Abraham and Sarah Essay - 2460 Words

Abraham and Sarah The story of Abraham and Sarah is an important one, especially because Abraham is the father (and Sarah the mother) of the Israelite nation. When looked at from a broad point of view, this story of an ancient family and their relationship with God becomes a parable which teaches others to put their trust in God and provides examples of how to live a righteous life in the eyes of this God. When looked at from a narrower point of view, one can examine the motivations and personalities of the individuals this story focuses on. Abraham is born blessed because he is the ancestor of Shem and Sarah shares in this blessing because she is his wife. However, Abraham receives an even greater blessing from God, after the death of†¦show more content†¦Abraham shows his thoughtfulness of others again when God tells him of his plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham barters with God in an attempt to save the lives of the people living there. These events and Abrahamà ¢â‚¬â„¢s reactions to them show what a considerate person Abraham was which also helps to solidify his worthiness as the ancestor of God’s chosen people. Though Abraham demonstrates an exceptional amount of faith in God, it is not unwavering, however, this occasional lack of faith helps to expand on his character. Twice in his travels, Abraham asks Sarah to pretend to be his sister because he is fearful that he will be killed so that she may be taken as a bride, even though God reminds Abraham that he is safe from harm after the first instance. These events help to remind readers of Abraham’s humanity, he faces normal challenges for someone with his lifestyle including â€Å"the vulnerability of the nomad to the whims of nature on the one hand, and, on the other, his desperate need for the foodstuffs of the settled culture with the implied powerlessness which goes with such dependency.† (White 178-179) When looked at from this perspective, Abraham’s lapse s in faith become reasonable, but the choice of the author to include these instances can be explained further. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, theyShow MoreRelatedGenesis 18 Essay1371 Words   |  6 PagesGenesis 18 is the story of Abraham and his three mysterious visitors. This one of the many complicated text in the Bible. Many faiths and researchers have different interpretations of this passage. However, the question, which we must ask, is; what are the scriptures in Genesis 18 trying to say? It is not as clear as other literature text that are read today there are many questions that arise from this passage such as who were there three men? Where was Sarah? How did Abraham know they were messengersRead MoreAnalysis Of Genesis, And Andromache1381 Words   |  6 Pagesthe contexts of their own time periods, both Sarah, in Genesis, and Andromache, in the Iliad, have similar roles in that they are both confined to the duties within the household. Despite these societal constrictions, both women find ways to exert some power and influence within their designated roles in society, but the degree of power they have varies. Sarah holds more power because God will â€Å"bless her† and will make her a part of his plan for Abraham, so she can manipulate events in the contextRead MoreBible - Role of Abraham1638 Words   |  7 PagesHebrew Bible Paper - Abraham Abraham stands as one of the most important figures in the Hebrew Bible, and is central to the understanding of God#8217;s solution to the problem of mankind. Man, the mysterious creature that God wraught as a semi-experiment, is constantly prone to believe he is self-sufficient and capable of survival without God, the central problem God must