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4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. ~ Genesis 12:4-6
Today, we return to our study of Genesis 12 where are given the beginning of the story of Abram. In our last study we considered from the life of Abraham this principle: The word of God creates faith in the believer. We considered that it was after God had spoken to Abram that faith was born in him. Today, we will consider the next principle found in v.4-6, that authentic faith in the God of the Bible leads to obedience to the God of the Bible.
The Old Testament is like a picture book, illustrating with fascinating real stories spiritual truths that are further explained in the New Testament. Aside from Moses, no Old Testament character is mentioned more in the New Testament than Abraham. Abraham is widely known as the model of faith in the God of the Bible. No wonder Genesis 12 chronicles what faith looks like and how it is developed.
In v.4 of today's passage we read, "So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran."
Abram departed as the Lord had commanded him. In doing so, Abram was being obedient to the Word which he had been given by the Lord. It’s probably good to note that the Word of the Lord to Abram is the same as the Word of the Lord today. The only difference is that instead of it coming in dreams, in visions, or in prophetic utterances, it now comes to us primarily in the pages of the Bible. Yes, there is and has always been that still small voice, but for it to be the Word of the Lord, it must always be in line with the principles that God has given us in His Word.
This verse notes for us that Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram was born in the year 2009 BC and his father died in the year 2084 when Abram was 75 years old. Once his father was dead, Abram left Haran and headed to the Promised Land.
In v.5 of today's passage we read, "Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan."
As the leader of his family, Abram led them in the way the Lord was leading him. In order to lead, we must be led. Our lives should be clearly marked by knowing the Lord for ourselves and making Him known to others. Abram's father, Terah, died before entering the Promised Land. I think of the many who have had this story etched on their tombstones down through the years. It is truly sad to think of these many who started out on their journey of faith in the God of the Bible, only to never have enter into the glories represented by the land of promise.
In v.6 of today's passage we read, "Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land."
After entering Canaan, Abram went as far as Shechem which means "shoulder" which is to the Hebrew a symbol of strength. Shechem is a key location in both the Old and New Testaments; it is located between Mount Gerizzim and Mount Ebal. Here, God later met with Abram. Shechem was the very spot where Israel’s daughter Dinah was raped and Israel’s sons Simeon and Levi killed all the men of the town for it. Shechem was the very spot where Joseph’s bones were buried after Israel returned from Egypt. And, Shechem was a town which belonged to the Levites. After Israel divided and became two countries, Shechem became the capital of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Shechem is also the same town known in the New Testament as Sychar where the Lord Jesus spoke with the woman at the well in John 4. Needless to say, a lot happened in Shechem.
At the end of today's passage we read, "And the Canaanites were then in the land." The Canaanites were the pagan tribes which afflicted Israel all through their history. When Israel came back into the land after their stay in Egypt, God ordered the extermination of these tribes, but Israel failed to carry through with God's orders. Therefore, these people hounded and bothered and afflicted Israel as a thorn in their side throughout their history. They are thus an accurate picture for us of those manifestations of evil we live with and continually wrestle against today. These afflicters are known by us as lust, envy, jealousy, impatience, intemperance, irritability, and greed; just to name a few. These are our daily enemies, these manifestations of self which make our existence a life of continual conflict.
Although we hate these expressions of the flesh, they are reminders that this world is not our home. This is why the development of our faith in the God of the Bible is so very important. This is what we are being given here in Genesis 12 which gives us understanding of how our faith in God is developed. We have seen that it is the Word of God that creates faith in us, and, this faith is evidenced by our obedience to God's commands. As we have seen today, Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him. Stay tuned, for tomorrow we will see the next step from the life of Abram on how our faith in the God of the Bible is developed.
But before we conclude today's study, let me point you back to a phrase that is in the middle of v.4: "And Lot went with him." The ripple effect of our walk with the Lord must never be forgotten. You and I have salvation today because of ripple effects set in motion by the faithfulness of others. For those who have yet to hear the Gospel, our God-impacted lives speak volumes. By God’s grace, and through our obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, you and I will set those ripples in motion as we continue to be impacted by God's ministry in our lives. The key to it all is that we trust Him.
