Did Terah go to Canaan because God spoke to Abram?". God providentially led Terah to pull up roots at Ur and to move toward Canaan (11:31). Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Did Abraham leave Haran before or after his father died? Terah is the one who told the people to leave Ur Kasdim in the book of Genesis, not Abram. Why is the article "the" used in "He invented THE slide rule"? Such will be the case as we can look back upon our lives from the vantage point of time. 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. He quoted the shopworn saying, God said it. 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. God commanded Terah to leave Ur of Chaldees for the land of Canaan in Genesis 11:31. b. Moses did not give us all the background needed to properly grasp the significance of the call of Abram, but it has been recorded for us in the Bible. (p) Itinerarium, p. 60. It only takes a minute to sign up. But why did they intend to go into the land of Canaan? As Abram subsequently continued this migration in simple dependance upon Gods guidance (Genesis 12:1), it was probably the Divine rather than the human purpose that is here expressed. Do you know that after Abram entered the land of Canaan it was another 25 years until he had his son, Isaac? They do not expect God to lead them in a normal, predictable fashion. The answer is because God told him to (Genesis ch.12). Beyond this, Abram was destined to become a blessing to men of every nation. The Word of God is sufficient for mans faith. So we know that Abraham told his father Terah to leave, because God appeared to Abraham, not Terah. Pharsal. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there. It will be observed, also, that we have set down seventy opposite Abram as the date of his call, from which is counted the definite period of four hundred and thirty years to the exodus. l. 5. c. 18. Then, when Terah returned, saw the mess, and asked Abe what had happened. The New Testament in no way diminishes the significance of the life and character of Abraham. I would hope that our study of the initial period of his life indicates otherwise. 133-134. Romans 9:6-13). The mid-life crisis would have been past history for him. And if we are honest with ourselves, that is just about where most of us are. 2. ch. Stephen informs us in Acts 7:2 "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Why didn't Abraham tell Isaac the truth in Genesis 22? (k) Ibid. It is of interest to note that Islam holds Abram second in importance to Mohammed, with the Koran referring to Abraham 188 times.128. We must remember that Cassuto, as a Jew, did not regard the New Testament to be authoritative. (4) The Christian walk is rooted in the reliability of the Word of God. Without it we are inclined to think that the call of Abram came at Haran, rather than at Ur. In one sense, the command of God to Abram was very specific. 4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. Answer: Family Origin and Early History. And, it may be worth noting, we see the name "Terah" alluded to in the word "Teraphim". Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? And the guidance vouchsafed had for its object the calling forth of faith in response to the promise, which should maintain itself amidst all the changes of this earthly life. Wis. 13-15). c. Terah was an idol worshipper. This is why, despite that Stephen says that God had called Abe the first time prior to when Abe left Ur to settle in Haran, the ending of Genesis 11 credits Terah for taking his household, including Abe, to go to Canaan. A physical death interpretation would state that Terah had died and his total lifespan is recorded as 205 years. Of this long period his seed was to be a stranger in a land that was not theirs for four hundred years Genesis 15:13. How to delete all UUID from fstab but not the UUID of boot filesystem. God told Abram to leave without knowing where the path of obedience would lead, but believing that God was leading as he went. Ultimately, the whole world was blessed by the coming of the Messiah, who came to save men of every nation, not just the Jews: Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith that are sons of Abraham. Had Abrams spiritual life depended solely upon his faithfulness, the story of Abram would have ended very quickly. Stephen calls it Charran it is by Herodian (l) called by Ptolemy (m) Carrae, by Pliny (n) Carra, a city famous in Lucan (o) for the slaughter of Crassus, by whom it is called an Assyrian city. It is difficult to believe that Abrams public act of worship was not noted and viewed with particular interest by the Canaanites. The writer to the Hebrews pointed to Abraham as an illustration of a man who walked by faith, devoting more space to him than any other individual in chapter eleven (Hebrews 11:8-19). In our best moments, our faith is vibrant and vital, but in the moments of testing, it is weak and wanting. Historians share that the father of Serug was Reu. So he may have found a blossoming trade in Haran. In the final analysis, that is all anyone can have. Hence, his desire to keep up his connection with Abram, who was called of God. Why did God punish Pharaoh for Abrams lie (Genesis 12:17)? The Chaldeans, no longer in existence,. Genesis 21:16-21. Not only did Terah worship idols, but he even operated a business selling deities. Do not expect that God will indicate each