deal with in the Hebrew Bible. To solve this problem, God decides to strike fear in the heart of man and to revolutioniseRead MoreDuality Of Hospitality In Genesis And The Odyssey1441 Words   |  6 Pagesdivine masters, but not always. Abraham and Sarah’s gracious welcoming of the three travelers in Genesis epitomizes the Hebrew ideal of hospitality. Abraham eagerly welcomes them in, â€Å"[running] from the tent entrance to meet them, and bow[ing] down to the ground† in front of them (Genesis 18:2). Urgency is a sign of importance, so Abraham’s great rush to throw himself at his guests’ feet while they are still a way off from his house shows hospitality’s importance. Abraham greets his guests, implicitlyRead More Bible - Role Of Abraham Essay1579 Words   |  7 Pages Hebrew Bible Paper - Abraham nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Abraham stands as one of the most important figures in the Hebrew Bible, and is central to the understanding of Godamp;#8217;s solution to the problem of mankind. Man, the mysterious creature that God wraught as a semi-experiment, is constantly prone to believe he is self-sufficient and capable of survival without God, the central problem God must deal with in the Hebrew Bible. To solve this problem, God decides to strike fear in theRead MoreA Brief Look at Genesis832 Words   |  3 PagesThe stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph can be found within Genesis. This is the creation of the covenant relationship with God. The Abrahamic Covenant begins here in Genesis 12:1-13 (Illustrated Bible Survey an Introduction, 2013). Here we learn what blessing God has in store for the Israelites. Sarah Sarah, Abraham’s wife was born Sarai. Her birth year is estimated by many sources to be anywhere from 1540-1966BC. Most biblical scholars believe her age was near Abrahams and thus believeRead MoreAbraham: A Paradigm of Faith Essay1565 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Standard readings of the Akedah (Genesis 22.1-19) promote Abraham as a paradigm of faith because of his limitless and unwavering commitment to God. God speaks to Abraham, demands a painful violence that threatens to shatter his soteriological promises to Abraham, and Abraham marches forward fully complaint with the injunction. These actions certify Abraham as faith-hero par excellence; Abraham obeys regardless of obstacle or cost. This traditional interpretation is so readily acceptedRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1521 Words   |  7 PagesAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy. Born in Hodgenville, Kentucky, Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana. Largely self-educated, he becameRead MoreThe Declaration Of The Covenant Essay1118 Words   |  5 Pagesand from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: Abraham God’s call for Abraham to move from Haran to Canaan. Abraham moved from Haran to Canaan--land. Started with a call from God to Abraham. There is emphasis put on faith as God’s call to Abraham required faith. Genesis 12:2- 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. Abraham God’s call for Abraham to move by faith. God’s promise of blessing/seed Abraham’s callRead MoreThe Bible : God s Omnipotence929 Words   |  4 Pageseverything. God also displays how honest of a being he is. God promised Abraham and Sarah a child. As stated in Genesis 17:16, â€Å"I will bless her and surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of people will come from her.† At the time of the promise Abraham was already 100 and Sarah was 90 years old. Sarah was well past the age of being able to give birth. Both Sarah and Abraham, laughed at God and did not believe it was possible for them to bear

