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The First Family of Judaism

Words of Faith Final

The First Family of Judaism
Words of Faith 3-4-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL    
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 11
    [27] This is the account of Terah.
    Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. [28] While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. [29] Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. [30] Now Sarai was barren; she had no children.
    [31] Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.
    [32] Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.

      It was the intention of God to call forth a brand-new nation. This nation would be different from all the other nations. This nation would bring a gift to every other nation. This nation would worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This nation would be called Israel-- one who wrestles with God.
      We sometimes get the idea that Abraham just appeared-- that he answered a call from God and left some place or another. The family originated in a place called Ur of the Chaldeans. Today, this is in modern Iraq.
      Abraham's original given name was Abram. Before he ever heard the voice of God or listened to the promises of God, Abram was raised in a family. He was married to Sarai, who was unable to have children. This foreshadows one of the great miracles to come and one of the great tests of faith.
      The whole family set out on a journey from Ur of the Chaldeans toward Canaan, but they never got that far. They settled down in Haran, which is in modern Syria.
       So, what sort of family was this? In Joshua 24:2, Terah, the father of Abram, is said to have been an idolater. In Jubilees 12 (part of the Apocrypha), this is softened by explaining that due to fear of his life Terah was forced to yield outwardly to practice the idolatrous worship of his neighbors. But other Jewish legends represent Terah as, actually, a maker of idols. It seems likely that the family environment was not oriented toward Yahweh God.
       We also know that Lot had an eye for tempting places. He will need to be rescued a number of times by Abram. Eventually, Lot will choose to locate near the alluring city of Sodom and will eventually move his family into the town.
       What can we gather from this?
        Have you ever felt like your family was too messed up to be used by God? Rest assured, you can never be that messed up! God is an absolute expert at turning a mess into a message. He will turn a test into a testimony. He will change a trial into a triumph. He can transform a victim into victory.
      God uses all sorts of people from all kinds of backgrounds. So don't judge others based on their family background, and certainly do not judge yourself.
       
    Father God, I give thanks to You for where You have placed me. I give thanks for the family, community, friends, and church You have put me in. Show me how You want to use me. Teach me Your ways and direct me on Your paths. In Jesus'  Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.