F.E.Peters states in his article titled, "Abraham's Miraculous Journey,"published in U.S.News & World Report, Collector's Edition, that "a deity making contact with a paltry sheepherder on the margins of the Fertile Crescent, that the entire history of monotheism flows." This sheepherder is said to be Abraham, whose descendants became the 12 Tribes of Israel.
God Made a Covenant with Abraham
According to the Holy Bible, Genesis 12:1-3, "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee.And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." The preceding is the covenant that God made with Abraham. Additionally, God changed Abram's name to Abraham, meaning a father of many nations.
Abraham's side of the bargain or covenant was that he must give fidelity to his only God. He also was required to circumcise all males in his household and require all future male descendants to be circumcised.
Abraham Doubts God
When Abraham heard from God that he and Sarah were to have a son, he fell down laughing. According to Genesis 17: 17, Abraham asked God, "Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old?" and "Shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?" The preceding passages demonstrates Abraham's total shock and disbelief that he and Sarah were going to have a baby at their late age in life.
God immediately informed Abraham, that he and Sarah would have a son named Isaac. And most importantly, God would establish his covenant with Isaac and his children after him. The results being, Isaac's son, Jacob. The subsequent 12 children of Jacob, turned out to be the 12 Tribes of Israel.
One Covenant and Three Religions
Who are the rightful heirs of this Covenant? Is it the Jews? The believe they are the heirs because of their direct relationship to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Christians believe they are the rightful heirs because of their belief in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Apostle Paul believed that the faith of Abraham, before his circumcision made him the symbol of believers, circumcised and uncircumcised, Jew and Gentile. This opened the door of Christianity to all people.
Muhammad claimed that the Jews and Christians had misunderstood the wisdom words that God issued to them. As E. F. Peters has pointed out, "If Jesus was a Jewish revolutionary, then Muhammad was an Israelite fundamentalist." Peters was emphasizing his belief that Muhammad believed and desired the original doctrines of the Old Testament deity.
Muhammad didn't want to add a new interpretation to the Old Testament like the Christians did. He wanted to return to the source of the pre-Torah religion, the father of all believers. In another words, Muhammad wanted the religion of Abraham before the Jews added the Torah, the Sacred documents of Judaism.
Abraham , the Chosen One by the God of the Old Testament, became the father of a great nation, called Israel. Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, was the main focal point of the religion we know as Christianity. Islam was created by Muhammad who appreciated the teachings and fundamentals inherit in the monotheistic religion of Abraham.
Sources:
U.S.News & World Report, Collector's Edition, "Abraham's Miraculous Journey," by F. E. Peters
The Holy Bible, King James Version, Genesis 12-17
John A. Marinchek - John is a student and writer of Social-Economic issues, the Human Potential movement, and Martial Arts. His specific interests deal with ...
