Abraham's Call
1981 BC
📂 BIBLICAL
📖 About This Event
After the scattering at Babel, the biblical narrative follows the line of Shem through ten generations to Terah, a patriarch who lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. Terah fathered three sons: Abram (later Abraham), Nahor, and Haran. Haran died and left a daughter named Sarai (later Sarah). Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, and set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But they went only as far as Haran, where Terah settled and eventually died at the age of 205. This genealogy bridges the gap between the universal history of Genesis 1-11 and the particular history of Abraham that begins in Genesis 12.
The genealogy of Shem demonstrates God's faithfulness in preserving the line through which His promises would be fulfilled. Despite the confusion of Babel and the scattering of nations, God's plan of salvation continues through the Semitic line. The city of Ur of the Chaldeans was a major center of Mesopotamian civilization and religious life, dominated by the worship of the moon god Sin. Into this polytheistic environment, God would call Abram to be the father of a new people who would worship the one true God.
Terah's journey from Ur to Haran—and his failure to complete the journey to Canaan—stands in contrast to Abraham's obedience. Where Terah stopped short, Abraham would go all the way. This contrast highlights the difference between partial faith and complete trust in God. Key Scripture: Genesis 11:10-32; Acts 7:2-4
📜 Key Facts
Date
1981 BC
Category
Biblical
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