Preface:
Up to this point Genesis has been recounting the history of the entire world. The Creation Hymn, Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood, and the Tower of Babel relate to the entire world. However starting with Chapter 12 the historical time line shifts to focus on the history of the Hebrew Nation, God's chosen people.
In the generations following Noah, the human race had fallen back into idolatry and worshiping false and multiple gods. With the human race turning once again away from God, the history of salvation and the messianic promise is narrowed to one man, Abram, the son of Terah from the line of Shem.
Abram's father had adopted heathen superstition and idolatry, but Abram had remained monotheistic and loyal to God. Therefore God seeing Abram to be faithful called him to become the Patriarch of God's people, the Hebrew Nation. Through Abram, later known as Abraham, God begins to fulfill the promise he made in the Garden of Eden, the promise of redemption through sin, which was fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ. So in many ways Abram's calling is a shift from God's focus on the world to the focus on God's people and a story of redemption, a redemption which through one nation would in turn allow redemption to the entire world with the grace and salvation of Jesus Christ.
Summary:
The Call of Abram (12:1-9)
Chapter 12 starts off by the Lord calling Abram to "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you."
God then promises Abram "And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless 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 will be blessed."
It's important to note that previously in Chapter 11:30 we learn that Abram's wife Sarai was barren and they had no children. This makes God's promise all the more miraculous. With both Sarai and Abram in their 60s and 70s at the time God called them, the idea of the couple having children would be miraculous and blessing God could only offer.
"in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." In this verse, God is foreshadowing the coming of Christ who came into the world through the line of Abraham and the Jewish people. Through Jesus, God's grace would be offered not only to the Jewish people, but extended to the entire world.
Abram agrees to follow God's instruction. He leaves home with his wife and nephew, Lot and moves southwest into a land God has promised to give Abram's descendants, Canaan. Abram takes up residence there and erects a number of altars throughout the land as symbols of his devotion to God.
Abram and Sarai in Egypt (12:10-20):
Sometime after initially settling in Canaan there was a famine in the land forcing Abram, Sarai and Lot into Egypt to sojourn there for the famine to pass in Canaan. Because Sarai was beautiful, even at age 65; and powerful princes had a practice of confiscating beautiful women for themselves; and killing their husbands. Afraid for his life, Abram told Sarai to say that she was his sister.
"I know that you 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."
His claim that Sarai was his sister was not exactly a lie as she was Abram's half-sister. Back then there was much less of a population base and it was not uncommon to intermarry between family members due to the available population pool. As the earth's population grew this became unnecessary and inappropriate.
When Abram entered Egypt, the Pharaoh's princes praised Sarai's beauty. She was brought into the Pharaoh's house as one of his wives, which went against God's will. Abram had faltered in faith by misleading the Pharaoh of Sarai's true identity. He was afraid of what could happen to him, versus trusting the promises God had made to him.
"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"
Abram leaves Egypt a wealthy man and then returns to Canaan in Chapter 13, which we will discuss in my next entry.
I think the story of Abram and Sarai in Egypt shows that sometimes it takes time for God's plan for us to be set in motion, but if we are faithfully patient his promises will be fulfilled. Although Abram was met with trials, making it easy to doubt God, God always fulfills his promises. In the next few chapters of Genesis we'll see God's promises to Abram fulfilled and a covenant established, establishing a binding contract with God and his people.
God's promises are always fulfilled, with his promise of salvation and redemption for our sins being fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. We like Abram can have a personal relationship with the Father through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
