Dictionaries :: Abram

Abram:

1. Birth. He was born in Ur of the Chaldees, and was a direct descendant of Shem (Genesis 11:10-32).
2. Date. There is a difficulty in the chronology at this point. Compare Genesis 11:26; 11:32; Genesis 12:4-5; Acts 7:1-4. My solution of this question is the only one that will harmonize with all the facts and dates presented in the book of Genesis. When you reflect that it was customary in those ages, in the development of God's plan, to displace the elder with the younger, the matter becomes plainer. This was so with
   1. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1-7, 4:25).
   2. Isaac and Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-2, 16:16; Genesis 17:18-21; Genesis 21:1-5).
   3. Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19-26).
   4. Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:14-19).
   Abram was the youngest, for he was only seventy-five years old when his father died (Genesis 11:32; Genesis 12:4; Acts 7:1-5). Genesis 11:26, therefore implies that Terah was seventy years old when his first son was born; and from other considerations enumerated above, he was about one hundred thirty years when Abram was born. Sarah was Abram's half-sister (Genesis 20:12), doubtless born of Terah's second marriage. There was only a difference of ten years in their ages (Genesis 17:17). If Abram has been Terah's firstborn, he would have been one hundred thirty-five when Terah died, and it would be necessary to change the figures in reference to Sarah and make her one hundred twenty-five at this time! Further, it is stated that Abram had been eleven years in Canaan when Ishmael was born (Genesis 16:1-16). This would have made Sarah (125 + 11 = 136) one hundred thirty-six at Ishmael's birth. Isaac was born fourteen years after Ishmael (Genesis 16:16; Genesis 21:1-5), hence this would have given Isaac no chance to have been born, for Sarah only lived one hundred twenty-seven years (Genesis 23:1)! We therefore conclude that Abram was born two thousand eight years after the creation of Adam (Genesis 5:3-32; Genesis 7:6, 7:11; Genesis 11:1-26).
3. His Call. The Lord first spoke to him in Ur of Chaldees (Genesis 12:1; Acts 7:1-5).
4. The Promises. God gave him two great promises,
   1. That He would make of him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, make him a blessing, bless those who blessed him, and curse those who cursed him;
   2. That in him should all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3).
   These promises were subsequently renewed on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:1-18).
   
   These promises were subsequently fulfilled in;
   1. The covenant dedicated at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:1-8),
   2. The new covenant (Galatians 4:22-31).