Genesis 12

I want to begin today’s blog by thanking Ray for such excellent comments for the first 11 chapters of Genesis. His insights have been great! Also, thanks to those who have been posting comments so far. I have appreciated and learned from your insights.
Today we look at Genesis chapter 12. This begins a new section in Genesis that deals with the patriarchs and the calling of the Jewish people to be God’s chosen. The call of Abram (later to be changed to Abraham) has always intrigued me. His call involved a lot.
First of all, his call involved a sacrifice. We learn from chapter 11 that he had settled in Ur. An archaeological team actually dug up the city of Ur some years ago and found that it was quite a modern city for its day. They found high rise buildings and other very innovative relics that would suggest that Ur was ahead of most cities from that time. So, Abraham left a modern city to go dwell in a tent. One of Abram’s greatest sacrifices is that he had to leave his family. The call of God always calls for sacrifice.
God’s call also involved the unknown. God called Abram to go to a country that he had never been too. I have found in my own life that God calls me to go into unknown territory a lot. We call it “stepping out on faith.”
God’s call also involved a promise. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” God promises Abram some things. He will become a great nation. His name will become great. And he will be blessed and he will be a blessing to others. Following God’s calling will always bring a blessing, and it causes others to be blessed as well. If someone is not being blessed and one isn’t a blessing to others, then that person needs to look and make sure he/she is following God.
Abram, at God’s beckoning, goes to the land of the Canaanites. These are the ones that Noah pronounced a curse upon. A famine causes Abram and Sarai (later to become Sarah) to travel to Egypt. Of course, Abram blows it by telling a half truth by passing Sarai off as his sister instead of his wife. Even the Father of our faith at times struggled with believing God as we read from this account and in some of the other accounts to follow. I appreciate the honesty of the text because it lets me know that when we don’t have enough faith in one circumstance doesn’t mean that God is through with us. Quite the contrary, when we fail, then we can learn from it and be stronger in our faith the next time.
“Lord, thank You for calling me. Keep before me what You taught us when You walked this earth, ‘that many are called, but few are chosen.’ Help me to live under Your promise. I pray this in the precious name of Jesus.”
Robert