Abraham: The Friend of God

Abraham is referred to in Scripture as the "Father of many nations." In fact, the Ishmaelites, the Edomites, the offspring of Keturah, and all the Israelites come from him! There are two other nations, viz., the Moabites and Ammonites, that come from his nephew Lot, a man whose life and times were closely related to those of Abraham. This makes Abraham, therefore, somewhat of unique character, for even though Abraham takes a most central position in the book of Genesis, he is not the ancestor of just one single national group. As a consequence, most of the story about Abraham must be gathered from a number of stories in this book of Genesis instead of a single "Abrahamic source." The material that covers the life and work of Abraham emphasizes the Covenant between God and Abraham and the most significant part of that document, the promise of a son and heir of all Abram has been blessed with. It is this emphasis that makes its resemblance to the gospel in the New Testament so special and noteworthy!