Session 10
Genesis 12:1-5a; 13:11-18
Memory Verse: Genesis 12:3
Every journey begins with a first step. Whether it is a vacation trip, starting a new job or marriage, schooling, or a hobby project, there is an initial move to begin the journey. Today’s session chronicles the opening of Abram’s (Abraham’s) journey that set in motion God’s redemptive plan and culminated in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without Abram’s first step of faith, this world would probably be a much different place. As with any journey, his pilgrimage of faith took many twists and turns. There were sad detours of disobedience and great acts of trust. Nonetheless, Abram’s example has stood the test of time-not just in Scripture, but also across Christian history.
As you reflect on Abram’s faith in today’s verses, think about your own faith journey and that of the adults in your group. How obedient have you been on your spiritual adventure? Ask God to strengthen your faith, as well as the faith of those doing life with you in Bible study.
There are probably few things more exciting than when someone promises to do something for us that’s going to be a blessing. On the other hand, there are few things more disappointing than when someone fails to keep a promise. God will never disappoint us in this way. He not only blesses us with good things (Jas. 1:17), but a part of His blessing is seen in His faithfulness to keep His promises through Christ, “for every one of God’s promises is ‘Yes’ in him” (2 Cor. 1:20). (PSG, p. 91)
So far in our study of Genesis, the focus has been on monumental events in the history of the world. These events include the creation of the world and of humanity. They also include the disobedience of Adam and Eve and their subsequent removal from the garden of Eden. Next came the first murder by Cain, followed by the worldwide flood and the division of all people into various clans and nations based on shared specific languages.
With chapter 12, Genesis shifts from the description of global events to the stories of individual people who interacted with God. Most notably, the focus falls on a single family: The family of Abram (who would later be known as Abraham).
Genesis 3-11 (a period of approximately 2,000 years) emphasized the problem of humanity’s sin. People were created for fellowship with God. However, these opening chapters recount how people consistently moved away from God. Throughout these chapters, human beings constantly failed in their relationship with God.
Thankfully, God chose not to give up on His created ones and set into motion His plan to pursue us and draw us back to Himself. To do this, God selected Abram and his descendants as His chosen people. Through these chosen people, who would eventually become the nation of Israel, God sent His ultimate solution for sin: Jesus, the promised Messiah.
With Genesis 12:1, the entire story of Genesis slows down considerably. The swift panorama of history is replaced with the steady, ongoing narrative of Abram’s family. The focus eventually narrows to four different people from that family (Abram/Abraham, Isaac, Jacob/Israel, and Joseph).
We first encounter Abram as a part of the family tree of Shem (Gen. 11:10-32). Abram accompanied his father, Terah, on a journey from the Mesopotamian city of Ur that was supposed to end up in Canaan. However, when they reach the city of Haran, the text tells us that Terah settled there and died there. Abram was still living in Haran when God called him and directed him to complete the trip that his father had started.
Genesis 12-14 sets the stage for Abram’s story, highlighting God’s covenant relationship with Abraham, his deception in Egypt, his relationship with his nephew Lot, and his encounter with a mysterious priest/king named Melchizedek. Central in this narrative are the obedience of Abram to God’s call and the covenant of blessing promised by God. Although Abram left his home in Mesopotamia, God promised an even greater homeland in Canaan. Eventually, his descendants would create a nation that would bless the world.
As you read Genesis 12:1-5a; 13:11-18, consider our personal responsibilities to God in response to His promises. (PSG, p. 92)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
1 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you. 4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5a He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan.
Abram’s Covenant
In the “Abrahamic covenant” God made seven promises to Abram:
He would lead Abram to a new land. This, of course, was Canaan, later referred to as the promised land.
He would make Abram a great nation. Several nations eventually came from him. (See Gen. 25.)
He would bless Abram. God bestowed favor upon Abram with material possessions and people that were a part of his clan.
He would make Abram’s name great. Even today, all three of the world’s major religions-Christianity, Judaism, and Islam-claim a relationship with him.
He would make Abram a blessing to others. Through Abram and his descendants, others would receive favor from God.
