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20121008 Abraham believed in God 亞巴郎信賴天主

God called Abram (Abraham) and said, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s house for a country which I shall show you; and I shall make you a great nation. I shall bless you and make your name famous; you are to be a blessing! I shall bless those who bless you, and shall curse those who curse you, and all clans on earth will bless themselves by you” (Gn 12:1-3).

God made three promises to Abram: first, land and nation; second, kingship and a name; third, blessing for all nations.

These promises were fulfilled later in three covenants: the first promise in the covenant with Moses; the second in the covenant with David; the third through Jesus Christ.

Land and nation

Abram was 75 years old when he went forth from Haran. He entered the land of Canaan, which God promised to give to his descendants.

In ancient times a serious oath was usually sealed with a sacrifice. A solemn way to swear an oath was to cut the sacrifice in two and then walk between the two halves of the sacrifice.

The animals represented the people who were swearing the oath. By their actions, the people were saying may the blood of a person who broke the oath be spilled on the ground like that of the animal.

God condescended to the practice of the time by passing between the halves of the sacrifice. “When the sun had set and it was dark, there appeared a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passing between the animals’ pieces” (Gn 15:17).

The firepot and torch represented the presence of God Himself. By passing through the halves, God swore a covenant oath with Abram, promising him the land.

Kingship and a name

God appeared to Abram when he was 99 and said: “For my part, this is my covenant with you: you will become the father of many nations. And you are no longer to be called Abram; your name is to be Abraham, for I am making you father of many nations.

“I shall make you exceedingly fertile. I shall make you into nations, and your issue will be kings” (Gn 17:4-6).

The name “Abraham” means “Father of a multitude.” God established circumcision as an external sign of the covenant.

God told Abraham that his wife Sarah would bear a son. Abraham laughed and said to himself, “Is a child to be born to a man 100 years old, and will Sarah have a child at the age of 90?” (Gn 17:17).

The name “Isaac” means “laugh”. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed when they heard about the birth of Isaac.

Blessing for all nations

Sarah gave birth to Isaac as the Lord had promised. However, God tested Abraham by asking him to offer Isaac as a burnt offering (Gn 22:2).

Gn 22:3-10 describes how Abraham obeyed and carried out God’s order. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son, but the angel of God said, “Do not raise your hand against the boy. Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.”

Because of his faith, God promised that all the nations of the world would be blessed through Abraham (Gn 22:16-18).

Isaac is a type or figure of Christ. The births of Isaac and Christ were foretold by God. Isaac was the well-beloved son of Abraham and Christ was the well-beloved Son of the Father.

Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice and Christ carried His own wooden cross. Isaac was tied on the pile and Christ was nailed to the cross. Abraham received Isaac back alive, and Christ rose from the dead.

上主對亞巴郎(亞巴辣罕)說:「離開你的故鄉、你的家族和父家,往我指給你的地方去。我要使你成為一個大民族,我必祝福你,使你成名,成為一個福源。我要祝福那祝福你的人,咒罵那咒罵你的人;地上萬民都要因你獲得祝福。(創世紀12:1-3)」

天主對亞巴郎作了三個承諾:土地和民族、王權及名聲、福蔭惠及萬民。這三個承諾後來分別以盟約作成全:首先以與梅瑟立的盟約,第二個與達味立的誓約,最後一個是藉耶穌基督而得以滿全。

土地和民族

當亞巴郎離開哈蘭進入客納罕地時,已是七十五歲、而又膝下猶虛的老人,但天主承諾將土地賜給他的後代。

古時,嚴肅的誓言要以祭獻作確認:立誓人把祭品一分為二,並從中走過 —— 祭品代表立誓人,他們從祭品屍骸中走過,意味一旦毀誓,立誓人的命運,就如祭品般灑血而亡 。

天主與亞巴郎立誓,亦採用此制:「當日落天黑的時候,看,有冒煙的火爐和燃著的火炬,由那些肉塊(巴郎宰殺了的祭品)間經過。(創世紀15:17」「冒煙的火爐和燃著的火炬」是天主親臨的表示,「由那些肉塊間經過」是保證天主既許必踐。

王權及名聲

亞巴郎九十九歲高齡時,上主顯現給他,對他說:「看,是我與你立約:要你成為萬民之父;以後,你不再叫做亞巴郎,要叫做亞巴辣罕,因為我已立定你為萬民之父,使你極其繁衍,成為一大民族,君王要由你而出。(創世紀17:4-6)」「亞巴辣罕」意即「萬民之父」。天主亦以「割損禮」做此盟約的標記。

當天主告訴亞巴郎,他年邁的妻子要懷孕生子,「亞巴郎遂俯伏在地笑起來,心想:『百歲的人還能生子嗎?撒辣已九十歲,還能生子?(創世紀17:17)』;所以,撒辣後來生子,亞巴郎取「依撒格」(意即:「笑」)為兒子之名,因為他們都因聽得老年生子而笑起來。

福蔭惠及萬民

因天主的許諾,撒辣生子依撒格;但天主試探亞巴郎,要他把獨子依撒格作全燔祭祭品(參攷創世紀22:2)。

創世紀22:3-10憶亞巴郎對天主絕對服從,果真把自己的獨子依撒格,獻給天主作全燔祭祭品。正當他要下手祭殺兒子的時候,上主的使者從天上阻止他說:「不可在這孩子身上下手,不要傷害他!我現在知道你實在敬畏天主,因為你為了我竟連你的獨生子也不顧惜。(創世紀22:12)」因他的信德,天主向亞巴郎起誓:「地上萬民要因你的後裔蒙受祝福(創世紀22:18)」。

依撒格是基督的預象,他們都是天主預許的出生;依撒格是亞巴郎的愛子,基督是天主父的愛子;依撒格背著木柴要被當做全燔祭,基督背負十字架自作犧牲;依撒格被綑縛在木柴上,基督被釘在十字架上;依撒格最後死裡逃生,基督最終從死者中復活。