December 20. FeastDay SAINTS ABRAHAM, ISAAC & JACOB, Patriachs Abraham, son of Thare, left Ur of the Chaldees about 2,000 years before Christ and went to Haran, where his father died. At Gods command he took up his abode in Canaan, the land promised to his posterity. Forced by famine into Egypt, he returned to Canaan and rescued his nephew Lot from the King of Elam. On his return he was met by Melchizedek, King of Salem, who blessed him. God made a covenant with Abraham and promised hata his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of the heavens. In accord with Gods specific promise he and his wife Sarah had a son in their old age whom they called Isaac. Abrahams faith in God was tested by Gods command to sacrifice his son in the manner of the surrounding peoples who practiced child sacrifice. After staying his hand by means of an Angel, God revealed to Abraham the greatness of his posterity as a reward for his unbounded trust in his Creator. Abraham died at an advanced old age. As the Divinely promised son of Abraham and Sarah after a long childless marriage, Isaac became the heir of the Messianic blessings. He was proclaimed the sole legal ancestor of Gods chosen people, ousting Ishmael, another son of Abraham. He resided at Beersheba and married a member of his fathers family, Rebekah, who had been brought from Mesopotamia. She bore him two sons, Esau and Jacob. During a famine Isaac sought the help of Abimelech, the King of the Philistines at Gerar, where he became rich and powerful. Shortly before his death, when he wished to bless Esau, his favorite son, Rebekah frustrated his intention by a ruse and substituted Jacob. After depriving his brother Esau of his birthright, Jacob fled to Haran, the dwelling place of his maternal uncle, Laban, who gave him his daugthers, Leah and Rachel, as wives. Jacob had teelve tribes of the Hebrew people. At Bethel he received a vision and blessing which constitute one of the outstanding events of early Hebrew history. And at Peniel he wrested all night with a mysterious Divine stranger and received the Divinely given name. In his old age he journeyed to Egypt to rejoin his son Joseph, talking his whole household with him and setting the stage for the Exodus centuries later. PRAYER: Lord God, You showered heavenly gifts on Saints Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Help us to imitate them during our earthly life and enjoy eternal happiness with them in heaven. Amen.†
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 15:09:15 +0000
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