Sunday, March 22, 2009

Bible Story – Cain and Abel

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Today, I am going to tell you a Bible Story about Cain and Abel.

Who were these two people?

They were sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was Abel’s elder brother

Cain was a farmer while his younger brother Abel was a shepherd.

Cain and Abel Give Offerings to God.

One day, Cain went to give offering to God. He took some of the crops he harvested and offered them to God.

His brother Abel brought to God the first lamb that one of his sheep gave birth to. He killed the lamb and gave the best part of it as offering to God.

God was very happy with Abel and his offering. But God rejected Cain and his offering.

Cain Becomes Angry

When Cain realized that God had rejected his offering, he became very angry.

God asked Cain why he was angry. He said to Cain, “Why are you so angry? Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it.”

Cain Murders His Brother Abel

Sin, which was waiting to attack and destroy Cain finally struck Cain and made him kill his brother Abel. This was what happened.

Cain came to Abel one day and asked him to go to the fields with him. Abel trustingly followed him without knowing that he had planned in his heart to kill him.

While both of them were in the fields, Cain attacked Abel and killed him. By doing this, Cain became the first human murderer.

God Punishes Cain for Murdering Abel

God saw Cain when Cain murdered his brother Abel.

God asked Cain, “Where is your brother?”

“I don’t know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?” Cain answered.

Cain had no regret for killing his brother. So God punished him.

God told him that his brother’s blood was crying out to God from the ground like a voice crying for revenge.

Because of what Cain did, God placed a curse on him.

God said to him, “You are placed under a curse and can no longer farm the soil.

It has soaked up your brother's blood as if it had opened its mouth to receive it when you killed him.

If you try to grow crops, the soil will not produce anything. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

But Cain was not sorry for the wicked thing he did. Instead of repenting of the sin, he started complaining to God concerning how hard the punishment God gave was and how people would kill him.

He said, “This punishment is too hard for me to bear. You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”

We can see from this Bible Story that God doesn’t like people killing others. He is also a merciful God. So He told Cain that if any one killed him, seven lives would be taken in revenge.

In other to warn people not kill Cain, God put a mark on him. Cain went away and lived in a land that was in east of Eden. The land was called “Nod” and it means “Wandering”

Genesis 4:1-16

Questions:

  • What were the names of Adam’s first two sons?
  • Which of them was younger?
  • What were their professions?
  • What offerings did Cain and Abel give to God?
  • Why did God reject Cain’s offerings?
  • Who led who to the fields and murdered him?
  • How did God discipline the murderer?
  • Was Cain happy with the punishment he received for killing his brother? If not, then why was he not happy?
  • What did Cain tell God about the punishment and what was God’s reply?
  • What was the name the land Cain went to live in?

Bible Story – The Origin of Sin

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This is a Bible Story concerning how human beings sinned against God by disobeying Him. This was the reason why people die.


God was the one who created man and woman. The man’s name was Adam and the woman’s name was Eve.


God used soil from the ground to form Adam, and then He took one of Adams ribs to form Eve.


God was pleased with them. He planted a beautiful garden called the Garden of Eden and put them there to cultivate it and watch after it.


God planted all kinds of beautiful fruit-growing trees in the garden and gave Adam and Eve permission to eat fruit produced by the trees.


But there was one tree in the middle of the garden. God told them not to eat any fruit from the tree. That tree was the tree that gave knowledge of what was good and what was bad.


God told them that any day they ate the fruit of that tree, they would definitely die.


But a tragic incident happened in the Garden of Eden when snake came to Eve.


Snake Enters the Scene


One of the animals God created and put on earth was snake. It was more cunning than any other animal God created.


One day, while Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden enjoying the blessings of God, snake approached Eve and cunningly asked her, “Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”


Eve answered, “We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it. If we do, we will die.”


It was just a particular tree that God told Adam and Eve not to eat its fruit. That was the tree that gave knowledge of what was good and what was bad. But the snake cunningly asked Eve the question saying “… any tree in the garden?”


The snake went ahead to tell Eve that Adam and She would not die. It told her that God said so because God knew that if they ate the fruit of that tree, they would be like God and would know what was good and what was bad.


Eve Falls For The Snake’s Lies


The snake’s lies first struck Eve on the eyes. The Bible Story says that she saw that the tree was beautiful.


Then the lies hit her appetite and she felt that the fruit would be delicious.

.

Her thoughts were next in line for snake’s lies. The lies penetrated her mind and she started thinking of what life would be like if she became wise by eating the fruit.


She willingly bowed to the snake and what the snake said. She took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband Adam who ate it as well.


