Abraham and Jacob Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Abraham and Jacob - Essay Example arity between these two patriarchs rests in the strength of their faith and their obedience to the Lord, which set them apart from the other Hebrews and qualifies them as patriarchs. Abraham is the earliest Hebrew patriarch and plays an important role because God made a covenant with him, to make him the father of a great nation: â€Å"I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations.† (Genesis 17:7). God entered into a similar covenant with Jacob at Bethel to bless his offspring with good things: â€Å"†¦..all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and your offspring†¦.know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Genesis 28:15). The singular similarity between these two patriarchs is the strength of their faith, which is why they are called and chosen by God to be the patriarchs of the Jewish people. Abraham’s exemplary faith is demonstrated throughout his story, in his prompt obedience to the Lord. When God calls to him and says, â€Å"Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and†¦.offer him there as a burnt offering† (Genesis 22:2), Abraham does not hesitate to obey, even if it means sacrificing his only son. Jacob is also able to survive in an alien country on the strength of his faith in God. He enters Egypt penniless but when he leaves Egypt, he is a rich man. Despite Laban’s efforts to cheat him on several occasions, the strength of his faith ensures a steady flow of the Lord’s blessings, so that he is able to flourish and thrive and his twelve sons become the forbears of the twelve tribes of Israel. Abraham the patriarch was the flag bearer of God’s covenant with the Hebrew people. Abraham’s role as patriarch is unique in that he was the first one that God selected, promising him that He would make him the father of a great nation. It was after God established his covenant with Abraham that the requirement for circumcision was set out, which forever

Write a report on the company called Marks & Spencer Essay

Write a report on the company called Marks & Spencer - Essay Example It is this overall sales figure where the returns on the shareholders’ stake in M&S business will be later derived, as well as the company’s sustainability of operations over the long run. Figure 2 highlights the changes in the different sales figures (M&S 2004-2008). By looking at the growth of sales using the previous year as benchmark, the increase or decrease in the company’s efforts to generate more sales can be later probed more deeply; that is, whether this increase or decrease in the growth can be attributable to management’s practices or external factors. Figure 3 shows the different areas of M&S, which include: UK general merchandise business; UK food business; International general merchandise business; and the International food business. The company’s overall increase in sales will be determined by the increase in the different business areas of the company, thus it is helpful to learn the contribution of the different areas by looking at the company’s sales breakdown. People. As the change in management results in a more experienced senior management and executive committee, the development of management capability gives the M&S an opportunity to develop its skills. Since these people are new, although experienced, the whole management capability of the company is not yet fully developed. Thus, this is a weakness to the company. Resources. By dividing the total liabilities figure by the M&S total assets figure (M&S 2008, 96), the debt ratio of 86.9% is derived. With this very high debt ratio, there is a possibility that the company will have less access to debt as its credit rating changes as more debt makes it riskier to the eyes of investors. The firm’s only choice can be equity financing for its future expansion. This is a weakness to the company. Innovation and Ideas. The company emphasises innovation as one of the company values. Apart from innovation in product development, this