Genesis 12 – January 25

At the conclusion of chapter 11, we were introduced to one of the most significant men who has ever lived: Abraham (of Abram as he was called at this time). Yesterday we read about how Abram joined his wife, father, and nephew in making their way toward Canaan. However, they stopped well before arriving and began to settle in the land of Haran (which is in modern-day eastern Turkey). Joshua 24:2 teaches us that Abram worshiped ‘other gods’ when they lived in Haran.

Here in Genesis 12, we see the incredible grace of the Lord on full display as God chose Abram out of all people on earth to be the progenitor of a new people. He told Abram to get up and go. As we will see over the coming days, God made a covenant with Abram that is still being manifested in all of the people of God to this day. We see the earliest part of God’s promises in the initial conversation that God had with Abram. In Genesis 12:2-3 the Lord promises to (1) make Abram into a great nation, (2) make Abram’s name great, (3) deal blessings and curses out to others according to their treatment of Abram, and (4) bless the entire expanse of mankind through Abram. Because Abram believed God’s promises, he obeyed and immediately made his way to Canaan. If you jump down to verse 7, Abram had traveled from Haran to Canaan and there the Lord promised (5) to give that land to his offspring.

It is immediately made clear that Abram was not chosen because he was a perfect man. After taking a stroll through Canaan, he and his traveling caravan continued southwest into Egypt in order to escape a famine and find food. (This is an important foreshadowing of a major future event a few generations later.) Abram then came into contact with the most powerful and advanced civilization in the world at that time. The ruler of that nation, Pharaoh, was unparalleled in terms of authority. This is the first time any Pharaoh is mentioned in the Bible.

Abram was in a tough spot. He knew that he needed to go to Egypt to get food. But, he also feared that Pharaoh would be overcome by Sarai’s beauty and kill Abram to get her. So, in an act of supreme cowardice, Abram commanded his wife to lie and pretend to be his sister. This was a presumably believable lie because they had no children even though they were relatively advanced in age. As expected, the Egyptians found Sarai to be irresistible and she was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 

God kept His word and cursed those who mistreated Abram. In this case, Pharaoh didn’t even know that what he was stealing Abram’s wife. It is unclear from the text, but somehow Pharaoh was correctly able to assess the situation when the Lord sent plagues to torment Pharaoh’s household. (Once again this is important foreshadowing. “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues.” This very thing would occur centuries later, and the result would be the people of Abram’s house would be sent away from Pharaoh along with all of their possessions plus the spoils of Egypt.)

God did not call Abram because he was perfect. Nor did Abram become a perfect man after believing in God’s promises. He was a sinner, just like you and I. But God’s plan is perfect, and He calls sinners like you, me, and Abram into a covenantal bond. Why? Because the Lord is a wonderful, merciful Savior.