suggests an influence which may have strengthened Abraham himself—his mother! On January 30, 1930, a fifty-three-year-old housewife, a Theosophist, was told that following a life in Egypt, in 12,500 B.C., she had incarnated in India.
The entity then was among those when there came the destruction of the peoples in the valleys by those who would make rule from the hills. The entity then [was] among those who were conquered in body, but not in mind—and little by little the entity, through that experience, brings to bear such influence, such a condition, as to bring the peoples who would become the rulers in accord with the mental and the spiritual builders of that land, and of the house came Abraham. In the name Terahe. Not the father, but the mother.
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Abimilech
On October 18, 1934, a thirty-four-year-old physicist of Christian background was told he had been Abimilech, whose story is recorded in Genesis 20:
The entity then was in the name Abimilech, or the ruler of those people in the lands that lay between the Egyptian and Syrophoenician lands. The entity then gained, even through those experiences and associations. Yet from those very activities there were brought those desires on the part of the entity, Abimilech, to bring to the knowledge of those who were as servants—or those whom the entity served in the capacity of the king of that land—that “he that would be the greatest among all would be the servant of all.” While the entity had much in its experience and through that sojourn, that in the material and the moral life in the present would be questioned, yet the purposes, the aims, the desires, the activities were rather as the growth throughout that sojourn.
And the abilities of the entity in the present to apply same are in the innate influences that impel and make for a growth in the soul, or in the entity—which is the combination of all its experiences with its soul also—that may make for not only the material but the mental and spiritual growth that comes to a greater and better knowledge, understanding, of those things in the earth.
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As the above reading affirms, Abimilech was a spiritually-minded man. (Genesis 20) Unlike Pharaoh, who was awakened only through a series of plagues (Genesis 12), Abimilech was warned through a vision of the deception which Abram had practiced on him. Abram’s presenting Sarah as his sister previously in Egypt had not only protected them, but had established him, via Pharaoh’s gifts, as a wealthy man.
Perhaps he and Sarah agreed to practice this deception everywhere they stopped, or when they felt it was needed.
. . . as indicated in the law of the Book, the life of the man Abraham was not beautiful, yet that faith which motivated same is beautiful, and the memory and of the children of faith we find beautiful.
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Edgar Cayce’s Bible class lesson was a hard look at Abraham and his rationalizations to Abimilech.
“Abraham’s excuse was he did not feel God was in that place or among the people. He had become so used to thinking of himself as being a chosen one, he forgot to look for the good in others. He depended, rather, upon his ability for slyness and trickery.
“Abraham’s actions, first with Pharaoh and then with Abimilech, are hard for us to understand. We can only say that he was very human. Even today, no matter how old we are or what our circumstances may be, we are constantly attempting to justify ourselves. Usually we are looking for the easiest ways to ‘get by.’
“We might even say Abraham was just practicing another good Jewish trick, and getting a lot of money out of these people. The Philistines were as wealthy as the Egyptians.
“Still, if we think of the experience as something we can apply in our own lives, it would represent our attempts to justify ourselves in material things.
“Abraham felt he had a special interest in God not shared by others. Many feel that way today. They feel they are especially gifted and have a right to the best of everything. This is true. Each individual has a right to be best in life, but only in harmonious co–operation with others, and not at their expense.
“Abimilech reproved Sarah for taking his gifts to Abraham. He felt they were not deserved because they had taken advantage of him.”
A Forced Issue
Even though Peter was able to recognize the Christ and was established as the head of the new Church, it became necessary, a very short while later, for Jesus to rebuke him. (Matthew 16:22-23)
The falling in and out of attunement is found in even the greatest ones in Scripture. They represent humanity in all its phases. And Abraham is no exception.
For remember, though he walked in many ways contrary to God’s edicts and laws, Abram’s try was counted to him for righteousness.
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On October 18, 1941, a fifty-six-year-old missionary nurse was told in her Life reading that she was a witness to one of Abraham’s contrary ways:
. . . the entity was in the land of Ur, when there were those journeys of that one called. The entity was among those of that household, who knew and understood, and who made administrations for the welfare of Abraham and Sarah. The entity knew of those choices when there were the attempts on the part of man to force an issue with God. How oft ye find in thy experiences today that there are those same attempts on the part of individuals to tell God how they desire health, position, to be well spoken of.
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In Genesis 15, Abraham, at ninety-seven, is told by God he would have a natural heir, a son. In Genesis 16 Sarah, who had been barren all her life, urges Abraham to conceive the promised heir through Hagar, her personal slave.
“This,” Edgar Cayce remarked, “was another instance where woman tempted man to try some other way than the one outlined by God. And Abraham, although called ‘Father of the Faithful,’ was willing to listen. Sarah was anxious. She wanted Abraham to receive the blessing which had been promised. So, she decided to help things get started.”
“This is the way we are,” Cayce continued. “If we plant a seed today, we dig it up tomorrow to see how it is growing. Patience is the greatest lesson—to wait upon the Lord.” As soon as Hagar conceived, she looked with contempt on Sarah. And Sarah became disturbed and angry.
The seed which had been planted bore its own fruit—this is the first instance in Scripture of jealousy and hatred between two women.
Cayce concluded the Bible lesson with the thought:
“Sarah, no doubt, realized she had sinned, and for that reason, took it out on Hagar. Most of us will try and blame someone else, when we really know within ourselves that we are at fault.”
Fearful of Sarah, Hagar fled into the wilderness. In a psychic experience in the desert, she was told by an angel that
