The blessing of Abraham?
606102
Genesis 18:18 "Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him."\n\nGenesis 22:18 "...through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed"\n\nGod's promise to Abraham was not solely for his descendants alone (the Hebrews).  It was clearly stated that ALL nations would be blessed through Abraham.  The promise (first given while Abraham was childless) was that through his family line would come a blessing for all nations. For the Christian, this promised blessing reaches its fulfillment in Christ.  Jesus was the promised offspring that would change the world.  Abraham trusted the sure promise of God by faith...just as we trust that same sure promise through faith in Jesus Christ.
308846
If praise was worth bribary then it would be infantile, but of course the 6+ million jews prayed for freedom, just like they have at many other points during their history and after a certain point, ya they got it. Gods will and purpose is hard for humans to comprehend, he wants us to love him regardless and praise him regardless. Kinda like how I want compliments even on days that I probably dont deserve them. Make any sense?
247273
Yes, I think God is highly admirable.\n\nIn the account of Pharaoh's resistance to letting the children of Israel go, it is very important to note that there were several times that Pharaoh heardened his own heart.  So finally, God did what we do at times with our own children.  When they continue to be stubborn over and over about something, sometimes we just say, "Okay, since you refuse to obey, you go ahead and do what you have repeatedly insisted you want to do, but realize that you will have to suffer the consequences."  Pharaoh was warned by Moses of exactly what would happen (the death of his firstborn and of the firstborn of every Egyptian family).\n\nPharaoh had heardened his own heart so many times, God finally judicially hardened Pharaoh's heart, which is what Pharaoh wanted anyway.  \n\nAs a result of Pharaoh's steadfast beligerance, he suffered the consequences, and unfortuntely since he was the honored leader, his followers had to suffer, also.  But if, in the end, this suffering resulted in their realization/acknowledgement of the truth, that the God of the Israelites was both loving and merciful to His beloved followers, and they accepted this great God as their God also, it would have been worth it.  Some did, indeed do this, and countless millions have done it since, never to regret being a child of God of whom the Bible says, "God is love".\n\nDuring the Israelites journey, there were times that they lost focus and became angry at Moses and God and were disobedient to Moses and to God, yet here is how God responded to them over and over again:  "But they and our fathers acted proudly, hardened their necks, and did not heed your commandments.  They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of your sonders that you did among them.  But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a leader to return to their bondage.  BUT YOU ARE GOD, READY TO PARDON, GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, ABUNDANT IN KINDNESS, AND DID NOT FORSAKE THEM" (Nehemiah 9:16&17).\n\nOne more verse (out of many) describing the beautiful character of God:  "The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.  The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalm 145:8&9).
960515
12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. \n\nEVERYBODY RETURNS TO GOD.\n\nBut that doesn't mean everybody will be smiling when they see God.
1069282
Not lately, but yeah it's a Biblical problem. Abraham was stopped from sacrificing Isaac supposedly because God saw that he was willing to do it and that he was then convinced of Abrahams loyalty. Problem with that is it implies that God DIDN'T KNOW what Abraham would do AHEAD OF TIME. Since he is supposedly all-knowing, that really doesn't wash.\n\nAlso we have God supposedly telling everyone that to murder is wrong, but then he goes and kills a few thousand people in a couple of cities where he disapproves of their behavior, and tells his followers to kill others in his name in more than a few wars, inquisitions, etc.\n\nYep, pretty hard to swallow...
138041
Scripture is silent about it, is the short answer.  No mention of a good or bad relationship is made.  (Gen. 11:27-32, 12:1-5).  \nSome have inferred that because he left, his family was upset with him; that was how a TV miniseries portrayed it, anyway.  It would have been difficult to leave a land his family had settled in, and perhaps they resented him taking off on the orders of a God they didn't know.  But Terah still had another married son, so he wasn't being left alone; maybe Terah was proud of his son's pioneering spirit and blessed him.  We simply don't know.    \nEither way, Abraham obeyed, and the history of man was changed forever.