Because both Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating that fruit, their eyes were opened immediately and they realized that they were naked.


They dashed around the garden looking for something they would use in covering their nakedness. The only things they could find were the leaves of a fig tree. They sewed the leaves together and used them to cover their nakedness.


God Arrives In Garden of Eden


While the snake was tempting and deceiving Eve, in the Garden of Eden, God was watching. He didn’t stop Adam and Eve from doing what there desired to do. Why? Because God created them and gave them free will of choosing to obey or disobey Him. They made their choice by doing what the snake asked them to do.

That evening, God came into the garden for a walk.

The moment Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden, they dived for cover and hid themselves from God among the trees. But can someone be able to hide from his Creator?

God immediately called Adam and said, “Where are you?”

Adam answered, "I heard you in the garden. I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked."

God asked him who told him he was naked. He asked him if he had eaten the fruit He told him not to eat.

Adam refused to take the blame for disobeying God. Rather he put the blame on his wife. He told God, “The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”


God turned to Eve to find out why she ate the fruit and gave it to her husband. Her response was that it was the snake that tricked her into eating the fruit.


God Punishes the Snake, Eve and Adam


Snake’s Punishment


After Eve told God that the snake tricked her into eating the fruit, God said to the snake, “You will be punished for this. You alone of all the animals must bear this curse.


From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live.


I will make you and the woman hate each other.


Her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite their heel.”


Eve’s Punishment


After punishing snake, God told Eve that He would increase her troubles during pregnancy and her pains when she is giving birth to a baby.


He told her that in spite of her troubles and pains, she would always have desire for her husband and he would rule over her.


Adam’s Punishment


Then God turned to Adam and told him that he listened to his wife and disobeyed Him (God) by eating the fruit He told him not to eat. Because of what he had done, God gave him these punishments:


· The ground would be under curse because of what he (Adam) had done.

· Adam would have to work hard all his life to make the ground produce enough food for him.

· The ground would produce weeds and thorns.

· Instead of eating the tasty fruit in Garden of Eden, Adam would have to eat wild plants.

· Adam would have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything.

· Adam would remain under the curse until he dies and returns to the soil from which God had formed him.


After God had told them their punishments, He used animal skins to made clothes for Adam and Eve and then He clothed them. They had to get rid of the fig leaves clothing they had earlier made for themselves.


God finally drove them out of the Garden of Eden so that they would go and cultivate the ground which God had cursed.


Genesis 3:1-23


Questions:


  • Which animal was the most cunning animal that God created?
  • Who was tricked by the snake?
  • State the three things that happened to Eve just before she took the fruit and ate?
  • Why did Adam and Eve hide from God when God came into the Garden of Eden?
  • How did God punish the snake?
  • What was Eve’s punishment?
  • What was Adam’s punishment?
  • Who gave Eve the fruit to eat?
  • Who gave Adam the fruit?

Bible Story – Creation of Heavens and Earth

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What Is Creation?

This Bible Story is the story of how the universe was created. It is the first of the many Bible Stories I will use this blog to tell you. You can read about the stories in the Christian Bible.

So what is CREATION?

Creation is an act of causing someone or something to exist that did not exist before. It is the making of the world and all the things that are in it by God.

God is the one who created everything and everyone.

How did things happen in the beginning?

In The Beginning

There was a time on earth that nothing existed. There were no human beings, animals, birds, fishes and plants. There was no sky also. There was no sun, moon or stars.

Nothing existed on earth that time. The earth was in confusion and was an empty place. It had no ornaments and minerals. Everything was in chaos.

During that period, a great raging ocean covered everything and total darkness covered the ocean.

This was the condition of everything before God acted to bring about a change.

First Person Who Made Things to Happen

The Spirit of God was the first Person who made things to happen. He hovered over the face of the ocean that covered the earth. And the God started the creation of everything.

First Day of Creation – God Created Light

As the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the ocean that was covered with darkness, God gave a command that said, “Let there be light.”

Light appeared immediately God gave the command.

God looked at the light and saw that the light was very good. It was exactly as He designed it and would serve the purpose for which He created it. So He gave His approval of it.

The appearance of the light which God created made darkness to disappear. But God did not permanently throw away darkness. He also had a purpose for it. So He separated light from the darkness.

He gave both of them names. He called the light “Day” and the darkness “Night”.

The day God made light was the first day of creation.

Second Day of Creation – God Created Sky

This was what happened on the second day of creation.

On that day, God gave another command. He said, “Let there be a dome to divide the water and to keep it in two separate places.”

