Chapter Twelve
The Call of Abram
12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Introduced to us in Genesis 11:26, Abram and his family become the key subjects of the narrative and will continue until Genesis 25:11. Just as He did previously with Adam, Eve, Cain, and Noah; God now talks to directly to Abram, in the first of seven direct-from-God revelations to him. Here he is given the instruction to leave the familiar and go to the unknown. God is calling Abram out of a pagan country to serve God with a promise to be a great nation. One might say this was the start of a great relationship, Abram’s name will later be changed by God to Abraham (see Genesis 17:1-8) and will be known in Scripture as the “Friend of God,” (see 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23).
Many argue that this chapter does not introduce what scholars refer to as the Abrahamic Covenant since the Hebrew word ‘berît’ (translated into English as ‘covenant’) does not appear here in this chapter, but the text is very clear that it points to the fundamental aspects of the official covenant that is described later in chapter 15 and finalized (often referred to as being sealed) in chapter 17. These fundamental aspects include the promise of becoming a great nation, having a great reputation, and being blessed by God, so that other nations and people can be blessed as well, as long as those others bless the nation in return (see commentary under Genesis 1:28 regarding the Hebrew word ‘bārak’, translated here as ‘blessing’). However, note the opposite is true if a nation chooses to not bless the people and nation built on Abram’s family, they will be cursed by God. One very important element of this covenant is that through this nation all the families of the earth shall be blessed. What could this blessing be? The greatest blessing out of the nation built on Abram will come the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12:4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
And so, Abram went, we don’t know if he had any questions about his instructions, but we need to ask ourselves, would we be willing to just go as Abram did? Abram obeys and does as God told him to do. He also brought his nephew Lot with him. Some commentators question whether if Abram was disobeying God by bringing Lot, because in verse one God instructed Abram to go from his country and kindred. This was undoubtedly a reference to leave the nation and people where he was staying, not leave behind his relatives. The Hebrew word ‘mô·lǎḏt’[1] (translated as ‘kindred’ in verse one) can refer to a common origin, any people group, not necessarily just family members. Plus, we will read next about the extensive entourage he travels with, he is essentially never without family, although at this time he has no offspring of his own. Before the narrative begins we are given a time stamp for reference, Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.
12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
Abram, Sarai, and Lot traveled from Haran nearly 400 miles south through parts of Canaan to arrive at Shechem, a city that was located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, approximately forty miles north of Jerusalem. The name 'Shechem’, which means 'shoulder' in Hebrew, is believed to describe the city's terrain having an appearance of a shoulder between the two surrounding mountains. It is a city with a dark history, as the Bible connects Shechem to idol worshiping (see Genesis 35:4; Joshua 24:14-28); rape (see Genesis 33:18-34:31), and the city where Abimelech, Gideon’s son (Gideon was also known as Jerubbaal), attempted to rule resulting in a massive bloodbath (see Judges 9:1-57). We also know it as the city where Rehoboam, Solomon’s son was crowned king of the Northern Kingdom (see 1 Kings 12:1). Some scholars connect the “Oak of Moreh” to be the “Diviner’s Oak” mentioned in Judges 9:37 (a possible location of a ‘grove’, a group of trees used in pagan rituals). But long before any of these events took place, Abram built an altar to God in response to God appearing to Him, an action that many of the patriarchs have done in response to extraordinary actions or favor from God. The text does not specify how God revealed Himself, however we do know that is was undoubtedly a Christophany.[2]
12:8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
We do not know how long Abram stayed in Shechem, but after building the altar, he continued traveling south. He stopped at a location between Bethel and Ai, this should not be considered the first stop after Shechem as they would have traveled over 20 miles on foot. The Hebrew word translated here as ‘pitched’, is ‘yēṭ’,[3] meaning to “stretch out” or “extend to spread out,” and could be considered a place they stopped for a few days. Ai was to the east of Bethel on a trade route to Jericho in the east, however the text states when they journeyed on, they continued traveling south toward the Negeb[4] (also known as the ‘Negev’, a southern region of Canaan, often referred to as simply, “the land of the South” or “South Country.”
Considerations
Those That Curse Will Be Cursed
Nearly every other English Bible translates the middle portion of verse three with something like this, “whoever curses you I will curse.” However, the ESV is pointing out that the first word translated as ‘curses’ is very different than the second word ‘curse’. If someone curses the people of this covenant (known as the Abrahamic Covenant regarding the Israelites and their nation, which include the Jews and the nation of Israel today), the Hebrew word used is ‘meqǎl·lěl’,[5] referring to someone making light of something or someone else, to make trivial, including dishonoring or cursing another. If that occurs God promises to curse that person (or group of people), the word used is ‘ā·’ōr’,[6] which refers to being inflicted with a destructive curse that will not be able to be resisted. Mocking the people of God comes with a high price!
There are very few things in life more impactful than someone’s personal testimony. In the book of Acts, we read about a young Christian man who gave a tremendous testimony in defense of being accused of speaking blasphemous words. But it wasn’t a personal testimony, it was more like a history lesson. Surrounded by the High Priest, several Hellenist Jews (known as the Libertines), and several other Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia, including one man known as Saul who will later become a Christian and a great evangelist (whose name is changed to Paul). Stephen walked them through the Old Testament beginning with Abraham to the time of King David to make a point that they have a long history of rejecting God and were responsible for the death of “Righteous One,” the Messiah Jesus. Needless to say, the crowd was not happy with what they heard, and they stoned Stephen (see Acts 6:8-7:60).
