The patriarchs · Genesis 12
The Call of Abram
Abram, who came from Ur of the Chaldees with his father Terah, is settled in Haran; his wife Sarai is barren. The LORD says to him: “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.” He promises to make him a great nation, to make his name great, and to bless “all families of the earth” through him. Abram obeys: at seventy-five, he sets out with Sarai, his nephew Lot, his possessions, and his servants, and arrives in Canaan. At Shechem, by the oaks of Moreh, the LORD appears to him: “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” Abram builds an altar there, and then another between Bethel and Ai. But a famine drives him to Egypt. Out of fear, he passes Sarai off as his sister, and she is taken to Pharaoh’s house. The LORD strikes Pharaoh with great plagues, and Abram is sent away with his wife.
What happens
- “Get thee out of thy country … unto a land that I will shew thee” Genesis 12:1
- The promise: all families of the earth blessed through him Genesis 12:2–3
- Abram leaves Haran at 75 with Sarai and Lot Genesis 12:4–5
- At Shechem, God promises the land; Abram builds an altar Genesis 12:6–7
- Famine: in Egypt, Abram passes Sarai off as his sister Genesis 12:10–13
- The LORD strikes Pharaoh; Abram is sent away Genesis 12:17–20
Who is in this story
The lesson
Faith obeys God’s word without seeing the whole picture: Abram “went out, not knowing whither he went” (Heb 11:8). And even when we stumble, as he did in Egypt, God remains faithful to his promises.
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Quick quiz on this story
Who goes with Abram and Sarai when they leave Haran?
“Abram departed … and Lot went with him”: Abram takes Sarai and “Lot his brother’s son.” His father Terah had died in Haran. Genesis 12:4–5
According to God’s promise, who will be blessed in Abram?
The promise reaches beyond his own descendants: “in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:3
Where does the LORD appear to Abram to promise him the land of Canaan?
At Shechem, by the oaks of Moreh, the LORD appears to him: “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” Abram does not camp near Bethel until afterward. Genesis 12:6–7
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