Abraham

Abraham was generally regarded as the ''father of the Jewish nation,'' Abraham's life is a wondrous example of how God works His will in impossible situation.

The life story of Abraham would pale the most intricate plots of Hollywood screen-writters -  and it all really happened! God told Abraham to break away from his father's family and go to a new land. God promised ro make a great nation of Abraham's descendants and bless them. ''I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who harm you,'' the Lord told him. So began the formations and trials of God's chosen people.

There was an unhappy chasm between Abraham and his nephew Lot. But when Lot and his household was threatened by a warring kingdom, Abraham and a commando force of 300 soldiers rescued them. God made a covenant with Abraham and promised that his descendents would be as numerous as the stars in the sky - even though Abraham's wife Sarah was too old to bear children. In fulfillment of this promise God them a son in their old age. They named him Isaac.

Nowhere was Abraham's obedience so severely tested as in the mountains of  Moriah where God commended him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham prepared the altar, gathered the wood, lit the fire, bound Isaac, and placed him on the altar. Abraham drew a knife and was actually poised to kill his son - so commited was he to God - when an angel of the Lord stopped him at the very last instant.

Abraham had proven he would keep nothing from the Almighty, not even his cherished son. In return, God reiterated his pledge to make Abraham's descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the grains of sand along the ocean shore.

Sarah lived to be 127, Abraham, 175, and they were buried in a cave in the field of Ephron in Canaan.