In Stephen’s account of Old Testament history, he refers to Abraham receiving the call from God to go to a different land while he was still in Ur. “And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.” (Acts 7:2-4) God then renewed His call to Abram in Haran.
Abram did not travel with just his wife and nephew, we know that he had a considerable number of servants (later in Genesis 14:14 we will read that he had 318 men combat-trained men on his staff, if they had families of their own there could be over 500 people with Abram). Many scholars believe that Abram was a very wealthy individual and had a considerable number of possessions. Most of the travel routes in his day may have been well-traveled but probably not very wide. It may be impossible to imagine what this entourage looked like as it traveled south. Hundreds of people, livestock, and possibly several wagons loaded with their possessions. It would be accurate to saw they probably were very intimidating to those they approached.
Abram and Sarai in Egypt
12:10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.
A famine severe enough to force Abram and his family to travel further south to Egypt occurred. Here again we do not know where their journey concluded prior to the famine, nor do we know how much time had passed. Even though Abram had been obedient to God in his travels, he was nonetheless given a test of faith. God certainly did not change His mind, nor did any aspect of His promise change. However, just like every follower of God needs to learn, Abram needed to fully trust Him in all circumstances. Since the text does not mention any interaction with God, we can probably safely assume that Abram acted on his own and headed to Egypt.
This is the first mention of Egypt in the Bible, a nation that is synonymous in the Scriptures with the way of the world. Perhaps the best summary for the way the Egyptians think would be what Isaiah wrote many years later, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together.” (Isaiah 31:1-3)
12:11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 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.”
Sarai would have been 65 years old at this time (Genesis 17:17 informs us that she was 10 years younger than Abram and verse four tells us that Abram was 75 years old). Even at her age she was apparently very beautiful. It is unknown what made Abram think about this issue but, as they approached Egypt, Abram seems to have some anxiety. He is concerned that if they say they are married, he might be killed if an Egyptian wanted her for himself. Even though Sarai is indeed his half-sister (see Genesis 20:12), Abram thinks it’s best for them to lie about their marriage. What did Abram forget? He forgot God! Did God’s promise to Abram to be a great nation change? No, so what is going on? Abram’s concern for providing for his family has escalated to fear and willingness to lie.
12:14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
On the surface it appears that Abram’s fears regarding Sarai were legitimate. Sarai’s beauty indeed captured the attention of the Pharaoh (the Egyptian king’s title), allowing Abram to remain alive and receive great gifts, but was that God’s plan? The way of the world and the way God are very different, the Bible contains several stories of mankind’s attempt to compromise, thinking that both ends can meet. This is a large problem with many Christians still today, compromises seem inevitable at first, however the attempt will eventually fail, pushing one further away from God not closer. When a Christian becomes or acts worldly, they have essentially lost their ability to witness to others, their testimony has utterly broken down. If one thinks they can be both a Christian and worldly, they are only deceiving themselves. In this story Abram, instead of seeking and trusting in God, fled, lied, and lost his bride.
The Egyptians, like the Canaanites, were descendants of Ham (through Mizraim) and were also polytheistic, polygamists, and considered very cruel. As they entered Egypt, Sarai came to the attention of the Pharaoh's princes, and they "praised her” to Pharaoh. The word translated here as ‘praised’, is the Hebrew word ‘yehǎ·lelûal’,[7] meaning, "to praise." This is the first occurrence of this word in the Bible (the word is combined with “Yah”, the shortened form of YHWH found in many Biblical names, to form the term hallelujah, which means praise God, the only true God). Pharaoh sent for her and considered her for marriage.
12:17 But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 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? 19 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.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
Was Abram’s plan what God wanted? No, as soon as Pharaoh considered Sarai, God made it very clear that would be a mistake. The Lord plagued Pharaoh. The text is not clear how Pharaoh knew why, but the king of Egypt soon came to realize that Sarai was not only already married but married to Abram. Pharaoh now feared to harm either one, but he did rebuke Abram, asking him a simple question, “Why did you say?” We do not see how Abram responded, he must have looked foolish and lost the respect of the Pharaoh. The only thing he could do was to tell them to leave his country, taking all the possessions they had acquired in Egypt. Abram was not disciplined; perhaps he learned his lesson?
Considerations
When we think about the godly men of the Bible, we have a tendency to consider them superhuman heroes, especially those that God had direct interaction with. Perhaps this comes from hearing ‘edited’ Bible stories as a child in Sunday School or just the thought that God only uses righteous people. The truth is that since there are no righteous or perfect people, God uses ordinary people to do what needs to be done here on earth. As we continue to study God’s Word, we will see God using a wide variety of people, some start off willing to serve God and others that need some convincing.
Abram had great faith, he was willing to leave his hometown and travel to places unknown. But even then he had his doubts and concerns leading to fear. Abram was human, even though he will be commended for his great faith, he often had serious lapses of faith. He did what most human beings would do, and that is to revert to human thinking instead of trusting God. Every one of the ‘heroes’ in the Bible are flawed human beings, each with their own issues, insecurities, weaknesses, and concerns.[8] Why is that important to know? Two reasons:
⇐Previous Chapter (Introduction/Index) Next Chapter⇒
[1] Strong’s Hebrew 4138.
[2] See commentary under Genesis 3:8-10.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 5186.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 5045.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 7043.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 779.
[7] Strong’s Hebrew 1984.
[8] See Considerations under Genesis 9:18-28.