1 (Sec.1). We begin with the man to whom Israel looked back as their first
great hero. What was his name? What was his father's name?
2 (Sec.1). Where did he come from? Look at the map of the Semitic world.
You will see two great rivers which join and then flow into the Persian
Gulf. It is not always possible to know where ancient cities were
located, but it is supposed that Ur may have been on the Euphrates near
the point where the rivers join. It is called Ur of the Chaldees,
because people of that name lived there. Terah therefore came from the
very old country of Babylonia, which was rich and fertile because it was
in the valley of the two rivers. What American river has a rich country
in all its wide valley?
3 (Sec.1). What route would be taken to go from Ur to Canaan? If you lay a
ruler on the map you will see that Jerusalem is almost directly west of
Ur. They lay about six hundred miles apart. But there was a very good
reason why they could not travel right across that way. What kind of
country would they have had to pass through? They had to follow the
river for nearly the same distance in a northwesterly direction. This
would bring them to a very rich country where it seems they stopped for
some time and where Terah died. What was its name?
4 (Sec.2). Evidently most of Terah's tribe were satisfied to stay in Haran,
but Abraham felt a great stir in him to continue the journey to the West
land. He believed that God wanted him to go there and to become the
founder of a great nation that should serve Jehovah. This feeling became
so strong that at last it was clear to him that the Lord was calling
him. Learn the beautiful passage of the Call of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)
so that you can recite it.
5(Sec.2). What route would Abraham take from Haran to Canaan? Let us look
at the map again. There was a caravan road that ran from Haran west
across the river, then it turned south and came down through the country
of Syria to a very ancient city. Abraham's chief servant came from this
city (Gen. 15:2). The road still runs south and then crosses the river
Jordan into Palestine.
6(Sec.2). How long would such a journey take? There were no railroads and
there are still very few in that country. Travel was very slow. We have
an account in Ezra 7:9 of how long it took a company to make the journey
from Babylon long afterward. But Abraham's company would move more
slowly, for we must think of him as traveling with a great many animals
and servants and children. It was very much as the Arab tribes move
about to-day.
7(Sec.2). Think of what Abraham left behind when he obeyed God's voice and
came into the strange land. What company of people in American history
felt that God called them to leave their own country and come into the
new land? Is it always safe to obey God? Look up Gal. 3:9 and Heb.
11:8-10 and see why Abraham is called "The Father of the Faithful."
8(Sec.3). What promise did God give Abraham after he came to Canaan? What
places did Abraham visit? Locate them on the map of Canaan. What
religious act did he perform wherever he went? What act is the same in
our lives?
9(Sec.4). Abraham's numerous sheep and cattle required him to journey from
place to place. Why was this? Why would dry weather cause him trouble?
Notice on the map that when the famine came he was in the south of
Palestine. It was only a short journey west to reach a very rich
country, which lay in the valley of a great river. Name the country
and its river and explain why there was no drought there.
10 (Sec.4). We shall often notice that the old heroes did wrong. Tell the
story of Abraham's visit to Egypt. What do you think of his conduct? If
we knew only this part of Abraham's story we should not call him a hero.
Ought we then to judge anyone by a single act?