The Birth of a Nation, From Abraham to Joseph

Around 400 years after the Flood, God appeared to a man called Abram, who lived in the Middle East, in the city of Ur.

God said to him: “Leave your country and your family, and go to a place that I will show you. I will make from you a great nation, and your name will be very well known. . All the families of the earth will be blessed by you”.

And Abram left, as the Lord had been ordered, and arrived at a place called Canaan.

God appeared one more time to Abram, and said to him: “This land will belong to your descendants. Look at the sky, and see if you can count the stars. Also, it will be impossible to count the number of yours descendants”.

Although Abram and Sarai his wife did not have kids, he believed in God. Abram was a person of faith, and by that God considered him a fair man, a just man.

Abram asked: “Dear God, how can I can be sure that this land will be mine?”

God answered: ” the following is going to happen: Your descendants will live 400 years in a foreign country, where they will be mistreated and enslaved. However, later, I will judge that country. Only in the fourth generation is it that your descendants will be free; when they leave that land, and come back here, they will bring with them a big Fortune”.

But Sarai, Abram’s wife, never could have children, and she was already aged. Then she talked with Abram: “I tell you that you can have children with Hagar, my Egyptian slave, and therefore they will be considered my kids”.

Abram agreed with Sarai’s plan. Although he loved God, Abraham made a mistake in not believing that the Lord would give him a son with his wife. The son of Abram and Hagar was called Ishmael.

Thirteen years later, when Abram was 99 years old, The Lord appeared to him again and said: “I am the Powerful God; walk in my presence. I am changing your name to Abraham that signifies ‘Father of crowds’. And the name of your wife will be changed to Sarah that signifies ‘Princess’. I will bless your wife and she will have your son, and will be a mother of nations

Then Abraham implored the Lord: “That Ishmael live blessed by you”.

God answered him: “I will attend your request and I will bless Ishmael; I will multiply the descendants of him and I will do of him a big nation”.

God fulfilled his promise to Abraham; therefore Ishmael gave origin to the Arab countries.

God continued: “But he will be with the son of Sarah and the descendants of him that I will make a perpetual alliance”.

Some time later, Sarah gave birth to a son, who was called Isaque. When Isaque was growing and was a young boy , The Lord asked Abraham to prove how much he loved Him.

God called him: “Abraham “: “I am here”, he answered. God commanded him: Take your son, your only son Isaque , who you love so much , and go to the land of Moriá, I will indicate the mount where you will have to sacrifice Isaque , as an offering burnt”.

The next day, very early, Abraham woke up and called Isaque, as God had commanded , and left. In the third day of walk, Abraham looked ahead and saw the mount

He caught the firewood for the sacrifice and gave it to Isaque to carry.

Abraham took a torch and a knife, and the two went up to the mount together.

Isaque asked: “Father, we have the fire and the firewood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?”

Abraham answered: “My son, God will provide a lamb for the burnt offer.

The two went up to the place indicated by God. Abraham built an altar and tidied the firewood.

Afterwards he tied Isaque and laid him down on the firewood, in the altar.

Then Abraham took the knife and prepared to kill the child.

In that exact moment God called him from the heavens: “Abraham, Abraham “.

“Yes Lord Here I am,” He replied. The Lord said: “Do not do anything to Isaac, now I am certain that you love me above all, therefore you did not withhold from me your only beloved son.”

Abraham raised his head and, looking back, he saw a sheep caught by its horns in the thicket. Then, Abraham picked up the animal and sacrificed it in place of his son.

The Bible says that Abraham knew that God would fulfill his promises regarding Isaque, even if it was necessary to revive-him from the dead.

Because Abraham had faith in God, The Lord promised him: “I am going to bless you so much. Your descendants will be so numerous, as much the stars of the sky. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your son, because you obeyed me”

Abraham was very glad because understood that the Savior, promised long ago back in the Garden, would be a descendent of him. The test that God also made with Abraham illustrated that God, the celestial Father, one day would offer his only beloved son in sacrifice to the world.