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The Patriarchs show a way to seek God and to share our lives with him. On Truth of the Spirit, host Patti Brunner discusses the Patriarchs of the Old Testament starting with Abraham, our Father of Faith, and then continue the blood line. I’m going to tell their story. I will show you how they foreshadow Christ and the Church. The Lord chose one man and then touched members of his family as faith continues to be handed down to the generations. This model is used over and over throughout history and is the basis for our Church. As Abraham connected with God and lives were changed so, too, those of the modern world.
Sometimes the plan of God is hidden and not realized until it is reflected upon by later generations. The Patriarchs lived lives touched by hardship and decisions, by passion and mistakes that affected them and by the influence of the world around them.
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When God called Moses from the midst of the burning bush He said: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” [Exodus 3:6]
To understand God’s name, we need to know who Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are.
CCC207: “By revealing his name God reveals his faithfulness which is from everlasting to everlasting, valid for the past, as for the future. Ex 3:6. 12God, who reveals his name as “I AM,” reveals himself as the God who is always there, present to his people in order to save them.”
You are listening to Truth of the Spirit, I’m Patti Brunner. Today we’ll discuss the Patriarchs starting with Abraham, our Father of Faith, and then continue the blood line. I’m going to tell their story. I will show you how they foreshadow Christ and the Church.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are each called Patriarchs. The Patriarchs lived lives touched by hardship and decisions, by passion and mistakes that affected them and by the influence of the world around them. The patriarchs show a way to seek God and to share their lives with him. Has your own families affected your journey? Are you affecting the faith lives of those in your life and the generations to come? How will history describe your contribution –example to follow or example to avoid?
When God called Moses to be a savior for the Israelites in Egypt He repeats his name. “I AM. ” “Thus shall you say to the Israelites: The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. “This is my name forever; this is my title for all generations.” Ex 3:14b-15
CCC #203 says God revealed himself to his people Israel by making his name known to them.
God chose the Patriarchs and spoke to them. As they responded to him with faith and obedience he blessed them. Their blessing continues to flow to us.
Their relationship with God shows us the importance of personal relationship with God. They were not perfect. Yet, one thing they were sure of: their covenant with God.
[Genesis 11]
The story of Abraham starts in the 11th chapter of Genesis, the first book of the bible when Abraham was still known as Abram. He is a descendant of Noah’s son Shem who was on Noah’s Ark. Abram married Sarai , who was barren.
–God started Abram in the right direction when Abram’s father, Terah, started the journey toward Canaan but Terah stopped when he got as far as Haran. After Terah died, God spoke to Abram.
[Genesis 12]
Genesis 12:1 “The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. 2 “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.” 4 Abram went as the LORD directed him …, 5 Abram took his wife Sarai, his brother’s son Lot, all the possessions that they had accumulated, and the persons they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. . In the land of Canaan, 7 The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.”
One little problem: The Canaanites were living in the land so Abram kept moving around, ending up in the arid land of the Negeb.
–He was Called to the promise but Abram looked for the easy land that wasn’t occupied.–
The problem with the arid land is that it is hit hardest by drought. And there was a drought and “10 There was famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt ” for a season.
–Have you ever felt like God has called you to step forward into your destiny and found yourself taking two steps back for every step forward? Did you ever think that maybe it’s because you settled for less than God’s plan for you?
There’s always a pitfall when we seek refuge in Egypt. You see the Pharaoh had a thing for beautiful single women. And if the woman was already married– Pharaoh would kill off the husband. To get around this, Abram reported that Sarai was his sister; she actually was a half-sister. Pharaoh took the beautiful Sarai away from Abram and gave Abram flocks and herds and slaves to show his appreciation.
–Stepping away from God’s plan sometimes can provide worldly treasure.
He gained wealth while there only on his departure. While he was there he was tormented as Sarai was held captive.
The Lord intervened, Genesis 12:17 “the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 When Pharaoh found out she was Abram’s wife and he sent them away with all he had given them.” Including an Egyptian maid for Sarai.
[Genesis 13]
Abram was now very rich as they went back to the land of Canaan and ended up in the very place God had appeared to him. –Back on track! Genesis 13:4 “There he invoked the Lord by name.”
