It paints a vivid picture of Abraham’s arrival and his immediate actions.
Imagine this: Abraham, having journeyed from Ur of the Chaldees – a long and arduous trek, no doubt – finally sets foot in the land promised to him and his descendants. The land is lush, teeming with life. According to Jubilees, he sees "vines and figs and pomegranates, oaks and ilexes, and terebinths and oil trees, and cedars and cypresses and date trees, and all trees of the field, and there was water on the mountains." What a sight after the desert!
It's a veritable Eden, a land overflowing with the bounty of creation. You can almost feel the relief, the sense of arrival, the promise fulfilled hanging in the air. What would you do first?
Well, Abraham, in the Book of Jubilees, doesn't waste any time. The text tells us that in the first year, in the seventh week, on the new moon of the first month – a very specific date! – he builds an altar on a mountain. This wasn't just any altar; it was a declaration.
He "called on the name of the Lord," proclaiming, "Thou, the eternal God, art my God." It's a powerful moment of recognition, of acknowledging the divine hand that guided him to this place. He's not just claiming the land; he's claiming his relationship with God.
And what does he do next? He offers a burnt sacrifice, a korban olah, "unto the Lord that He should be with him and not forsake him all the days of his life." It’s a plea for continued guidance, a commitment to remain faithful. He’s not just thanking God for the present; he’s asking for God's presence in the future.
This passage from the Book of Jubilees provides a beautiful, intimate portrait of Abraham's faith. It shows us that even the great patriarch, the father of a nation, understood the importance of constant communication with the Divine. He needed reassurance, guidance, and the strength to continue on his journey. Just like us, really.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? How do we build our own altars in our lives? How do we acknowledge the Divine in our everyday moments, and how do we ask for guidance on our own journeys? Perhaps Abraham's example, as depicted in the Book of Jubilees, can offer a little inspiration.