Torah" can rightly translated as "law," but the Torah is a lot more than just rules and regulations. "Torah" might also be translated as "rule," "instruction," or "principle," and it is sometimes useful to think of the Torah as simply "the way," i.e., instruction on the way we ought to live our lives.Please read through as much as you can of the lives of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 11-25). In what ways do the lives of these two figures reflect "torah" in the latter sense? Cite an instance where either Sarah or Abraham seems to you a particularly good example of how we ought (or ought not) to live our lives.
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One of the instances in Abraham's and Sarah's lives that we ought not to follow involves the ability of these two to conceive a child. Early on God promises Abraham that his decendents will be as numerous as the stars. However, as both Abraham and Sarah advance in their years they begin to doubt the possibility of having a child. Sarah believed that the Lord was preventing her from bearing Abraham a child so she tells Abraham to take her slave girl Hagar so that Abraham may produce an heir. Hagar does become pregnant and produces a son called Ishmael. This particular situation shows a moment of weakness in Abraham's faith in God. Abraham apparently felt that the covenant made with God was insufficient to the point that he needed to take matters into his own hands by trying to conceive a child with Hagar. Of course Abraham is not entirely responsible since the act was initially Sarah's idea but the two should have had more faith in God. Overall, Abraham should not have left his wife's bed in order to conceive with another just to produce an heir.
I agree with smattson that Abraham and Sarah give an example of how not to live our lives when Hagar bares Abraham's child. The two did not have faith and trust in what God had told them when God said they could have a son. That was a good example.
An example I liked of how to live was in Genesis 22 when God tested Abraham with his son Isaac. In this case, Abraham does listen to God in his demands, even if it meant sacrificing his very own son. Thankfully, God stops him, but Abraham proves himself a little more devoted to God.
So there you have it: One instance where Abraham and Sarah don't follow "the way", and one instance in which Abraham does.
To steal from AJ (which we ought not do) Happy Blogging!
An example of how a person should live life can be found in Chapter 22. The Lord tested Abraham and Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son because the Lord asked him to. Abraham showed tremendous devotion and faith to the Lord, of course the Lord stopped Abraham from actually sacrificing his son, and a ram was made available to sacrifice instead of Abraham’s son Isaac. I find in chapter 12 that Abraham acted in a strange way, the Pharaoh thinks that Sarah is Abraham’s sister and takes Sarah into his house. Because of this the Lord sends plague’s to the Pharoah because he evidently slept with Abraham’s wife Sarah. This chapter seems a little odd in that the Pharoah is punished with plague even after he is lied to about the relationship between Sarah and Abraham. Also Sarah seems to treat Hagar unfairly, she seems to be quite angry at Hagar even after she gave Abraham a son named Ishmael. In Chapter 21 verse 10, she asks Abraham to cast out Hagar and her son. It does not seem like a very nice way to treat someone.
I find it interesting that again we find the Lord destroying his people. Earlier in Genesis he destroyed almost all of man with the flood. Even though his attempt was to make man better, Noah became drunk once on land.
You see this with the story Sodam and Gomorrah. Once Lot and his daughters are saved, the daughters preserve their family by having their father's children, but without his knowledge.
I just find it ironic that when God tries to make things better mankind still manages to sin usually without guilt.
I think that one of the less told stories about how to live my God, occurred with Hagar and Ishmael. When they were sent away, they were given little food and water. After it ran out, Hagar set Ishmael beneath a bush and left him to die. When she started to cry, God heard her and let Ishmael live and grow to be a great man and find a wife.
I think this speaks to us about how we should never give up faith. God didn’t have to save Ishmael; he wasn’t Abraham’s only son. When reading this, it gives me hope. To me it says that it doesn’t matter if you are a prophet like Abraham or a slave girl like Hagar, God is there for everyone.
Most of the comments seem to be about Abraham's moment of doubt and faith. My comment will be no different. Doubt, that wonderful human weakness, seems to have weighed heavily on Abraham, in the off-spring department. God told Abraham he would have children with Sarah, yet Abraham has a child with Hagar. Years later, after Abraham has a child with Sarah, his faith is absolute. So much so that when God tells him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham is willing to do it. That is quite a turn from doubt to faith. The problem with Abraham's doubt is the world is still dealing with the repercusions. One of Ishmael's descendants would go on to found a different religion. There is a excellent book on this subject, "The Truth about Muhammad", by Robert Spencer. I apologize, I'm off the subject. The lesson seems to be doubt has consequences.
I agree with many of the previous comments. Abraham shows an intense devotion to God when he is willing to sacrifice his son. This is how we are to live, to live with such a devotion to God that we are willing to give up that which means the most to us if it pleases Him. Because Abraham believed in Him with such zeal, his son’s life was spared. God has given us all that we have, including our very lives. As incomprehensible as it may be, are we not expected to be ready to give them back when He asks for them?
