God's Providence of Restoration: Abraham's Family

2. God’s providence of restoration Abraham’s family

3. Abraham Ishmael Shem Isaac Ham Noah Abraham’s family 400 years 10 generations

4. What was Abraham’s world? • Abraham came from Ur • Ur was ruled by Nimrod • Dictator with a personality cult • Name means ‘let us revolt’ • Built the Tower of Babel to challenge God • Abraham’s father was called Terah. He was an idol maker Tower of Babel

5. Satan God Abraham Ham Why could God choose Abraham? Third son of Terah, idol-maker

6. What is the change of lineage? Where is the change of blood lineage done? On the individual level, man has to go beyond the boundary of life and death. The individual has to go through life and death situations for the sake of God and the future dignity of man. (True Father, 1970)

7. How did Abraham discover God? Abraham discovers God Abram’s belief in God was based on reason: There must be a First Cause There must be an unchanging reality behind the changing world of phenomena

8. How did Abraham discover God? Abraham and the idols Abraham discovers God

9. Terah’s family move to Haran

10. What is Abraham’s place in God’s providence? Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis12:1-3

11. Abraham’s journey

12. Abraham, Sarah and Pharaoh Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there. Genesis 12:10

13. What is going on here? Eve Adam Satan Humanity Creation

14. How did Sarah restore the position of Eve? Sarah Abraham Pharaoh Lot Genesis 12:10-20 Wealth

15. Abraham’s faith in God “Look toward heaven, andnumber the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis15:5-6 “I am the Lord whobrought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” Genesis 15:7-8

16. Restoring the foundation of faith God Completion Growth Formation Heifer Offering Ram & goat Dove & pigeon What did the offerings represent? Previous symbolic offerings Generations: Adam, Noah, Abraham Abraham Central person

17. Making the offering And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.” Genesis 15:10-13

18. What’s going on here? Satan God Condition Curse Blessing Condition decides ownership Greater indemnity Lesser indemnity

19. Abraham and Hagar • Sarah was 76 • Sarah offered her maid to Abraham • Abraham slept with Hagar Sarah offers Hagar to Abraham

20. Sarah and Hagar • Hagar shows contempt for Sarah • Sarah treats Hagar harshly • Hagar runs away • Angel appears • Ishmael is born Hagar and the angel

21. Abraham’s family Hagar Abraham Sarah Ishmael

22. Abraham and Isaac 13 years later God spoke to Abraham: “I will bless Sarah and I will give you a son by her; and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” Genesis 17:16 An angel speaks to Abraham

23. Abraham’s family Hagar Abraham Sarah Ishmael Isaac Sarah said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be the heir with my son Isaac.”Genesis 21:10

24. God’s promises about Ishmael “I will bless [Ishmael] and make him fruitful and he shall be the father of 12 princes and I will make him a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac.” Genesis 17:20-21 Abraham sending Hagar and Ishmael away

25. Restoring the foundation of substance Abraham Ishmael Isaac (Cain) (Abel) Jews Arabs

26. Building the Ka’aba • Later Abraham and Ishmael built the Ka’aba, the first house for the worship of God • As Abraham raised the foundations of the shrine, together with Ishmael (they prayed): “Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearer, the Omniscient.” Qu’ran 2:127 Ishmael and Abraham pray after building the Ka’aba

27. Second chance

28. God’s covenant with Abraham • “I am God almighty; walk before me and be blameless. And I will make my covenant with you.” Genesis 17 • Descendants number stars of heaven • Father of many nations • Everlasting covenant • Land of Canaan • Sign of the covenant - circumcision • Promises to Sarah • Have a son • Mother of nations

29. Abraham’s absolute love • Sodom and Gomorrah • Cities full of wickedness • Abraham argues with God: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” • Lot and his family Lot’s family flee Genesis 18-19

30. “There was only one way to recover this lineage and ownership. This was the path to win the natural subjugation of Satan, to have Satan surrender voluntarily. It can only be accomplished by the power of true love, when we love our enemies more than we love our children.” True Father

31. Restoration of Eve Sarah Abraham Abimelech Slaves Genesis 20:1-16 Wealth • Resisted temptation • Mother of Israel • Eternal light • Sheltering cloud • Tent door always open

32. Restoring the foundation of faith God Condition of greater indemnity Absolute faith Offering Isaac Abraham Genesis 22:1-19 Central person “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and offer him as a burnt offering. So Abraham rose early in the morning . . .”

33. Angel intervenes “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” Genesis 22:9-12

34. Isaac inherits Abraham’s mission God The angel of the Lord said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you . . .” Genesis 22:15-17 Abraham and Isaac offer a ram as a sacrifice Abraham Isaac restores Ham’s mistake Absolute Love Faith Obedience Isaac

35. Restoring the foundation of substance Rebekah Isaac Esau Jacob (Cain) (Abel) “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23

36. Restoration of Eve Rebekah Isaac Abimelech Wealth Rebekah: • Resisted temptation • Same lineage • Same tradition of hospitality • Same faith Genesis 26:1-16

37. Jacob acquires birthright • Isaac tells his sons about the birthright • Jacob buys the birthright from Esau • “Thus Esau despised the birthright.” Genesis 25: 34 Jacob buys the birthright

38. Jacob takes Esau’s blessing • Isaac wants to bless Esau • Rebekah tells Jacob to take Esau’s blessing • Jacob deceives his father and receives Esau’s blessing Isaac blessing Jacob

39. Isaac’s blessing for Esau “May God give you heaven’s dew    and earth’s richness—    an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you    and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed    and those who bless you be blessed.” Genesis 27:28-29

40. Foundation of substance Isaac Esau Jacob (Cain) (Abel) Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” Genesis 27:41

41. Mother - son cooperation • Rebekah should have restored Eve and Sarah’s role by helping her sons to love each other • She favoured Jacob based on her dream • She saves Jacob’s life by sending him to Haran

42. Isaac blesses Jacob “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham.” Genesis 28:3-4

43. Jacob’s ladder “I am the Lord . . . I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I will bring you back to this land.” Genesis 28: 13-15 Jacob’s ladder

44. Jacob restores elder son’s birthright 21 years in Haran with Uncle Laban Three Blessings • Man of character • Establishes family with eleven children • Acquires wealth Jacob leaving Laban

45. Jacob goes to meet Esau Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau . . .[saying] “I [Jacob] have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favour in your sight.” Genesis 32: 3 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. Genesis 32: 6-7

46. Jacob’s strategy • Jacob divided possessions in two and sent gifts to Esau • “They belong to your servant Jacob; they are a present sent to my lord Esau; and moreover he is behind us.” Genesis 32:18 • “I may appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterwards I shall see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”Genesis 32:20

47. Victory over the angel “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:28 The Ford of Jabbok

48. Jacob and Esau embrace Jacob went on bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. Genesis 33:3-4 Jacob and Esau reconciled

49. Their conversation Esau: “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob: “To find favour in the sight of my lord.” Esau: “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob: “I pray you, if I have found favour in your sight, then accept my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God, with such favour you have received me. Accept, I pray you, my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Genesis 33:8-11

50. Foundation of substance God Indemnity condition to remove fallen nature Affectionately welcomed Jacob Esau (Lucifer) (Adam) (Cain) (Abel) Jacob won Esau’s heart, and together they fulfilled the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature