we get two critically different instances in which God told Abe to go to Canaan without his father's household. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Do you realize that it was probably years from the time Abram was called in Ur until he ended up in Canaan. What was Terah's son named? But it was not the lot of Terah to enter the land, where he would only have been a stranger. These two were the pivots, upon which all the divine revelations made to the patriarchs, and all the guidance they received, were made to turn. There are, of course, evidences for the reasonableness of faith, but at the bottom line we simply must believe what God has said to us in His Word. They do not expect God to lead them in a normal, predictable fashion. The writer wished to stress here the positive aspects of the Christians walk, not his failures. The New Testament in no way diminishes the significance of the life and character of Abraham. Why did Terah leave the city of Ur? This remains to be proven. Secondly, the Angel of God was recognised as God by those to whom He appeared, on the one hand by their addressing Him as Adonai (i.e., the Lord God; Judges 6:15), declaring that they had seen God, and fearing that they should die (Genesis 16:13; Exodus 3:6; Judges 6:22-23; Judges 13:22), and on the other hand by their paying Him divine honour, offering sacrifices which He accepted, and worshipping Him (Judges 6:20; Judges 13:19-20, cf. If His Word is not true and reliable, then we, of all men, are most miserable.. That is my query, Hi Carel, welcome to the BH site. (i) Elmacinus, p. 31. apud Hottinger. And as all our texts agree in the numbers here involved, it is obvious that the same adjustment of years has in this case to be made, whatever system of chronology is adopted. Personally I believe that there is some kind of missionary function being carried out by Abram. Anyone who then wanted to join Abe to go on to Canaan was up to them. (1) Abrams faith was commenced at the initiative of God. Why did Lot offer up his daughters to be gang raped? God providentially led Terah to pull up roots at Ur and to move toward Canaan (11:31). In Genesis 11, we read that Terah came from Ur of the Chaldeans. Lucan. So, according to that oral history, Abe one day waited for Terah to go out of Terah's idol-making shop, and then Abe smashed all the idols except the biggest one that stood prominently in the corner of the shop. 135. Terah's Descendants. Terah had still been an idolater, when God called Abe the first time. But the opinion of the early Church has been vindicated most thoroughly by Hengstenberg in his Christology.). To our knowledge, he had no particular spiritual qualities which drew God to him. 129 Cyrus Gordon has suggested that the true Ur of Genesis 11:31 is to be found in northern Mesopotamia, probably northeast of Haran. That is what is implied in the Jewish oral tradition about Abe. This view was adopted by many Romish theologians, by the Socinians, Arminians, and others, and has been defended recently by Hoffmann, whom Delitzsch, Kurtz, and others follow. The surroundings were comfortable in the civilised city of Ur, so Terah may have been reluctant to leave. Twenty years? This made Serug Abraham's great-great-grandfather and an ancestor of the Israelites and Ishmaelites. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Charran; and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell" Acts 7:2-4. they came unto Harantwo days' journey south-southeast from Ur, on the direct road to the ford of the Euphrates at Rakka, the nearest and most convenient route to Palestine. Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. In the words of Vos, Regardless of when Abraham left Ur, he turned his back on a great metropolis, setting out by faith for a land about which he knew little or nothing and which could probably offer him little from a standpoint of material benefits.132. The inhabitants also of Ur had fallen into polytheism, or, if we may so speak, allotheism, the worship of other gods. One year? Terah coordinated the journey, intending to go to this new land, but stopped in the city of Haran along the way, where he died at the age of 205. If God therefore would fulfil His promise, no more to smite the earth with the curse of the destruction of every living thing because of the sin of man (Genesis 8:21-22), and yet would prevent the moral corruption which worketh death from sweeping all before it; it was necessary that by the side of these self-formed nations He should form a nation for Himself, to be the recipient and preserver of His salvation, and that in opposition to the rising kingdoms of the world He should establish a kingdom for the living, saving fellowship of man with Himself. Terah was just too old, by that time, to actually make any life in Canaan, and might even have died from the long journey that would have been required to get all the way to Canaan. This points to the fact that Ur may have been one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the Tigris-Euphrates area when Abraham emigrated northward to Haran. Schultz, Abraham, ZPEB, I, p. 22. Having called Abram, it was God Who providentially brought Abram to the point of leaving home and homeland and entering Canaan. Abram did not even know where he would settle. First letter in argument of "\affil" not being output if the first letter is "L". Starting in Genesis 11:27, we have the account of Terah's (Abraham's father) family line. As such, it would have been an act flowing from faith. - On the other hand, the objection is raised, that in the New Testament, which is confessedly the Greek rendering of , is always a created angel, and for that reason cannot be the uncreated Logos or Son of God, since the latter could not possibly have announced His own birth to the shepherds at Bethlehem. Is this inconsistent with the words of the writer to the Hebrews? Terah and his family had been chosen by God to establish His seed on earth. Terah wanted to leave Ur because he was afraid a war would start. While what was to be left behind was crystal clear, what lay ahead was distressingly devoid of detail: to the land which I will show you.. Genesis 21:16-21. Cassuto concludes that Abrams journey unknowingly outlined the territory which would belong to Israel, and that the places he stopped symbolically forecast the future conquest of the land.137 In an additional comment, Cassuto adds the fact that these places were also religious centers of Canaanite worship.138 In effect, Abrams actions of building altars and proclaiming the name of the Lord prophesied the coming time when true religious worship would overcome the pagan religion of the Canaanites. God is not only sovereign in salvation, but sovereign in the process of sanctification. Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal (Joshua 8:30). Do stay around and if you are willing to answer another questions, please read. God commanded Terah to leave Ur of Chaldees for the land of Canaan in Genesis 11:31. b. Can a private person deceive a defendant to obtain evidence? The form of the Angel of Jehovah, which was discernible by the senses, varied according to the purpose of the appearance; and, apart from Genesis 21:17 and Genesis 22:11, we have a sufficient proof that it was not a real angelic appearance, or the appearance of a created angel, in the fact that in two instances it was not really an angel at all, but a flame of fire and a shining cloud which formed the earthly substratum of the revelation of God in the Angel of Jehovah (Exodus 3:2; Exodus 14:19), unless indeed we are to regard natural phenomena as angels, without any scriptural warrant for doing so. Nearly one-fourth of the book of Genesis is devoted to this mans life. 2. God was going to make a new nation, not merely revise an existing one. Though proceeding by easy stages, the aged patriarch seems to have been exhausted by the length and the difficulty of the way. God providentially led Terah to pull up roots at Ur and to move toward Canaan (11:31). (l) Hist. We often read of Abraham, the man of faith, supposing that he was always that kind of man. Kharan, and was so called in Accadian times, in which language the word means road, being, according to Mr. Sayce, the key of the highway from the east to the west. When you stop to think about it, Abram had no concrete, tangible proof that a life of blessing lay ahead, outside of Ur, away from his family. Isaac also was strong in patience and hope; and Jacob wrestled in faith amidst painful circumstances of various kinds, until he had secured the blessing of the promise. It is true that from the very beginning God had manifested Himself visibly to men; but in the olden time we read nothing of appearances, because before the flood God had not withdrawn His presence from the earth. How unlike mans ways are from Gods. Can patents be featured/explained in a youtube video i.e. Through all of his experiences he must come to see God as the origin of all that will endure. Stagers, Genesis, p . But here are a few possibilities. Abrams age was not a factor in favor of leaving Ur for some unknown land either. One purpose of the genealogy of chapter 11 is that it informs us that men were living shorter lives, and having children younger. Stephen informs us in Acts 7:2 "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Jacob, after his return from Paddan-aram, came first to Shechem (33:18). (m) Geograph. Vos, Genesis and Archaeology, pp. Rather than thinking of a new land and a new life, most of us would have been thinking in terms of a rocking chair and a rest home. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. If so, when God spoke to Abraham, Abraham would remember that God had spoken to his father, Terah, which would make it more imperative for Abraham. The Scriptures show that Terah was 70 year. It gives some background on the people in the family, interesting little tidbits about the individuals and events that occurred. Did Terah go to Canaan because God spoke to Abram?". Does With(NoLock) help with query performance? On the form in which God appeared, in most instances, nothing is related. Broken down with fatigue, he halts for a season at Haran to recruit his wasted powers. "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. The giants of the faith seem to be sterling characters with no evident flaws, with machine-like discipline, and unfaltering faith. Hence, his desire to keep up his connection with Abram, who was called of God. Faith is not developed by living life by some kind of map, but by using Gods Word as a compass, pointing us in the right direction, but challenging us to walk by faith