He would bless or curse others based of how they treated Abram. This promise indicates that God (“I will”) is the source of the blessings or curses.
He would bless all people on earth through Abram. This foreshadowed Jesus, the Messiah.
(v. 1) The Lord said: Several hundred years had passed since God had announced His covenant with Noah (Gen. 9:17). When God spoke to Abram, He announced another covenant. This covenant included the command for Abram to leave his home and to resettle in a land that God would show him.
According to Acts 7:2-4, Abram was living in Ur when he received God’s call. Genesis 11:31 indicates that Terah, as head of the family, would only go as far as Haran. After his death, Abram continued the journey to Canaan in obedience to God.
(v. 1) Go: Most ancient covenants were bi-lateral. Each party agreed to their assigned responsibilities and benefits. However, God’s covenant with Abram was one-sided. Abram’s role was simply to obey. God said go and that’s precisely what Abram did (see v. 4).
(v. 4) Abram went: This was Abram’s first step on the journey of obedience. This act of faith likely included a new allegiance to God, since Joshua 24:2 indicates that Abram’s father, Terah, had worshiped idols.
(v. 4) Seventy-five years old: This was the first of two obstacles facing Abram. His age and his wife’s barrenness seemed like roadblocks to God’s promises. The second obstacle was the presence of the clans and tribes already living in the promised land.
(v. 5) Sarai: This name means “princess.” Later God would change her name to “Sarah” (Gen. 17:15). While the meaning is generally the same, the name change highlighted the new destiny God had planned for Sarah. Rather than staying childless, she would give birth to a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.
(v. 5) People they had acquired: These were male and female servants that Abram and his nephew, Lot, had acquired over the years. This would have formed a large retinue of people and possessions.
11 So Lot chose the entire plain of the Jordan for himself. Then Lot journeyed eastward, and they separated from each other. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, but Lot lived in the cities on the plain and set up his tent near Sodom. 13 (Now the men of Sodom were evil, sinning immensely against the Lord.)
(v. 11) Lot: Lot was Abram’s nephew, the son of Abram’s brother, Haran. Evidently, Haran died in Ur sometime before Terah led his family to the city of Haran. When Genesis 12:5 referred to all of Abram’s people and possessions, this same would have been true for Lot. He also had many possessions and livestock. No doubt God’s blessings on Abram had fallen on Lot, as well. In addition, Abram (and likely Lot) picked up more animals during his disappointing experience in Egypt (Gen. 12:10-20).
Soon the size of their combined flocks and herds became too much for the land to support. In addition, their herdsmen began arguing over grazing rights. This would be the first of many disputes between the clans of Abram and Lot. Lot’s descendants became the Moabites and the Ammonites, nations that often were at odds with the Israelites (19:36-38).
(v. 11) Plain of the Jordan: In the decision to separate, Lot rejected the land of promise in favor of the Jordan Valley. He chose the more “exotic” portion of the land. This would be the region of Canaan east of the Jordan River.
The text describes this as a lush green area and likens it to the beauty of Eden (13:10). This comparison may also have been an allusion to the coming disaster that awaited Lot’s family. In just a short while, this lush land would become scorched earth with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Sodom
The wickedness of Sodom was so famous that its name has been equated with evil for centuries. The location of this city, as well as the other cities of the plain, is uncertain, but evidence suggests that they could have been near the Dead Sea. The wickedness of this city wasn’t limited to unnatural lust (see 19:4-5), but also the sins of pride and social injustice. These are mentioned in Ezekiel 16:49-50, along with the fact that the people committed “detestable acts.”
(v. 11) Journeyed eastward: This is another example of moving eastward as a symbol of separation in the book of Genesis. For more examples, see Genesis 3:24; 4:16; and 11:2.
(v. 12) Abram lived in the land of Canaan: As the elder of the traveling families, Abram had every right to choose the fertile plains of the Jordan for himself. However, God had promised him the land of Canaan, which was far more important to Abram (12:7). Abram had already traversed the land, building altars for worshiping God along the way.
