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Genesis 12:1-9
1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
9And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Our introduction to Abraham is simple and profound all at once. In the last chapter, we are told of Abraham's heritage. His father, Terah, moves the family from what we now know as Iraq (close to ancient Babylon) to Haran, which is now Turkey. While Abram is in Haran, at the age of 75, Abram has a visit from God. This visit comes with instructions. Abram is to move his family "to the land I will show you."
We know absolutely nothing of what Abram did or did not know of God before this rather intense introduction. God simply comes to him and says, "move your family to the land I will show You." The remarkable thing is that Abram does it. When he gets there, the land is filled with the descendants of Ham, known as the Canaanites. He moves on through Canaan to the land of Shechem and then on to the Negev. God calls and Abram obeys. For me, the simplicity of it makes it profound.
When calls us into action, are we that quick to obey? Personally, no. Far to often I demand more information from God so that I can make my decision as to whether or not I am going to obey. I admire Abram's obedient spirit. What I think we need to see here is that Abram is not special. He doesn't have a great faith (that is reported anyway) and no real working relationship with God. But God had to start somewhere and He chose Abram. What Abram brought to the page was a willingness to listen and obey. That's impressive.
1Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
2And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
3I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
5And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,
6Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land.
7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.
9And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Our introduction to Abraham is simple and profound all at once. In the last chapter, we are told of Abraham's heritage. His father, Terah, moves the family from what we now know as Iraq (close to ancient Babylon) to Haran, which is now Turkey. While Abram is in Haran, at the age of 75, Abram has a visit from God. This visit comes with instructions. Abram is to move his family "to the land I will show you."
We know absolutely nothing of what Abram did or did not know of God before this rather intense introduction. God simply comes to him and says, "move your family to the land I will show You." The remarkable thing is that Abram does it. When he gets there, the land is filled with the descendants of Ham, known as the Canaanites. He moves on through Canaan to the land of Shechem and then on to the Negev. God calls and Abram obeys. For me, the simplicity of it makes it profound.
When calls us into action, are we that quick to obey? Personally, no. Far to often I demand more information from God so that I can make my decision as to whether or not I am going to obey. I admire Abram's obedient spirit. What I think we need to see here is that Abram is not special. He doesn't have a great faith (that is reported anyway) and no real working relationship with God. But God had to start somewhere and He chose Abram. What Abram brought to the page was a willingness to listen and obey. That's impressive.
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