When God gave this command, what He said took place right away.

He made a dome and the dome separated the water under it from the water that was above it.

God named the dome “Sky”.

God had other things in mind which He wanted to create on the third day.

Third Day of Creation – God Created Dry Land and Vegetation

On the third day, God looked at the massive body of water that was below the sky. Remember that there was another body of water above the sky but God’s immediate attention was on the water that was below the sky.

What did He do to the water that was below the sky? He made that water to flow together into one place.

When the water gathered together, dry land appeared.

God called the dry land “land” and He called the water that flowed together “sea”.

He was very happy with what He did.

Then He decided that the dry land should produce all kinds of plants. And the dry land obeyed His command when He gave it.

The plants which the dry land produced included plants that produced grains and those that produced fruit.

God was pleased with what He created on the third day.

Fourth Day of Creation – God Created Sun, Moon and Stars

When the fourth day of creation arrived, God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night and to show the time when days, years, and religious festivals begin. They will shine in the sky to give light to the earth.”

So God made two great lights. One was larger than the other.

The larger light is this sun which we see during daytime while the smaller light is the moon.

God made the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night.

God also made countless stars.

When He finished creating these great lights, He placed them in the sky to shine on earth. He made them to rule over the day and the night and to separate the light from darkness.

Fifth Day of Creation – God Created Living Things in the Sea and Birds

The fifth day of creation was the day God made sure that seas were not empty and the sky was populated with living things.

God filled the seas with many kinds of fishes and other living creatures such as whales, sharks, hippopotamus, etc.

He went further to fill the sky with birds.

God was very happy with these things which His hands had made. He blessed all of them and told them to reproduce, increase in number and fill the rivers and the sky. But this is not the end of the Bible Story concerning how God created heaven and earth. He creation work continued on the sixth day.

Sixth Day of Creation – God Created Animals and Human Beings

How God Created Animals

After filling the seas with all kinds of fishes and sea creatures, and filling the sky with birds, God saw that the dry land had no one living on it. Only plants were there.

This made God to act by issuing the following command: “Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small.”

God’s command was obeyed without delay. So He made all the animals and He was pleased because of what He made.

How God Created Human Beings

Though God was pleased because of the animals, He didn’t stop there. He wanted to create someone who resembled Him.

The animals, the birds, the fishes and other sea creatures don’t resemble God. He wanted someone who was like Him and whom He would give power to rule over the fishes, the birds, all the animals, and every other thing He created on earth. So God said, “And now we will make human beings. They will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small.”

God created human beings and they were like Him. He created a male and female. He blessed them. This was what He told them.

“Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals.

I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat, but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food.”

When God looked at everything He had created, He was very pleased. That was the sixth day. What did God do on the seventh day?

He Rested on the Seventh Day

God used the six days of creation to create everything. He finished His work of creation and rested on the seventh day.

He blessed the seventh day and declared it holy because it was on that day that He rested from all His works of creation.

That is the Bible Story of how God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1 – 2:4

Questions:

  1. What is the meaning of creation?
  2. What was the condition of the earth before God created light?
  3. What did God create on these days? 1st,

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th day.

4. What did God do on the 7th day?



Bible Story – God Calls Abram

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About Abram


In this Bible Story, we shall talk about a great man called Abram. God later changed his name to Abraham. One of his ancestors was Shem who was one of Noah’s sons. Noah was the man whom God saved together with his family when God destroyed the world with flood water.


Abram’s father was a man named Terah who was 130 years when Abram was born.

Abram was a native of a Chaldean city of Ur. The city was in the land of Shinar near the present junction of Rivers Euphrates and Tigris. The people of Ur were idol worshipers.


Abram Went To Live in Haran


Abram’s father took Abram from Ur and started going to the land of Canaan. He also took Abram’s wife named Sarai and Abram’s nephew named Lot. They however stopped in a place called Haran and they settled there.

God Calls Abraham


The Bible Story tells us that after sometime, Abram’s father Terah died and God called Abram and told him to move out of Haran. This was what God said to Abram “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I am going to show you.


I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing.


I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse those who curse you. And through you I will bless all the nations.”


Abram Left His Home and His Relatives


After God spoke to Abram, he didn’t disobey God. He immediately left his home and relatives in Haran and started to travel to where God told him.


He was 75 years when he started the journey and he went with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. They took all the wealth they had acquired in Haran and all their slaves.


Abram Arrives Canaan


Abram later arrived in Canaan. He traveled through the land and then came to a place called Shechem. In Shechem, he set up his camp besides one oak tree called Oak of Moreh. At that time, a people called the Canaanites were living in that land.


