Abraham Part III

God came to Abraham in a vision, Abraham made a sacrifice, and God placed Abraham under a deep sleep and revealed a prophecy.

A son from Abraham's own bowels

In Genesis 15:4 God Promised Abraham a son from his own bowels. Abraham was very old (older than 85) and had no children. It had already crossed Abraham's mind that God may intend to use someone who is like a son to be heir and not an actual son. The clarification of God's promise to Abraham is very significant not only to Christianity and Judaism, but Islam as well. When a couple is married, according to Genesis 2:24, they become one flesh. When God promised Abraham a son from his own bowels, He was referring to Abraham and Sarah. Sarah was Abraham's only wife when God made him this promise in Genesis chapter 15 . The reason this is important to Islam is because Muslims are taught that Ishmael, the son of Hagar (an Egyptian handmaid) and Abraham, is the real promised seed, and that Israel is trying to steal their rightful inheritance (Canaan). As the story of Hagar unfolds it will be clear why there would be such a contradiction of history.

Counted for righteousness

Upon hearing this promise the Bible says that Abraham "believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" All of our actions are put on our account with God. Because Abraham believed God, Abraham's account read righteous. The Bible tells us more about Abraham's account in Roman's chapter 4. "1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

Abraham has a prophetic dream

Abraham fell into a sleep and God spoke to him. God showed him that his children would go to a strange land, that they would be forced into slavery, that their slavery would last 400 years, and that God would deliver them from this nation and they would return to Canaan from there with "great substance" or wealth. Why all this? If God was going to give Canaan to Abraham's seed, why not just give it to them now? God was going to teach the nation of Israel some things (which we will get to later). It was also going to benefit the nation of Egypt, and the nation of the Amorites, as well as us twenty-first century Christians. It is important that we remember that God's agenda does not allow for only us. When God does something, everyone benefits from it, even when it is a tragedy. For now I will only talk about the Amorites.

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