IMITATE THEIR FAITH / SARAH - THEY "WENT OUT OF THE LAND" -Conclusion

 

Despite the  challenges, Sarah was packed and ready to go on the appointed day. Terah, as family patriarch, was to accompany Abraham and Sarah, though he was about two centuries old. (Genesis 11:31) Sarah would no doubt have much to do with caring for this elderly parent.  Lot too would join them as they obeyed Jehovah and "went out of the land of the Chaldeans." - ACTS 7:4.

The caravan journeyed first to  Haran, some 600 miles (960 km) to the northwest, following the Euphrates. At Haran, the family settled for a time. Terah may have been ailing at this point, unable to travel farther.  The family stayed until he died at 205 years of age. At some point before the next phase of their journey, Jehovah spoke again to Abraham, telling him once more to leave this land and go to the land that Jehovah would show him.  In this instance, though,, God added a  thrilling promise:  "I will make you a great nation." (Genesis 12:2-4) But when they left Haran, Abraham was 75 and Sarah was 65, and they were childless. How could a nation come from Abraham?  Would he take another wife? Polygamy was a common practice in those days.  So Sarah may well have wondered about that.

At any rate, they left Haran and pressed onward. Note, though, who was now with them.  The account tells us that Abraham's family  left with the wealth they had gained as well as "the people whom they acquired in Haran." (Genesis 12:5)  Who were those people?  Servants, most likely.  However, Abraham and Sarah doubtless  shared their faith with those who were willing to listen.  Some ancient Jewish paraphrases thus say that the people referred to in this verse were also proselytes, people who had joined Abraham and Sarah in worshipping Jehovah. If so, Sarah's deep faith no doubt made her very convincing when she spoke to others about her God and her hope.  That is useful for us to contemplate, for we live in an age when faith and hope are in desperately short supply.  When you learn something good from the Bible,  could your share it with someone?

Next time: IMITATE THEIR FAITH / SARAH - "DOWN TOWARD EGYPT" 

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