Prayer allowed him to develop relationship with God. And God blessed him. So much so that his nephew “13:5 Lot, who also had flocks and herds and tents, [realized] that 6 that the land could not support them if they stayed together; their possessions were so great”.
Abram let Lot pick his part of the land. Lot chose to live near the city of Sodom. After Lot cut out, God spoke to Abram again. 13:14b “Look about you, and from where you are, gaze to the north and south, east and west; 15 all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. 16 I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth; if anyone could count the dust of the earth, your descendants too might be counted.”
[Genesis 14]
His nephew Lot then got captured during a battle between five kings including the King of Sodom and four other kings and Abram rescued Lot and all that had been captured. Afterwards a tenth king, Genesis 14:18 “Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: 19 *”Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the creator of heaven and earth; 20 *And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your foes into your hand.” So excited to meet someone that also knew the Most High God, Abram then apportioned to him a tenth of all he had recovered.
[Genesis 15]
Sometime later the Lord came to the childless Abram in a vision. It says in that Genesis 15 that during the day “5 God took him outside and said: “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Moses couldn’t see the stars during the day but he knew they were there. Neither could he see any descendants.
“6 *Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.” The Lord again promised him the land and foretold the difficulties of his people then sent a “a smoking brazier and a flaming torch” between split animals to form a covenant.
Covenants were ratified by a blood sacrifice.
[Genesis 16:]
Meanwhile Abram and Sarai had no children. Sarai got the bright idea to give her Egyptian maid Hagar to Abram so that he could have offspring by her.
—Again Egypt: the symbol of slavery and turning away from God’s plan—so Hagar became Abram’s concubine and got pregnant. Even though it was Sarai’s plan, pretty soon Sarai got jealous and mean and Hagar ran off. Genesis 16: “9 But the LORD’S messenger told her: “Go back to your mistress, you shall bear a son; you shall name him Ishmael, … Genesis 16:“ 16 Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.”
13 years later, “1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him,” increased his promise and said: ” 5 *No longer shall you be called Abram [which means exalted father]; your name shall be Abraham [which means father of many], for I am making you the father of a host of nations.” 6 I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. 7 I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you””. …
As a sign of this covenant the Lord required circumcision, the blood sacrifice of the covenant.
God also changed his wife’s name from “Sarai,” “my princess,” to “Sarah,” “mother of nations” (Genesis 17:15–16).
Genesis 17:17 “Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?”
[Genesis 18]
“1 The LORD appeared to Abraham … as he sat in the entrance of his tent, … 2 Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby.” He greeted them and invited them to rest. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; then “10 *One of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.” 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods. 12 *So Sarah laughed to herself and said, “Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old, am I still to have sexual pleasure?” 13 But the LORD said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?’ 14 Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do? At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.”
Later on Abraham prayed for the angels to rescue his nephew from the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, which they did.
[Genesis 20:]
Abraham again travelled to the arid region of the Negeb. Where again he introduced Sarah as his sister, again. The King of Gerar, Abimelech, took Sarah and the Lord closed all the wombs of Abimelech’s household. Then the Lord sent King Abimelech a dream that he was about to die for taking another man’s wife so the King released Sarah. Abraham prayed for the King and God restored health to Abimelech’s wife and his maidservants, so that they could bear children. This is the first recorded Healing Prayer. An interesting thing happened. Sarah’s womb was also restored. Isn’t it amazing that when we bless our enemies we too are blessed?
[Genesis 21]
Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90.
This miracle birth foreshadows the miracle pregnancies of Mary and her kinswoman Elizabeth.
The slave Hagar and her son Ismael was sent away and were cared for by an angel.
“Some time after these events, God put Abraham to the test.”
God told Abraham to take his son and offer him up as sacrifice. “Abraham took the wood for the holocaust and laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders…” What a foreshadowing! Jesus too carried the wood of the cross up the hill to be offered in sacrifice in obedience to God his father.
Genesis 22 “10 [Abraham] reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the LORD’S messenger called to him from heaven, “Abraham, Abraham!” … 12 “Do not lay your hand on the boy,”…”I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
God provided an alternate ram for a sacrifice in place of his son.” Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, so too was God the father willing to sacrifice his son, Jesus who was offered on the hill of Calvary.
Genesis 23: When Sarah died, Abraham purchased a Burial Place for her. This was the first fulfillment of ownership of the land promised by God. With Abraham, the divine blessing entered into human history which was moving toward death, to redirect it toward life, toward its source. By the faith of “the father of all believers,” who embraced the blessing, the history of salvation is inaugurated.”
