ABRAM.

      (1). Birth. He was born in Ur of the Chaldees, and was a direct descendant of Shem (Gen., 11:10-32).

      (2). Date. There is a difficulty in the chronology at this point. Compare Gen., 11:26, 32; 12:4, 5; Acts, 7:1-4. My solution of this question is the only one that will harmonize with all the facts and dates presented [12] in the book of Genesis. When you reflect that it was customary in those ages, in the development of God's plan, to displace the elder with the younger, the matter becomes plainer. This was so with, (a) Cain and Abel (Gen., 4:1-7, 25), (b) Isaac and Ishmael (Gen., 16:1, 2, 16; 17:18-21; 21:1-5), (c) Jacob and Esau (Gen., 25:19-26), (d) Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen., 48:14-19), Abram was the youngest, for he was only seventy-five years old when his father died (Gen., 11:32; 12:4; Acts, 7:1-5). Gen., 11:26, therefore implies that Terah was seventy years old when his first son was born; and from other considerations enumerated above, he was about one hundred thirty years when Abram was born. Sarah was Abram's half-sister (Gen., 20:12), doubtless born of Terah's second marriage. There was only a difference of ten years in their ages (Gen., 17:17). If Abram has been Terah's first born, he would have been one hundred thirty-five years old when Terah died, and it would be necessary to change the figures in reference to Sarah and make her one hundred twenty-five at this time! Further, it is stated that Abram had been eleven years in Canaan when Ishmael was born (Gen., 16:1-16). This would have made Sarah (125 + 11 = 136) one hundred and thirty-six at Ishmael's birth. Isaac was born fourteen years after Ishmael (Gen., 16:16; 21:1-5), hence this would have given Isaac no chance to have been born, for Sarah only lived one hundred and twenty-seven years (Gen., 23:1)! We therefore conclude that Abram was born two thousand and eight years after the creation of Adam [13] (Gen., 5:3-32; 7:6, 11; 11:1-26).

      (3). His Call. The Lord first spoke to him in Ur of the Chaldees (Gen., 12:1; Acts, 7:1-5).

      (4). The promises. God gave him two great promises, (a) that he would make of him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, make him a blessing, bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him; (b) that in him should all families of the earth be blessed (Gen., 12:1-3). These promises were subsequently renewed on Mount Moriah (Gen., 22:1-18). These promises were subsequently fulfilled in, (a) the covenant dedicated at Mt. Sinai (Ex., 24:1-8), (b) the new covenant (Gal., 4:22-31).

[CBC 12-14]