Journey VIII

ABRAHAM LOOKS AT THE HEAVENS

Genesis introduces Abram through his family line in Ur of the Chaldees, but tells us remarkably little about his childhood or his transition to faith. Other ancient Jewish writings fill that silence.

The Book of Jubilees describes a young Abraham separating himself from the idolatry of his father Terah. He begins observing the stars, seeking to understand the Creator.

"And Abram sat up throughout the night on the new moon of the seventh month to observe the stars from the evening to the morning, in order to see what would be the character of the year with regard to the rains, and he was alone as he sat and observed."

"And a word came into his heart and he said: 'All the signs of the stars, and the signs of the moon and of the sun are all in the hand of the Lord. Why do I search (them) out?'"

— Jubilees 12:16-17

Abraham concludes that created things are governed. They follow an order. Therefore they cannot themselves be the ultimate Creator. He prays:

"My God, God Most High, Thou alone art my God, and Thee and Thy dominion have I chosen... Deliver me from the hands of evil spirits who have sway over the thoughts of men's hearts."

— Jubilees 12:19-20

Creation points beyond itself to the Creator.

THE FIRE IN THE IDOL HOUSE

Genesis simply states that Haran died before his father Terah in Ur of the Chaldees (Genesis 11:28). But Jubilees provides a dramatic, unseen-realm explanation involving Abraham's active rejection of the gods of the nations.

"And in the sixtieth year of the life of Abram... Abram arose by night, and burned the house of the idols, and he burned all that was in the house, and no man knew it."

"And they arose in the night and sought to save their gods from the midst of the fire. And Haran hasted to save them, but the fire flamed over him, and he was burnt in the fire, and he died in Ur of the Chaldees before Terah his father."

— Jubilees 12:12-14

This is not canonical Scripture. But it reveals how ancient readers understood Abraham: not as a passive recipient of God's call, but as a man who actively waged war against the false gods of his fathers.

JASHER AND THE FURNACE OF NIMROD

The book known today as the Book of Jasher expands this even further, connecting Abraham with the great rebel of Journey VI: Nimrod.

When Abraham refuses to worship the idols, he is brought before King Nimrod. Nimrod demands that Abraham worship fire. When Abraham refuses, pointing out the absurdity of worshiping elements rather than the Creator, Nimrod makes a decree:

"And the king commanded his servants that they should bind Abram hand and foot, and cast him into the furnace of fire... And the Lord loved Abram and he had compassion over him, and the Lord came down and delivered Abram from the fire."

— Jasher 11:55, 60

If that sounds like the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3, that is precisely the point. Ancient Jewish tradition saw a recurring pattern: faithful men rejecting earthly kings who demand divine honors, facing a fiery furnace, and being miraculously preserved.

MASTEMA AND THE UNSEEN TEST

One of the most famous events in Genesis is God asking Abraham to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac (Genesis 22). Genesis simply says: "God did tempt [test] Abraham."

But Jubilees pulls back the curtain to reveal the unseen realm, echoing the story of Job. It introduces Prince Mastema, the chief of the hostile spirits.

"And the prince Mastema came and said before God, 'Behold, Abraham loves Isaac his son, and he delights in him above all things else; bid him offer him as a burnt-offering on the altar, and Thou wilt see if he will do this command, and Thou wilt know if he is faithful in everything.'"

— Jubilees 17:16

In Jubilees, the test of Abraham is not a random divine whim. It is a cosmic trial instigated by the adversary, attempting to break the Covenant by striking at its core: the promised seed.

THE HEAVENLY MELCHIZEDEK

Genesis 14 introduces Melchizedek, King of Salem and Priest of God Most High. He brings bread and wine, blesses Abraham, receives a tithe, and vanishes.

But among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, a text was found (11Q13, also known as 11QMelchizedek) that elevates Melchizedek from a human king to a divine, heavenly figure. The scroll describes him leading a final eschatological battle against Belial (Satan) and his spirits.

"And Melchizedek will exact the vengeance of the judgments of God... and he will drag them from the hand of Belial and from the hand of all the spirits of his lot."

"As it is written concerning him in the hymns of David, who says, 'Elohim [God/divine being] has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment' (Psalm 82:1)."

— 11Q13 (11QMelchizedek) Col. II

The Essenes at Qumran applied Psalm 82 (which we explored in Journey VII) directly to Melchizedek, viewing him as a heavenly prince, possibly the Archangel Michael, sent to overthrow the rebellious spiritual powers of the nations.

The texts outside the Bible show us a world brimming with cosmic conflict. Abraham is not just migrating; he is fighting gods. The covenant is not just a family promise; it is a declaration of war against the unseen principalities.

Now, we open the Third Gate.