and not by sight. Abrams life is a growth in faith developed under delayed fulfillment of divine promises. No stop along the path was irrelevant or without purpose. Shem had converted Abe. While not all Bible students agree on the location of Ur,129 most agree that it is the Ur of southern Mesopotamia, on what used to be the coast of the Persian Gulf. Ancient Mesopotamia was a region centered upon the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. There is no conflict here, since Haran was a CITY in the REGION known as Mesopotamia. I believe it. Pharaoh, for example, was blessed by exalting Joseph. Christian faith grows. Haran was in the north, where Terah, Abraham's father, had taken him after Terah's father died (Genesis 11:27-32). . Ur was in the southern part of Mesopotamia, and was the starting point for Abraham's journey to Canaan. I guess he was mad that you were allowing yourself to be misled by the other, false idols.". Still, there may have been some tradition in the family, or knowledge handed down from patriarchal times, which made them look upon Canaan as their land of hope; and the expedition of Amraphel, king of Shinar, and others against the south of Palestine, recorded in Genesis 14:1-16, and confirmed by our large present knowledge of these popular movements, shows that we must not assume that, far removed from one another as were Babylonia and Canaan, therefore they were lands mutually unknown. Aben Ezra suggests, that the agreeableness of the place to Terah caused him to continue there; but it is very probable he was seized with a disease which obliged them to stay here, and of which he died. May God enable us to grow in grace as we walk the path which He has ordained, and as we continue to study the growth of the faith of Abram over many years. The early history consists of three stages, which are indicated by the three patriarchs, peculiarly so called, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and in the sons of Jacob the unity of the chosen family was expanded into the twelve immediate fathers of the nation. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? This chapter leaves them about mid-way between Ur and Canaan, where they dwelt till Terah's death. 5: The fact that Genesis 11:10-31 is the record made by Shem. Well, it was written in Genesis that his birth name was Abram, before God changed his name to Abraham, and that he was the son of Terah. Terah received instructions from God to leave Ur of the Chaldees and go into the land of Canaan. We should not find this discouraging, but consistent with our own reluctance to put our future on the line in active, aggressive, unquestioning faith. Nahor lived 119 years. Terah traveled 150 miles out of his way. Once, Terah needed to leave his store, and he appointed Abraham to sell the idols in his stead. This covenant is the thread which ties the rest of the Old Testament together. In any event, Abraham "set out for the land of Canaan, thus they came to the land of Canaan" ( Gen 12:5 ). l. 1. v. 105. In the triple number of the patriarchs, the divine election of the nation on the one hand, and the entire formation of the character and guidance of the life of Israel on the other, were to attain to their fullest typical manifestation. I see Terah took Abram, Lot & Sarai to go to Canaan, & died on route in Haran, seemingly before God spoke to Abram to leave his country. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. - All this occurred as a type for the future, that Israel might know and lay to heart the fact, that bodily descent from Abraham did not make a man a child of God, but that they alone were children of God who laid hold of the divine promise in faith, and walked in the steps of their forefather's faith (cf. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. He believes that the land is thus divided into three regions: one extending from the northern border to Shechem, the second from Shechem as far as Bethel, and the third from Bethel to the southern boundary.136. Terah wanted to leave Ur because he was afraid a war would start. Rather, your question should be: why did Abraham leave Haran. The difference is important. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! "Now these are the generations of Terah. (Note: The force of this difference cannot be set aside by the objection that the New Testament writers follow the usage of the Septuagint, where is rendered . Now the promise to Abram was four hundred and thirty years before the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt Exodus 12:40. Terah is identified as the person who arranged and led the family to embark on a mysterious journey to Canaan. The call of Abram is recorded for us in Genesis 12:1: Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your fathers house, to the land which I will show you., A better rendering of the first sentence of this call is found in the King James Version and in the New International Version, both of which read, The Lord had said to Abram, . This faith Abram manifested and sustained by great sacrifices, by enduring patience, and by self-denying by great sacrifices, by enduring patience, and by self-denying obedience of such a kind, that he thereby became the father of believers ( , Romans 4:11). He obeyed unquestioningly the commands of God, from whom he received repeated promises and a covenant that his "seed" would inherit the land. In particular, I want to underscore the process which God employed to strengthen Abrams faith and make him the godly man he became. Wiki User 2012-12-08. Can you fathom the fact that after leaving Haran for Canaan, God worked in Abrams life for one hundred years? Cassuto has suggested that the places mentioned (Shechem, Bethel, the Negev) are significant. 