Genesis 12

Genesis 12:1

II. THE PATRIARCHS OF ISRAEL (Chaps. 12-50) A. Abraham (12:125:18)1. The Call of Abraham (12:1-9)12:1-3 The call of the LORD had come to Abram when he was still in Ur (compare v. 1 with Act_7:1-2). Abram was called to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house, and to embark on a life of pilgrimage (Heb_11:9). God made a marvelous covenant with him which included the following significant promises: a landthat is, the land of Canaan; a great nation namely, the Jewish people; material and spiritual prosperity for Abram and his seed; a great name for Abram and his posterity; they would be a channel of blessing to others; friends of Israel would be blessed and anti-Semites would be cursed; all the families of the earth would be blessed in Abram, pointing forward to the Lord Jesus Christ, who would be a descendant of Abram. This covenant was renewed and enlarged in Gen_13:14-17; Gen_15:4-6; Gen_17:10-14; and Gen_22:15-18. 12:4-9 After what have been called “the wasted years in Haran,” that is, years without progress, Abram moved to Canaan with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, other relatives, and possessions. They came first to Shechem, where Abram built an altar to the LORD. The presence of hostile Canaanites was no obstacle to a man who was walking by faith. Abram next relocated between Bethel (house of God) and Ai. True to form, he not only pitched a tent for himself but also built an altar to the LORD. This says a great deal about the priorities of this man of God. Verse 9 finds Abram moving toward the South (the Negev).

Genesis 12:10

2. To Egypt and Back (12:1013:4)12:10-20 Faith, however, has its lapses. During a time of serious famine, Abram left the place of God’s choosing and fled to Egypt, a symbol of the world. This move bred trouble. Abram became obsessed with the fear that the Pharaoh might kill him in order to seize his beautiful wife Sarai for his harem. So Abram prevailed on Sarai to lie by saying that she was his sister.

Actually she was his half-sister (Gen_20:12), but it was still a lie, with deception as its motive. The ruse worked for Abram (he was rewarded handsomely) but it worked against Sarai (she had to join the Pharaoh’s harem). And it worked against the Pharaoh (he and his household contracted plagues). The latter acted more righteously than Abram when he learned of the deception. After rebuking Abram, he sent him back to Canaan. This incident reminds us that we should not wage a spiritual warfare with carnal weapons, that the end does not justify the means, and that we can’t sin and get away with it. God did not forsake Abram, but He did allow the sin to work itself out. Abram was publicly humbled by the Pharaoh and deported in disgrace. The word “Pharaoh” was not a proper name but a title, such as king, emperor, president, etc.