The Abrahamic Promise Genesis 12

God’s call to Abram

After the fall of Babel the world became a very dark place. There appeared to be no hope. God divided humanity up into different nations and assigned lesser elohim (divine sons/angels) to govern them. Humanity, it seemed, was no longer able to receive the gracious blessing of God. Can we imagine a world without grace? Without hope? Without the word of God to lighten the path ahead of us? Thankfully, God had not altogether abandoned humanity. He was planning to raise a nation of His own. This new nation would be conduit to bless all the nations of the earth. These blessings begin pouring in from verses 2-3.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

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. 2 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. 3 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.”

There are all together five blessings in just these two verses! These blessings upon Abram also echo previous blessings found in Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 9:1. The blessing upon Adam, Eve, Noah, and Abram all signify a new beginning; a new creation.

It is fascinating to see how these five blessings serve to counter the previous judgments and curses poured out upon creation in Genesis 1-11. Abraham is promised land in Genesis 15:7, whilst in Genesis 3 we can read how God cursed the ground. Abram is to live a semi nomadic life wandering toward the land of promise, whilst Cain in Genesis 4:11 is cursed and became a wanderer. Additionally, it is important to highlight how the rebellion of the angels in Genesis 6 and the Babel event in Genesis 11 share a common thread. Both episodes show how God’s creatures were set on making a great name for themselves; to give glory only to themselves and not God. The consequences of these actions lead to judgement. In contrast, God promises that He will make Abrams name great in verse 2. Already in chapter 12 we see how God has not abandoned His creation; God plans to do something that will reverse the evil caused by His creatures.

Why did God choose an already aged man with a barren wife? Why didn't God just choose one of the mighty men of this age? A king or a warrior for example? Because, as we see throughout the Bible, God raises the weak to do mighty works in His name. Moreover, we can also see how this very moment in history is the genesis of God’s intervention in forming a community of faith. The blessings bestowed upon Abram form the heart of the Biblical story of redemption.

It is fascinating to look back and see how God’s cosmic plan of redemption has played out up until our day today. In Hebrews 11:8 we read how Abram is a champion of faith by his obedience to God; Abram responded by faithfully following God’s command, even though he did not know where he was being led. God told Abram how He was going to make his name great; how a great nation would spring from his seed; how He will bless those who bless him, and curse those who curse him. Above all, God brings hope to us all; it will be through Abram’s posterity that all the families of the earth shall be blessed. How could Abram comprehend the depth of these blessings?

God is faithful! We are witness to how these blessings have been fulfilled! Paul tells us how;

English Standard Version Chapter 1

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

God knew this at the time he called Abram. Yet, for Abram, this call was a step in the dark; it required a leap of faith. Abram’s trust in God’s promises is an example for us all to follow. God calls us, He places us where He wants us, we cannot see the entire plan God has for us; but we are to trust as Abram trusted.

At different points, the Bible informs us of the places and landmarks Abram passes by. The Oak of Moreh is of special significance, as this is the place where the Lord appears to Abram. To dig a little, lets look at what the name means. Moreh is the participle of “hôrāh”, which means “to give divine direction. For example, we can read in Isaiah 9:15 “nābî’ mōreh sheḳer” “a prophet who gives false direction”. The significance of the Oak of Moreh is based on the encounter between Abram and the Lord. God appears to Abram in order to show him the land which will be given to his offspring; it is after this encounter that Abram builds an altar to the Lord. At this time there was no temple. God appeared to the Patriarchs at specific times and places, upon which an altar was built in order to worship and honor God.

After the encounter with God, Abram must have been on a spiritual high. Has anyone felt those special spiritual moments with God? Those encounters where we feel God’s presence so strongly that everything else around us melts away? All life’s problems become trivial in those moments. These sacred moments act as rocket fuel for our spiritual batteries; but like all batteries they soon run empty again. Our weaknesses resurface, we might even forget that awesome encounter with God. We encounter suffering and pain, which leads us to question where God is. We may wonder why God is so silent. Some of us may even lose a certain level of trust in the Lord in a given situation. Abram was no different. We can see this in Abram’s and Sarai’s journey into Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20);

English Standard Version Chapter 12

10 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. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 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.”

The famine that was ravaging the land shows us how suffering was also a part of Abram’s life. Yes, he had an extraordinary relationship with the Lord; but he was still just a human like us. In Psalm 73:2-14 we can read how the righteous can suffer, whilst the wicked prosper. I am sure you have experienced a time where you have felt close to the Lord. Maybe you have felt a strong call to do something, and then suddenly you are hit with a barrage of trials. Look at the life of Elijah! Elijah was an instrument of the Lord in bringing down fire on Mount Carmel. Yet, even after this extraordinary event, Elijah’s life was threatened, which lead him to flee into the wilderness. Elijah then fell into a deep state of depression 1 Kings 19:4-5.

