why did terah leave ur

Abram told his father that Yahweh had instructed them to leave. Here in chapter 12 the general features of the covenant are introduced. Although listed first among the three sons of Terah, at Genesis 11:26, Abraham was not the firstborn. One of the first questions I had to answer for my current project was: why would only part of Abraham's family leave Ur? The command of God to Abram is, in effect, a reversal of what man attempted at Babel. A physical death interpretation would state that Terah had died and his total lifespan is recorded as 205 years. Those who recognized the hand of God in Abram and his descendants would be blessed by contact with them. ), without any angelic form being visible in either case. It is shrouded in mystery to Jewish scholars as to why Terah began the journey and as to why the journey ended prematurely. For some reason, Terah and his family stopped short of Canaan, and remained in Haran. Did Abraham leave Haran before or after his father died? Do not expect that God will indicate each turn in the road with a clearly marked sign. The people of Haran served the same moon god as the people in Terah's former location, the southern Mesopotamian "city of Ur". I would hope that our study of the initial period of his life indicates otherwise. Theologically, Genesis chapter 12 is one of the key Old Testament passages, for it contains what has been called the Abrahamic Covenant. The final promise was that of blessingblessing for him, and blessing through him. So Terah had two reasons to leave the city of Ur of the Chaldees. 135 Haran, for example, in Assyrian (harranu) meant main road. Waltke, class notes, p. 14. Abraham was a man of great faithafter years of testing by God. 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. All of this should remind us of the objections and obstacles which must have been in the mind of Abram when the call of God came. ------------------------------------------------------------. The former appears to us to be the only scriptural view. The appearances of the angel of Jehovah (or Elohim) cannot have been essentially different from those of Jehovah (or Elohim) Himself; for Jacob describes the appearances of Jehovah at Bethel (Genesis 28:13.) Abrams early history is partly that of his gradual disentanglement from country, kindred and fathers house, a process not completed until the end of chapter 13. Derek Kidner, Genesis (Chicago: InterVarsity Press, 1967), p. 113. 130 Cf. Now Abram was one hundred years old when Isaac was born, and consequently the call was given when he was seventy years of age - about five years before he entered the land of Kenaan Genesis 12:4. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Romans 9:6-13). It could be that they left in obedience to the call of God, which we read more of in Genesis 12. The heroes of the Bible are men with like passions (James 5:17) and feet of clay. Why is the article "the" used in "He invented THE slide rule"? Did Abraham receive two messages, one when he left Ur with his father Terah & the other when he left Haran with Lot?. Technically, the covenant with Abram is not found in chapter 12, but in chapters 15 (verse 18) and 17 (verses 2,4,7,9,10,11,13,14,19,21) where the word covenant appears. 133 Although it may appear from a superficial reading of the account in Genesis (11:31-12:1) that God called Abraham while in Haran, thereby contradicting Stephens account that God called Abraham in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, the two accounts can be harmonized by noting that Genesis 11:27-32 is a parenthetical account of Terah introduced by a waw disjunctive, and that Genesis 12:1, introduced by a waw consecutive, carries on the main narrative which was discontinued in Gen. 11:26. Bruce Waltke, Unpublished Class Notes, Dallas Theological Seminary, pp. In Genesis chapter 11, we are told that Terah, his son Abram, his grandson Lot and his daughter-in-law Sarai left their hometown called the Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the Land of Canaan. The site of the great city was first discovered in 1854, and has since that time been excavated, revealing much about life in the times of Abram.130 While the actual period that Abram lived in Ur may be a matter of discussion, we can say with certainty that Ur was justified in its boast of being a highly developed civilization. Terah was the son of Nahor, who was of Noah's son's Shem's line. as an appearance of "the angel of Elohim," and of "the God of Bethel" (Genesis 31:11, Genesis 31:13); and in his blessing on the sons of Joseph (Genesis 48:15-16), "The God (Elohim) before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God (Elohim) which fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads," he places the angel of God on a perfect equality with God, not only regarding Him as the Being to whom he has been indebted for protection all his life long, but entreating from Him a blessing upon his descendants. 5.) Terah started out well (11:31), journeyed about four months, probably stopped at Babylon and then did something very strange. The difference is important. First, what would motivate Terah to uproot his family and leave the great city of Ur to travel 1,000 miles to the land of Canaan? Abrahams blessing was largely to be seen in his descendants. 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. David saw Him by the threshing-floor of Araunah, standing between heaven and earth, with the sword drawn in His hand and stretched out over Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 21:16); and He appeared to Zechariah in a vision as a rider upon a red horse (Zechariah 1:9.). 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. In fact, there was a workshop in Terah's house, where idols of wood, stone, silver and gold were made. 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. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there. These appearances, which were constantly repeated from that time forward, must have taken place from heaven; for we read that Jehovah, after speaking with Abram and the other patriarchs, "went away" (Genesis 18:33), or "went up" (Genesis 17:22; Genesis 35:13); and the patriarchs saw them, sometimes while in a waking condition, in a form discernible to the bodily senses, sometimes in visions, in a state of mental ecstasy, and at other times in the form of a dream (Genesis 28:12.). In Genesis 11, we read that Terah came from Ur of the Chaldeans. Personally I believe that there is some kind of missionary function being carried out by Abram. Wis. 13-15). This is the reason why we have placed one hundred and thirty (seventy and sixty), in the genealogical table opposite Terah, because the line of descent is not traced through Haran, who was born when he was seventy, but through Abram, who by plain inference was born when he was one hundred and thirty years old. Now the promise to Abram was four hundred and thirty years before the exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt Exodus 12:40. Aben Ezra suggests, that the agreeableness of the place to Terah caused him to continue there; but it is very probable he was seized with a disease which obliged them to stay here, and of which he died. The first time that God told this to Abe, it was God's way of provoking Abe to "get real" about Terah's idolatry. Terah and his family had been chosen by God to establish His seed on earth. It only takes a minute to sign up. l. 1. v. 105. First letter in argument of "\affil" not being output if the first letter is "L". Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. to Harran, they settled there.(NIV). We are, as I said before, never told why he packs it in in Ur and heads for Canaan. Abram was secure and comfortable in Ur, a great city. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. At the same time, it does not follow from this use of the expression Maleach Jehovah, that the (particular) angel of Jehovah was essentially one with God, or that Maleach Jehovah always has the same signification; for in Malachi 2:7 the priest is called Maleach Jehovah, i.e., the messenger of the Lord. d. What we do know, is that Terah NEVER LEFT Haran but died when the blessings were there . Terah received instructions from God to leave Ur of the Chaldees and go into the land of Canaan. And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. Ancient Mesopotamia was a region centered upon the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. "They came to Haran and dwelt there." As Abram went from place to place, the will of God must have seemed like a riddle. But here are a few possibilities. To this hope our Lord, the Messiah, spoke, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad (John 8:56). 5: The fact that Genesis 11:10-31 is the record made by Shem. The other day I heard a preacher put it very pointedly. Then, when Terah returned, saw the mess, and asked Abe what had happened. The giants of the faith seem to be sterling characters with no evident flaws, with machine-like discipline, and unfaltering faith. 3: Genesis 12:1 is the Bible's record of the second time that God tells Abe to leave his father's household. 176. by Ray. I hope that's helpful Clive. Hence, also, Abram lingers in Haran, waiting to take his father with him to the land of promise, if he should revive so far as to be fit for the journey. ), which were repeated throughout the whole of the Old Testament, and even occurred, though only in vision, in the case of the prophet Zechariah. Question:Clive wrote"I really enjoyed your Bible study. And if we are honest with ourselves, that is just about where most of us are. No wonder God commanded Abram to leave his fathers house (Genesis 12:1)! This would be a slow, arduous and dangerous journey. Terah didn't give a rip about what God wanted because he didn't know or love Him. One year? It would be many years before Abram would fully grasp that this heir that God had promised would come from the union of he and Sarai. ''What detained Terah and his family here, when they intended to go further, is not said. 305-306. Why did Terah died in Haran? He dare not become too attached to that which he cannot take with him. The answer is because God told him to (Genesis ch.12). And later in the story Rachel, Terah's great-great-granddaughter, does seem keen to hold on to the Teraphim (household idols) as if they were a family heirloom (Gen 31:19). It is only when God wishes us to depart from the expected that we should look for guidance that is spectacular or unusual. 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. That settles it. The preacher said it could be said even shorter. l. 1. c. 6. sect. Ur was in the southern part of Mesopotamia, and was the starting point for Abraham's journey to Canaan. The sovereignty of God in salvation is beautifully illustrated in the call of Abram. It tells us that verses 27-32 of chapter 11 are parenthetical,133 and not strictly in chronological order. (i) Elmacinus, p. 31. apud Hottinger. He said in his comments on Genesis 12:7. Genesis 2:5). Conclusion That verse is not implying that God called Abe out of the blue, nor Abe at random of all persons. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. And that brings us to the second reason. He obeyed unquestioningly the commands of God, from whom he received repeated promises and a covenant that his "seed" would inherit the land. p. 282. The Christian life is not knowing exactly what the future holds, but knowing Him Who holds the future. The lesson we may need to learn is this: very often the way God would have us go is the most sensible way that we would have chosen anyhow. In the final analysis, that is all anyone can have. God called him in Ur, but Abram did not leave his fathers house or his relatives. and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; that is, as Jarchi interprets it, Terah and Abram went forth with Lot and Sarai, or "with them" may mean with Nahor and Milcah: for Josephus (h) says, that all went into Charan of Mesopotamia, the whole family of Terah; and the Arabic historian (i) is express for it,"Terah went out from Chorasan, and with him Abram, Nahor, Lot, his children, and their wives, and he went to Charan, where he dwelt:''and it is certain, if Nahor and his wife did not set out with them, they followed them afterwards, for Haran was the city of Nahor, where his family in later times dwelt, see Genesis 14:10 what moved Terah to depart from Ur of the Chaldees seems to be the call of God to Abram, which, though after related, was previous to this; and he acquainting his father Terah with it, he listened to it, being now convinced of his idolatry and converted from it, and readily obeyed the divine will; and being the father of Abram, is represented as the head of the family, as he was, and their leader in this transaction; who encouraged their departure from the idolatrous country in which they were, and set out with them to seek another, where they might more freely and safely worship the true God. Think of it. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran." The second promise of the Abrahamic Covenant was that of a great nation coming from Abram. Isaac also was strong in patience and hope; and Jacob wrestled in faith amidst painful circumstances of various kinds, until he had secured the blessing of the promise. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). (3) The Christians walk is a pilgrimage. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. 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 will examine these, first of all, for the purpose of obtaining a clear conception of the form in which the Angel of Jehovah appeared. Even if we render this passage, with Delitzsch, "making His messengers of winds, His servants of flaming fire," the allusion, as Delitzsch himself observes, is not to the creation of angels; nor can the meaning be, that God gives wind and fire to His angels as the material of their appearance, and as it were of their self-incorporation. As the writer to the Hebrews put it, he went out, not knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8). 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. Three sons of Terah, at Genesis 11:26, Abraham was not the firstborn would! That verse is not knowing exactly what the future for Abraham 's journey to Canaan Press, 1967 ) without... Chronological order, that is spectacular or unusual it in in Ur and heads for Canaan that study... Said even shorter but why did they intend to go further, is implying. 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