Genesis 24: ISAAC
When it was time for Isaac to marry, Abraham sent his servant to go to his land of origin, to his brother’s house to find a bride for his son, Isaac. Abraham commanded that Isaac was not allowed to leave the land even if the bride refused to come. It was important to stay at the Promised Land even if the fullness of God’s promise was not yet received. The Servant asked God for a particular sign to choose the right woman– a sign of offering to water camels. When the servant arrived in Haran, Rebekah rushed out and offered water for the camels! And then the servant found out that Rebekah was the granddaughter of Abraham’s brother. Perfect! Upon their return to the Negeb, Isaac fell in love with Rebekah the moment their paths crossed.
Genesis 25:
They married when Isaac was 40 but Rebekah was barren for 20 years. Genesis 25:”21 Isaac entreated the LORD on behalf of his wife, since she was sterile. The LORD heard his entreaty, [plea and] Rebekah became pregnant” with twins. The LORD, spoke to her and said: 23b “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples are quarreling while still within you; But one shall surpass the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” The younger twin –by a few minutes—was Jacob. The first born was Esau.
Genesis 26:
There was a famine and the couple went to Gerar. The Lord spoke to Isaac and told him not to go to Egypt but to stay put. Gen 26: “Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I will give all these lands, in fulfillment of the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. 4 I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and give them all these lands, and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing–5 this because Abraham obeyed me, keeping my mandate (my commandments, my ordinances, and my instructions).”
Remember the promise? Recognize the promise? We also find another similar thing happening with Isaac and Rebecca with the King Abimelech who is attracted now to Rebekah. Isaac calls Rebekah his sister, but the King finds out she’s Isaac’s wife. The King is really glad that he has not molested her and puts the couple under his protection. Isaac’s role in the history of salvation is very important. Isaac heard the voice of the Lord and was obedient. He received and passed on the faith, the promise and the blessings of Abraham. We, too, even when not called to a great move, are none the less called to the great task of sharing our faith and blessings.
Genesis 27:
When Isaac got old and blind it was time to pass the blessings to his first born son, Esau. However his mother Rebekah remembering the Lord’s word about the twins, and, since Jacob was her favorite son, she got Jacob to pretend his was Esau. Since Esau was hairy, Jacob tied hairy skins on his arms and neck. When his brother Esau found out that he had been cheated out of his father’s blessing, he threatened to kill Jacob after their father died. So, Jacob decided to get out of town!
Genesis 28:
With the excuse of seeking a bride, Jacob left the land of promise. Jacob went in the opposite direction. He travelled back to Abraham’s starting point. Isaac was not allowed to return per Abraham’s instructions. Yet Jacob ran away after cheating his brother. Are the promises of God not enough? Do you take matters into your own hands?
To make sure Jacob doesn’t forget the promise as he leaves the Promised Land, God gives Jacob a Genesis 28: “*12 a dream: a stairway rested on the ground, with its top reaching to the heavens; and God’s messengers were going up and down on it. 13And there was the LORD standing beside him and saying: “I, the LORD, am the God of your forefather Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. 14 These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth, and through them you shall spread out east and west, north and south. In you and your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing. 15 Know that I am with you; I will protect you wherever you go, and bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I promised you.” If you have ever had a spiritual encounter with God like the vision Jacob was given, you know it stays with you forever.
Genesis 29:
Upon his arrival in Haran, Jacob meets his cousin Rachel and falls in love with her. But when he arrived he had nothing to offer as a bride’s dowry. So he bargains with her father Laban to work 7 years for her hand in marriage. Just as Jacob tricked his own father, Laban tricks Jacob and he ends up married to Rachel’s sister Leah. After agreeing to work an additional 7 years he is allowed to marry Rachel too. Jacob tricked his father and his wife’s father tricked him!
