The Calling of Abraham

Just Genesis ^ | April 21, 2013 | Alice C. Linsley

[Jandy on Genesis]

To understand Abraham's call it is helpful to investigate the circumstances at the time of his father's death in Haran. Knowledge of the Horite marriage and ascendancy pattern proves especially helpful. As with all the Horite rulers, Terah had two wives. They resided in separate settlements on a north-south axis. One lived in Ur and the other in Haran. Terah traveled between his wives, a distance of at least 730 miles. Likewise, Abraham's territory extended between Hebron, where Sarah resided, and Beersheba, where Keturah resided.

The Horites were ruler-priests who maintained water shrines. Abraham's father was such a ruler. His territory which extended along the Euphrates from Haran in southern Turkey to Ur in southern Iraq. At that time, there was a large system of lakes at the midpoint between Haran and Ur.

Terah means "priest" and Terah controlled the water commerce between Ur and Haran. He had three sons: Abraham, Nahor and Haran. It is assumed that Abraham must be the first born as he is listed first in Genesis 11:26. However, as in the case of Keturah's first born son Yaqtan, the son listed first is not the first born (Gen. 25:1-3). Terah's first born son was Nahor, the son of his half-sister wife, and Nahor was Terah's proper heir. Na-Hor means "Horus is exalted." Terah left all his possessions to Nahor and sent Abraham away to establish his own kingdom.

Other sent-away sons include Abraham's sons Yishmael and Yishbak. Yishbak means “sent away.” (The initial Y is a solar symbol indicating a ruler under divine protection.) Before he died, Abraham "made grants" to his other sons and sent them away from his son Isaac (Gen. 25:6).

[humblegunner]

Looks like you just post excerpted blog stuff by this Linsley person.

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:jandyongenesis/index?tab=articles

Scoring a few hits at FR’s expense?

[Phinneous]

Do all Christians, while learning about the (preamble?) to their Bible, eschew the thousands of years of Jewish commentary on the Torah (the Five Books of Moses, Genesis to Deuteronomy?) Or does any Christian sect accept Jewish commentary from any time period or to any level? (Midrash [written before the birth of Christianity] or to what I would assume to be a lesser extent, the Talmud [written between 200 and 600 CE [Jewish for AD....])? Full stop. I assume lesser extent because I’m sure the charge would be made that “The rabbis” contorted Jewish dogma and history to defend against Christianity.

Anyhoo.... Abraham’s calling?? G-d told him to go... Full stop.

[jjotto]

I’ll be looking forward to any Christian responses to this question.

My experience has been that not only do Christians reject Jewish commentary, the also even reject the very idea that Jews could know anything about their own ancient history outside of what is recorded in the Bible. The idea that Nitzevet was the mother of David, or that Shem took the initiative at communicating knowledge of God, is simply dismissed as “Jewish fairy tales”.

[Liberty Wins]

Speaking of Abraham:

If God promised him descendents as numerous “as the stars in the sky,” does that mean the end of the world won’t occur until the descendents of Abraham number that many?

[1010RD]

The Christian perspective would be that the people who would kill their own Messiah are a fallen and apostate people. The Midrash themselves are more philosophy, than theology and perhaps while well thought aren’t of God, but of men. Christians have plenty of philosophers so the fierce competition would tend to preculde “upstart” Jews.

Catholics and the Orthodox would dismiss the supra-Biblical perspective of the Jews by continuity. That is the covenant now belongs to them via the authority of Jesus Christ and his commission. Protestants would be partial in part to the same argument bolstered by the Bible as their source for authority. They’d decline Jewish learning or philosophy that didn’t assist in clarifying the interpretation of the Bible, particularly if it was contra their beliefs.

Restorationist Christians wouldn’t have any need for Jewish knowledge as they go direct to the Source, God himself. They might parse it like a Protestant, but again they’d ignore whatever didn’t confirm their beliefs.

[Phinneous]

First, Do no Ham... (if you’re Jewish)

Thanks! That was an interesting and thorough reply. I guess I can only say, “Carry on smartly....”(and doing the 7 commandments G-d obligates non-Jews with... noahide.org)

One of these seven commandments is (generally speaking) a respect for creating and maintaining a family....about that, I will share with you ancient Midrashic commentary (or not)

——the First commandment G-d gave man was to “Go forth and multiply.” Why??? Because when Man would see how fun the first commandment is, he’d want to keep all of them!

[Phinneous]

Oh, and of course, for the record, we reject that we killed anyone’s messiah. (stating the obvious of course.) I liked your response based on your premise but I don’t want anyone to think that I agree with your premise, G-d forbid.