(Joshua 24:2), there is no Biblical record of him actually making [17] Is it surprising that Gods narrative is the story of humanity writ large? By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. A woman came carrying a plate of fine flour and she told me to offer it before them. "You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. He was looking forward. Abraham asked him how old he was and the man responded 50 years old. Abraham then said, You are 50 years old and would worship a day old statue! At this point the man left, ashamed. The priests of those days offered sacrifices to their gods, and, like the priests of these days, they were generally opposed to new revelation from God. Therefore, we should be careful not to miss even a single hint or implication that may be imbedded in the direct speech of God to us. Are they not wood and stone, and have I not myself made them, and canst thou speak such lies, saying that the large god that was with them smote them? Recounting the Census: A Military Force of 5,500 (not 603,550) Men, Reconstructionism Reconciles Rationalism and Revelation, Rabbi Chiyya said: Terah was an idol worshiper. Nimrod the mighty hunter was one of the sons of Kush. (Q) 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? The text designates Terah, Abraham's father, as a "manufacturer of idols." One day, while Terah is away from his workshop, he entrusts it to young Abraham. script>. 14 And Abram knew the Lord, and he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God was with him. Nevertheless, the Sages statement can be seen in conjunction with other statements of theirs, which are close in spirit to the interpretation offered in this essay (for example, the statement in the Haggada of Pesach that in every generation people stand against us to destroy us.) These statements were expanded upon and intensified in Hasidic thought. One day I jumped on the streetcar and went to an LDS bookstore to find a book about the Church. went away on a journey, and he left Abraham in charge of the store. Are they not wood and stone? Save 15% on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. 41). Would you worship a being like that? But nevertheless our history informs us that the priests were angry and stirred up his father against him. Abraham emerging unscathed must have been a compelling and humbling sight. There is also no Biblical record of Abraham Moreover, the traditional approach to Torah, which accompanies the study of the written text, greatly emphasizes the function of studying the past for contemporary times. [26]It would be wrong to simplify the dichotomy by trying to distinguish between the simple person, who would wish to hide from contradictions since answering them would be beyond this persons ability, and the learned person, who, ostensibly, can deal with such tensions. Philip Munoa notes that 'the Testament of Abraham studi- ously avoids physical description of God when describing Abraham's heavenly ascent and tours of heaven explicitly identifying God with 71C11131 Terah turns Abraham over to King Nimrod, who condemns him to be cast into the fire (or fiery furnace) of the Chaldeans; he is miraculously rescued by God. that there is a real God, then that God will save him. 16 And Abram came to his fathers house and saw twelve gods standing there in their temples, and the anger of Abram was kindled when he saw these images in his fathers house. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Many in Maimonides generation believed that the existence of God was coterminous with Gods physical existence. This is the meaning of the phrase, In every generation a person must look upon himself as if he left Egypt.[14], This perspective is reflected in the world of halacha as well. When Terah. 14Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the keeper of the eastern gate, was in charge of the [h]voluntary offerings for God, to distribute the contributions for the Lord and the most holy things. 1 Kings 15:13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. So Nimrod declares they worship wind. [18] Is it less significant than a partial biography of a given individual, who lived 3500 years ago in some insignificant part of the world? Discourse by President John Taylor, Duties of the SaintsThe Atonement, etc. [29]Continuing on with the example from Rambam with which we began: stating that God lacks any body means that God is not constrained by any physical limitation. [25] Freeing the Torah from its historical crutches not only frees the narrator from having to keep the narrative in line with past events, but it also neutralizes the basis for the attack against the validity of a person maintaining his or her faith. Psalms 135:15 - 127:17 - The idols of the . Abram Rescues Lot. [14]M.Pesachim10:5. The believer who adopts this narrative wishes to engage it directly. 50:2); 11 they entail the desolation of altars, the breaking of statues, the The worshipping of idols is forbidden under the word . 23 And when Abram had gone from them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he said to his mother, Behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and all the sons of men. [12]In this case, it isnt about writing per se, as it makes little difference whether it is reported by radio, TV, or newspaper. He did his Ph.D.in Jewish thought atBen Gurion University, focusing on the writings of Rav Kook. But Abram said that the largest of the idols had killed all the others in a fight over an offering brought to them. And wilt thou and thy people rise up now and do like unto this work, in order to bring down the anger of the Lord God of the universe, and to bring evil upon thee and the whole earth? 