turn in the road with a clearly marked sign. Context. How to draw a truncated hexagonal tiling? The heroes of the Bible are men with like passions (James 5:17) and feet of clay. When Israel went into the land of Canaan, to possess it under Joshua, these same key cities were captured: So Joshua sent them away, and they went to the place of ambush and remained between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; (Joshua 8:9). (Note: The only passage that could be adduced in support of this, viz., Psalm 104:4, does not prove that God makes natural objects, winds and flaming fire, into forms in which heavenly spirits appear, or that He creates spirits out of them. In Galatians chapter 3 Paul wrote that Christians are the sons of Abraham by faith, and therefore, rightful heirs to the blessings promised him (Galatians 3:7,9). Much of Abrams first moves were neither purposeful nor pious, but rather were a more passive response to external forces. The early Church regarded Him as the Logos, the second person of the Deity; and only a few of the fathers, such as Augustine and Jerome, thought of a created angel (vid., Hengstenberg, Christol. Abram did not even know where he would settle. Yes, God twice told Abra(ha)m to "leave your father's household, and go to the land of Canaan." 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.. We often read of Abraham, the man of faith, supposing that he was always that kind of man. Can patents be featured/explained in a youtube video i.e. Outside the Land, it was given to Abraham only to hear the Divine voice (v. 1); but here, in the land destined to be specifically dedicated to the service of the Lord, he was also vouchsafed the privilege of a Divine vision. U. Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, 1964), II, p. 328. At the time of the call, Abram did not know where this land was. Gordons view is held by Harold G. Stiflers, A Commentary on Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), pp. Barnes' Notes on the Bible And Terah took Abram. vol. ). Terah and his family had been chosen by God to establish His seed on earth. Terahs migration was partly perhaps a movement of a tribe of the Semites northwards (see Note on Genesis 11:28), made restless by the Elamites, who about this time overran Western Asia; but chiefly it had a religious motive: for Ur was the especial seat of the worship of the moon-god, Sin; and though Terah had not attained to the purity of Abrahams faith, yet neither was he altogether an idolater. 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). 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. The faith to which we are called is not faith in a plan, but faith in a person. Ephesians 2:19, I Peter 1:17, 2:11). Abram died at the ripe old age of 175 (25:7-8), a much shorter time than Shem (11:10-11) or Arpachshad (11:12-13). Twenty years? (h) Ut supra. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran." Some of ), without any angelic form being visible in either case. 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. Theologically, Genesis chapter 12 is one of the key Old Testament passages, for it contains what has been called the Abrahamic Covenant. The surroundings were comfortable in the civilised city of Ur, so Terah may have been reluctant to leave. He left Haran, not because it was the easiest thing to do, but because God intended for him to do it. l. 1. c. 6. sect. He came in the same form to Gideon, and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah with a staff in His hand (Judges 6:11 and Judges 6:21); also to Manoah's wife, for she took Him to be a man of God, i.e., a prophet, whose appearance was like that of the Angel of Jehovah (Judges 13:6); and lastly, to Manoah himself, who did not recognise Him at first, but discovered afterwards, from the miracle which He wrought before his eyes, and from His miraculous ascent in the flame of the altar, that He was the Angel of Jehovah (Judges 13:9-20). God providentially led Terah to pull up roots at Ur and to move toward Canaan (11:31). l. 4. sect. That's why they, including Abe and his wife, settled in Haran: they settled there in order to allow their father to live out the rest of his very old life in peace and ease. Vos, Genesis and Archaeology, pp. It is probable that the revelation Abram had received from heaven was the means of removing this cloud from his mind, and restoring in him the knowledge and worship of the true God. It is shrouded in mystery to Jewish scholars as to why Terah began the journey and as to why the journey ended prematurely. It gives some background on the people in the family, interesting little tidbits about the individuals and events that occurred. 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. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. The foundation for this was laid by God in the call and separation of Abram from his people and his country, to make him, by special guidance, the father of a nation from which the salvation of the world should come. Our permanent home is not to be found in this world, but in the one that is to come, in the presence of our Lord (cf. For the nation was to grow out of the family, and in the lives of the patriarchs its character was to be determined and its development foreshadowed. we get two critically different instances in which God told Abe to go to Canaan without his father's household. Abe replied something like, "I saw that remaining idol in the corner smash all the others. As such, it would have been an act flowing from faith. Ur was a large and prosperous city-state in Mesopotamia (present-day southern Iraq). Besides, Abram and Sarai were no doubt especially dear to him, and he did not wish to lose their society. People came to offer sacrifices to these idols, or to buy them, and Terah had a thriving business. The Chaldeans, no longer in existence, predate Israel. 