947327
dua of Ibrahim / Abraham pbuh in Qur'an, 14: 40-41 (sura Ibrahim) :\n 40. O my Lord! make me one who establishes regular Prayer, and also (raise such) among my offspring O our Lord! and accept Thou my Prayer.\n41. "O our Lord! cover (us) with Thy Forgiveness - me, my parents, and (all) Believers, on the Day that the Reckoning will be established! \n\nand from QS 17: 24 :\n... "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."\nرب ارحمهما كما ربياني صغيرا
454828
God chose Abraham because of his obedience.  He was even willing to sacrifice his only son in order to obey God, even though he had waited so long to have Isaac, his son of promise.  I believe that test was a foreshadowing of God's willingness to offer His Son for us.\n\nAbraham didn't actually lead any people.  That was Moses.  Moses chose serving God and defending His people over living in a palace and being served.  Also a foreshadowing of Jesus' willingness to leave heaven and deliver us.
1022954
You must be blessed!!!?
950191
Waiting For The Miracle
1001154
God is all powerful and miracles are happening today.  Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today, and forever.  Give God the glory.  I have had a touch from him too.  Fantastic!
541992
As a Blessing from God\n\nfor your\n\nFaithful Observance of the Law
986363
You are probably referring to the seven blessings.\nThis may help:\nhttp://www.aish.com/literacy/lifecycle/Guide_to_the_Jewish_Wedding.asp
83172
I think it may be 1 Samuel 28:7-25 that you are referring to? (The spirit of Samuel (?) was summoned)
585930
In Islam, the Hajj commemorates a number of events in the life of Abraham and his family in Mecca. Abraham is a prophetic figure and patriarchal father who features in the holy scriptures of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. These are sometimes collectively known as the Abrahamic faiths and are all based upon the belief in one God. \n\nDuring his life, Abraham endured a succession of trials of his faith in God. One of the most significant began with his and his family's departure from Palestine to Arabia to protect his wife Hagar and son Ishmael from the seething jealousy of his first wife Sarah. Upon God's command, Abraham left Hagar and Ishmael with provisions in a desolate desert valley in Mecca, trusting that God would care for them. \n \nThe Sa'i - Pilgrims rush between Safa and Marwah \nWhen their provisions ran out, Hagar desperately searched for water for her son in the harsh desert conditions. She ran frantically between the hills of Safa and Mawah before eventually collapsing in despair and beseeched God to help her. Miraculously, a spring of water soon gushed forth at Ishmael's feet and is known as the Zam Zam well. Pilgrims to this day re-enact her desperate search for water by walking seven times between the knolls of Safa and Mawah called the Sa'i. \n\nIn time, passing traders and nomads stopped in the desert valley and requested Hagar's permission to water their camels. When Abraham returned, he was astounded to see his wife running a well, trading water with passers-by. As the traders and nomads decided to settle in the valley, the small settlement grew into the city of Mecca and the well of Zam Zam proved to be a lucrative water source for thousands of years.\n\nOn another of his visits, God ordained Abraham to build a dedicated place of worship for him and to call all believers on an annual pilgrimage there. Together with Ishmael, Abraham built a 50-foot high cubical building known as the Ka'aba on a sanctified place first established by Adam. This building still stands today and pilgrims circumnavigate it when performing Tawaf.\n\nThe most testing trial of Abraham's faith was God's command for the patriarch to slay his own son. After much agonising and an encounter with Satan which culminated in the stoning of the Devil, Abraham agreed to obey but God spared him and accepted the sacrifice of a ram instead. This is the basis of the Stoning of the Pillars ritual in Mina during the Hajj.\n\n \nThe Ka'aba today \nDuring their lifetimes, Abraham and Ishmael maintained the Hajj but within centuries, the worship at the Kaaba descended into paganism and the worship of many Gods. Over 300 hundred idols were placed in the Ka'aba and much singing, dancing, nudity and immorality occurred around it. Eventually, God sent down another Prophet to restore the Kaaba and the Hajj to their correct paths.\n\nIn 632CE on his return to Mecca from exile in Medina, Mohammad embarked on a journey with thousands of his followers. Taking Mecca with little resistance, Mohammad destroyed the idols, reclaimed the Ka'aba and restored the Hajj rites to their original purity and devotion to one God alone. Mohammad also imbued the Hajj ceremonies with remembrance of the Prophets divinely dedicated lives.\n\nOn Mohammad's Farewell Hajj in 632CE, 200,000 followers assembled to hear his vision of an all-encompassing political, social, economic and spiritual Islam. Delivering his sermon on Mount Arafat, Mohammad espoused a belief in one God, the equality of all Muslim believers, the sanctity of life, property and honour, women's rights and the notion of the Ummah. \n\nNow, millions of pilgrims assemble to hear sermons at Arafat during the zenith of the Hajj on a pilgrimage serving to test one's faith in God, family and the physical and spiritual self.
