Nehase 28 — September 03

Abraham, the Father Who Believed

Today we celebrate three good fathers from long, long ago. The first one is Abraham. He is called the father of many people, because his family grew so big it became whole nations.

One night God let Abraham hear His voice, and what He said was surprising. God told him to leave his home and walk to a new land that God would show him. Abraham was not scared. He packed up and went, trusting that God knew the way.

Abraham believed every promise God made, even the ones that seemed impossible. God promised that Abraham and his wife Sarah would have a baby boy, even though they were already very old. And it came true! Their little boy was named Isaac, and they were so happy.

Abraham was kind and loved to share. He did not even eat his meals alone. He would wait for travelers to come along the road so he could feed them at his table. He loved God his whole life, and when he was very old, God brought him home to live forever in a beautiful place called the Garden of Delight.

Get thee out from thy city, and from thy father's house, and come unto the land which I will show thee.— God's words to Abraham

Isaac, the Gentle Son

The second father is Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah. He was the special boy God had promised, and he grew up loving God just like his parents did.

Once, God asked Abraham to trust Him in a very big way, to see how much he loved God. In the end, no one was hurt at all. God gently stopped Abraham and gave a goat instead. Isaac was safe, and everyone learned how much Abraham and Isaac trusted God with all their hearts.

Isaac was a peaceful man who did not like to fight. One time, when some shepherds argued with him about a well of water, he simply walked away and dug new wells of his own, instead of quarreling. That was a kind and wise thing to do.

When Isaac grew old, he had two sons named Esau and Jacob. He blessed his son Jacob, asking God to take care of him. Isaac lived a very long, peaceful life, and then he died gently and was buried near his father Abraham, whom he loved.

Jacob, Whom God Named Israel

The third father is Jacob, the son of Isaac. He followed the example of his father and grandfather by being kind, humble, and giving to people in need.

One night Jacob had a wonderful dream. He saw a tall ladder reaching from the ground all the way up to heaven, with God's angels going up and coming down on it. When he woke up he said, "This is the house of God, and the door of heaven!" Later God gave Jacob a new name: Israel.

Jacob had twelve sons, and he loved them very much. For a while he was very sad, because he thought he had lost his son Joseph. But there was a happy surprise waiting! Joseph was alive and well in a faraway land called Egypt, where he had become an important helper to the king. Joseph invited his father and all his brothers to come and live with him, and the family was joyfully together again.

When Jacob was very old, he gathered his twelve sons and blessed each of them. He told them that one day the Savior, Jesus, would come from their family. Then Jacob died peacefully, with his son Joseph right beside him, holding his hand.

This is the house of God, and the door of heaven.— Jacob, after his dream of the ladder

Abba Barsebu and His Faithful Friends

Today we also remember a holy teacher named Abba Barsebu (say it: BAR-seh-boo) and the friends who loved God along with him. Ten monks were his students, men who spent their days in quiet prayer. A brave captain who took care of the king's horses was his friend too, and so were many, many other faithful people.

These good people loved Jesus so much that they would never stop following Him, no matter what. They stayed faithful and brave to the very end, and they gave their lives rather than turn away from God.

They were not afraid, because they knew that God was waiting to welcome them home to heaven. We can ask these brave friends of God to pray for us, so that we can be faithful and brave too.