bloody wars that are occurring around Abraham, and cities like Sodom and Gomorrah are full of men who are "wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly". Abraham stands as a unique figure for his time, avoiding fights whenever possible and always following God’s orders, meant as an example to the rest of the world. Instead of the mass destruction akin to the flood, God’s new plan is to change the world through Abraham’s and his descendants’ good deeds and righteous living, effectively a moral evolution. Every extraordinary quality that Abraham possesses is desired by God for everyone. A major thread of all these qualities is self-sacrifice for the good of others; through the promotion of these ideals, God is creating a society capable of existing in peace.
One of Abraham’s most important qualities is his complete obedience to God. Abraham, or Abram, is introduced when God tells him "Get thee out of thy country, and f...
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...the covenant betwixt me and you". Thus, the circumcision serves as a gruesome symbol of the sacrifice required towards God, a sign that obedience to God is significant on a spiritual and physical level. It further helps to strengthen the bond between the Hebrews, as they are now physically similar and are identifiable to each other. Abraham, consistent in his obedience, circumcises himself and his family.
God’s plan is complex and difficult to interpret. After vowing to never again destroy humanity after the Flood, God decides to attempt a new method to moralise the human race. Abraham and his descendants are an engineered experiment in moral evolution; God’s chosen people are able to survive and breed and create a nation that will possess the qualities God sees fit. Rather than destroying, God is creating. Rather than striking out against the bad qualities of human nature, God is finding those who possess the good qualities and ensuring their success. In this way, the world will eventually be full of those with only good qualities. God and Darwin eerily coincide here, in a way neither of them would have been comfortable with.
In the end, Abraham failed, so the city was destroyed by fire. This showed that God was serious about telling people that they needed to change. It gave them concrete proof that God would come through when He said that He would demolish their city. Another example of God’s relationship with Abraham is shown when He orders Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. God wanted to test Abraham’s faith in Him and how loyal Abraham truly was.
...hooses to overlook the fact that Abraham tried to rape Temple and simply honor the ties of his family. And although under sinful conditions, these bonds are not corrupt. They are true and powerful. The names Abraham and Moses are blatant allusions to the figures of the Old Testament. In the Bible, these two men plant the seeds of civilization. And in a sense, Moses and Abraham are doing the same. Every family in the novel is. The world did not end. Temple comments on this progress saying, “As long as you’re movin, it don’t matter much where you’re goin or what’s chasin you. That’s why they call it progress. It keeps goin of its own accord” (85). The fate of the world is in the hands of the people who remain. Strengthened by the resilient bonds between who is left, the American family becomes the singular hope for progress to continue amongst the surrounding chaos.
In Judaism, the binding of Isaac was seen as a pivotal movement in Abraham’s life. It was a test of his true willingness to trust God. For example, Feiler said : “The binding of Abraham’s favored son is the most
Descriptions of ritual circumcision span across cultures, and have been described in ancient Egyptian texts as well as the Old Testament. With this being said, “The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that circumcision has potential medical benefits and advantages, as well as risks. Evaluation of current evidence indicates that the health benefits of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks and that the procedure's benefits justify access to this procedure for families who choose it, however, existing scientific evidence is not sufficient to recommend routine circumcision.” (n.d.).
In the narrative in the book of Genesis, there are two main objectives. The first is a general goal to create a complex world designed for ideal human existence according to divinely legislated principles. The second is God's desire to establish a great nation within this world. According to the narrative, God aims to achieve these goals by constructing frameworks for his goals and then enlisting carious humans to help see them to fruition. However, as amply demonstrated in Genesis, the human variable is volatile and frequently confronts God with instances of insubordination.
There have been various theories of the creation of the universe and mankind, each drawing back to either religion or science, or a combination of both. Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man and the Genesis accounts are often seen as personifications of two opposing views of our universe. Charles Darwin is a representation of evolution; the development of species through a lengthy process of natural selection. On the contrary, Genesis is a representation of creation by the Bible; God’s creation of both mankind and the Earth around them. Even though the accounts are inherently opposing and each claim to possess an indisputable explanation of the universe, they contain the following similarities; both portray the human image inappropriately and both indirectly rely on the opposing belief.
Male circumcision involves the process of amputating the foreskin so that the glans of the penis is exposed. (2:602) Nontherapeutic male circumcision has been performed over many centuries and it is an integral part of some religions and cultures. The World Health Organization reports that 30% of males globally are circumcised, with 70% of these being Muslim. (3:1) The prophet Muhammad proclaimed that all followers must circumcise their sons on day seven postpartum. Although not all Muslims follow this exactly, males are circumcised within the first 10 years of age and it is one of the factors of the customs in Islam that allow for personal hygiene. (4:76) Judaism also values circumcision as an important part of the religion. As is described in the Old Testament it is one of the prerequisites to becoming a great nation that Abraham undergoes circumcision, and that every male be circumcised on the eight day of life. (4:76) Although Jesus Christ himself was circumcised, his disciple Paul proclaimed that this act is no longer necessary, thus circumcision is no longer a part of Christianity. (4:76) In addition to religious incentives for nontherapeutic circumcision, cultur...
known as the divine covenant. Abraham leaves his home in search of this unseen land and
Circumcision has been a religious practice in many different cultures, ranging from Africa to the Middle East, and to Asia. While prevalent in both Jewish and Muslim societies, the earliest known documentation of circumcision comes from Egyptian hieroglyphics discovered dating back to 2300 BC. While the reason behind circumcision is currently unknown, many theories exist as to attempt to explain it origins. One theory persists that that circumcision started as a way to release the body from sin, and purifying both the individual and the society, as sexuality was seen as dirty and impure, and the removing of the foreskin would reduce sexual pleasure. In Abrahamic faiths, Jewish and Muslim, circumcision is practiced as a way confirm one 's relationship to God, and is stated in the Torah, as the covenant between God and Abraham, “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. " While two of the earliest form of Christianity, Coptic Christian, and Ethiopian Orthodox
With the appearance of Abraham we enter into datable history. Abraham (known as “the father of the Jews”) is also significant because the nation of Israel are his descendants.
Even though God saw people as evil, he wanted to show his grace. He wanted to separate certain people in the world as His chosen people. “He wanted a chosen people: 1. To whom He might entrust the Holy Scriptures. 2. To be His witness to the other nations. 3. Through whom the promised Messiah could come” (Mears 47). This covenant is made between God and Abram. This covenant marks the beginning history of Israel, God’s chosen people.
Abraham had demonstrated his remarkable faith and obedience in leaving Ur. In Genesis 15, God made a covenant with Abraham in relation to his heir and Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Abraham was obedient and God came in for him, saved his son and provided another sacrifice.
Abraham’s Obedience to God. The life and history of Abraham, a man who is faithful and obedient to God, demonstrates how to live a purpose-filled life with paths that are totally directed by the Messiah. After that, I sensed this hypothesis that life is void until the will and purpose for being is fulfilled by acknowledging God and allowing him to direct life’s path. In earlier times, Abram and Sarai were without any children.
Later on in this story, there is a clear battle between good and evil, defining the morals that one should live by. This story even takes it to the extent of God creating humans, and breathing life into them, only for them to ultimately fall short of their intended purpose. These similarities are found across multiple culture’s creation stories. With such a vast majority of the world believing in one way, one can’t help but to accept that there is a Supreme Being that created everything and put mankind here for a reason, maybe this Supreme Being just hasn’t been