While Abram was there, God appeared to him and told him that He would give the land of Canaan to his descendants. Abram built an altar and dedicated it to God.

Then he traveled to one hill country that was located between two cites called Bethel and Ai. He built another altar their and worshipped God.


Abram Moves to Egypt


There was famine in the land of Canaan when Abram was there. The famine was very severe and Abram had to feed his large family and look after his livestock. So He decided to go to Egypt to live there for some time. He traveled with his wife. Remember that his wife’s name was Sarai.


Abram’s wife was a very beautiful woman. This made him to believe that if he got into Egypt, the Egyptians would kill him and take his wife. So he told Sarai to tell the Egyptians she was his sister.


When Abram crossed the border and entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai his wife was beautiful. Some of the officials of the king of Egypt told their king about Sarai and her beauty. So they took her to the king’s palace.

Because of Sarai, the king of Egypt treated Abram well. He gave Abram flocks of sheep and goats including donkeys, cattle, camels and slaves.


God Punishes King of Egypt


But God was angry with the king of Egypt because he took Abram’s wife. So God sent a terrible disease upon the king and his household. The king of Egypt had to quickly send for Abram and asked him why he didn’t tell him that Sarai was his wife. He told Abram to take Sarai and get out of his country.


The king ordered his people to take Abram and put him out of the country, together with his wife and everything he owned.

What do you think about this Bible Story? Make your comments below. And remember to answer these questions so that they would help you understand the story.


Genesis 12:1-20

Questions:
  • How old was Abram’s father when Abram was born?
  • Where was Abram’s home city?
  • The people of Ur were idol worshippers. True or False?
  • Where did God tell Abram to go?
  • What did God say He would do to those who bless Abram and what did He say He would do those who curse him Who was Sarai?
  • What was the name of Abram’s nephew?
  • Where was the place Abram first set up his camp when he entered Canaan?
  • Why did Abram go to Egypt with his household?
  • Why was Abram afraid that the Egyptians would kill him?
  • What did God do to the king of Egypt and his household when the king took Sarai to be his wife?

Bible Story – Abram and Lot


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Quarrel Separates Abram from Lot<br>

Abram was Lot’s uncle. He took Lot with him when God told him to go and live in the land of Canaan.


Abram was a very rich man. He had sheep, goats and cattle as well as silver and gold.


There was a famine which made Abram to go and stay in Egypt. When he came back to Canaan, he traveled to the southern part of the land. He later left there and moved from place to place moving towards a place between two cities called Bethel and Ai.


He had earlier camped in that place and built an altar to the Lord before he went to Egypt.


Abram’s nephew, Lot also had sheep, goats, cattle as well as his own family and servants.


Because of the great number of livestock Abram and Lot had, there wasn’t enough pasture for the two men to stay together and feed their animals.


So quarrel broke out between the men who took care of Abram’s animals and those who took care of Lot’s animals.


The quarrel got so bad that Abram said to his nephew Lot, “We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn't be quarreling. So let's separate. Choose any part of the land you want. You go one way, and I'll go the other.”


After Abram said this, Lot looked around and saw that the Jordan Valley in the direction of one city called Zoar had plenty of water. The land was like the garden God planted in one place called Eden when He created the first man and woman.


Lot chose the whole of Jordan Valley and moved away from Abram towards east of Canaan. This was how Lot parted with his uncle Abram.


So Abram stayed in the land of Canaan while Lot moved his tents and settled in a place near a city called Sodom.


Abram Rescues His Nephew Lot


At this time, war broke out in the region of Canaan. Four kings went to war against five other kings.


The four kings were,


• Amraphel of Babylonia


• Arioch of Ellasar


• Chedorlaomer of Elam


• Tidal of Goiim



The five kings who fought against them were,



• Bera of Sodom


• Birsha of Gomorrah


• Shinab of Admah


• Shemeber of Zeboiim


• The king of Bela (also called Zoar)


The five kings formed an alliance and joined forces in valley called Valley of Siddim. This valley is now called the Dead Sea.


The five kings had been under the control of King Chedorlaomer for twelve years. In the thirteenth year however, they rebelled against that king.


The rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the Valley of Siddim. The fought against kings of Elam, Goiim, Babylonia and Ellassar.


The four kings defeated the five kings. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away from battle but they fell into pits that were filled of tar. The pits were in the Valley of Siddim. The other three kings that were with the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah escaped.


The four kings took everything that was in Sodom and Gomorrah including the food.