The Poem Italy As School Boys Sam And Antonello Learned...

In Italy as school boys Sam and Antonello learned a poem a week. They could recite those poems word for word. But they were simple poems about animals and naughty children, about trees and rivers. Slav’s poems were long and complex, often they didn’t understand them but Slav’s voice reading the words was mesmerising and so they listened. From these poems, Antonello captured and stored images, be they migrating birds or the five cities as teeming sores, as parasites, they came back to him often when he was sketching, they forced him to look closer, to look from another angle. Some of these sketches, inspired by the poems Slav read to him were wonderous, unexpected, in them there were details that Antonello didn’t know he had seen. All three of them were happy to be working on the bridge, it was a big job but that gave them some security. At least for a couple of years they’d have ongoing work. And it was an essential project, everyone said so. But there were regular industrial disputes. The English companies did not understand the Australian unions, and there seemed to be a never ending inventory of problems, frequent demarcation disputes, and fuck ups. Many of the workers paid membership in more than one union to make sure they could complete whole tasks but occasionally a worker or a team was asked to do something that was not part of their job, when they objected the managers would insist, and at a moment’s notice the men had downed tools and marched off the site. The

Positive Psychology and Kindness Free Essays

Assessment 1 – Personal Reflection and Sharing / Celebrating with others Happy people become happier through kindness intervention. The relationship between the character strength of kindness and subjective happiness, and the effects of a counting kindnesses intervention on subjective happiness Happy people to perform on their motivation, recognition and enactment of kind behaviors. They have more happy memories in daily life in terms of both quantity and quality. We will write a custom essay sample on Positive Psychology and Kindness or any similar topic only for you Order Now Subjective happiness was increased simply by counting one’s own acts of kindness for one week. Happy people became more kind and grateful through the counting kindnesses intervention. Compared with less happy people, happy people have better social relationships and more pleasant everyday lives. For example, very happy people have highly satisfying relationships with friends, romantic partners, and family members and that, compared to their less happy peers, they report more positive events and emotions in their daily lives relative to negative ones. Happy people are more extraverted, more agreeable, and less neurotic. Some studies have shown that subjective happiness is one of the key factors in subjective well-being and overall satisfaction with life. Therefore I expected that in addition to the strength of gratitude, the strength of kindness would also play an important role in increasing subjective happiness. Gratitude is an important human strengths that contributes to subjective happiness, especially appreciative of the contribution of others to their happiness. I suggest that grateful persons would further be characterized by the appreciation of life’s simple pleasures. These imply reciprocal relationships among gratitude, subjective happiness, and good social relationships. Consequently, compared with unhappy people, happy people report close and satisfying relationships and feel more gratitude in their lives. Gratitude when people receive kindness form other people, kindness entails enacting kind behavior toward other people. In personal mindset, how to act of kindness can be expressed in countless ways? A warm hello said to a stranger, giving money to those in need, allowing cars to merge into traffic†¦ all of these are acts of kindness. Kindness may be best expressed as a state of mind. With the holiday season over, and many of us feeling the effects of a far-reaching world disaster, understanding how kindness can help is very important. People you help can see the direct result of your actions, and people who witness your gestures can be touched by what you do. From giving money and time, to the way in which you communicate with friends, family, and co-workers, the ripple effect of kindness is far-reaching. It is easy to think that kindness is only a â€Å"one-way street†, but kindness can go both ways. Giving, in and of itself, can be a great reward, but how is the giver affected? The giver can be rewarded in many areas, both psychologically and physically. It would be impossible to list every way that kindness can be shown or given. Being attuned to situations where you can help almost becomes a â€Å"state of mind† or â€Å"attitude† that you can live by. Start by making a list of areas where you can help. This may include giving to a helping organization, such as a local homeless shelter, food-bank, or a national/ international organization. With the natural disaster in the Far East dominating what we see on the evening news, perhaps you could start by identifying national or international organizations that could use your financial donations. You can even look to your community for places that could use your donations or volunteer time, such as visiting patients in a nursing home or hospital ward. Or, for some of this writer’s favorites: start with the everyday little things that offer surprises and make people in your nearby community wonder what simple yet amazing acts of kindness are running amok and to get you started, I have listed some ideas below * Pay for the person’s order behind you in the drive-through line. * Make eye contact with the person who rings up your groceries and really look at them when you say, â€Å"Have a really great evening. Thank you†. * Compliment at least 2 people every day. * Contrast someone being well mannered and kind, with someone being rude. Send someone a hand written note of thanks * Buy a lottery or Charitable organizations ticket for a stranger. * Give a compliment about your waiter or waitress to his or her manager. * Stop and help someone replace their flat tyre on high-speed road. * Let someone jump the queue at the bank. * Let someone jump the wallets or valuables at the police office. * Treat a friend to the mo vies for no reason. * Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person and pregnancy women. * Talk to a homeless person and have a â€Å"normal† conversation. * Pick up some rubbish in the road which would otherwise be lying around. Compliment a work colleague for their excellence. * Tell all your family members how much your appreciate them. * Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train. * Buy an inspirational book for a friend. * Send a thank you note to a person who has helped you in the past. * Smile a lot. Kindness is contagious – and as part of Personal Socially Responsibility you might want to consider carrying out random acts of kindness on a daily basis. It is truly a win/win/win situation. The person you are being kind to benefits through your help. You feel good for having helped someone. And the world is a better place through your kindness. Never underestimate the impact of a single act of kindness. I still remember, after many years, the time someone stopped and helped me after my car had broken down in high-speed road. Since then, I have stopped on the road myself and helped stranded motorists a number of times. All because of that single act of kindness by a stranger. The implications of kindness are far reaching. Showing kindness even on a small level is a great start. Also, it is important to carry out your acts of kindness without expecting anything in return has its own rewards. 1013 words How to cite Positive Psychology and Kindness, Essay examples