Knowing The Word in Genesis 12:1-3, The Call of Abram

Chapters 12-50 of Genesis contain three long connected cycles of narrative:

11:27-25:11 The Story of Abraham

25:19-35:29 The Story of Jacob

37:1-50:26 The Story of Joseph

There are parallels between all these stories:

• All these heroes leave their homeland

• All quarrel with their brothers

• All go down to or toward Egypt

• Two wives are seduced or nearly so and an attempt is made to seduce Joseph

• Their wives are barren and quarrel except for Joseph’s

• The younger sons are divinely favored

• Brides met at well except for Joseph’s

• God gives them promises of children, land, and divine blessing

• Gentiles acknowledge God’s blessing on them

• They are all buried in a cave at Machpelah

Isaac misses out of this group as a rather retiring, unforceful person.

In the patriarchal stories that follow, the Lord, who is the main character in chapters 1-11, retreats into the background. Yet running through these stories is the theme of God’s promises to these men of descendants, land, and divine blessing. We see weaknesses in these men. Abraham allows his wife to enter an Egyptian harem to protect himself. Jacob deceives his father and brother to ensure God’s blessing on him. But in Joseph we see a more mature faith and a deeper moral awareness. In him we see someone pointing to Jesus.

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country 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.” [These three verses are fundamentally important to the theology of Genesis. They bind together the primeval history and the later patriarchal history and look to the subsequent history of Israel to be a blessing to the world, which we see fulfilled in Jesus. Abram is called to give up all he has as a test of faith so that he may be blessed and bless others. God’s blessing in the OT is primarily manifested in long life, wealth, peace, good harvests, and children. God alone is seen as the source of all good fortune. These divine blessings are a reassertion of God’s original plan for humanity. If his command is followed by Abram, the blessings will progress accordingly: 1) Abram alone is blessed > 2) Abram’s name will be used as a blessing > 3) Abram’s blessers will be blessed > 4) All families will find blessing in Abram. While not every individual is promised blessing in Abram, every major group in the world will be blessed. Throughout the Genesis stories that follow, the Lord himself actively intervenes on Abraham’s, Jacob’s, and Joseph’s side to fulfill these blessings.]