Free Republic

Last week I maintained that the patriarch Abraham is in certain key ways a paradigmatic figure for today’s Israel. A paradigm, though, would be expected to show some consistency in his conduct. In at least one important regard, Abraham seems to engage in behaviors that radically contradict each other. When God prepares to leave Abraham’s tent encampment for Sodom, having heard that “sin is very grievous” there and in Gomorrah, Abraham rightly infers that—should the rumors turn out to be true—God intends to do away with these dens of depravity. Yet, at that point, Abraham seems to show incredible...

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...

The armies of allah are CONVERGING RIGHT NOW towards Damascus. The sole obstacle is the Assad régime. Once Assad is down (and he will be, it’s only a matter of time: the Obama régime, al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia are ALL against Assad), the armies of allah will mobilize in order to raid JERUSALEM. Should we not mobilize? Should we not be trying urgently to mobilize the antisemitic "Christians" among us, with the use of Reason, to become friends of the Jewish People -- in order to get their support in the CRUSADE to protect JERUSALEM? Abram...

Modern-day news stories don't get more Biblical that that of elderly shepherd Avraham Herzlich – who is dogged by Arab thieves in the hills of Samaria. According to both Jewish and Muslim tradition, the Arabs are descendants of Ishmael, son of the Biblical patriarch Abraham, who was a shepherd. Last weekend, Arabs stole about 400 goats from the herd of Avraham Herzlich, leaving him with only four goats out of what was, for him, much more than a money-making business. His son Shmuel told Arutz Sheva about the robbery, not the first one where Arabs have left his father without...

The Horite caste of rulers controlled the trade routes from the Sahara to India at a time when the Sahara, Arabia and Mesopotamia were wetter. Commerce moved along the rivers which were interconnected in the late Holocene. The Horites served as shrine and temple attendants. They interceded for others and offered sacrifice. Job offered sacrifice daily for the sins of his own family. At the end of the book, Job prays for his kinsmen Eliphaz, Zophar and Bildad. This is reminiscent of Abraham praying for Abimelech and his household (Gen. 20:17,18). Purity was an essential trait of the Horite priest....

"And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom." (From this week's Torah portion, Vayerah, Genesis 19:1) Hold on a minute! Didn't Lot learn anything from his previous misadventure? Just in last week's Torah portion, Abraham endangered himself and his entire family in a World War to save Lot from captivity after he made his bad decision to move to Sodom. After Abraham redeems him, Lot disregards everything that transpired and goes right back to Sin City as if nothing had happened, at all. In order to understand this psychosis,...

Over a hundred members of the recently banned Millata Abraham Muslim sect on Friday underwent a mass conversion to mainstream faith at the Baiturrahman Raya Mosque in Banda Aceh. The sect’s leader, Zainuddin, said the idea to convert came to him in a dream on April 19 that he had while locked away in a jail cell. He is facing a five-year sentence for blasphemy stemming from his practice of the banned religion. The mass conversion comes in the wake of pronounced relgious hostility in the province. On April 6, Irwandi issued a gubernatorial decree banning the Millata Abraham, along...

"On the night of Barack Obama’s rally in Tucson..." (continued)

2010 Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar Launch Ceremony Planned By Coin Update Staff on October 26th, 2010 Categories: US Coins, United States Mint Details of the launch ceremony for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Dollar have been announced by the United States Mint. Launch ceremonies have typically been held on or around the circulation release date for each Presidential Dollar coin, held at a location related to the former President. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential $1 Coin will mark the 16th release of the overall series and the final release for this year. The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Lincoln...

A year ago J Street — the putatively progressive fledgling counter to the Israel lobbying group AIPAC — was riding high. They had just received a write up in the New York Times Magazine that was somewhere between a press release and a love poem and, with a complaisant Obama in the White House, the tiny organization seemed poised to be a significant player in the Middle East discussion. My, as grandma said, have times changed. For starters, J Street’s director, Jeremy Ben-Ami, has shown himself to be a Junior Beltway Pinocchio, serially denying his organization had the financial backing...

CONCLUSION 1. God fulfilled His promise for Israel to receive the land...       a. So says Joshua, the Psalmist, and the Levites       b. At the very least Solomon ruled over the entire land described to Abraham 2. Israel's retention of the land was always conditional...       a. Moses and Joshua warned Israel that it was conditional       b. The Assyrian and Babylonian captivity illustrates how Israel lost the land       c. The Restoration described in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah illustrates how Israel regained the land

Our former NR colleague, Joe Sobran, passed away today after a long battle with a variety of ailments. He was relatively young, just 64, and while physically beaten at the end, he also departed spiritually triumphant.   Surely, in short order, there will be ample reflection — much of it critical — on the hyper-talented, hyper-controversial writer. There will be a recounting of his history at NR, the break, the following years, and Joe’s soured relationship with WFB (happily, they rekindled their friendship before Bill passed away). Good, let’s discuss all that, and more. But later. Right now, let us,...

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong...

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong...

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of...

Which comes first, Faith or works?…Romans 4 by billrandles Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:And the father of circumcision to...

Grace and Works…Romans 4 Posted on September 1, 2010 by billrandles Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.(Romans 4:4-5) How was Abraham, the father of all who believe in the God of the Bible justified before God? Abraham did not work to earn right standing with God, it was given to him freely , by God himself. “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to Him for Righteousness.”(Genesis 15:6) Righteousness from God can...

What Abraham found…Romans 4 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:1-5) The Justification of man before the Holy God has never come by works of the...

“Who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God.” (I Peter 2:10) Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ; even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in love: having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself…” (Eph. 1:3–5). The choosing took place before the creation for the obvious purpose of having an unblemished people in...

“Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” God made a promise to Abraham: “In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (Gen.12:3). Later he repeated the promise, “because you have obeyed my voice” (Gen. 22:18). What of this promise? Was it fulfilled? Or is it yet to be realized in some material sense? Gross confusion prevails. The tragic result is that Christians look for a fulfillment which will not come, because they look for the wrong kind of promise. People keep getting this original promise to Abraham mixed...