Even Jesus was subject to suffering and opposition. We need only read about Christ’s baptism. Christ receives that personal assurance from the Father “You are my son in whom I am well pleased”; he is then driven out into the desert, where he is tempted by the deceiver Mark 1: 12-13.

Times of trial can be extremely hard and dark. We may feel like God has abandoned us all together. Christ himself cried out “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27: 46. But let us read on from Psalm 22, which Christ quoted whilst on the cross;

English Standard Version Psalm 22

For he has not despised or abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted,

and he has not hidden his face from him,

but has heard, when he cried to him.

God had not forsaken Christ, and He does not forsake anyone who calls out to Him. When our prayers feel unanswered, when we feel totally alone, let us remember Psalm 22: 24! We can read again how Elijah wanted God to end his life. Elijah was beaten, depressed and alone. God, however, was there! 1 Kings states;

English Standard Version Chapter 19

And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

We may feel alone, but God is always there. He is there in those times of trial and tribulation, just like He is there when times are great. When we are beaten He comes to nourish and strengthen us. It is Satan who want us to think that God has altogether forsaken us. He wants us to feel like we are not good enough, or that we are abusing God’s grace. These are lies that aim to turn our attention away from God and others. Satan wants us to focus solely on ourselves; to see only dense fog and hopelessness. Serious opposition can make life so dark that we may feel like all lights have been extinguished. But time and time again we know this is a lie. Behind those dark heavy clouds is an open blue sky. God has not hidden His face from us. He is always there and he hears our cries.

Abram experienced life just like any other human being. He had his spiritual highs and lows. Abram’s trust in the Lord’s protection is tested upon arriving in Egypt. Abram misses the mark. His trust in the Lord does not stretch far enough. Abram feared the Egyptians may take his life if they knew Sarai to be his wife. Thus, he made up a lie to ensure his own safety. When I read this, I can really connect with Abram. I have felt on numerous occasions God’s nearness, yet I can then go into a situation where that nearness and trust is suddenly forgotten, and my own selfish desires take priority. We are human, we make mistakes, we miss the mark. We get down, depressed, and tired; it is during these times that we need to surrender all these failings to the Lord. It is during these times we need to keep crying out because God is there and He is listening. He has His arms open and is ready to take all those burdens we accumulate in life. He takes those burdens and weaknesses and transforms them into something great. Just like he took and old man and his barren wife and made a great nation. Just like He himself came down and took upon flesh in order to defeat Death itself.

A passage from the Bible Speaks Today series informs us that;

The Message of Genesis 12–50: From Abraham to Joseph Abram in Danger (Genesis 12:10–13:1)

The Bible is totally candid about the failings of those whom the Lord chose to be his servants. Abraham, the great man of faith, knew what it was to desert the way of faith, and experienced fear and fell into temptation. The Pharaoh, to Abram’s shame, administered a stern rebuke, so revealing that his code of ethics was higher than Abram had supposed. He would not wittingly have stolen another man’s wife. Now Abram must take his wife and be gone. Still in possession of the bride-price the Pharaoh had paid in flocks and herds, Abram left the country. He never ventured to Egypt again. The danger of shortage in Canaan was to be preferred to the moral and spiritual dangers he had hardly been aware of when he went to Egypt. Indeed it was a sin of omission in the first instance which had ultimately involved him in cowardice and betrayal of his wife: he had failed to draw near to the Lord, and had failed therefore to trust him, when trouble struck. The source of his danger was confidence in his own judgment. Like Abram, we have to learn that it is all too easy to find ourselves off the track, simply because we have trusted our own reasoning instead of consulting our guide. All kinds of dangers follow.

Marvellously there was a way back, for the Lord had not given up on Abram, despite his lapse, any more than he abandons his defeated servants today. Abram was allowed to leave Egypt without suffering any recriminations; unaccountably, the Pharaoh allowed him to keep all his sheep, oxen, he-asses, menservants, maidservants, she-asses, and camels (12:16), and take them back to Canaan. The only explanation was that the Lord had spoken to the Pharaoh, forbidding him to touch his ‘anointed ones’ (Ps. 105:15). The return journey brought Abram into the south of Canaan, but he was not content to stay there, for he had a mind to head for Bethel and Ai, ‘where he had made an altar at the first’ (13:4). Instinctively Abram sensed his need of forgiveness, cleansing and renewal, and he sought them at the place where he had already owned and worshipped the Lord. It is important to notice that he came back, that the way was open for him to come back, and that the Lord received him back, as the continuing story proves.

The way back to God is always open whilst we are still alive. In times of prosperity or trial, sickness or death, peace or war; it is so important that we keep that channel open to God. To keep crying out even when we do not feel His presence. And if we do miss the mark: to know that the God is there to pick us back up again and renew us through his marvelous grace.