71C11132 Haran, Abraham's brother, having witnessed the miracle, decides to undergo the test of fire as well, but is immediately consumed. Abraham responds that people withstand wind. 38 And he found Abram his son still sitting in the house; and he said to him, What is this work thou hast done to my gods? He tried to bring him to reason, but his father did not believe they had life enough to kill one another. A comparison between the various tellings allows us to clarify the core values the come through in each text, and, consequently, to characterize with more clarity the meaning with which the scriptural Author meant to imbue the story (a claim made above as well.) And you shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. And why wilt thou not sense the God of the whole universe, who created thee and in whose power it is to kill and keep alive? She said to [Abraham]: Here, offer this before them. [Abraham] picked up a staff and broke [the idols] and placed the staff in the hands of the largest of them. 22 And Terah bowed down to his gods, and he then went away from them, and Abram, his son, went away with him. In order for such values to find a permanent place in the spiritual life of individuals, they must be narrated. Abraham did destroy his father's idols though. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! What does the Bible say about idolatry? Studying the real life of the giant among men, our founding father, Abraham the man of faith and kindness, would, in theory, give us an opportunity to uncover the God in which he places his trust. Later, a woman walked into the store and wanted to make an offering to the idols. Shalom Carmy; Orthodox Forum; Northvale: Aaronson, 1996), 159-180. 4 The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. NASB, Zondervan NASB Study Bible, Red Letter Edition, NASB, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible, NASB, Super Giant Print Reference Bible, Red Letter Edition, 1995 Text, Comfort Print, NASB, Thinline Bible, Large Print, Red Letter Edition, 2020 Text, Comfort Print, NASB, Thinline Bible, Red Letter Edition, 1995 Text, Comfort Print, NASB, Thinline Bible, Red Letter Edition, 2020 Text, Comfort Print. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr). Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children[ a] by her." father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And yet, even as a boy, I knew I was missing something. 31 And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God. It is a post-biblical story imagining the early life of Abraham. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! This claim, however, can be countered by making recourse to the premise of comparative literature, where it is one and the same whether a given story has a historical basis or not: comparison between texts always offers useful and challenging insights. Is it somehow illegitimate that the scriptural Author would retell a version of a popular story and include it within the broader narrative, and, with tremendous creativity, recast the story anew according to Gods own principles. Shouldnt we expect from God a more coherent story, one that is free of the subtle and even blatant contradictions that can be found within it? Another participant argued that he still couldnt see, despite my explanation, why the Torah chose to speak to us in historical language. See:The Complete Works of Achad Ha-Am(Tel Aviv, 1947), p. 342 [Hebrew]. Said he, Father, I did not do anything to them, they quarreled among themselves and went to work fighting and knocked one another down, broke one anothers heads and knocked off one anothers arms and legs. Oh, said his father, my sons do not tell me anything of that kind, for they are made of wood and they could not move or stir from their place nor knock one another down; it has been some other agency that has done it. Why, father, said he, would you worship a being that could not stir or move, that had hands and could not handle, that had legs and could not walk, a mouth that could not speak, and a head and it was of no use? See also Ravads commentad loc. New Living Translation Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. In their understanding, the written text is not there to convey an event; it is the event itself. Therefore, by necessity we would need to distill from his historical persona what parts of his life were his own choice, (i.e. 2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. If this is a story, he said, it is a very human story. 57 I thought thou wouldst teach thy servants the upright way, but thou hast not done this, but hast filled the whole earth with thy sins and the sins of thy people who have followed thy ways. 15 And Terah his father was in those days, still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still followed strange gods. It is thou that didst place the hatchet in the hand of the big god, and thou sayest he smote them all. Abraham answered his father, and said: How, then, canst thou serve these idols in whom there is no power to do anything? Nimrod proclaims to Abraham that we should worship fire. Abraham responds that water puts out fire. [20] Moreover, even if the Torah had been written from one perspective only, in one clear and flowing style, that would not have proven that it came from God. 35 And Terah, having heard the noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room to the images, and he met Abram going out. Abraham is known to have done something similar. 