Like the other women who have been chosen by God in this family, Rachael is infertile. And like her grandmother-in-law, Sarah, she decides give her maid to her husband to beget children. Not to be outdone by Rachael, her sister Leah does the same thing! The result is 12 sons and one daughter in just a few years. The first four children of Leah are: Reuben, Simeon, Levi [who is the ancestor of Moses and Aaron] and Judah [who is the ancestor of King David, King Solomon and Jesus], Rachel’s maid Bilbah’s sons are Dan and Napthali. Leah’s maid Zilpah’s sons are Gad and Asher. Then Leah gave birth to Issachar, Zebulum and the daughter, Dinah. Finally the Jacob’s beloved Rachel gave birth to Joseph. Joseph was so highly favored by his parents that his jealous brothers later sold him into slavery to Egypt. Rachael died giving birth to Jacob’s youngest son Benjamin [who is the ancestor of King Saul, the first king of Israel].
Genesis 31: Jacob remembered his dream and God’s promise, he had to work 7 more years to have flocks and supplies to take with him and his family with him and then had to sneak away from Laban with his family. But the Lord is faithful and, through divine favor, Jacob chose to return to the Promised Land. The Lord provides a way to continue the promise. Always, the Lord can transform our lives and decisions when we repent and submit ourselves to Him.
Genesis 32:
Right before Jacob stepped foot back into the area of the Promised Land, an angel, in the form of a man, wrestled with him during the night. Gen. 32: “27 The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” [This time the blessing was not from trickery.] 29 Then the man said, “You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.” So anytime you hear the name ‘Israel’ know that its root is in Jacob and from him the tribes of his twelve sons. Also, anytime you see the word Israel you can substitute the word “Church” because Israel foreshadowed the Church.
CCC #63 “Israel is the priestly people of God, “called by the name of 204,2801 the LORD,” and “the first to hear the word of God,”21 the 839 people of “elder brethren” in the faith of Abraham.”
We are here today because of the Patriarchs’ decisions of faith to be obedient in difficult unknown circumstances.
CCC 706 Against all human hope, God promises descendants to Abraham, as the fruit of faith and of the power of the Holy Spirit.68 In Abraham’s progeny all the nations of the earth will be blessed. 60 This progeny will be Christ himself,69 in whom the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will “gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.”70 God commits himself by his own solemn oath to giving his beloved Son and “the promised Holy Spirit . . .[who is] the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.”71
The promises given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are fulfilled in Christ. The decision of obedience is always the cornerstone. As the cornerstone of obedience is laid all else that is built upon it shall stand. When those who build step aside from obedience it teeters and falls; then after the debris is cleared away, the firm foundation again emerges.
Jacob, known as Israel, moved his family to Egypt to escape famine and his descendants stayed there for 400 years. Why do we keep running to ‘Egypt’ to seek the ‘world’ to fulfill our needs? Even Joseph took Mary & Jesus to Egypt as a refuge, but they didn’t stay there.
A refuge like Egypt for a season is not the goal. You live apart from the fullness of heaven while on earth but the Lord calls you to the fullness of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
When God spoke to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he was calling him to return to Egypt to bring the descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob, who became the 12 tribes of Israel, out of slavery and back to the land of promise.
Like Moses who first left Egypt as a young man to live in freedom, we must return to bring out others and stay with them as Egypt leaves their souls to allow the Lord to take rest within them.
Abraham also understood this. When he sojourned to Egypt, it was but for a short season. He gained wealth while there—as the Israelites did—only on his departure. While he was there he was tormented as Sarah was held captive. What do you do for family members who are held captive? Do you recover them with truth and the power of God?
The Lord chose one man and then touched members of his family as faith continues to be handed down to the generations. This model is used over and over throughout history and is the basis for our Church.
As Abraham connected with God and lives were changed so, too, those of the modern world. Each time conversion and personal experiences bring closeness to God, their witness touches the lives of others.
God called Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to a mysterious encounter with Himself. Today ccc 2591: “God tirelessly calls each person to this mysterious encounter with Himself. Prayer unfolds throughout the whole history of salvation as a reciprocal call between God and man.”
Sometimes the plan of God is hidden and not realized until it is reflected upon by later generations. This is key for us now as we get to know the Patriarchs.
Our God is I AM, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism and the voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved son.” And when the beloved son taught us to pray, we realize that he revealed a new fullness of God’s name:” The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and “Our God, our Father”.
You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit, I’m Patti Brunner. And we ask you to continue to watch by subscribing. Subscribing makes it very easy. It’s free. And be sure and come back next time for more, because with the Holy Spirit, there’s always more! Amen
