Genesis Chapter 12

God’s Call to Abram

Review:

The first 11 Chapters of Genesis have given us the History of Creation, mankind, and the fall of mankind into sin, pulling all of creation into a cursed condition. God does not leave mankind in a permanent state of damnation, but gives a promise of a Messiah to save all of mankind. We are given the genealogy and history of Adam and his lineage, following the line of the future promised Messiah. Despite these promises by God, the majority of mankind falls into terrible, horrible, despicable wickedness. Finally, God chooses one man, Noah, his wife and three of his sons, and their wives to be the lone survivors of a catastrophic Flood that God sends to cleanse the earth of all corruption and wickedness. The entire Earth is destroyed from it’s original creation, leaving a much less desirable world, with a fallen nature, but still with the promise of the coming Messiah. God has used divine measures to get the people to begin to re-populate land all around the earth. Now, we are given God’s command to a family from the lineage of Shem, the believing son of Noah.

12:1

NOW, in Haran, the Lord had said to Abram, GO, for yourself (meaning for your own benefit) away from your country, away from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. It seems that immediately after Terah (who name means delay) dies, then God speaks again to Abram. We are given some interesting insight into when God appeared to Abram in Acts 7:2-4. Notice that the God of Glory appeared to Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran (which means parched) and told Abram to leave his country and family and go into a land which God would show him. There is an indication that God is speaking once again to Abram to tell him he is to leave his father’s family, relatives, country, comfort, security, and all the other ties of his homeland, and leave permanently from Ur. Remember, that if the surroundings we live in are corrupt and evil, it is difficult to remain free of the evil influences, especially for our family members.

12:2-3

God is speaking this wonderful great far-reaching Promise to Abram. This magnificent Promise is not only for Abram, but is for all those who live on earth! Not only that, but the indication is that this is an ETERNAL PROMISE down into the future generations, right down into our time! Every time we see one of God’s Promises, we want to carefully examine it to see how it could and will apply to us. God has promised Abram that He will bless him with abundant increase of blessings and favors, making his name famous and distinguished. Abram would be a blessing dispensing good to others. God promises to bless ALL those who bless (meaning do good to and for the Jewish people) and speak well of Abram and confer prosperity and goodness upon Abram and his posterity. This would mean all those down through the ages who bless and do good for the Jewish peoples. Now, pay close attention to the next ‘promise’: to CURSE those who curse Abram, and his posterity, or who use insolent language toward Abram, and his line, the Jews. To treat the Jews with disfavor was to invite God’s wrath and curse. As long as America, as a country, has supported and helped the Jewish people in Israel, we, and our country, have been blessed, despite our wickedness. However, today America is now turning her back on Israel and abandoning her promises to always be a help (blessing) to Israel. Are we now going to receive God’s wrath and curse? This is call for us to pray for our leaders to support Israel. Remember, we as individuals, can still be a blessing to the Jewish peoples. The last promise God makes is to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham. This would directly refer to the Messiah, Jesus.

12:4-6

Abram now obeys God’s command, even though he is 75 years old! What a lesson for us, to obey God, no matter what age we are. It would seem that God is telling us that we are to be obedient servants, willing to obey whatever He requests of us regardless of our age! (5.) Notice that Abram took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot (whose father had died) and all the souls they had obtained in Haran, and all his wealth and assets. This would have been quite a large caravan consisting of all the people, animals and material wealth. (6.) We are given the route he took through Shechem, the plain of Moreh and then are told the Canaanites were in the land. These Canaanite peoples are a problem throughout Jewish history. In Gen. 6:1-4 we learned that there were demon energized and possessed people born of an unholy union between fallen angels and human women. It appears that these demon possessed people are again living on earth. The original ones were all destroyed in the Flood.

12:7

This is the very first mention of an actual appearance of God to man. We call this a Theophany, a pre-incarnate physical appearance of Jesus Christ. Notice that God’s promise to give Abram and his seed, meaning all his descendants, forever, the land of Canaan. This promise was unconditional; Abram had already met the only condition of leaving his homeland to go to the land God commanded him. So we know that God Himself gave the land to the Jewish peoples. Notice we see that Abram built an altar where God had appeared to him; no doubt to worship God and honor and thank Him.

12:8-9

Then we are told that Abram moved from that place to a mountain on the east of Bethel, with Bethel on the west and Hai on the east. Pitching his tent meant that he set up a place to camp. Abram again builds and altar to the Lord and calls upon the name of the Lord. This would indicate that Abram worshiped and followed God in his life. (9.) Exactly where in the land Abram journeys we are not told, only that it was toward the south. With people and animals to feed, Abram is obviously looking for a place to grow crops and pasture the animals. We should assume that he also tries to stay away from the Canaanites.

12:10-13

A famine in the land would mean that it could not sustain Abram and his family, all the people with him and the animals. At this point we are told Abram travels down into Egypt to live there because the famine was grievous. We are not told if Abram consults God as to where to go because of the famine. (11. – 13.) Fear grips Abram as they come near to Egypt and he tells Sarai to say she is his sister rather than his wife; because he fears being killed so the Egyptians can take his beautiful wife. Although Sarai was indeed his half-sister, her position was as his wife, so this was a deception. Remember our definition of FEAR, False Evidence Appearing Real. When we compromise the Truth, our testimony is worthless.

12:14-17

The Egyptians immediately notice that Sarai was a very fair and beautiful woman and tell Pharaoh of this unusually beautiful woman. The Pharaoh has her brought into his palace. We would expect Abram to object, yet it appears he is silent. Probably still in the grip of fear. (16. – 17.) Pharaoh gives generous gifts to Abram for his ‘sister’ whom he brings into his harem. (17.) God sends great plagues upon Pharaoh and his entire household because Sarai, Abrams’s wife, is in his harem.

12:18-20

How Pharaoh found out Sarai was Abram’s wife in unclear. Perhaps she told him before he actually ‘took’ her as his wife. In any case, Pharaoh confronts Abram for their lies and the resulting suffering he and his household has endured because of Abram’s lies. Pharaoh confirms that he had not ‘touched’ Sarai. Pharaoh returns Sarai to Abram and orders him to leave Egypt and yet allows Abram to keep all he has, including all the gifts Pharaoh had given him. How sad that Abram and Sarai lied to everyone because of FEAR; destroying their testimony of the one true God. If they had only told the truth, they might have had the opportunity to lead the Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, back to the one true God. How about us? Have we ever failed to speak the Truth, or kept silent when we should have spoken the Truth? Have you ever told a lie because you feared someone? How about a lie to make things ‘easier’ for yourself? Anything that is deceptive is a lie! We lie because of Fear, or selfish motives.