abraham destroyed idols bible verse

The fervent attempt to capture some meaning in each and every word of the Torah, without making recourse to any external factors as a control, is a clear expression of this perspective. But Abraham, trying to reason with his father, said that probably the gods had got to fighting among themselves and had killed one another. Abraham and the Idol Shop is a midrash that appears in Genesis Rabbah chapter 38. 31Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, (A)broke the memorial stones in pieces, cut down the [a]Asherim and pulled down the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until [b]they had destroyed them all. Our analysis of the truth problem leads us to this summary statement: Whenever we as readers encounter a description of an event in the Torah, the main concern for us as students of Torah is not the reality of the event as it happened but the event as described in the biblical narrative. Scripture strongly advises against the following of idols other than God. [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. Oops! Abraham mocked them, and said, Surely, the savory meat that I prepared doth not please you, or perhaps it is too little for you! ORLOV 'The Gods of My Father Terah' 35 Testament of Abraham, also deny the possibility that God has a human- like form. 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. Understanding the Torah this way can strengthen the deep vitality buried in its every story, every verse, every word even every letter. 12They faithfully brought in the contributions, the tithes, and the consecrated things; and Conaniah the Levite was the officer in charge (N)of them, and his brother Shimei was second. Does the Torahs Abraham really need the historical Abraham in order to claim an important role in Jewish religious consciousness? 13Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismachiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers [g]under the authority of Conaniah and his brother Shimei by the appointment of King Hezekiah, and (O)Azariah was the chief officer of the house of God. So, one day when I was very young, I went to our basement and smashed on the concrete floor every bottle of liquor! 28 And it was on the next day that Abram directed his mother concerning the savory meat, and his mother rose and fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some excellent savory meat, such as her son was fond of, and she gave it to her son Abram; and Terah his father did not know of it. Launched Shavuot 5773 / 2013 | Copyright Project TABS, All Rights Reserved, script type="text/javascript"> 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. Enter your email to subscribe and receive notifications of new content. If this is a story, he said, it is a very human story. The believer who adopts this narrative wishes to engage it directly. 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. [9] Kugel's interpretation continues in the tradition of looking at this midrash as part of the analysis of monotheism. 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. 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. that we are sacrificed to the Lord for this end, that our former life being destroyed in us, we may be raised up to a new life. 27 And Abram mocked them, and said, Surely the savory meat that I prepared has not pleased them, or perhaps it was too little for them, and for that reason they would not eat; therefore tomorrow I will prepare fresh savory meat, better and more plentiful than this, in order that I may see the result. [13] The sacred written Torah is the teaching of God and it is forbidden to learn it indifferently. The Midrash has also been discussed in the contexts of complete, unquestioned faith. 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. 59 Now therefore put away this evil deed which thou doest, and serve the God of the universe, as thy soul is in his hands, and then it will be well with thee. Narrower concepts. Considering this, insofar as observance is concerned, is it important to defend the belief that all of the stories narrated in the book of Genesis actually happened? [8]In fact, seeResponsa Rashba1:116, where Rashba makes this point. 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. A man walked in and wished to buy an idol. Abraham's father in fact agrees with Abraham regarding idol worship unlike the Qur'anic version! Although the Bible says Terah "worshiped other gods" 2 Kings 23:14 And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. According to Genesis Rabbah 38.13, iyya b. Abba, a third-generation Amora, told following story: Terah was an idol manufacturer who once went away and left Abraham in charge of the store. Whether our actions motivate us to work for labor and the downtrodden or peace in Israel, we activate a certain "Abraham" within to destroy the idols of prior perspectives and belief systems, and . TheTorah.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.We rely on the support of readers like you. I cannot thank them enough for the happy homelife they created for me and my siblings. He has two wives, Sarah and Hajar and is well into his old age and childless. Such a perspective does not diminish the connection between humanity and God; it strengthens it.[23]. script>. 58 Dost thou not know, or hast thou not heard, that this evil which thou doest, our ancestors sinned therein in days of old, and the eternal God brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed them all, and also destroyed the whole earth on their account? According to this second phrasing, the events described in the Torah are part of Gods narrative; whether this narrative has a basis in historical fact doesnt matter. 49 And Abram hastened and sprang from before his father, and took the hatchet from his fathers largest idol, with which Abram broke it and ran away. Child sacrifice was one reason for the Babylonian captivity (verse 36). They meant the world to me and taught me crucial lessons. SeeIggrot Raayahvol. are also to be treated as idols." New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. can they deliver thee from the hands of thy enemies, or will they fight thy battles for thee against thy enemies, that thou shouldst serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear? 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr). 1, pp. My suggestion avoids this problem altogether. 41 And Terahs anger was kindled against his son Abram, when he spoke this; and Terah said to Abram his son in his anger, What is this tale that thou hast told? As such, writing is secondary to the event itself. [28] Although they believed that the great and majestic body of God was not comparable to their small and weak bodies, nevertheless, they could not let go of a God with some sort of a physical body. So Abraham took a stick, smashed the idols and placed the stick in the hand of the largest idol. 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. 5 From . father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. When his father saw that his son Abraham had broken his gods he was very angry with him. Are they not wood and stone? Discourse by President John Taylor, Duties of the SaintsThe Atonement, etc. 22 And Terah bowed down to his gods, and he then went away from them, and Abram, his son, went away with him. Save 15% for life on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. 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. Commentary on Parashat Lech-Lecha, . (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. Would we really be unable to give ear and listen to Gods story with great focus, attention, and feeling unless we could simultaneously locate it in a specific time and place? 14 And Abram knew the Lord, and he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God was with him. I.e., wooden symbols of a female deity (Asherah). [17] Is it surprising that Gods narrative is the story of humanity writ large? Rijksmuseum 1 The Midrashic Abraham Rabbi Chiyya said: Terah was an idol worshiper. 