10 These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. I loved learning about the gospel. Berean Standard Bible Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles. I discuss this halacha in greater detail in the book. When Terah returned, he asked Abraham what happened to all the idols. Even for such a person, something still lingers from the dissonance required in reframing the story as ahistorical. What is a believer to do, when he or she is convinced that a new religious outlook, as innovative and brazen as it may be, not only doesnt diminish the value of faith but even colors it in stronger and more vibrant colors? In a world where there are many doubts about the historicity of core events in the Torahs narrative,[24] establishing the palace of Torah upon a higher foundation would seem to be a constructive goal. (U) Far be it from you! God stopped him from actually following . The opposite is the case. See, for example, the Gerrer Rebbe, R. Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (Sefat Emeton Leviticus, Pesach 5631): In every generation there is an exodus from Egypt, but one relevant to that generation. There is much more to say about this, but here is not the place. Powered by WordPress. The first statement, the simpler one, would probably be acceptable to anyone. On the other hand, Haran needed to see that Abraham would be saved by God before believing, and because of this, Haran was not saved from the fire by God. These were the feelings of Abraham, and he taught his father's house, and all around him, as far as he had the privilege. Abraham's father in fact agrees with Abraham regarding idol worship unlike the Qur'anic version! A young Abraham destroys his father Terah's idols, by Jacob Ernst Marcus, 1819. Although I felt able to push the first question into the sidelines, the second question seemed to me more problematic. Instead, the full power of the divine message comes once the message finds its place within a persons heart. This Midrash can be interpreted as an example of persecution against those of monotheistic beliefs during a time when polytheism dominated.[8]. The plot point of Abrahams fattempted murder for his beliefs is found in four source texts. 10Azariah, the chief priest (K)of the house of Zadok, said to [f]him, (L)Since the contributions started coming into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat with plenty left over, for the Lord has blessed His people, and this great quantity is left over.. Start for FREE. (R) 25Far be it from you to do such a thing(S)to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous(T) and the wicked alike. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, such an opportunity would be limited. When a man would come to buy [an idol], [Abraham] would ask him: "How old are you?" In order to answer this question let us investigate the basis for this phenomenon: what is the point of writing? [24]See, for example, Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman,The Bible Unearthed: Archaeologys New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts(Touchstone, 2002). Child sacrifice was one reason for the Babylonian captivity (verse 36). [3] Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees, in the presence of his father, Terah.[4]. [13] The sacred written Torah is the teaching of God and it is forbidden to learn it indifferently. Enter code SPRINGSTUDY15 and have answers to your Bible questions at your fingertips. So Nimrod declares they worship water. This is a false dichotomy. I expected my father to punish me, but he never said a word. 1. In an ahistorical reading, we exchange Abraham the man, his biographic detailsonly some of which have any connection to Godwith Gods Abraham. [7], There are several different ways in which this Midrash has been discussed. Can those idols in which thou trustest deliver thee? [8]In fact, seeResponsa Rashba1:116, where Rashba makes this point. idols of any kind. And Abram answered the king in the words that he spoke to his father, and he said, The large god that was with them in the house did to them what thou hast heard. 17Then the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham(B) what I am about to do? 5As soon as the [c]order spread, the sons of Israel abundantly provided the first fruits of grain, new wine, oil, honey, and of all the produce of the field; and they brought in abundantly (H)the tithe of everything. 6The sons of Israel and Judah who lived in the cities of Judah also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and (I)the tithe of [d]sacred gifts which were consecrated to the Lord their God, and placed them in heaps. Rabbi Yehudah said: It applies even to unclean animals. Rabbi Yehudah said to them: But wasnt the sciatic nerve forbidden to the sons of Jacob, and they were permitted to eat unclean animals! They said to him: The law was stated at Sinai but was included in its proper place. For a summary of the issues surrounding pre-Sinaitic rules, see the entry in theEncylopedia Talmudit, One may not learn [rules] from the time before the giving of the Torah, (vol. (For instance, not to say that God uses rational and beneficent thinking. [28]Rambam himself understood that this was the way his opponents conceptualized the issue. Ezekiel 6:6 Verse Concepts [16]Whether one must take the account of the Sinai revelation as historical or not is dealt with in chapter 4 of my book. How Modern Prophets Contextualized This Account, [Abraham] understood that there was a God in heaven, a living and true God, and that no man should worship any other God but Him. Hebrews 13:5 - Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. In verse 7 God said the covenant He established with Abraham was to be everlasting and that He alone was to be God to Abraham and his offspring. 