Abraham‘s Bosom

You know the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus?  It’s recorded in Luke 16:19-31 as Jesus told the story.  It’s believed to be a real story and not a parable.  In verse 22, Jesus uses the words “Abraham’s bosom”.  Here’s the verse: And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; the rich man also died, and was buried.  

Now, I have read that and wondered what was Abraham’s bosom, but then when you go on in the story, you realize that it is the place of the believer after death, but prior to Jesus having had come.  In other words, these people were saved looking forward to the Messiah coming, so they were made rightiousness by faith and by the keeping of the law in sacrifices, but it wasn’t enough.  Why?  Because Jesus had not yet come to pay for their sins.  They had a down-payment you could say, like putting something on lay-a-way.  When the final payment was made for their sins, then they would be free, but for now, they are waiting on their final payment to be made. The day they will be freed from Abraham’s bosom and go to heaven.  This happened in the three days that Jesus was dead, and went to hell and preached to the captives and freed those in Abraham’s Bosom.  

But why the name, “Abraham’s Bosom”?  Glad you asked! In the toga that the Greek’s wore, there was an overhanging fold in the garmet, that created a pocket, near the chest.  You’ve seen movies and such where they slip their hand into their breast, placing some paper for something there for safe keeping? That’s was a kolpos.  A pocket area for safe keeping.  Babies are swaddled on the chest in the same way, so this area implied safe keeping.  If you died looking forward to the Messiah coming, then you were kept safe in Abraham’s Bosom, a “separated” place just for believers, until their debt was paid by Jesus.  

Words mean things!  Don’t skip over what you don’t know!

Blessings