The Story through the Bible Gen

Abram

In Gen 12:1-3 we get the promise - we will refer to this as “THE PROMISE” many many times, I’ve already referenced it that way in our other Bible studies but it’s pivotal and really this is the next most important promise of with only Genesis 3 being bigger. This falls within the promise of the seed but we’re often now pointing to this most often and it will remind us of the ultimate promise of redemption through the seed.

Genesis 12:1–3 ESV

Now 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. And 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. I 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.”

We didn’t spend time on this back in the spreading out because it makes more sense here to point this out looking back. The promise has 3 words that make us remember people filling the earth and the curse of babel.

Land

Family

Nation

Genesis 10:5 ESV

From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

Genesis 10:20 ESV

These are the sons of Ham, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

Genesis 10:31 ESV

These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

So Abram is going to leave Lands and Family to become a great Nation but he reason God is doing this is ultimately to bless all nations.

Bless, blessing, or blessed shows up 5 times in v3 this should hint at addressing the 5 curses of the first section of chapters 1-11.

Serpent Gen 3:15.

Land Gen 3:17.

Cain Gen 4:11.

Whole Earth Gen 8:21.

Canaan Gen 9:25.

Abram has no power to accomplish this blessing or becoming of a great nation. Abram responds in faith in v4 not with words at all but with deeds.

Genesis 12:4 ESV

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

We get then the people traveling with him specifically his wife Sarai and Lot is Nephew. Plus all the possessions and people he had acquired while living in Haran. They travel through Canaan and God tells him this land will belong to his offspring so Abram makes an altar there and in another place along the journey. He’s traveling North to south.

Now we’re going to get a prequel theme hint see how much this sounds like something that will happen later.

Genesis 12:10–13:1 ESV

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had. So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb.

We can certainly see some parallels to one of our future stories but we’ll talk about those when we get there. What about this story? Sarai doesn’t have any dialogue we don’t know what happened but for a time she becomes the pharoah’s wife so the understanding puts a darker picture here that she is having marital relations with him. This is not part of God’s plan. God had already told Abram about his offspring but could that be with just anyone? NO it’s to the legitimate heir of Abram. He can’t just ditch the first wife and get another, or take a concubine and have that work. Later on we’ll see the promise explicitly spoken about Sarah as well (Gen 17) but for now we have enough to go on to know that God’s intention is 1 man 1 woman in marriage until someone dies. So God’s promise cannot be fulfilled if Sarai is Pharaoh’s wife. Yes, I said there was something God cannot do, because God cannot go against his Holy nature. He cannot break his promises. God intervenes and brings plagues on Pharaoh. Somehow Pharaoh figures out the truth and is upset by what Abram has done which gives Pharaoh a few points in my book. Abram is the escorted out of Egypt likely to make sure he actually leaves.

That wraps up that small story so I want to pause for any questions or comments I didn’t want to dive deep but just set the story in our minds for the future.

Next we find ourselves back in the land of Canaan where Abram first made an altar. The land was not big enough for him and Lot to live together anymore. That’s a lot of sheep and herdsmen etc. Abram lets Lot choose what land to take. Gen 13.11

Genesis 13:11 ESV

So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other.

There’s that “journeyed east” phrase we mentioned as something that we might remember as possibly a bad sign.

Well things in the valley get a little crazy and nine city/nations go to war.

Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim go to war with Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela(Zoar) The four prevail and the rest flee some falling into tar pits there in the valley. So the enemy is able to take all of the stuff from Sodom and Gomorrah which included Lot. Abram hears this and goes to rescue Lot. In the rescue he pushes the enemy very far north and takes back everything taken from Sodom and Gomorrah including Lot.

Genesis 14:17–24 ESV

After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.”