I found that I have to agree with Smattson, that the story about Abraham is something that we should not do. God said that he would have children. He lost faith. I think that today this is something that we see alot of in marriages. Either the couple doesn't think they can have kids or their is a problem in marriage, and instead of asking God for help, or not waiting for God's help they stray into affairs as a way to solve their problems.
This story of Abraham shows that if we are patient good things will come and that God follows through on his promises. Even though it may not always be on your timetable.
Smattson hit the nail right on top of the head. Abraham and Sarah were getting up in their years and no heir had been born to them. So with Sarah's suggestion, Abraham took the bed of another to produce an heir, even after God had promised him one. Abraham also tried to sacrifice his son even after God said he would provide. In both of these instances we see things that would probably not be considered being a good husband or father. I think these two instances contain a much bigger picture. The bigger picture is faith. It shows followers that even people like Abraham and Sarah have doubts, but God does deliver. This is a big step towards principle and instruction.
Could somebody help me out? Why does Abraham introduce Sarah as his sister when he goes into different towns? Thanks for the help.
Thanks for stealing my line Tim. I new I should have patented it. Here goes anyway…Happy Blogging!
There are several examples of Abraham and Sarah making covenents with God and following or not following the Torah. One specific example of Abrahams faith and duty to God is one of the most talked about stories in the Old Testament today. The story found in Genesis 22 is a story of trust and honor to God where Abraham is tested to sacrific his son.
God asked Abraham to sacrific his only legitamate son, whom was supposed to make a great nation promised to Abraham in a covenant with God several years earlier. Abraham had the extreme faith to trust in God and follow out the work or duty that was put in front of him.
There is a lot of metaphores to the death and resurection of Jesus in this passage as well. Abraham was to sacrific his only son when Abraham was promised a great nation. Isaac was rescued because of his fathers faith and thus has created the largest nations of them all, which is Christianity.
I think that Abraham's compassion, kindness, and forgiving nature can be seen when he pleads to God to save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if even ten good, God-fearing people can be found. He first requested that God spare the city even if 50 could be found, but that number soon fell to just a mere ten people as Abraham asked God several times if he would spare the cities even if "x" good citizens could be found. He must have known that most of the town had turned away from God.
The people in Sodom and Gomorrah were great sinners, yet still Abraham pleaded with God to spare the whole because of the righteousness of a few. Maybe he wanted the cities spared because his nephew Lot resided there. However I think that Abraham had a genuine compassion for these people and wanted them to be given a second chance to turn to God. Thus, he asks that all those in Sodom and Gomorrah be saved from destruction if only a mere ten of them can find favor in God's eyes. Yet, the cities were so sinful that in the end only four were spared and the rest of the area was destroyed.
So compassion, kindness, and forgiveness are a few good attributes revealed in the character of Abraham that can show us how we should live our lives.
i'm going with genesis chapter 22. where abraham is tested by god, being asked to kill his only son issac. i chose this becouse it seems to me that it shows both how and how not to live our life.
abraham is so devoted to his faith, so devoted to the Lord that he is willing to sacrifice the life of his son to prove his devotion.
but... that seems a little off to me as well. yes he fallows his faith devotedly but, thats a big price to pay for your faith. you shouldent kill your family, the people you love. i think the angel stopping him shows that somehwat. saying yes devotion to the Lord is great but, this isnt a proper cost and not what the Lord would truly want.
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
This passage is very contradictory for me. A literal interpretation of this would be Abraham honoring his wife's request to make Hagar and her son leave... forever. God tells Abraham to listen to Sarah's request, and he does. But to me this is immoral. As the father of Hagar's son Abraham has the responsibility to support the both of them. I realize God will take care of them eventually, but Abraham should take responsibility for his son anyways right?
Abraham and Sarah show ways on how to live your life by putting your faith in God. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son for the Lord. This shows that sometimes we have to make sacrifices no matter how difficult they would be. We need to walk by faith and know that God has our greater good in mind.
Abraham and Sarah are very good examples of both how we out, or ought not to live our lives.
For a majority of the reading we see that Abraham and Sarah are very abiding of God's wishes and for the most part follow all his rules.
However, Abraham and Sarah loose their faith in God when they are not able to have a son. They react hastily and Sarah tells Abraham to take Hagar, Sarah's sevant girl, and conveive a son with her. He does, but not much longer after God tells them that Sarah will indeed bare a child even though she is 90 years old. They loose faith and don't believe that they could have a child at their age, but are pleasantly surprised when God keeps his promise and they finally have their son, Issac (meaning "laughter").
This just prooves that although their faith was exceptionally strong most of the time, everyone is human and everyone has their moments of weakness. Abraham and Sarah were no exception.(As we also see when Sarah convinces Abraham to throw Hagar and Ishmael out)
The passage i like is when God is speaking to Abraham about "for i will make you the fath of my nations. I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you."
Later God says to Abraham "Everyone of your males must be circumcised. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and you."
God is saying that Abraham will have a great family with many kids going onto higher places in the world. All Abraham ha to do is get snipped and every one of his following male children.
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