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I always wondered what this meant, in Luke 16:22-23, (NASB) "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom."
Specifically, what does being in the bosom of Abraham? Its evident from the context its a good thing, but what is its significance?
Over the weekend I found this in Jubilees 22:26-30, (Charles), "And the two lay together on one bed, and Jacob slept in the bosom of Abraham, his father's father and he kissed him seven times, and his affection and his heart rejoiced over him. And he blessed him with all his heart and said:
"'The Most High God, the God of all, and Creator of all, who brought me forth from Ur of the Chaldees that he might give me this land to inherit it for ever, and that I might establish a holy seed- blessed be the Most High for ever.'
"And he blessed Jacob and said: 'My son, over whom with all my heart and my affection I rejoice, may Thy grace and Thy mercy be lift up upon him and upon his seed alway. And do not forsake him, nor set him at nought from henceforth unto the days of eternity, and may Thine eyes be opened upon him and upon his seed, that Thou mayst preserve him, and bless him, and mayest sanctify him as a nation for Thine inheritance; and bless him with all Thy blessings from henceforth unto all the days of eternity, and renew Thy covenant and Thy grace with him and with his seed according to all Thy good pleasure unto all the generations of the earth.'"
Jacob, Abraham's grandson, was favored by Abraham as the heir instead of Esau. While visiting with grandpa, Jacob and Abraham took a nap together and Abraham held Jacob close, 'in his bosom'. While Jacob slept, Abraham prophesied good over him and prayed for him, as you see in this passage.
One's being received into the 'bosom of Abraham' in the hereafter was a Jewish idiom for being in a position of favor with God. In Luke 16, Abraham the friend of God, held Lazarus in paradise close in his bosom as a dear and treasured one. Abraham himself can be said to have been received into that sort of intimate closeness with God as well; Abraham was received by God into His very bosom as the closest of relationships with God available in all of His creation.
Since the resurrection of Jesus, the One who is the substance of the type of Abraham, we too are being received into the bosom of God, the bosom of Christ, as a near and close and dear One who sticks to us closer than a friend, brother and father.
Specifically, what does being in the bosom of Abraham? Its evident from the context its a good thing, but what is its significance?
Over the weekend I found this in Jubilees 22:26-30, (Charles), "And the two lay together on one bed, and Jacob slept in the bosom of Abraham, his father's father and he kissed him seven times, and his affection and his heart rejoiced over him. And he blessed him with all his heart and said:
"'The Most High God, the God of all, and Creator of all, who brought me forth from Ur of the Chaldees that he might give me this land to inherit it for ever, and that I might establish a holy seed- blessed be the Most High for ever.'
"And he blessed Jacob and said: 'My son, over whom with all my heart and my affection I rejoice, may Thy grace and Thy mercy be lift up upon him and upon his seed alway. And do not forsake him, nor set him at nought from henceforth unto the days of eternity, and may Thine eyes be opened upon him and upon his seed, that Thou mayst preserve him, and bless him, and mayest sanctify him as a nation for Thine inheritance; and bless him with all Thy blessings from henceforth unto all the days of eternity, and renew Thy covenant and Thy grace with him and with his seed according to all Thy good pleasure unto all the generations of the earth.'"
Jacob, Abraham's grandson, was favored by Abraham as the heir instead of Esau. While visiting with grandpa, Jacob and Abraham took a nap together and Abraham held Jacob close, 'in his bosom'. While Jacob slept, Abraham prophesied good over him and prayed for him, as you see in this passage.
One's being received into the 'bosom of Abraham' in the hereafter was a Jewish idiom for being in a position of favor with God. In Luke 16, Abraham the friend of God, held Lazarus in paradise close in his bosom as a dear and treasured one. Abraham himself can be said to have been received into that sort of intimate closeness with God as well; Abraham was received by God into His very bosom as the closest of relationships with God available in all of His creation.
Since the resurrection of Jesus, the One who is the substance of the type of Abraham, we too are being received into the bosom of God, the bosom of Christ, as a near and close and dear One who sticks to us closer than a friend, brother and father.
