1Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram, “Go away from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2And These verses (2, 3) give the basic outline of God’s covenant with Abraham.I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished); And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others]; 3And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you, And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you. And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.” 4So Abram departed [in faithful obedience] as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had acquired, and the people (servants) which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Genesis 12:1-5 AMP
Have you ever received directions or instructions without context? Its difficult to follow directions/instructions blindly, when you don’t know what the finished product or destination is. The Abram that we are introduced to, is a righteous man who is living in a pagan or unbelieving land with his relatives. This is the same Abram who we will become to know as Abraham, the “Father of Many Nations,” and patriarch to all believers who are saved by faith. Many people are unfamiliar with the background of Abram, only meeting him after the name change. It is important to understand his beginnings because only then can get a full picture of the situation and gain better understanding of God’s overall plan. To understand the magnitude of what God was calling Abraham to, we have to look at where he was calling him out of, and what he originally promised him.
- Go away from your country, and relatives, and your father’s house. God was calling Abram to leave his comfort zone, safe place, and everything and everyone that he knew. It would seem odd that God would randomly ask someone to do this, especially when you consider his next words; “To the land that I will show you.” Here God gave Abram orders without a destination, which is the first of its kind in the Bible. Who tells someone to leave without telling them where to Go? Many people glorify Abraham, but their unwilling to do what Abram did, which is be obedient to the commands of God. Can/will you move when God speaks? In order for God to truly use and bless Abram, he had to get him to an unfamiliar place where he would only listen to, rely on, and heed the voice of God. When God calls you to move to somewhere unfamiliar, it isn’t always punishment, but it is oftentimes a chance for God to isolate you so that you are usable by him. As long as Abram was amongst family in his homeland, he would be influenced by them, and too comfortable to fully trust in God. In order for God to do a new thing through and in him, he had to relocate him to a new place.
- And make your name great. And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others. When God blesses you, it isn’t just for you. All of God’s move have a grand plan in them, even when he uses small people or nobodies. Following God wholeheartedly leads to blessings that we can’t imagine at the time that God calls us. What’s important to remember is that those blessings may not appear as we would like them too, and the things that we encounter along the way may not be comfortable or preferential, but aid our growth. God’s blessings is for his people as a whole though they often flow through individuals. It’s our duty to effectively manage what God has given us to bless his people.
- And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you. This is an important concept for individuals to understand when they are covered and chosen by God. GOD FIGHTS YOUR BATTLES FOR YOU!! Because Abram was chosen by God, and therefore his actions and movements were led by God, any opposition that he encountered was not directed at him, but rather at God, and therefore God would exact vengeance and consequences on those who opposed his servant who was doing his will. We waste too much time and energy fighting spiritual battles using physical methods. We get into petty arguments, lose sleep, stop eating or binge eat, become depressed, all over situations that God has called us to, and will therefore fight on our behalf. Everything that people project or falsely speak over us when we are doing God’s will, God will curse or respond to…..not us.
- So Abram departed [in faithful obedience] as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] left with him. This is a part of Abram’s story that many people often overlook, but plays a part in a later situation that is a direct result of this decision by Abram. God’s original command and directions to Abram was that he needed to leave from his father’s land AND household. Abram and Sarai as a result of their covenant/marriage were bound together, but Lot was Abram’s nephew, and therefore fell under the group of individuals that God was calling Abram to leave. This act was out of order of what God was telling Abram to do, and taking Lot with him was an act of disobedience. Lot represented Abram wanting to bring his past with, it’s similar when we bring habits or tendencies from our old life to our new one because they are comfortable or familiar. We do ourselves more harm than good when we modify God’s words or try to mix the old with the new. There are some people who are good people to us, and may be good overall but they aren’t called to be a part of our future for reasons that God may or may not reveal to us.
Reflection Time
What has God told, revealed, commanded, or instructed you to do? What caused you to not act on or follow his instructions if you didn’t? What do you need to see or hear from God that would give you the faith and motivation to obey his words? Is there anything that too big or uncomfortable that God could ask you to do, if so, why wouldn’t you be willing to carry it out? Have you every carried someone or something too far and it interfered with your progress, or ability to fully receive what God had for you?
