The Passage
Genesis 12:1-9
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.”
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. 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. 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.
Word Work
Put it in your own words. Read the passage or verse slowly, then rewrite each phrase or sentence using your own words.
Word Thoughts:
Abraham is also a kind of second Adam. As Adam is the father of all humans, Abraham is the father of all believers, that is, of all who are united to God by the kind of faith Abraham demonstrated (Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:29).
The Lord had blessed Adam and Noah (Gen. 1:28; 9:1). Now he promised to bless Abraham and his “seed” (or “offspring”; 12:7). The particulars of God’s promise are the multiplication of Abram’s progeny (a great nation), the magnificence of his reputation (name), and the blessing of God’s protection (God’s presence) in order to bless others (God’s purpose). In short, because Abraham was blessed (his indicative status), he was to be a blessing (his imperative calling, enabled by God) to all the families of the earth (see 10:1–11:9). (1)
Word Reflection:
- What stood out?
- What type of faith would it take for you to leave all you ever knew to follow the call of God?
- How would God actually bless the families of the world through Abraham?
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.
End in Prayer
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