Promises to Abraham

Putting the Abrahamic Covenant into song was a tall order but I felt including the specific promises made to Abraham was important to this musical, Old Testament Records.  

A Caution to Listeners

While this song was designed to teach an important doctrine, our vocalists found out – too late! – that it was a pleasant, but persistent ear worm.  Listen at your own risk!

Louisa found that mixing this song took a little longer than usual because we are using several exotic instruments in the accompaniment:  In addition to normal guitar, strings, tambourine and flute, we have pan pipes, sitars, steel drums and a glockenspiel!

My thanks to Jesse Baumgart, who sang Abraham’s part so beautifully – Mmmmm, that voice is just like butter!  Jesse also sang the lead of young David on our up-tempo “Shepherd Boy”.  Listen to that song on the OTR page, here.  Thanks also go to our fabulous chorus, who suffered through the ear worms to learn, rehearse and record SATB parts for this and many other songs in the show!

The Dance at the End

The song “Abraram” ends with multiple choruses, with a new layer or melody being added every time.  In the production, each of these lines in sung or played by a new group or instrumentalist, who weave their way through the audience, each representing another “line” of Abraham’s family.  This dance is symbolic of the depth and beauty of family and the posterity that can spring from a single patriarch.

If you’d like to read the lyrics (AND read the rapped narration that precedes the song giving backgroud on the story) click here for the Old Testament Records page and scroll down to choose #4.

If you’re a music person, you can close your eyes at this point and just enjoy the song.

If studying the scriptures is something you love to do, please read on for the specifics of the Abrahamic Covenant:

Three Promises in the Abrahamic Covenant

One promise God made to Abraham was that his posterity would everlastingly have the land of Canaan.  To review: Abram came from his hometown, Ur (#2) to Haran (#8) then traveled to Canaan (#13), to Egypt (#16) and back to Canaan.

In Genesis 13:14-15 God tells Abraham, “Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.”  This was his family’s land.

Another promise to Abraham was that his seed would be multiplied as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore (Genesis 22:17).

The promises to Abraham were extended to his 90 year old wife, Sarah, in Genesis 17:15-16 and the promises were renewed with their son, Isaac, specifically in Genesis 26:3-4.

In Genesis 12:3, Abraham was also promised, “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”.  This was reiterated by the prophet Isaiah many years later who recorded, “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”   (Isaiah 49:6.)

Do you really love the history of the Old Testament?  To see a chart showing the posterity of Abraham for 3 generations (and scripture references for each person) click here:

In setting the stage for this song, I pondered how Abraham – or any man – would feel after seeing God face to face as Abram (and later his grandson Jacob) did.  I felt certain that most people I knew would be overwhelmed and ask, “Why me?”

Father of Nations

Abraham IS the father of many nations:  Through his first child, Ishmael, he is the father of the Muslim people.  Through the first born of his first wife (Isaac through Sarah) he is the father of the Jewish people.  (For more on the sons and their moms, stay tuned for song #5, “My Son”, a duet between Sarah and Hagar.)  Christians also claim Abraham as their own.

As noted in Deuteronomy 14:2, Abraham’s descendants are “an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”  Why is it important to know what’s in the Abrahamic covenant?  Because God’s promise – the Covenant – is still in effect. Shalom.