We will begin this lesson in Genesis 12:1 “Now the LORD had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy
father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
In this first line here we see that this was something that God had
said in the past to Abram. God had chosen Abram. He first sent him away from
the sin ridden city of Ur of the Chaldees. He is telling Abram not to be
held back by his family. He told Abram to leave this big, fine, beautiful
home in Ur of the Chaldees and go into a strange land. His father and the
family went as far as Haran with him. Many of the people in the ministry
face this same thing. They were uprooted from family and friends, and sent
away from the security of homes. God will not let any of us look back with
longing at things as they were. We must ever be looking for the land to
which God has sent us.
Genesis 12:2 “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless
thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” Genesis 12:3
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and
in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
The promises of blessings were for Abram, if he left family and home,
and went where God sent him. The blessing was not just for Abram, but for
all the families of the earth who are faithful like Abram (Christians). God,
promised Abram that he would be a great nation, and his name would be made
great, and through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. There
is an offering of blessing to those who bless Abram. The other side of the
coin is a curse, if we curse Abram. Abram is really the father of the
Israelites and the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. He truly is a great
nation.
Genesis 12:4 “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and
Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he
departed out of Haran.” Genesis 12:5 “And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot
his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the
souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land
of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.”
You see, Abram left Ur with his father, but his father Terah died and
was buried in Haran. Abram continued on to the land of Canaan, as God had
instructed him to do. Abram and Sarai had no children, but carried a large
company of servants and relatives with them. Lot was the nearest thing to a
son that Abram had, and Abram took Lot with him. Abram was 75 years old
when they left Haran.
Genesis 12:6 “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of
Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land.”
Sichem was Shechem in other places in the Bible, and was just another
spelling of the same word. We will find this city mentioned in the time of
Jesus. Jesus fled from the Jews and went to this city. This city was,
probably, located on a mountain, since that is what the word means. Some
other names for the same place were Sychar and Sychem. This was located in
Palestine. These Canaanites, you remember, were worshipping false gods. God
would overthrow them and give this land to Abram’s descendents. So many
times promises that God makes are not for the immediate time, but for the
future. They will be fulfilled nonetheless. God is true. He keeps His
promises.
Genesis 12:7 “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed
will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who
appeared unto him.”
Not many people have had the Lord to appear to them. When He does, they
will build an altar, as well. God promised the land of Canaan to Abram’s
descendents. Abram did not question how, or when, God would do this, Abram
showed his belief, and sincerity, and humbleness by building an altar and
worshipping.
Genesis 12:8 “And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of
Beth-el, and pitched his tent, [having] Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the
east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name
of the LORD.”
The word “Bethel” means house of God. It seemed this place was located
about 12 miles north of Jerusalem. “Hai” was another name for Ai, which
means ruins, We will read about this area a number of times in this study.
Everywhere that Abram went, his first action was to build an altar to the
Lord, and this was no exception. He prayed to God here (called upon the name
of the Lord). Abram knew that he had to depend on God entirely.
Genesis 12:9 “And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.”
Genesis 12:10 “And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into
Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land.”
Abram, as many who would follow him, found refuge in Egypt. Later on
Joseph (coat of many colors) would find refuge there. Even Jesus, when Herod
sought to kill him, was carried to refuge there by Joseph and Mary. Famines
often drive people to a strange area to find food. God will use whatever it
takes to get His people where He would have them go at a given time.
Genesis 12:11 “And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into
Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou [art]
a fair woman to look upon:” Genesis 12:12 “Therefore it shall come to pass,
when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This [is] his wife:
and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.” Genesis 12:13 “Say, I
pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake;
and my soul shall live because of thee.”
It seemed that Sarai was very beautiful, Abram was afraid that someone
would want her for his wife enough, that he would kill Abram to get her.
Fear will cause us to do some very foolish things. Abram was so afraid for
his life, that he was willing to pass his wife off as his sister. He even
asked Sarai to help him with his deception.
Genesis 12:14 “And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into
Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she [was] very fair.” Genesis
12:15 “The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before
Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.” Genesis 12:16 “And
he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he
asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.”
Nothing was too good for Abram (if he was brother to Sarai). Pharaoh
showered him with gifts for her sake. She was taken into the home of
Pharaoh. God did not like this kind of carrying on. We will see in the
verse, just how displeased He was.
Genesis 12:17 “And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great
plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.” Genesis 12:18 “And Pharaoh called
Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto me? Why didst
thou not tell me that she [was] thy wife?”
God did not tolerate this type of behavior then, and will not tolerate
it even today. These plagues descended when Sarai moved in. Pharaoh quickly
realized the problem. Truly he laid the problem where it belonged, at
Abram’s feet. He realized she was Abram’s wife, and God was displeased. Some
of the plagues in our society today, I believe, are because of God’s
displeasure at the sex sins of all kinds present in our land.
Genesis 12:19 “Why saidst thou, She [is] my sister? So I might have
taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take [her], and go
thy way.”
Pharaoh asked Abram “why did you lie to me?. You got me into trouble.
Hurry up and get out of here, so God will stop this plague.”
Genesis 12:20 “And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him: and they
sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.”
Pharaoh realized this man was protected by God, so he did not punish
him. He was in such a hurry for him to leave, that Pharaoh sent his men to
make sure he left. Pharaoh did not take the gifts back. He sent them with
Abram.
Our lesson to be learned in all of this is two-fold. #1. We should not
lie to protect ourselves. #2. God will be with us to help us out of whatever
mess we get ourselves into, if we are His.
Study chapter 13 for the next lesson.