Because Lot who was Abram’s nephew was living in Sodom, they also took him ad all his possessions.


A man escaped and reported the situation to Abram.


Abram had allies whose names were Mamre, Eshcol and Aner. The three men were brothers.


When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he called all the fighting men in his camp. The men were 318.


Abram pursued the four kings until he caught up with them at a city called Dan. Abram divided his men and attacked the enemies by night and defeated them. He chased them as far as a place called Hobah which was north of a city called Damascus.


Abram recovered the goods which the defeated kings had taken. He also brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.


Melchizedek Blesses Abraham


After Abram returned from his victory over the four kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in one valley called the Valley of Shaveh (It is also called King’s Valley).


Another king whose name was Melchizedek came to Abram and brought him some bread and wine. Melchizedek was the king of a city called Salem. He was also a priest of God Most High.


King Melchizedek blessed Abram and said, “May the Most High God, who made heaven and earth, bless Abram! May the Most High God, who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!”


Abram took one tenth of all the goods he had recovered from the enemy and gave it to King Melchizedek.


Abram Rejects King of Sodom’s Gifts


When the king of Sodom met Abram, he told Abram to give him back all his people, but he could keep for himself all the goods he recovered from the enemy.


Abraham rejected the offer and told king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear before the LORD, the Most High God, Maker of heaven and earth,
that I will not keep anything of yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap. Then you can never say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’


I will take nothing for myself. I will accept only what my men have used. But let my allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, take their share.”


Genesis 1:1-24


This Bible Story Questions are:


  • Why did Abram’s men quarrel with Lot’s men?


  • Where did Lot go when He separated from his uncle Abram?


  • What were the names of the five kings that rebelled against King Chedorlaomar of Elam?


  • How many were the kings that defeated the five kings?


  • Who were the kings that defeated the five kings?


  • Who took Lot and his household captives including his possessions?


  • How many fighting men from Abram’s camp joined him to fight the kings who captured Lot and his household?


  • Who was Melchizedek?


  • What did Abram give Melchizedek when he blessed Abram?


  • Why did Abram not accept the goods the king of Sodom gave him? State what Abram told him.






Bible Story – Barrenness Forces a Woman to Give Her Slave Girl to Her Husband


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Sarai Gives Hagar to Abram


This Bible Story is about a barren named Sarai। She gave her slave girl as a concubine to her husband Abram so that she could raise children through the slave girl.


One day, Sarai said to Abraham, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Why don't you sleep with my slave girl? Perhaps she can have a child for me.”

The tradition of people of that time permitted a barren woman to give her slave girl to her husband if the woman was unable to give birth to children.

Hagar Became Pregnant


Abram had intercourse with Hagar (Sarai slave girl) and she became pregnant.

When Hagar realized that she was pregnant, she became proud and started to treat her mistress Sarai with contempt.

Sarai was not happy so she said to Abram, “It's your fault that Hagar despises me. I myself gave her to you, and ever since she found out that she was pregnant, she has despised me. May the LORD judge which of us is right, you or me!”

Abram responded by telling his wife that Hagar was her slave and under her control and she had the right to do whatever she wanted with Hagar.

So Sarai treated Hagar cruelly that she ran away.

God’s Angel Meets Hagar

Sarai’s slave ran away to a spring in the desert on the road to one city called Shur. While she was there, an angel of God met her and said to her, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”

She answered, “I am running away from my mistress.”

The angel told her to go back to her mistress and be submissive to her.

He told her that God would give her many descendants that no one would be able to count them. He went on to tell her that she would give birth to a son and she should name the child Ishmael because God had heard her cry of distress. The angel then informed her that her son would live his life like a wild donkey.

The angel concluded by saying to Hagar, “He (Hagar’s son) will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live apart from all his relatives.”

After the angel left, Hagar used another name to refer to God who had spoken to her through His angel. She referred to God as “A God who sees me” for she had earlier said, “Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?”

So that well where the angel met Hagar was named “Beer-Lahai-roi” (which means “Well of the Living One who sees me”)

Hagar Gives Birth to a Child

Hagar bore Abraham a child and he named him Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born.

Genesis 16:1-15

These questions concerning this Bible Story would help you confirm that you understood the स्टोरी.



  • What was the name of Sarai’s slave?


  • Why did Sarai give her slave to her husband to be his concubine?


  • Why did Sarai’s slave run away from her?


  • Whom did an angel of God meet at a spring in the desert?


  • Who did the angel say would live his life like a wild donkey?


  • What was the name given to the well where God spoke to Hagar through His angel?


  • How old was Abram when Ishmael was born?