2 Chronicles 34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. "[5] There is no description of a biblical interaction between Nimrod and Abraham. Abraham is to be killed for his righteousness, and is saved by God Inasmuch as Abrahams fight against idolatry is a common theme in the Bible, so is the prophet of God, in the face of adversity, being persecuted for his beliefs. Bible. Bible verses about False Idols. Designed using Unos Premium. When President Nelson shared the story of his breaking the bottles of alcohol his father owned, I kept thinking about another prophet who also broke things. are also to be treated as idols." Perhaps they even needed to be narrated in exactly the way the Torah itself narrates them. Contrast this with the literary Abraham, the Abraham who is the fruit of the spirit of God and the divine pen. Will Gods story be diminished if we do not connect it with the actions of specific people, as great as they may have been? The Torah crafts its story line purposefully in such a way as to support the aims of the Narrator, including the Narrators values and moral lessons. It is precisely this struggle with which I attempt to grapple in my book. Terah was the father of Abram (his name was later changed to 32 And he called out and said, Wo unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat, smell, hear nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move; like them are those that made them and that trust in them. Hasnt the meaning of the word, with its halachic implications, been determined by the way it has been read over the generations? [a] 19For I have chosen him(E), so that he will direct his children(F) and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord(G) by doing what is right and just,(H) so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.(I), 20Then the Lord said, The outcry against Sodom(J) and Gomorrah is so great(K) and their sin so grievous(L) 21that I will go down(M) and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. Abram is now 50 years old; he has lived with Noah and Shem for 39 years and a cave for 10. The image of Abraham smashing idols in his fathers store and blaming it on the god is likely to bring a smile to the lips of any person who is familiar with the story from his or her childhood. [1] According to Jewish tradition, Terah was an idolater. One approach (the older and more nave one) claims that the job of a historian is to make a copy of the past and place it, as-is, before present day students of history. Abraham told him that a woman came in to make an offering to the idols. can they hear thy prayers when thou callest upon them? So, one day when I was very young, I went to our basement and smashed on the concrete floor every bottle of liquor! Abraham's father, Terah, joined the adamant opposition to his son in Harran, which indicates that he had continued to cling to his profession of making and selling idols. So he got a club, or some other weapon, and knocked off the heads of some, the arms and legs of others, and made a general wreck among the idols, but left the biggest untouched. // Javascript URL redirection At this point, Terah took Abraham to Nimrod. which benefit does a community experience when its members have a high level of health literacy? The consequence was, his father and the idolatrous priests of that day sought to take his life. This one, enraged against them on account of their behavior, took the hatchet and broke them all, and, behold, the hatchet is yet in his hands, as thou mayest see., Then Terah turned in wrath upon Abraham, and he said: Thou speakest lies unto me! A business deal that took place before witnesses, but without documentation, can end up being a source of dispute and fraud if the witnesses disappear and never return. 18 And Abram went from them, and his anger burned within him. Nimrod becomes angry with Abraham and declares that Abraham shall be cast into the fire, and if Abraham is correct, i.e. Douay-Rheims Bible And when he had destroyed the altars, and the groves, and had broken the idols in pieces, and had demolished all profane temples throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem. His analysis deals with how in modern times, Abraham came to be seen as the only monotheist. Abraham is cast into the fire and is saved by God. Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural, Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural, Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural, Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun, Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural, A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same, Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun, Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct, gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative, Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural, Holy things must be eaten in the holy place, and holy things must be eaten in the holy place, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, OT Law: Deuteronomy 12:3 And you shall break down their altars (Deut. These events are seennot without causeas being singular and special.
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abraham destroyed idols bible verse