I remember the first time I visited the massive ancient building erected by Herod the Great in Hebron.

He had it built over the cave of Machpelah more than 2,000 years ago to mark and protect the sacred resting place of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah. I walked into the

building as a 10-year-old with a covering over my head and my parents, brothers, and a number of friends

at my side. There was one place where you could go to your knees and carefully look through

a brass grate and see into the cave below.

A small lamp was burning there.

A feeling came over me at that moment, not only that this was a sacred place,

but that I was connected to Abraham.

He was my direct lying grandfather. I have never forgotten that moment.

Welcome to Meridian Magazine's Come Follow Me podcast. We are Scott and Maureen Proctor, and this week

we'll be covering Genesis chapter 18 through 23 in a lesson about Abraham and Sarah that has direct application to each one of us.

Scott, I know that feeling you're talking about. We get that same feeling of kinship with Joseph when we are in Egypt.

I too felt that feeling of connection with Abraham and Hebron

when you and I visited there not that many years ago. Who is this Abraham that has such a tie with

his children? And who is this Sarah that is so important to all of us. The great prophet Isaiah said,

Harken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness. Look unto the rock from whence ye are

hewn, and to the whole of the pit from whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father,

and unto Sarah, she that bear you, for I called him alone and blessed him.

We are to do the works of Abraham. We are to be counted as his seed. We are to look unto these

incredible righteous parents. Let's do that today and see what we can learn. You know, Maureen,

how I love to know the meanings of Hebrew words and names, and this is no exception. Abraham's

given birth name was Abram, which means exalted father. It also means their shield or their protection. Abram was a sheik of the desert and he offered protection to all who came under his tent.

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