And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
After pitching his tent between Bethel and Ai and building an altar and calling upon the name of the Lord there, Abram kept journeying southward through the land of Canaan. His continuing movement toward the south was the travel of a large household with flocks, pack animals, tents, possessions and people, on through the southern part of Judah and then to Egypt when famine struck the land, where he was also to bear witness. Genesis 12 begins the account of the covenant God made with Abraham, promising him innumerable descendants, blessing to all nations through them, and the land as an everlasting inheritance. His southward journey was part of his sojourn after God's call in progressive steps toward complete trust through trials and repeated lessons, and his greatness lay in obedience by faith as a wanderer among the tribes of ancient Canaan showing that God can be obeyed despite difficult surroundings.
Journey Toward the South
The southward movement belongs to the account of Abram who came from Ur of the Chaldees, which in his time lay near the mouth of the Euphrates, though later deposits of the river left its ruins farther inland. After pitching his tent between Bethel and Ai and building an altar there and calling upon the name of the Lord, he kept journeying on still toward the south through the land of Canaan. His continuing journey toward the south was the movement of a large traveling household with flocks and pack animals and tents and possessions and people. From Bethel he continued south into the southern part of Judah, and then went on to Egypt because famine had struck the land, where God also wanted him to bear witness.
Faith Covenant and Meaning
Genesis 12 opens the record of the covenant made with Abraham, who was chosen because he was righteous, with promise of descendants beyond number, blessing to all nations through them, and everlasting inheritance of the land. That chapter fixes the time of the divine call from which the 430 years of sojourning in Canaan and Egypt are counted, beginning in 1921 B.C. Its chronological year is the starting point for reckoning Paul's 430 years forward to Exodus 20, marking the opening of the dispensation of law.
The continuing move toward the south belongs to that sojourn after the call, formed of progressive steps leading toward complete trust in God. It involved trials of faith and repeated lessons before faith stood full and mature. The same chapter displays the contrasting characters of Abram and Lot, the effect of worldly associations, and providential care teaching faith, all with the Promised Seed in view.
The greatness shown in the call narrative lay in obedience by faith, as the southward advance carried that obedience forward. As a wanderer among the tribes of ancient Canaan he proved that obedience to God and living out the truth remain possible amid hard conditions. Set beside Genesis 26:3-5, his traveling through the land helps make clear that the charge, statutes and laws he kept were more than leaving his kindred, journeying through the country, and offering Isaac.
This onward journey stands at the head of the longer story of Genesis 12 to 21, in which failure to trust the promise that the Seed would come through Sarah led to attempts to aid the divine purpose by human contrivance. First came the thought of making Eliezer of Damascus heir by adoption, then at Sarah's suggestion the taking of Hagar to bear Ishmael, a course outside the divine plan that brought only bondage and trouble. Against that stands Isaac, child of the freewoman, born contrary to the course of nature by the power and promise of God.
After pitching his tent between Bethel and Ai and building an altar and calling upon the name of the Lord there, Abram kept journeying southward through the land of Canaan. His continuing movement toward the south was the travel of a large household with flocks, pack animals, tents, possessions and people, on through the southern part of Judah and then to Egypt when famine struck the land, where he was also to bear witness. Genesis 12 begins the account of the covenant God made with Abraham, promising him innumerable descendants, blessing to all nations through them, and the land as an everlasting inheritance. His southward journey was part of his sojourn after God's call in progressive steps toward complete trust through trials and repeated lessons, and his greatness lay in obedience by faith as a wanderer among the tribes of ancient Canaan showing that God can be obeyed despite difficult surroundings.
Journey Toward the South
The southward movement belongs to the account of Abram who came from Ur of the Chaldees, which in his time lay near the mouth of the Euphrates, though later deposits of the river left its ruins farther inland. After pitching his tent between Bethel and Ai and building an altar there and calling upon the name of the Lord, he kept journeying on still toward the south through the land of Canaan. His continuing journey toward the south was the movement of a large traveling household with flocks and pack animals and tents and possessions and people. From Bethel he continued south into the southern part of Judah, and then went on to Egypt because famine had struck the land, where God also wanted him to bear witness.
Faith Covenant and Meaning
Genesis 12 opens the record of the covenant made with Abraham, who was chosen because he was righteous, with promise of descendants beyond number, blessing to all nations through them, and everlasting inheritance of the land. That chapter fixes the time of the divine call from which the 430 years of sojourning in Canaan and Egypt are counted, beginning in 1921 B.C. Its chronological year is the starting point for reckoning Paul's 430 years forward to Exodus 20, marking the opening of the dispensation of law.
The continuing move toward the south belongs to that sojourn after the call, formed of progressive steps leading toward complete trust in God. It involved trials of faith and repeated lessons before faith stood full and mature. The same chapter displays the contrasting characters of Abram and Lot, the effect of worldly associations, and providential care teaching faith, all with the Promised Seed in view.
The greatness shown in the call narrative lay in obedience by faith, as the southward advance carried that obedience forward. As a wanderer among the tribes of ancient Canaan he proved that obedience to God and living out the truth remain possible amid hard conditions. Set beside Genesis 26:3-5, his traveling through the land helps make clear that the charge, statutes and laws he kept were more than leaving his kindred, journeying through the country, and offering Isaac.
This onward journey stands at the head of the longer story of Genesis 12 to 21, in which failure to trust the promise that the Seed would come through Sarah led to attempts to aid the divine purpose by human contrivance. First came the thought of making Eliezer of Damascus heir by adoption, then at Sarah's suggestion the taking of Hagar to bear Ishmael, a course outside the divine plan that brought only bondage and trouble. Against that stands Isaac, child of the freewoman, born contrary to the course of nature by the power and promise of God.