THE YOUNG ABRAHAM’S STORY

Y’shua sat before His disciples one day and He said to them, “Let me tell you an interesting story on Abraham when he was young.

“Abram, as Abraham was called then, was seven years old when he began to seek God. His father’s occupation was to fashion wooden gods. One day he engaged his father Terah in a conversation. Abram asked, ‘Father, you made me and your father made you. So, who made the first man?’ The father answered, ‘The gods made the first man.’

“Then he asked, ‘Father, how many gods are there?’ His father answered, ‘They are infinite in number.’

“Abram asked, ‘Father, if I served one god, the other gods might become jealous and think evil of me. Should there be fighting between my god and the other gods, and my god got killed, it would be certain that I would be killed too. What must I do?’ The old man laughed and said, ‘Do not be afraid, my son, for no god makes war. There must be a thousand gods in the temple, including the great Ba’al. I am near the age of 70 yet I have not seen or heard of a god smiting another.’

“Abram said, ‘Father, what are gods like?’ The father answered, ‘You little fool! Everyday I make a god for a living and you do not know how gods look like. This one is made of palm wood; that one is made of olive; the little one over there is made of ivory.  See how fine it is, as if it were alive? It lacks only breath.’

“Then he said, ‘So, father, the gods are without breath? How then can they give breath? If they have no life, how can they give life? Certainly these are not God.’ The old man became angry, saying, ‘If you were of age to understand your words, I would have broken your head with this axe!’

“Abram protested, saying, ‘But father, how can the gods create the first man if there was no man in the beginning to make them? And if God were made of wood, which I doubt, then is it not a sin to burn wood? Tell me, father, is not gratitude one of God’s virtues? With the many gods you have made so far, how come they do not make you a rich or powerful man?’

“The father became silent, not expecting such wisdom from a boy so young. Abram continued, saying, ‘Father, was the world in the beginning without men?’ The father answered, ‘Yes, why do you ask?’

“Abram said, ‘Because I am curious who made the first god.’ The old man said, ‘Now go and play outside. Leave me to finish this god. When you get hungry, you will desire bread, not words.’

“Abram said, ‘Okay, father, but I am telling you, you have a fine god there who cannot defend himself!’ The father answered, ‘You little fool! The whole world says it is a god and you say it is not?’

“Time passed and Abram came to the age of 12. The father came to him and said, ‘Son, tomorrow is the festival of gods. I will go to the temple and bear a present to my god, the great Ba’al. Come with me, so you can choose a god for yourself, now that you have come of age.’

“Abram went with his father with an axe concealed under his tunic, and once inside the temple, Abram hid behind an idol. When everyone had left and the temple was closed, he took his axe and cut off all the feet of the idols except that of Ba’al, at whose feet he placed the axe.

“When the temple was opened the next day, the people saw the feet of their gods broken to pieces. At this they cried out, ‘Quickly, let us search for the man who killed our gods!’ Abram said, ‘You fools! Can a man kill a god? It was the great Ba’al that killed the other gods! See the axe at his feet? Certainly he is a jealous god!’

“But then Abram’s father came looking for him; and he recognized the axe. He cried out, ‘It was my traitor son who killed our gods! This axe is mine!’

“The people became furious. They tied Abram’s hands and feet. Then they gathered enough firewood, lit it, and threw him on top of it to burn. It was at this time that an angel of God came and he commanded the fire not to burn Abram. The fire blazed with great fury that it burned some of those who threw Abram into the fire; and this caused a commotion. But Abram was not hurt; instead, he found himself being freed and carried to safety by an unseen force; and so he escaped. 

“Whenever he recalled the incident, Abram would say to himself, ‘There must be a living God.’

“One day as he sat meditating on this, he heard his name being called. Three times a voice called out his name but when he turned to see who it was, he found no one. So he asked, ‘Who is calling me?’

“The angel Gabriel came to him, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am an angel of God, the One who freed you from the fire. I am sent to relay to you this message from God: “Leave your country, your people, and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”   

“Abram made a vow, saying, ‘Your God will be my God and my Master. All His commands I will obey. But petition Him to guard me, so that no other God may hurt me.’ And it was then that the Father in heaven said to Abram, ‘I alone am God.’” (cf. Gospel of Barnabas, chapters 26-28)