January 13, 2023

Honesty can evidence our trust in God.

Genesis 12

Cole Thomas
Friday's Devo

January 13, 2023

Friday's Devo

January 13, 2023

Friday's Devo

January 13, 2023

Friday's Devo

January 13, 2023

Big Idea

Our trust in God and His plans is often reflected in our obedience to Him and living in the truth. Yet, our failure to trust God does not change His character or His love for us one bit.

Key Verse | Genesis 12:2-3

"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Genesis 12

The Call of Abram

1 Now the LORD said 1 12:1 Or had said to Abram, “Go from your country 2 12:1 Or land and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 3 12:3 Or by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves

4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak 4 12:6 Or terebinth of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

Abram and Sarai in Egypt

10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17 But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

Footnotes

[1] 12:1 Or had said
[2] 12:1 Or land
[3] 12:3 Or by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves
[4] 12:6 Or terebinth

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Dive Deeper | Genesis 12

In His call to Abram, God continues His redemption story of His creation that began in Genesis 3. Notice immediately the one-sided deal God grants Abram. God charges Abram with one task: "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you" (Genesis 12:1), while God commits Himself, His favor, and His plan of redemption to Abram: "make of you a great nation . . . bless you . . . make your name great . . . you will be a blessing. . . . I will bless those who bless you . . . him who dishonors you I will curse . . . and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:2-3)

Admittedly, leaving one's family and culture is no small task. It is just that God has seven distinct commitments to His singular charge to Abram, almost as if God is communicating that His abundance and commitment to us is worth every bit of surrender on our part.

While Genesis 12:4 captures Abram's faith: "Abram went, as the LORD had told him . . . ," Genesis 12:11-20 capture Abram's subsequent lack of faith through his lack of honesty. Abram and Sarai, Abram's wife, journey to Egypt to wait out a famine. Perhaps waiting on God during a famine led to a moment of distrust because God's promises weren't immediately fulfilled. Regardless of the cause of distrust, Abram concocts a plan to save his own skin by tell Pharoah that Abram's wife is his sister! Having just received God's call, has he forgotten already? Thus, Abram gives Sarai up to Pharoah, and God, true to His earlier promise, cursed Pharoah when he brought Sarai into his home.

While our honesty and obedience demonstrate our trust in God (for better and for worse), God's commitment to His people grants us trust in Him again. Are our eyes on the One who imparted His own Spirit to us or on ourselves to make sure He follows through with those promises of His?

This month's memory verse

We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

– John 1:45b

Discussion Questions

1. Reread Genesis 12:1-3. Why is God's call to Abraham significant to the larger biblical narrative? How does knowing God's commitment to bless all the families of the earth in Christ form how we relate to Him?

2. Reread Genesis 12:10-20. How have you lived similarly to Abraham? In what ways have you leaned on your own understanding? In what ways has God been faithful to you despite your lack of faithfulness? In what ways have you trusted and obeyed God? 

3. Reflect on the passage as a whole. Who called to whom initially (God or Abraham)? Who benefits from obeying God? How does knowing Abraham had a task charged by God make you feel?

4. Read Hebrews 11:8-16. To what is the faith of Abraham and Sarah intrinsically tied within the passage? What is one way you can obey God today? What promises of God from Scripture can you meditate on today and throughout this weekend?

Historical Narrative

Respond to Today's Passage

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HS

Hugh Stephenson

GM Cole! Running barefoot. Very interesting. Glad you disproved the saying that “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” What was Abram thinking when he got the call? He hears from “God” to GO. And he just goes. And this in a pagan culture where his family is very likely to be polytheistic, at best. Ur was a very prosperous and even luxurious place. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ur It’s about 660 miles from Ur to Haran. It’s about the same distance from Dallas to the middle of the west Texas desert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harran_(biblical_place) What if you had told me to leave my nice home in north Dallas and go to a very small-town in west Texas. I wouldn’t do it. If you told me to do it and to walk? I’d laugh. Not only did Abram walk that distance but a bit later he walked another 425 miles to Shechem. Then to Egypt.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

In that time, it was unthinkable for a man to, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.” How about the promises made in God’s call to him? Constable notes that in-between the promise and the fulfillment there were 12 huge obstacles- a partial list. -A barren wife -Life threatened in Egypt -Fighting a war -No heir -Hagar leaves with his unborn heir -Commanded to slay his only heir ------ For Abraham, God used these hardships and difficulties to build his faith and trust in Him, (James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5, Isaiah 30:20-21). So much so that when God called him to sacrifice Isaac, he was ready. Note that the angel stops his hand at the last second. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/domenichino-the-sacrifice-of-isaac-1627-1628-italian-school-abraham-domenico-zampieri-1581-1641.html
HS

Hugh Stephenson

If you had told me at age 18 about all the challenges ahead- starting a business from scratch, struggles of marriage/parenting, 7 houses in 35 years, cancer, addictions, alcoholism, prodigal children etc etc etc - I would have gotten up and left the room. And missed every blessing. Joe Walsh, the Eagles guitarist, says this- “ ’You know, there’s a philosopher who says, “As you live your life, it appears to be anarchy and chaos, and random events, non-related events, smashing into each other and causing this situation or that situation, and then, this happens, and it’s overwhelming, and it just looks like what in the world is going on ? And later, when you look back at it, it looks like a finely crafted novel. But at the time, it don’t.’ “ Election and God’s sovereignty. From a guy you wouldn’t think knew one from another. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Walsh
MS

