When Abraham matured, Farrah arranged his marriage to a beautiful woman of his kin, named Sarah, who was later renamed by God, as she embodied the faith and virtues of her husband. Her faith is commended by the holy Apostle Paul (Hebrews 11:11), and St. Peter extols her as a model for wives due to her purity, meekness, and submission to her husband (1 Pet. 3:6). This holy pair, Abraham and Sarah, united in body and spirit, stood out amidst a world tangled in idolatry, possessing the knowledge of and faithful service to the one true God. They zealously preached His holy name, guiding others in the understanding of God. For this reason, the Lord moved them from place to place—leaving Chaldea for Harran, then to Canaan, on to Egypt, and back to Canaan—so that His divine name might be revealed among the faithless Gentiles and His glory proclaimed. At that time, Abraham and Sarah were selected by God as instruments to spread His name before the kings and nations. For generations to follow, their holy lives would serve as a foundation of faith, a reflection of righteousness, and a model of pious living. Thus, the Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, called the wayward Jewish people to repentance and a righteous life, urging: "Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you" (Isaiah 51:2). Here, the Lord suggests that they should embody the same faith and life that Abraham and Sarah exemplified. Some interpreters of the Holy Scriptures, as well as certain historians, note that Abraham was the youngest of Terah's sons, despite his placement at the forefront in Scripture; they argue that Arran was the firstborn by one wife, followed by Nahor, and finally Abraham from another wife. They regard Sarah as Arran's daughter, as Arran fathered Lot and two daughters: Melchah, the elder, and Eschah, the younger. It is written in divine scripture that Arran is "the father of Melchah and the father of Eschah" (Genesis 11:29), and this Eschah is interpreted by scholars as being Sarah, as named by Abraham. Melchah was taken by Nahor, while Eschah became Abraham's wife. We must consider why Abraham named his wife Eschah as Sarah. She showed great respect for her husband, calling him lord, and in turn, Abraham honored his wife, referring to her as my lady. Therefore, he named her Sarah, which translates to "mistress," reflecting that very meaning in the Hebrew dialect. If Abraham's wife was indeed Eschah, the daughter of his brother Arran who was later renamed Sarah, it indicates that Abraham was younger than Arran, being merely ten years senior to Sarah, as indicated in Genesis 17:17 when Abraham questions God: "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" If Abraham were older than his brothers, he would need to be significantly more than ten years older than Sarah, and it would be unnatural for a younger brother to marry before his elder. Thus, when Arran gave his daughter Sarah into marriage and raised her to that age, Abraham had not yet taken a wife. This clarifies that Arran was older, succeeded by Nahor, and then Abraham, the youngest. Saint Moses featured Abraham first in his accounts not because of age, but due to his faith and devout life, as it was from Abraham's lineage that the promised Messiah would emerge. Therefore, let us value the virtuous lives that have pleased God rather than merely the elder years. Concerning Abraham’s faith journey, George Kedrin recounts that at the age of twenty-four, he recognized the true and living God who reigns in heaven, drawing from the visible creation around him. He was educated by his family in the wisdom of the stars, the movements of the cosmos, and the earthly and maritime sciences, yet his forebears, despite their learning, failed to understand or serve the Creator and instead worshipped idols. Blessed Abraham sought understanding of the origins of all that he observed, and one night as he gazed upon the starry sky, he received illumination from divine knowledge. Kedrin suggests that an angel taught him during this time. Worthy of such guidance was this earnest seeker! Abraham learned of the one true God and endeavored to lead his father and brothers to this same truth, but without success. Only his beloved wife Sarah, who shared his beliefs and prayed alongside him, stood by him in faith. In his sixtieth year, recognizing the futility of converting others from idolatry, he became fervent for God and during the night, secretly set fire to the idol temple. When the temple blazed, his brothers sprang to action to save the idols. Arran, more intent on safeguarding the idols than anyone, entered the inferno, which severely burned him and ultimately led to his death. It is said that Arran was the first to die before his parents, a rarity in their lineage. The Jews recount that the Chaldeans were infuriated by Abraham’s destruction of their idols and cast him into the fire, yet he emerged unharmed by God's power. When Farrah, Abraham's father, witnessed this miracle, he was astonished and acknowledged the true God, abandoning idol worship to serve alongside Abraham. Subsequently, Abraham had a divine revelation instructing him to depart, as Stephen the first martyr recounted: "Brothers and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Harran, and said to him, 'Leave your country and your people and go to the land I will show you'" (Acts 7:2-3). Upon receiving this command, Abraham convinced his father Farrah to leave the idolatrous city, as they had faced much hostility there for their devout worship. Thus, Farrah departed from Chaldea, journeying with Abraham, Lot—son of Harran, and Sarah, Abraham's wife, as they intended to reach Canaan (Nahor remained in Chaldea with the idolaters). Upon arriving in Harran, Farrah chose to settle there, as he was aged and weary. He died there at the age of two hundred and five. Nahor returned to Harran while his father was dying, and together with Abraham, they buried Farrah. After this, Nahor settled there with his household, but he and his family did not forsake idol worship, as evidenced later by his grandson Laban's idolatry.
THEOSIS