Abraham

To explore the 3 covenants that G-d made with Abraham.

To understand the significance of these covenants upon Jewish belief.

Learning Objectives:

Please write keywords in the back of your books, with a

sentence to explain what they mean.

Abraham

Mohel

Patriarch

Sandek

Descendants

Create a spider diagram and place the words father in the middle.

Write what you think make the good characteristics of a father.

You have 2 minutes

FATHER ABRAHAMAbraham lived over 4000 years ago.He is one of the founders of Judaism, and is know as Father Abraham or the Patriarch

Jewish people know him as man who did everything G-d asked.They try to be as obedient as he was to G-d.

His story shows Jewish people that G-d is always faithful.

Question: "What is the Abrahamic Covenant?"

Understanding Abrahamic covenants

A covenant is an agreement between two parties. There are two types of covenants: conditional and unconditional. A conditional or bilateral covenant is an agreement that is binding on both parties for its fulfillment. Both parties agree to fulfill certain conditions. If either party fails to meet their responsibilities, the covenant is broken and neither party has to fulfill the expectations of the covenant. An unconditional or unilateral covenant is an agreement between two parties, but only one of the two parties has to do something. Nothing is required of the other party.

The three covenants - Covenant one

The three covenants - Covenant one

Abraham was a monotheist: he believed in one G-d. To Abraham this was not simply an idea in his head. He had so much faith in G-d that he left his home in Ur (Iraq) with his family and set out on a long journey to a new land because he believed G-d wanted Him to do so

While living in Haran with his family , Abraham Received the 1st of 3 covenants from G-d. This covenant applied to his family and all his descendants, the Israelites. From Haran they turned south and headed towards the promised land.

The Three Covenants - Covenant 1

Genesis 12 (Torah)

The Call of Abram

 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. (Promised land)

2 "I will make you into a great nation        and I will bless you;        I will make your name great,        and you will be a blessing.

 3 I will bless those who bless you,        and whoever curses you I will curse;        and all peoples on earth        will be blessed through you."

The promise of land Genesis 12:1. God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees to a land that He would give him Genesis 12:1. This promise is reiterated in Genesis 13:14–18 where it is confirmed by a shoe covenant; its dimensions are given in Genesis 15:18–21 (precluding any notion of this being fulfilled in heaven). The land aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant is also expanded in Deuteronomy 30:1–10.

Midrash – The 1st Covenant Midrash is the study of Jewish text. You are going to complete

and exercise in Midrash.

1) Using the Torah references below create a spider diagram using as much information as you can about the 1st covenant from the scriptures below.

The Three Covenants - Covenant 2Genesis 15:5-14 (Torah)

5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.  7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it."  8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?"  9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."  10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.  12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

The Three Covenants - Covenant 2

In the second covenant G-d promises children to Abraham and descendants more than the starts. G-d also repeats the promise of land.

Abraham sacrifices some of his livestock as God asks him to do..

Midrash – The 2nd Covenant 1) Using the Torah references below create a spider diagram

using as much information as you can about the 2nd covenant from the scriptures below.

The promise of descendants Genesis 12:2. God promised Abraham that He would make a great nation out of him. Abraham, who was 75 years old and childless (Genesis 12:4), was promised many descendants. This promise is amplified in (Genesis 17) where God promised that nations and kings would descend from the aged patriarch.

The Three Covenants - Covenant 3

Genesis 17 –The TorahThe Covenant of Circumcision

 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers."  3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."  9 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

The Three Covenants - Covenant 3In the third covenant G-d makes promises to Abraham but requires

that all male Jews are Circumcised at the age of 8 days old.

The Three Covenants - Covenant 3

The three covenants between G-d and Abraham show the distinctiveness that G-d placed on Jews. All Jews are children of ‘Abraham’ and are bound by these covenants. This places responsibilities on Jews to live by the rules of the Torah

Abraham and IsaacLater on In Genesis chapter 22 G-d test Abrahams faithfulness and asks him to sacrifice his son. As he is about to kill Isaac G-d prevents him

Jews Christians and Muslims all see themselves as ‘children of Abraham’ in that they all believe in the same G-d as Abraham believed in and put their trust in G-d.

Do you think that this common belief could be used to solve any of the conflicts in the world today?

Give reasons and consider other points.

I. Create a collage based on the three covenants made with Abraham.

II. Explain in writing the significance for Jews todayIII. Make sure you collage show the 3 promises made to

Abraham: Land, descendants and blessings.