63-64. Consequently, Terah was 130 years old when Abraham was born (205 -75 =130). (m) Geograph. At both Shechem and Bethel he built altars, like Abram, his grandfather (33:20; 35:7). God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, the One Abram looked for in the future, to die on the cross to suffer the penalty for mans sin. Now Abram did leave Ur and go to Haran, but it appears to me that this was only because his pagan father decided to leave Ur. Blessing would come through Abraham in several ways. 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. When he is promised a land, and when that land is not given, he must look beyond the promise to its Maker so that he may understand. Here was the basis for the great name that God would give to Abram. The difference is important. If we fix our eyes upon the method of the divine revelation, we find a new beginning in this respect, that as soon as Abram is called, we read of the appearing of God. Chapter 12 begins a new division in the book of Genesis. God had called him to gather his family and leave Ur behind. The beginning of Genesis 12:1 indicate that the call had already been given and the response was only now being recorded. It was both a very early and a very late outpost of Chaldean power. I hope that's helpful Clive. Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. With the choice of Abram and revelation of God to man assumed a select character, inasmuch as God manifested Himself henceforth to Abram and his posterity alone as the author of salvation and the guide to true life; whilst other nations were left to follow their own course according to the powers conferred upon them, in order that they might learn that in their way, and without fellowship with the living God, it was impossible to find peace to the soul, and the true blessedness of life (cf. "Now these are the generations of Terah. That is my kind of hero. The first time that God told this to Abe, it was God's way of provoking Abe to "get real" about Terah's idolatry. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. - 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. One purpose of the genealogy of chapter 11 is that it informs us that men were living shorter lives, and having children younger. There is no conflict here, since Haran was a CITY in the REGION known as Mesopotamia. Abram was secure and comfortable in Ur, a great city. He must leave his country, his relatives, and his fathers house. Terah took him out of Ur (Genesis ch.11). It's A Mystery Until This Day Terah turned north of his route to Canaan. (1) Abrams faith was commenced at the initiative of God. set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. 176. by Ray. Once, Terah needed to leave his store, and he appointed Abraham to sell the idols in his stead. Terah had still been an idolater, when God called Abe the first time. This would be a slow, arduous and dangerous journey. "They came to Haran and dwelt there." 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. However, for whatever reason Terah decided to cut his journey short and settle everybody in a place called Haran. Abrams age was not a factor in favor of leaving Ur for some unknown land either. I do not find such people in the Bible. 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. Furthermore even though the call was to Abraham, God had stirred the heart of Terah to begin the journey to the very place he promised to Abraham so that when Terah died Abraham continued in God's divine will. The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran ( Genesis 11:26-32 ESV ). Thirdly, the Angel of Jehovah is also identified with Jehovah by the sacred writers themselves, who call the Angel Jehovah without the least reserve (cf. 5.) In fact, there was a workshop in Terah's house, where idols of wood, stone, silver and gold were made. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran and said to him, Depart from your country and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you (Acts 7:2-3). Wiki User 2012-12-08. The revelations consisted almost exclusively of promises; and so far as these promises were fulfilled in the lives of the patriarchs, the fulfilments themselves were predictions and pledges of the ultimate and complete fulfilment, reserved for a distant, or for the most remote futurity. But as soon as Abram had gone to Canaan, in obedience to the call of God, Jehovah appeared to him there (Genesis 12:7). Acts 17:27). Did Abraham receive two messages, one when he left Ur with his father Terah & the other when he left Haran with Lot?. Much more important than where he was, God was concerned with who he was, and in Whom he trusted. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. "A faith, which laid hold of the word of promise, and on the strength of that word gave up the visible and present for the invisible and future, was the fundamental characteristic of the patriarchs" (Delitzsch). In the year 1921 B.C. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Is this inconsistent with the words of the writer to the Hebrews? 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. We have already mentioned the significance of Psalm 127 in relation to the efforts of man at Babel. Rauwolff, who was in this town A. D. 1575, calls it Orpha; his account of it is this (q), that it is a costly city, with a castle situated on the hill very pleasantly; that the town is very pleasant, pretty big, with fortifications well provided; and that some say it was anciently called Haran and Charras: a later traveller (r) says, who also calls it Orpha,"the air of this city is very healthful, and the country fruitful; that it is built four square, the west part standing on the side of a rocky mountain, and the east part tendeth into a spacious valley, replenished with vineyards, orchards, and gardens: the walls are very strong, furnished with great store of artillery, and contain in circuit three English miles, and, for the gallantness of its sight, it was once reckoned the metropolitical seat of Mesopotamia. No stop along the path was irrelevant or without purpose. Exodus 3:2 and Exodus 3:4, Judges 6:12 and Judges 6:14-16, but especially Exodus 14:19, where the Angel of Jehovah goes before the host of the Israelites, just as Jehovah is said to do in Exodus 13:21). A look at a map of the ancient world of patriarchal times would indicate that Abram traveled the well-trodden roads of his day.135 This route was that commonly traveled by those who engaged in the commerce of those days. But at the point of Abrams call, he was a man whose faith was meager; real, but meager. The command of God to Abram is, in effect, a reversal of what man attempted at Babel. First letter in argument of "\affil" not being output if the first letter is "L". We gather also that the Divine summons came to Abram in Ur (see Genesis 15:7; Nehemiah 9:7; Acts 7:2), but we learn in Genesis 12:1 that his final destination was not then definitely told him. He does not invest heavily in that which will not last. 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. One of the first questions I had to answer for my current project was: why would only part of Abraham's family leave Ur? Haran was in the north, where Terah, Abraham's father, had taken him after Terah's father died (Genesis 11:27-32). To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Can a private person deceive a defendant to obtain evidence? Stephen clarifies the time that Abram was first called of God. 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. Terah died in Haran (Genesis 11:32), so Abraham was free to follow that call. God was going to make a new nation, not merely revise an existing one. (q) Travels, par. For neither in the New Testament nor in the Alex. (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 . (n) Though the oracle of God came to Abram, yet the honour is given to Terah, because he was the father. But when He had established a covenant with him after the flood, and thereby had assured the continuance of the earth and of the human race, the direct manifestations ceased, for God withdrew His visible presence from the world; so that it was from heaven that the judgment fell upon the tower of Babel, and even the call to Abram in his home in Haran was issued through His word, that is to say, no doubt, through an inward monition. There are many speculations on why Terah took his family, left the Ur of the Chaldeans and headed for Canaan. Terah wanted to leave Ur because he was afraid a war would start. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. God also appeared to Moses at the time of his call (Exodus 3:2, etc.). Personally I believe that there is some kind of missionary function being carried out by Abram. As the writer to the Hebrews put it, he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). d. What we do know, is that Terah NEVER LEFT Haran but died when the blessings were there . In other cases He revealed Himself merely by calling and speaking from heaven, without those who heard His voice perceiving any form at all; e.g., to Hagar, in Genesis 21:17., and to Abraham, Genesis 22:11. The question arises, therefore, whether the angel of Jehovah, or of God, was God Himself in one particular phase of His self-manifestation, or a created angel of whom God made use as the organ of His self-revelation. First, the emphasis of Hebrews 11 is on faith. l. 5. c. 24. 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. How long have you been a Christian, my friend? The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. 130 Cf. And in the land of Kenaan was Melkizedec, the king of Salem, and the priest of the Most High God. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! For some reason, Terah and his family stopped short of Canaan, and remained in Haran. 305-306. Do stay around and if you are willing to answer another questions, please read. I would have assumed that Terah was a God-fearing man, who brought up his son, Abram, to believe in only one God, unlike the people of his day, but this was not so. Terah traveled 150 miles out of his way. Beside this, we frequently read of appearances of the "angel of Jehovah" (Genesis 16:7; Genesis 22:11, etc. If His Word is not true and reliable, then we, of all men, are most miserable.. 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