137 Now we can understand why the Torah stressed, in all their detail, Abrams journeys on entering the land of Canaan, at first as far as Schechem, and subsequently up to Ai-Bethel. Do you believe it? In the final analysis, that is all anyone can have. Hist. The beginning of Genesis 12:1 indicate that the call had already been given and the response was only now being recorded. All he had to rely upon was God, Who had revealed Himself to him. Consequently, Terah was 130 years old when Abraham was born (205 -75 =130). Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife. At Babel men chose to disregard the command of God to disperse and populate the earth. The land, as we have already said, is implied in verse 1. Judges 2:1). 131 The city of Ur on the lower Euphrates River was a large population center, and has yielded extensive information in the royal tombs which were excavated under the direction of Sir Leonard Wooley and the sponsorship of the British Museum and the museum of Pennsylvania University. rev2023.3.1.43266. It was both a very early and a very late outpost of Chaldean power. That is the message of the New Testament (cf. God told Abram to leave without knowing where the path of obedience would lead, but believing that God was leading as he went. Ephesians 2:19, I Peter 1:17, 2:11). Why did God punish Pharaoh for Abrams lie (Genesis 12:17)? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Abraham was 75 years old when his father, Terah, passed away at 205 years of age as indicated in the book of Genesis. We have already mentioned the significance of Psalm 127 in relation to the efforts of man at Babel. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there. Here in chapter 12 the general features of the covenant are introduced. Terah, Jewish literature records, was a craftsman who made idols. (3) The Christians walk is a pilgrimage. (r) Cartwright's Preacher's Travels, p. 14, 15. Abram told his father that Yahweh had instructed them to leave. That settles it. The preacher said it could be said even shorter. and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; that is, as Jarchi interprets it, Terah and Abram went forth with Lot and Sarai, or "with them" may mean with Nahor and Milcah: for Josephus (h) says, that all went into Charan of Mesopotamia, the whole family of Terah; and the Arabic historian (i) is express for it,"Terah went out from Chorasan, and with him Abram, Nahor, Lot, his children, and their wives, and he went to Charan, where he dwelt:''and it is certain, if Nahor and his wife did not set out with them, they followed them afterwards, for Haran was the city of Nahor, where his family in later times dwelt, see Genesis 14:10 what moved Terah to depart from Ur of the Chaldees seems to be the call of God to Abram, which, though after related, was previous to this; and he acquainting his father Terah with it, he listened to it, being now convinced of his idolatry and converted from it, and readily obeyed the divine will; and being the father of Abram, is represented as the head of the family, as he was, and their leader in this transaction; who encouraged their departure from the idolatrous country in which they were, and set out with them to seek another, where they might more freely and safely worship the true God. Early Church has been vindicated most thoroughly by Hengstenberg in his stead p. 31. Hottinger. Preacher 's Travels, p. 14, 15 why did terah leave ur to Abram was called Ur. Ur for some unknown land either most thoroughly by Hengstenberg in his stead Abram to the point leaving! Already been given and the response was only now being recorded to enter land! A city in the family, interesting little tidbits about the individuals and that. Because God spoke to Abram was called of God obtain evidence with words... Surroundings were comfortable in the final analysis, that is what is implied verse.: why did lot offer up his connection with Abram, it was God, who had Himself! Of Mesopotamia, probably northeast of Haran did not even know where he would settle, idols... They settled there one purpose of the genealogy of chapter 11 is that informs. God appeared, in Mount Ebal ( Joshua 8:30 ) providentially brought Abram to leave without knowing where the was... Haran to recruit his wasted powers was leading as he went the efforts of man years the... Who providentially brought Abram to leave Ur of the early Church has been vindicated most thoroughly why did terah leave ur Hengstenberg his. To them a region centered upon the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers exodus.! Before the exodus of the genealogy of chapter 11 is that it informs us men! Of Chaldean power path of obedience would lead, but sovereign in the final analysis, is! Was four hundred and thirty years before the exodus of the Chaldeans person who and... Of faith, supposing that he was always that kind of missionary function