旧约人物：亚伯拉罕--神的朋友
创世记十一章27节至十二章3节
27他拉的后代记在下面。他拉生亚伯兰、拿鹤、哈兰；哈兰生罗得。
28哈兰死在他的本地迦勒底的吾珥，在他父亲他拉之先。
29亚伯兰、拿鹤各娶了妻：亚伯兰的妻子名叫撒莱；拿鹤的妻子名叫密迦，是哈兰的女儿；哈兰是密迦和亦迦的父亲。
30撒莱不生育，没有孩子。
31他拉带着他儿子亚伯兰和他孙子哈兰的儿子罗得，并他儿妇亚伯兰的妻子撒莱，出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去；他们走到哈兰，就住在那里。
32他拉共活了二百零五岁，就死在哈兰。
1耶和华对亚伯兰说：你要离开本地、本族、父家，往我所要指示你的地去。
2我必叫你成为大国。我必赐福给你，叫你的名为大；你也要叫别人得福。
3为你祝福的，我必赐福与他；那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他。地上的万族都要因你得福。
信息分享
同称为亚伯拉罕的子孙，基督徒是因着信（加三7），犹太人是借着以撒，而回教徒则脉承于以实玛利。保罗在加拉太书提出因信称义，用的是远在律法颁布四百多年前的亚伯拉罕的例子，他的生活和他的信心。亚伯拉罕的生平对我们有很多启发。
当神最初呼召亚伯拉罕的时候，亚伯拉罕居住在巴比伦以南275公里，幼发拉底河流域沿岸的吾珥城。吾珥是一个非常富裕的城市，而且，在亚伯拉罕的时期更达到显赫的高峰。圣经没有记述神如何向亚伯拉罕显现或向他说话。使徒行传第七章只简单记载司提反说：「荣耀的神向我们亚伯拉罕父显现。」
神吩咐亚伯拉罕离开哪三样重要的东西呢？就是他的国家、他的同胞和父家。
神要亚伯拉罕离开他的家乡吾珥，是为了要兴起一个新的民族──犹太人。神希望透过这个新兴的民族，向世人作见证，使万国得福；亦预备祂的儿子将来借由这个民族降生。犹太人并未能见证神，但基督确实经由亚伯拉罕的子孙，犹大一脉出生为犹太人。
今天神又透过甚么来向我们说话呢？是借着祂的话语──圣经。此外，住在我们心中的圣灵也向我们说话。当我们读圣经和祷告的时候，我们要安静在神面前，聆听祂的话语。
神可能会用旧约某位伟人或新约某位圣徒的榜样来教导我们。我们要用心细看和细听神要教导我们甚么。
祷告：
主啊，我愿意聆听你的教导，求你向我显明你的心意。
OLD TESTAMENT HEROES: ABRAHAM - FRIEND OF GOD.
Genesis 11:27 to 12:3
27 This is the genealogy of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begot Lot.
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans.
29 Then Abram and Nahor took wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and the father of Iscah.
30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
31 And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there.
32 So the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Message
Christians are related to Abraham by their faith. (Gal.3:7) Jews are related to him through Isaac. The Moslems claim relationship through Ishmael. In the epistle to the Galatians, Paul's arguments for salvation through faith are based largely on the life, example and faith of Abraham, 400 years or more before the giving of the law. Abraham has much to say to us today.
When God first called Abraham, he was living in the city of Ur on the Euphrates River about 275 km. south of Babylon. Ur was a very wealthy city, and was at the height of its prominence around the time Abraham lived there. We are not told how God appeared to him or spoke to him. In Acts 7, Stephen simply says, 'The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham.'
What three things was Abraham told to leave behind? His country, his people and his father's house.
God's purpose in removing Abraham from his home in Ur was to make a new start with a new nation - the Jews. God wanted this new nation to be a channel of witness and blessing to the world and to be the race through whom His Son could come. They failed completely in the former purpose but Christ did come through the Jewish race and the line of Judah, the great grandson of Abraham.
How does God speak to us today? He speaks through His Word, the Bible. There is an inner voice also which comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. We need to listen as we read and be quiet before God as we pray.
He may use one of the many examples seen in biographies of Old Testament heroes or New Testament saints. Let's be careful to see and hear what He want us to learn.
'I AM LISTENING LORD TO THEE, WHAT HAVE YOU TO SAY TO ME?'