4. Abraham and Sarah
Adult Version
There is a BUNCH about Abraham and Sarah!
Here's a breakdown of the stories and scriptures involving Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 12-23:
Abram and Sarai in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20): Abram and Sarai traveled to Egypt during a famine, where Abram asked Sarai to pose as his sister to protect himself.
God's Promise to Abram (Genesis 13:14-18): God promises Abram the land of Canaan as an inheritance for his descendants.
Separation of Abram and Lot (Genesis 14:13-16): Abram and his nephew Lot part ways due to conflict over grazing land. Lot later gets captured, and Abram rescues him.
Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19): Lot and his family settle in Sodom, but God destroys the city due to its wickedness. Lot's wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt.
Abraham and Abimelech (Genesis 20): Abraham tells King Abimelech that Sarah is his sister to avoid conflict, but God intervenes to protect Sarah.
Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 16:1-16, Genesis 18:1-15, Genesis 21:1-7): Sarah, unable to conceive, suggests that Abraham have a child with her slave Hagar. Hagar gives birth to Ishmael. Later, when Sarah gives birth to Isaac, tensions arise, leading to Hagar and Ishmael being sent away.
Descendants of Abraham: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all claim descent from Abraham. Judaism traces its lineage through Isaac, while Islam traces through Ishmael.
Kid Version
Abram and Sarai's Adventure in Egypt: Abram and his wife Sarai went on a journey to Egypt because there wasn't enough food where they lived. But things got tricky when Abram asked Sarai to pretend to be his sister to keep them safe!
God's Big Promise to Abram: God promised Abram that he and his family would have a special land called Canaan. (It becomes known as the Promised Land.)
Abram and Lot's Big Move: Abram and his nephew Lot decided to go separate ways because they had too many animals for the same space. But Lot got into trouble and needed Abram's help!
Lot's Wild Adventure in Sodom and Gomorrah: Lot and his family moved to a city called Sodom, but it was a bad place. God had to take action, and let's just say, Lot's wife got turned into a pillar of salt!
Abraham's Trick to Protect Sarah: Abraham got a little nervous and told a king that his wife Sarah was his sister! But God made sure everything turned out okay.
Hagar and Ishmael's Family Adventure: Sarah couldn't have kids, so she told Abraham to have a baby with her helper, Hagar. They had a son named Ishmael! But when Sarah finally had a baby, things got complicated, and Hagar and Ishmael had to go on a different journey.Some Other
Compare the stories: Isaac and Jesus
When Isaac was in his late twenties, God told Abraham to take his son and sacrifice him. At the last minute the angel called out and told Abraham to stop. Many scholars compare this story with Jesus. Both were around the same age. Abraham is a father to all the nations and God is the ultimate “father” of humanity. Both were miraculous births. Sarah was too old to have a child and Mary was a virgin.
Characters
Keturah: The second wife of Abraham. She had six sons with him, but is still seen as the lesser wife to Sarah.
Lot: Abraham’s nephew who gets kidnapped and then rescued. After that he lives in Sodom and Gomorrah until it is destroyed.
King Abimelech: King of Gerar who was tricked to think that Sarah was Abraham’s sister.
What’s in A Name?
Isaac’s name means laughter and is the only guy in his family to not have his name changed.
Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah (Princess).
Abram’s name was changed to Abraham.
Abram means: exalted father
Abraham means: father of many nations.
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Abraham is the patriarch to three important religions and he plays a foundational role in the religious narratives of each tradition.
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
In Judaism, he's seen as the first leader of the Jewish people, promised lots of descendants and a special land by God.
Christians see him as a great example of faith, and his story is kind of like a preview of Jesus' story.
In Islam, he's called Ibrahim and is seen as a really faithful person who followed God's instructions. So, even though these religions have different beliefs, they all look up to Abraham as someone really special.