Abraham
God’s friend
In this post, we begin to tell the story of the patriarchs of the Hebrew people: we are in the Book of Genesis, starting from the end of chapter 11.
Abram, the first patriarch, is the son of Terah, Chaldean by origin. He lives with his father in the city of Haran, when for the first time he hears the Lord’s call: «Go out from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation. And I will bless you and make your name great. And you will be a blessing» (Gen 12,1-2). We do not know exactly what were the religious beliefs of Abram: the Chaldeans were very attentive to the astrological study of the heavens, perhaps there was also the belief in a creator god (see Gen 14,22); what is certain, and surprising, is the prompt response of our protagonist: «Abram went, as the LORD had spoken to him». The text does not speak about thoughts, concerns and legitimate questions for a man of seventy-five, who probably did not expect more surprises from a life that had not given him until then even an heir. His wife Sarai, in fact, «was barren. She had no child» (see Gen 11,30).
«By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went» (Heb 11,8); when he arrives in the land of Canaan he receives a confirmation by the Lord: that is the country that will be given to his descendants. Abram stays there and will stay there until his death «as a foreigner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents» (Heb 11,9), without putting in doubt his Faith in the promise by the Lord (which will be fulfilled several centuries later, with the conquest by Joshua).
Time passes by and, despite the confirmations received by the Lord, even the heir does not come; Sarai invites Abram to go in to her handmaid Hagar, as she so far has failed to give him an offspring. From this union was born Ishmael, who is considered the founder of the Arab people (Islam honors Abram as father in Faith). About twenty-five years since the first call, the Lord changes name to His chosen one and to the wife; this event foretells an imminent change of destiny: Abram (“noble regarding the father”) becomes Abraham («father of a multitude of nations»: see Gen 17,5) and Sarai (“princess”) becomes Sarah («mother of nations» and of «kings»: see Gen 17,15-16). Then the Lord visits Abraham by the oaks of Mamre in the person of three men (the Christian interpretations have seen here a figure of the Trinity); the patriarch is one hundred years old and his wife is ninety. Abraham is hospitable and generous with visitors, from whom he receives a promise: «I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son» (Gen 18,10).
Abraham has previously laughed at the thought that an old man like him could become a father again (see Gen 17,17) and Sarah does it when, eavesdropping, she listens to the incredible promise of the host (see Gen 18,12). When the child will be born, a year later, there will be no better name for him than this: Isaac (in Hebrew, “he laughs”). The laughter of his parents, in fact, is no more of incredulous surprise, but full of the joy of seeing the promise fulfilled: they have finally received the gift of the so desired child; the smile could be even the Lord’s one: really, nothing is impossible to him (see Gen 18,14). Ishmael will be sent away by the will of Sarah: only Isaac has to be the heir of his father; the Lord does not abandon him, promising to Abraham: «I will also make a nation of the son of the handmaid, because he is your seed» (Gen 21,13).
A final test awaits the first patriarch: the Lord wishes to bring to perfection the Faith of this generous «friend» (see Is 41,8), who followed his voice from a distant country, leaving his family for Him, always readily obeying His voice. When Isaac grew up here comes the terrible command by God: «Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of» (Gen 22,2).
In the next issue we will conclude the story of Abraham and we will continue with his son Isaac’s. From what we have told until now we can only admire the incredible Faith of that man (the exact opposite of Adam and Eve’s first sin: their lack of trust in the Lord); if we were to sum up his life in a verse perhaps there would not be a better one than this: «Abram believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness» (Gen 15,6).