God called Abraham to leave his home and promised to make him a great nation, give him many descendants, and bless all people through him. Abraham obeyed God and had faith in his promises, even though having a child seemed impossible. God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac, and Abraham was willing to obey until an angel stopped him. God provided a ram for the sacrifice instead of Isaac, fulfilling his promise to make Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars.

2. 


Leave his country
Leave his kinsfolk
Leave his father’s house

3. 


Make him a great nation
Give him numerous descendants
Make him a great name and a blessing to others

4. Land: God promised to give Abraham a
vast amount of land, the boundaries of
which are promised to make Abraham a
great nation
 Kingdom: God promised to make
Abraham a great nation
 Blessing: God promised that, in
Abraham’s seed, all nations of the earth
will be blessed


5. Abraham is a man of faith
 He believes and obeys even if, to him,
promises seems unattainable


6. God wants to save the people of the
world
 He gives people an opportunity to gain
salvation
 Rite of circumcision
Rite of initiation: Baptism (Christianity;
Trinitarian Formula)


7. God call and blesses Abraham and he
moves west into Canaan
 Abraham risks the promise of a son by
taking Hagar to bear Ishmael
 Abraham shows his blessing by
interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah
 God gives the blessing of a sin, Isaac,
and sends Ishmael away
 Abraham sacrifice Isaac in Obedience
to God


8. Descendants
 Promise of nation
 Sense of generativity


9. 
To sacrifice his only son, Isaac
Silence of Abraham
Obedience (less
compliant)
a) Promised son/child
b) Descendants
c) Sense of generativity (desire to be
remembered)

10. 


Rising early (excitement)
Wood + fire (willingness)
Brought along companions (sense of security)

11. Angel
• Symbolic for God’s intervention
Abraham
• Courageous, determined, confidence
Reward
• Fulfillment of promise

12. God calls certain individuals life the
patriarchs to offer his saving plan for all
 God’s salvation is for free
 Our response to God’s salvation is faith
 God called Abraham to bring about
salvation not only to his descendants,
but for many
 Abraham is blessed to be called our
father in faith
