Abraham is one of the most important people in the Bible. God called him from the city of Ur to become the leader of God's chosen people.
Abraham was first called Abram, which means “the father is exalted.” When Abram’s parents named him, they probably worshiped the moon god or another pagan god. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham to separate him from his pagan past (Genesis 17:5) . The new name “Abraham” means “father of many.” This shows God’s promise that Abraham would have many descendants. It was a test of faith because Abraham was 99 years old, and his wife Sarah was 90 years old and had no children (Genesis 11:30; 17:1–4, 17).
Abraham’s Life
Abraham’s story starts in Genesis 11, where we learn about his family (Genesis 11:26–32). Terah, Abram’s father, was named after the moon god worshiped by the people living at Ur.
Terah had three sons:
Nahor
Haran.
Haran, Lot’s father, died before the family left Ur. Terah took Lot, Abram, and Abram’s wife, Sarai, from Ur to go to Canaan, but they settled in Haran instead (Genesis 11:31). According to Acts 7:2–4, Abraham heard God’s call to leave for a new land while still in Ur.
A very important factor in Abram's life is found in Genesis 11:30: “Sarai was barren; she had no children.” Sarai was unable to have children which created great challenges and tests of faith for Abram and Sarai.
After Terah’s death, God told Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.” This was the basis of a “covenant” (a special agreement), in which God promised to make Abram the founder of a new nation in that land (Genesis 12:1–3).
Abram trusted God’s promise and left Haran at the age of 74. He went to Shechem in Canaan, between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. There he built an altar to God (Genesis 12:7). Then, Abram moved near Bethel and built another altar to worship God (Genesis 12:8). The expression “called on the name of the LORD” means more than to pray. Abram declared the truth of God to the people there who worshiped false gods. Later, he moved to Hebron and built another altar to worship God.
In a vision, God promised Abram many descendants (Genesis 15:1). Abram was still childless and he worried that his servant Eliezer of Damascus would inherit everything (Genesis 15:2). The discovery of the Nuzi documents has explained this confusing statement. (The Nuzi documents are a collection of ancient tablets from the time Abraham probably lived).
According to Hurrian custom, a wealthy couple without children would adopt an heir. This heir would usually be a slave, and they would bury and mourn their adoptive parents. If the couple later had their own child, that child would become the heir instead of the slave.
So, when Abram was worried about Eliezer, God told him clearly, “This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir” (Genesis 15:4). Then God made a promise to Abram. He said Abram would have an heir, become a nation, and own the land.
When Abram was 86, his son Ishmael was born. When Abram was 99, God appeared to him again and promised him a son. (Genesis 17). Circumcision (the removal of the foreskin of the male reproductive organ) was added as a sign of this promise (17:9–14). God also changed Abram and Sarai's names to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:5, 15).
Abraham’s response to the promise of another son was to laugh: “Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, ‘Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?’” (Genesis 17:17).
Genesis 18 and 19 tell the story of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. In Genesis 18, three visitors came to Abraham. Abraham offered them food and drinks, but they were not ordinary travelers, but the angel of the Lord and two other angels (Genesis 18:1–2; 19:1). The angel of the Lord was likely God himself (Genesis 18:17, 33). They announced that Sarah would have a son, which made her laugh because she did not believe it could be true (Genesis 18:12–15).
Genesis 21 to 23 is the climax of Abraham’s story. When Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90, “the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised” (Genesis 21:1). The old couple felt extremely happy. Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed when promised a son because they did not believe it could be true, but now they laugh with joy. They named the baby Isaac, which means “he laughs.” This shows that God had the final say in their story. Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me” (Genesis 21:6).
The joy of Isaac's birth ended when God tested Abraham's faith. In Genesis 22, God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. This test was very painful for Abraham because he had waited 25 years to have a son.
Just as Abraham was about to kill Isaac, God stopped him and provided a ram to sacrifice instead. Abraham's name, meaning “father of a multitude,” took on a deeper meaning when Isaac was saved. God explained the test he had given Abraham: “For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me” (Genesis 22:12).
Those words implied an even greater promise. The Lord provided a substitute for Isaac. Abraham named the place “the Lord will provide.” The scene foreshadows how God will give his only Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.