Who Is Israel? Part 1

6 months ago
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Abraham - Isaac - Jacob
Jacob's name was changed by God to Israel, Jacob had a big family and his descendants became known as the Children of Israel or Israelites.
This name change is found in Genesis 32: 22-32
Israel - He Who Wrestles With God

Abraham had eight sons. The record of these sons and their names are in the Book of Genesis. First, he had Ishmael, who was the son of a slave woman--Hagar of Egypt was his mother. She was the slave of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. When Abraham was 99 years old, Sarah miraculously became pregnant at age 89; then Isaac was born. Ishmael hated Isaac; he was jealous of Isaac, because Isaac was not a slave child, but the special son of God’s promise. Abraham had another wife, Keturah. She had six sons by Abraham (Genesis 25). So of the eight sons of Abraham, only Isaac was the son of Abraham and Sarah; only Isaac was the son the God had promised. It is similar to the story of Joseph in Genesis; all the brothers hated Isaac, just as Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. Early in Isaac’s life, Ishmael mocked and made fun of Isaac. Isaac was the first son of Abraham to be circumcised on the eighth day of his life. Ishmael had been circumcised at the same time as Abraham. Circumcision is first mentioned in Genesis 17; from then on, all of Abraham’s children and slaves had to be circumcised, even as Abraham himself was. Jews are still circumcised on the eighth day. All the sons of Abraham, except Isaac, are the fathers of the Arab nations. They are still circumcised at age 12 or 13.

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