850277
God knows everything but Abraham did not.\n\nThrough the test Abraham learned that he was capable of following the will of God no matter how hard it might be. He (and we today) also learned that the true God does not want human sacrifices like the false religions of the time.\n\nContext. Context. Context.\n\nAbraham lived hundreds of years before the Ten Commandments were given to Moses and the Jewish people.\n\nAbraham lived in a society where human sacrifice and child sacrifice was the normal thing to do.\n\nGod was just beginning to reveal himself to mankind and Abraham did not have the Bible or much of anything else to go on.\n\nAbraham knew that his son was a gift from God. If God demanded that Abraham kill the son, then Abraham, although it broke his heart, would do it.\n\nUnder the same circumstances (context) would we be able to follow God's will?\n\nUnder the much easier circumstances that we live in today, can we follow God's will as Jesus revealed it to us?\n\nWith the Ten Commandments, the Prophets, and especially Jesus Christ as part of our current circumstances (context), God would not put us to this test.\n\nBut we do have similar issues to tackle, like abortion where we kill our children who are miraculous gifts from God just like Isaac was to Abraham.\n\nIn abortion we sacrifice our children to the gods of lust, convenience, economy, and selfishness.\n\nWith love in Christ.
423737
II think the answer to your Q is at about the 13th paragraph:\n\n\n\n\nWorld's fate hangs on 35 acres: Hal Lindsey looks at growing strife in Israel \n\nNews/Current Events Editorial\nSource: WorldNetDaily.com\nPublished: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 \nPosted on 02/21/2001 00:19:56 PST by JohnHuang2 \n\nI know this must sound crazy, but I believe the fate of the world will be determined by an ancient feud over 35 acres of land. As we look at all of the threats and dangers facing our planet, and evaluate how the major powers and nations fit in, it seems incredible that one small nation, which contains a plot of 35 unusual acres, holds the key to all our futures. \n\nThis may sound arrogant at best, and insane at worst, but I believe there are sound, logical reasons behind my opinion. You may not agree with the following history, but the important thing is, the feuding participants do. \n\nBack on the edge of known history, this area is first mentioned. A priest came to bless Abraham, the forefather of both the Israelites and the Arabs. It was written, "Melchezidek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High." Salem was an early name for Jerusalem, which was a town in Canaan. The major part of this town was a special place called Mount Moriah. This was the beginning of our knowledge of this place. \n\nAbout 40 years later, Abraham was directed by God to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on this very same mountain. When God saw that Abraham would by faith obey Him, He stopped the sacrifice and provided an animal as a substitute. In response, Abraham named the mountain, "The place where the LORD will provide." \n\nAbout one thousand years later, in approximately 1005 BC, Israel's King David finally captured this city, which was then called "Jebus" and renamed it Jerusalem. Soon after that, David offered a sacrifice of repentance on Mount Moriah. He announced that God had directed Him to build a permanent temple of worship there. \n\nDavid's son Solomon did build a temple there that became the center of Israel's spiritual life. Israel's prophets soon began to warn future generations that their decline in faith and rebellion was going to bring a judgment that would destroy the Temple and Jerusalem. The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah even predicted that this judgment would come through Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. \n\nJeremiah predicted that the Israelites would be taken and held captive in Babylon for 70 years. Isaiah predicted that afterward a Persian King named Cyrus would allow them to return and begin the reconstruction of the Temple. This prophecy was made 200 years before Cyrus was born, and at a time when Babylon ruled the known world. \n\nAll of this happened precisely as it had been predicted. The Temple was rebuilt on the same site of Solomon's Temple. \n\nThen, a little more than 400 years later, Jesus of Nazareth exploded on the scene and began to claim that He was the long awaited Messiah of which Israel's prophets had all spoken. He showed signs and wonders and pointed to the many prophecies that were fulfilled in His life, works and teaching. \n\nWhen it became evident that He was rejected by the rulers, he made this prediction about the Temple and Jerusalem: " … There will be great distress upon the land, and wrath to this people, and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:23-24). Jesus was crucified on the edge of Mount Moriah, the very spot Abraham had named, "Where the Lord will provide." \n\nThirty-seven years later, the Roman Tenth Legion under Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. The Israelites were scattered throughout the whole world for the next almost 2,000 years. But as predicted throughout by their prophe