(v. 12) Cities on the plain: Five cities in this region had formed a political unit: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar (Bela). These cities and their kings are referenced in Genesis 14:2 in a description of their war against three opposing kings-a war Abram would be pulled into so he could rescue Lot.
Sodom was the chief city among the group, but all five cities were condemned by God because of their wickedness. The parenthetical statement in verse 13 describing the wickedness of the cities is a foreshadowing of judgment to come. This entire lush green valley would be burned with the fire of God’s wrath (19:27-29).
(v. 13) Immensely: The Hebrew wording describes more than the nature of the sin. It reflects the degree or magnitude of their sin. The word suggests “force,” “might,” or “abundance.” The same word (translated “very”) was used earlier in the chapter to describe Abram’s vast wealth (13:2). In a sense, the residents of Sodom were setting the standard for evil. Wickedness was a powerful presence in the city and that influence filtered out to the other cities in the region.
14 After Lot had separated from him, the Lord said to Abram, “Look from the place where you are. Look north and south, east and west, 15 for I will give you and your offspring forever all the land that you see. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.
(v. 14) Look: As Lot had looked on the valley around the Jordan, God told Abram to look around at the land He was giving him and his descendants. The contrast is stark here. Lot chose the valley for himself, while God chose Canaan for Abram.
(v. 14) North and south, east and west: Everything Abram could see eventually would belong to his descendants. Nothing was left out. Of course, the possession of this inheritance would not permanently take place for many years. The children of Israel would first be slaves in Egypt and then conquer the promised land under Joshua.
For Abram, though, mentally and spiritually taking possession of the land was a step of faith as he trusted God’s promises. This is especially true since at the time he had no offspring and, because of Sarai’s barrenness, the prospects of an heir were quite dim.
(v. 15) Forever: This land would be a permanent bestowal on Abraham and his descendants (see Gen. 17:8.) Prophecies throughout the Old Testament pointed to the permanency of this gift from God. This permanent bestowal continues to be a sticking point for modern-day Israel in her relationship with surrounding nations.
(vv. 15-16) Offspring: Three different times God used pictures from nature to illustrate the extent of Abram’s offspring. Here, God compared his descendants to the dust of the earth. Later, in Genesis 15:5, God likened their number to the stars in the sky. Finally, in Genesis 22:17, God promised that the number would be as vast as the sand on the seashore. In each case, the emphasis was on the inability of a person to place a number on how many descendants Abram would have.
(v. 17) Get up and walk: God had commanded Abram to look so he could visually take in all the land that God was giving to him and his offspring. Now, he was instructed to walk throughout the land and to claim it as his inheritance from God.
(v. 18) Oaks of Mamre: In light of the controversy over grazing rights, it is interesting to note that Mamre means “grazing land.” Despite their seminomadic existence, this became the primary dwelling place for Abram and his immediate family for years to come.
Known for its many oak trees, Mamre was located about two miles north of the village of Hebron or about 19 miles south of Jerusalem. This was the area in which Abram later purchased a cave for a family burial site. For centuries, that was the only spot of Canaan actually owned by Abram and his descendants.
(v. 18) Built an altar: After this second affirmation of the covenant from the Lord (see 12:1-4), Abram worshiped God, thanking Him for His favor. Building altars was a regular part of Abram’s life. Genesis mentions Abram building altars at Shechem (12:6-7), near Bethel (12:8), and at Mount Moriah (22:9). Worship was also an integral part of his life, as He expressed gratitude for the intimate relationship he had with God.
The Church
The New Testament speaks of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation. (See 1 Chronicles 16:23-24; Psalm 67:1-2; Revelation 7:9.)
Use other Scriptures to understand Genesis 12:1-5a.
Read Hebrews 11:8-19 to gain additional insights into Abraham’s faith journey. Abraham’s faith was tied directly to the promises God gave Him in the covenant relationship set out in Genesis 12. Paul used Abraham’s response to these promises as a definition of what true faith is. Read, and perhaps memorize, Romans 4:20-21. Note that genuine faith is believing that God is able to deliver what He has promised.