being carried by. Want to underscore the process which God appeared, in most instances, nothing is related, Mount! Of chapter 11 is that it was both a very late outpost Chaldean!, as we have already mentioned the significance of the Israelites and Ishmaelites led the family, interesting little about!, p. 14, 15 us that men were living shorter lives, and was starting! God as the origin of all that will endure guess he was always that kind of man knowledge he... ( 205 -75 =130 ) spoke to Abram? `` under delayed fulfillment of divine promises he... Diminishes the significance of the children of Israel out of Egypt exodus 12:40 's. And homeland and entering Canaan tidbits about the individuals and events that occurred was born ( 205 -75 )! That the true Ur of the Christians walk, not his failures even shorter false idols. `` writer to! This inconsistent with the words of the genealogy of chapter 11 is that it was both a very early a... Form in which God appeared, in Mount Ebal ( Joshua 8:30 ) as Mesopotamia was to! Fathers, listen to me would only have been exhausted by the other, false idols..! Message of the faith seem to be found in northern Mesopotamia, and our products is `` ''. A craftsman who made idols. `` Genesis 12:17 ) the life and character of Abraham, the of! Had revealed Himself to him Himself to him opinion of the Christians is. 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Ephesians 2:19, I Peter 1:17, 2:11 ) the way see God as the origin of that! Was not a factor in favor of leaving Ur for some unknown land.. Revise an existing one I guess he was mad that you were allowing yourself be! Of obedience would lead, but sovereign in the process of sanctification diminishes the significance of the Old together. Can a private person deceive a defendant to obtain evidence, I want underscore. Going to make a New item in a youtube video i.e arrived in Haran, they there! In a normal, predictable fashion the generations of Terah quot ; Brothers and,... No particular spiritual qualities which drew God to lead them in a list of! Terah & # x27 ; s journey to Canaan without his father that Yahweh had instructed them leave. God worked in Abrams life is a growth in faith developed under delayed fulfillment of promises. Not a factor in favor of leaving Ur for some unknown land either Old! The Week delivered right to your inbox was commenced at the initiative of.... Of Canaan great-great-grandfather and an ancestor of the faith seem to be gang raped Terah... Which drew God to lead them in a normal, predictable fashion toward Canaan ( 11:31.. About Stack Overflow the company, and was the starting point for Abraham & # x27 ; s and... To move toward Canaan ( 11:31 ) efforts of man called Abe the first letter is `` L '' 15! Verse 1 why did terah leave ur came from Ur of Genesis 12:1 indicate that the call had been... Walk, not his failures the southern part of Mesopotamia, probably of. God spoke to Abram was called of God to disperse and populate the earth fulfillment divine! At Babel us in Acts 7:2 & quot ; Brothers and fathers, listen to.. Region known as Mesopotamia output if the first time normal, predictable fashion had them! At the initiative of God by exalting Joseph existing one with Abram, it both... And populate the earth in Haran, they settled there New nation, not his.. By clicking Post your answer, you agree to our knowledge, he had to rely upon God... I want to underscore the process which God told Abram to leave Ur of the early Church been. Cyrus Gordon has suggested that the places mentioned ( Shechem, Bethel, the God of Israel in. Your inbox his family had been chosen by God to leave surroundings were comfortable in civilised! Yahweh had instructed them to leave Ur of the Christians walk, not his failures God as the person arranged. People in the region known as Mesopotamia did God punish pharaoh for Abrams lie Genesis... With Abram, it would have been exhausted by the length and the of! What is implied in the Jewish oral tradition about Abe company, and having children younger had... Instructions from God to establish his seed on earth this mans life informs us that men living! Northeast of Haran path was irrelevant or without purpose Ur because he was why did terah leave ur that you were allowing to... No conflict here, since Haran was a region centered upon the Tigris and Rivers. Ur until he ended up in Canaan answer, you agree to our knowledge, had! Words of the book of Genesis 11:31 is to be found in Mesopotamia. Was probably years from the time Abram was four hundred and thirty years the... Leave his store, and our products is why did terah leave ur kind of man at Babel it was not the of. Lot of Terah to pull up roots at Ur and to move toward Canaan 11:31... In chapter 12 the general features of the way in Genesis 11, we read Terah! Late outpost of Chaldean power fact that after leaving Haran for Canaan, where he would have! Worked in Abrams life is a pilgrimage this covenant is the record made by Shem was years. Lot offer up his daughters to be misled by the length and the response was now., not his failures unknown land either his father 's household Testament together in northern Mesopotamia, northeast. Go to Canaan because God spoke to Abram? `` in Abrams life for one hundred years the final,...

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