Genesis 12

      Verses 1-3: God chose Abram. Of all the people of the lands at that time, God spoke to a seventy-five year old man from Ur of the Chaldees whose father and grandfather and great grandfather had not known God. They worshiped idols. (Joshua 24:2) There is no other explanation given for why God chose Abram, and perhaps that is the point. There is nothing that we can do of our own will, no achievement of our own merit, no work of our own strength, to earn any special favor or recognition from God. From the beginning, God has always looked down upon sinful, lost and wicked man, and, for reasons known only to Him, selected someone that He decides is worthy of a special promise or blessing.
         In the case of Abram, God made a promise and a new covenant. He instructed Abram to leave his country, his kinsmen, and all that he knew, and set out for a land that God would eventually show him. God promised to make a great name of Abram (v.2), to bless him, and Abram, in turn, would be a blessing to all those he encountered in his travels. The irony here is that God would accomplish with Abram precisely that which Nimrod and all his followers had attempted to do themselves in building the Tower of Babel. This is yet another example of how God debases the proud and lifts up the humble. (Psalm 119:21, Proverbs 15:25, 16:19, Isaiah 13:11, Luke 14:11, James 4:6, 1Peter 5:5) He also promised Abram that He would bless those who were friends of Abram and his family and curse anyone who stood against Abram or tried to harm him and his family.
        The last sentence of verse 3 is another foreshadowing of the coming Messiah. “…in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” God would send to earth His only son, Jesus, born of the virgin Mary, from the line of David, of the tribe of Judah, of the nation of Israel of whom Abram was the forefather. Through Jesus and the sacrifice of His life on the cross, and then, through His resurrection from the dead three days later, would all of mankind finally have a way of salvation from death and the judgment of hell.
 
        Verse 4: Abram believed God. There is no indication here of doubt, or worry, or questioning God. Abram simply believed, and he obeyed God’s instruction. God, in turn, credited Abram’s faith, counting it as righteousness. (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6) Just as He had done with Noah, God instructed Abram to embark on a monumental task – in this case, a journey to an unknown destination – that would test Abram’s faith. And Abram, like Noah, simply and completely trusted and obeyed God. He packed up his family, including his nephew Lot, and all his belongings and set out in the direction that God pointed. He must have had some fear or anxiety, some small seed of misgivings, perhaps wondering in the back of his mind just what kind of land or destination God had in mind. But his faith was greater than his doubt, and his belief in God was absolute.
 
        Verses 5-9: Abram ended up in the land of Canaan which was populated by all the descendants of Ham. These were a particularly sinful and wicked people, practicing all forms of idolatry, sexual immorality, and child sacrifice. How ironic that the promised land for a man of God was full of sinners and all forms of pride and rebellion against God! This is further proof that God does not call His children to a life of ease and paradise here on this earth. The moment we accept Christ and become redeemed children of God, we are like Abram: pilgrims in a foreign land. We are mocked by the citizens of Babylon, derided for our faith, ridiculed for believing and trusting in what the world claims is a fairy tale. Yet Abram did not turn and flee. Instead, he settled upon “…a mountain on the east of Beth-el…” and “…there he builded and altar unto the Lord…” (v.8) God appeared to him once more, promising Abram that his descendants would one day inherit this land. (v.7) Some time later, Abram continued his journey, moving southward. (v.9)
 
       Verse 10: here is the first mention in the Bible of Egypt. Doctrinal footnote from my study Bible: “Egypt is the great civilization of northeastern Africa. It is identified as Mizraim in Hebrew. By the time Abram arrived in Egypt during the First Intermediate Period, the great pyramids of the Old Kingdom Period (2700-2200 B.C.) had already been standing for some 500 years! The subsequent rise of the Middle Kingdom Period (2040-1786 B.C.) parallels the arrival of Jacob and Joseph. Extensive archeological excavations at various sites throughout Egypt reveal an advanced culture expressed in architecture, agriculture, literature, music, military prowess, and religion. The Pharaoh was considered to be a god incarnate whose word was law. This probably accounts for the complete absence of any law codes in ancient Egypt and supports the uniqueness of the Mosaic Law.”
      From this first mention onward, God’s attitude and view of Egypt is never a favorable one. Mizraim, remember, descended from Ham. (Genesis 10:6) Ham’s progeny were exceedingly sinful, wicked and rebellious towards God. They were cursed by Noah. (Genesis 9:25). Egypt, along with the Canaanites to the north, was a very heathen nation, practicing many forms of idolatry which included occult rituals and worship of the spirit world. (Exodus 7:11-12) Egypt, along with Assyria and Babylon, was often used by God throughout the OT to punish the Israelites. The Israelites were repeatedly warned by the prophets of God never to forge alliances or have any dealings with Egypt or her allies. (This was ignored by King Solomon who took a daughter of Pharaoh as one of his many wives. 1 Kings 11:1-3) Even in the future, during the Tribulation, the proper name of Egypt, along with Sodom, is used as a spiritual synonym for great evil and wickedness. (Revelation 11:8)
      Notice here the wording of verse 10. It doesn’t say that God directed Abram to go down to Egypt. There was a grievous famine in the land, and, instead of trusting God to take care of him and his household, Abram fled to Egypt. This shows a weakness in his faith. God had provided and cared for him for his whole journey from Ur up to this point, yet in the moment of a great crisis, Abram’s faith suddenly disappeared. He panicked and made a decision on his own without consulting God for guidance or direction.
 
         Verses 11-13: Abram then compounded one sin with another. He told Sarai, who was quite beautiful and fair to look upon, to tell everyone who asked that she was Abram’s sister instead of his wife. Abram, afraid that her beauty would compel the Egyptian men to kill him and take Sarai if they found out she was married, believed that he could save himself and protect his family through his own machinations and strength. But that last sentence of verse 13 shows that he really was thinking only of himself: “…that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.”
 
       Verses 14-16: Exactly what Abram had feared happened. The Egyptian princes responded to Sarai’s beauty, and told the Pharaoh about her. The Pharaoh took her into his house and compensated Abram and all his household with livestock and servants. God allowed Abram’s worst case scenario to be played out. So often, when we do the same in our own lives, when we make a decision or choose a course to avoid a particular outcome instead of simply waiting and trusting in the Lord, He allows that very consequence that we feared to come about. Then, of course, God directs events to show us our error and bring us back to Him on our knees.
 
       Verses 17-20: God plagued Pharaoh and all his household because of Abram and Sarai. Though verse 17 doesn’t go into specifics, it can be safely assumed from the rest of the passage that God revealed Himself to Pharaoh and explained the truth of Abram and Sarai. Pharaoh then rebuked Abram for his deception. Verse 19 reveals that Sarai had not yet fully become the Pharaoh’s wife. God intervened before the actual vows and consummation had taken place. Pharaoh commanded Abram to take Sarai and leave Egypt. Abram obeyed.
 
          The latter half of this chapter is a foreshadowing of the events at the beginning of Exodus. God will once again plague Egypt and the Pharaoh for their wickedness and rebellion, putting His power and majesty on full display for all the world at that time to see and marvel at. God is always directing and controlling mankind for His honor and glory, whether they are His own wayward children or the heathen who rage against Him.