36 And Terah entered the room and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram his son had made was still before them. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! [11]It is virtually impossible to exaggerate the political, sociological and emotional implications of this assertion. [21] Did the elephant really need the ant in order to make dust-clouds in the desert? The Bible says we should put living in a righteous manner above all other pursuits of the flesh and mind. Dr. 55 Dost thou imagine that they can deliver thee or do anything small or great, that thou shouldst serve them? Once he went on a trip and he placed Abraham in charge of the store in his place. Hosea 2:17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. Abraham burns the idols unlike the Qur'anic account where we find Abraham smashing all but the largest idol. Completely erase the names of their gods! 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. 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. These were the feelings of Abraham, and he taught his father's house, and all around him, as far as he had the privilege. 20Hezekiah did this throughout Judah; and (W)he did what was good, right, and true before the Lord his God. Conversely, if the Torah is only telling stories, it would appear, at first glance, more difficult to account for the similarities between its stories and those of the surrounding cultures. 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. 1, 14:53, p. 163. [20]For more discussion on this question, see the position of R. Mordechai Breuer as he expressed it first inDeot12 (Winter 5720): pp. President Nelson shared the following story last April: I adored my parents. On its own, the sentence can be understood as conveying the opposite meaning, as a call for those involved in studying the exodus from Egypt to remove themselves from the present, to transport themselves through time and view the event the way it would have been viewed by Moses and Aaron, Datan and Abiram. 21Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in the Law and in the commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and (X)prospered. 635-637 [Hebrew]). Berean Standard Bible Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles. Deepen your knowledge of Scripture for less than $5/mo. In order for such values to find a permanent place in the spiritual life of individuals, they must be narrated. To me, the key question is whether ones approach to exploring the ahistoricity of the narrative is in order to reduce the vital importance of the Torah and its message or whether it is the opposite, to increase it, as I suggest above. In order to answer this question let us investigate the basis for this phenomenon: what is the point of writing? The Doctrine and Covenants & Church History, 2021 Spring: Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel, The Book of Abraham | LDS Scripture Teachings, Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives. Will you really sweep it away and not spare[c] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? [29] How should this believer relate to the fact that the very type of faith that he or she sees as inferior is exactly the one which sits best with the majority of the faithful? 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. 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. Start for FREE. New American Standard Bible (NASB). then he. This story is taken from The Book of Jasher 11:21-49, Terah, in response to Abrahams question to him about who the God was that had created heaven and earth and the children of men, took him to the hall wherein stood twelve great idols and a large number of little idols, and pointing to them he said, Here are they who have made all thou seest on earth, they who have created also me and thee and all men on the earth, and he bowed down before his gods, and left the hall with his son. The ant says to the elephant, Just look at the dust-clouds were making!. why would the ancient Greeks have Worshipped Demeter. 30 And Abram viewed them, and behold they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of them stretch forth his hand to the meat to eat. [18]It must be admitted that the long genealogical lists, which specify the origins of the entire human species (see, for instance, Gen. 4:18-5:32), stand in some tension with the above-offered claim. Abraham responds that water puts out fire. 2 Chronicles 31:1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. 39 And Abram answered Terah his father and he said, Not so my lord, for I brought savory meat before them, and when I came nigh to them with the meat that they might eat, they all at once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth his hand to eat. If the religious value of events comes from their being included in the word of God, let us allow God to speak to us in Gods own language, and to tell us the divine story with its entire force. [16] Only from the time of its inclusion in the Sinai covenant could a given law become the Archimedean point for the spiritual makeup of a person. 16 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. When he or she reads the accounts of our father Abraham in the Torah and wishes to understand their significance, what he or she wants is not to find out more about the (possible) historical character behind the story but to encounter the protagonist of the narrative, i.e. Abram is now 50 years old; he has lived with Noah and Shem for 39 years and a cave for 10. NASB 1995 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. 48 Now therefore my father refrain from this, and bring not evil upon thy soul and the souls of thy household. In many ways, the challenge faced by such a person is similar to the one faced by Rambam when he tried and demonstrate to the world that God has no body. returned from his journey, he found his merchan- Now, believing it is safe, Abram leaves Noah's home and returns to his father Terah. [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. Terah was the father of Abram (his name was later changed to Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth. And Nimrod and all his princes and servants were that day sitting before him, and Terah sat also before them. And Abram hastened and went from the chamber to his fathers outer court, and he found his father sitting in the court, and all his servants with him, and Abram came and sat before him. See also the words of Maharal of Prague about Abraham and Sarah in hisGlosses on Aggadot(part 3, p. 83), but compare these with his comments inGevurot Hashem(ch. But Abraham, inspired by the Lord, went on a certain occasion into the temple of these gods and smote them right and left, upsetting and breaking them in pieces. 15[i]Under his authority were (P)Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah, in (Q)the cities of the priests, to distribute their portions faithfully to their brothers by divisions, whether great or small, 16without regard to their genealogical enrollment, to the males from [j](R)thirty years old and upwardeveryone who entered the house of the Lord (S)for his daily obligationsfor their work in their duties according to their divisions; 17as well as the priests who were enrolled genealogically according to their fathers households, and the Levites (T)from twenty years old and upward, by their duties and their divisions. Terah exclaimed that such a thing was impossible, since idols could not quarrel or fight. I loved learning about the gospel. It is the Torah of God, turning its face to Torah students in every generation. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." In essence, we exchange a conversation about God for an encounter with God. 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. The way the Sages understand Scripture is quite different. 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.

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