Michael Sisson

Re: Gen 12:7 (KJV) And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy >>>seed<<< will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. Generally speaking, translators are well meaning when they opt for a translation that prioritizes a particular meaning over a more ambiguous, literal rendering that could yield multiple layers of meaning. In this instance, take a moment to look up Gen 12:7 in a translation (e.g. KJV) where the Hebrew word זֶרַע (zera) receives a literal rendering as “seed” instead of “descendants” or “offspring.” Why is consulting a more literal translation important when reading scripture? 1. Because doing so will cause the differences in translations to jump out at you, and noticing those differences can yield unexpected insights. 2. Because otherwise you can never fully appreciate the rich layers of meaning to which other biblical authors may call attention. For example, Paul’s audience in Gal 3:16 would miss the subtle detail Paul seizes upon to reveal Messiah in G-d’s promises to Abraham (see Gen 12:7; 13:15; 17:7,8,10; 24:7).
AB

Alan Beam

12:1-3, Another foundational OT passage, Abrahamic Covenant. Land, seed, blessing. God scatters the nations in 11, then claims one as His own in 12. First explicit reference to God bringing salvation (blessing) to Gentiles. This is a continuation of Genesis 3:15, God's plan for salvation but with more details. 12:4, God tells Abram to leave his people and household, but he brings Lot along with him. Disobedience? The text doesn't explicitly condemn Abram for this, but the troubles he experiences as a result (13:5-7, 14:12) are a natural consequence. 12:13, I struggle to sympathize with Abram here. It feels audacious to offer his wife out of fear for his own life. He chose to go to Egypt (as far as we know, without consulting with God). And now he's resorting to his own power to try to protect himself. I guess I can sympathize with that part of it 😬
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thanks, Cole! I'm intrigued by your running barefoot. In a city with lots and lots of concrete. ??? My lifelong-runner husband Ray ended up with both hips replaced. I wonder if running barefoot on grass might have prevented that? But then, growing up in Chicago's winters . . . It was easy for me to point a finger at Abram lying to Pharaoh about Sarai and judge: "Look at your self-sufficiency, dude. You didn't ask Yahweh about going to Egypt, you didn't ask Him about covering your own butt with Sarai . . ." Then I remember that God plucked Abram out of a pagan people and gave him a promise-on-steroids (covenant) with no discipleship training. Abram had no one to show him what walking with God looked like; how to invite God into every aspect of his life, how to inquire of the Lord. :::pulling my finger back:::
CL

Chris Landry

I love your thoughts here, @Sue. I’ve often wondered about how our deception and lies can be a part of His bigger story. See also, Jacob and Esau etc….befuddles me. What you said about plucking someone out of a pagan culture without a discipleship model is very interesting and yet it’s very explicable. Some early Christian writings found with the Dead Sea Scrolls mentioned that Abraham may have had a dream. From GotQuestions: “One significant addition is that Abraham learns in a dream that Pharaoh will seek to kill him and take his wife while he is in Egypt. (This may be an attempt to justify Abram’s actions in Genesis 12.)” To make this personal, I too can make decisions in an attempt to control outcomes. This is sinful and without excuse. It shows that I trust me more than I trust God! This is not OK. “Trust in the Lord, with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding…“
MS

Michael Scaman

God promised Abraham He would bless every family on earth through Abraham's son. So many things in the normal case of events would have stopped this. Th Pharaoh snatching his wife, Issac's favoring the wrong son, his grandchildren not getting along being alienated from each other even sold to slavery then all eventually going into slavery. But God is faithful to his promises.
AL

Amy Lowther

Genesis 12:2-3 is a great verse we should all consider. What a blessing.
MS

Michael Sisson

Re: Gen 12:3a Genesis 12:3a (NASB1995) And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse… THE MIRROR EFFECT In Gen 12:3a we find one example of what I call “The Mirror Effect.” The moniker describes the reciprocal, reflexive relationship G-d has with Creation. Other examples can be found throughout the whole of scripture. Firstly, in Gen 12:3a and elsewhere, it can be observed in the “measure for measure” justice G-d metes out in His judgment. Other examples include: Gen 11:4, 8; Gen 37:32; 38:25; 2Sa 12:5-14; Es 7:10; Mt 5:7; Mt 7:2; 10:33; 18:32-35; and Mk 8:3. In Gen 32:30, it can see it at work in the “face to face” relationship He desires with us. Perhaps Paul best describes this facet of the effect when he writes: 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NASB) For now >>>we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face;<<< now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. Other examples of this “face to face” or “heart to heart” facet of The Mirror Effect can be found in: Ex 33:11, Dt 5:4, Dt 34:10; 1Sam 13:14, and Eze 20:35. It even extends to Messiah’s invitation to us to share (in like manner) in His suffering: Mt 10:38-39 and Jn 15:18-25. The Mirror Effect is as old as Creation itself (Rom 1:20). Mankind was created to reflect G-d’s image (Gen 1:27). Moreover, as followers of G-d and His Messiah, we’re called to increasingly be conformed to His image: Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7; Rom 6:5; 8:29; Eph 4:24, and Phl 3:10. Typologically, we see The Mirror Effect present in the metaphorical language of scripture. For example, just as scripture refers to Messiah as our “Pesach“ (“Passover”; Ex 12:5 and 1Cor 5:7) and the “Lamb,” (Jn 1:29, 36; 1Pet 1:19; and Rev 5:6-13), so too G-d’s people and those who follow Messiah are called His “sheep” (Ps 95:7; 100:3; Eze 34:10-12, 31; and Jn 10:26-27; 21:16-17). We even see this effect in G-d’s relationship to His enemies, but I’ll wait until we reach Ex 12:5 to address this at greater length. Lastly, a facet of The Mirror Effect extends even to G-d’s Word, of which Messiah is the very embodiment (Jn 1:14), and our obedience. This facet can be seen in Ex 20:6, Dt 5:10; 11:1-28; Jn 14:15, 21; and perhaps most clearly in Jas 1:23-24.