-
†. Gen 12:1. .The Lord said to Abram: Go forth from your native land
and from your father's house to the land that I will show you.
Stephen said Abram was still living in Ur, and hadn't moved up to Haran yet
when God called him to leave his kin (Acts 7:2-3). There's no record of any
interaction with God all the while that Abram lived in Haran. Yhvh was silent,
and waiting for Abram to get with the program and do as He said-- leave his
kin and head on out to a country of God's choosing. When he finally
departed, Abram was not yet informed of his precise destination. (Heb 11:8)
The Lord made several promises to Abram at this time.
†. Gen 12:2a . . I will make of you a great nation,
Greatness is arbitrary. Some say numbers best represent greatness, while
others feel that accomplishments, prosperity, health, and contributions to
mankind define greatness. In that last aspect; no other nation on earth has
contributed more to the benefit of mankind than the people of Israel. It is
through them that sinful men of all nations may obtain a full ransom from
the wrath of God. Israel is also destined to become the seat of world power,
economic prosperity, and the center for religious studies.
†. Gen 12:2b . . And I will bless you;
Abram became a very wealthy man; with enough male servants to field a
respectable army. He also enjoyed long life and good health; and the
admiration of his neighbors.
†. Gen 12:2c . . I will make your name great,
Nobody is more famous than Abram. Even people who never heard of
George Washington, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, or Genghis Khan, know
about Abram. He is connected to the three most prominent religions in the
world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. And his name is always held in the
very highest regard. Abram isn't known for nefarious deeds nor bloody
conquests. He is known as the friend of God, and as a role model for all
decent God-fearing people everywhere all over the world.
†. Gen 12:2d . . And you shall be a blessing.
There are some people that the world is well rid of like conceited
entertainers, neighbors from hell, thin skinned defensive people with raging
tempers, habitual liars, cry babies, people who falsify information, sully
reputations, ruthless businessmen, con and scam artists, unscrupulous
lawyers, crooked cops and dishonest politicians, insurance frauds, Wall
Street sociopaths, managers on a power trip, hackers, and the like. But
Abram was none of those. He was a very gracious, honorable man; the kind
of guy you would thank God for. But most of all, Abram is the progenitor of
Messiah-- the savior of the world.
"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of
Abraham" (Matt 1:1)
Messiah is the one who makes it possible for sinners to escape the judgment
of God. You can't be a better blessing than that.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be
lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God
so cared for the world that he donated His one and only son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send
His son into the world to condemn the world, but to rescue the world
through him." (John 3:14-17)
NOTE: The reference to Moses' serpent is located at Num 21:4-9
Just as Moses' people were spared certain death from snake bite by doing no
more nor less than looking to the serpent; so believers today are spared
eternal suffering by doing no more nor less than looking to Christ's
crucifixion to remedy their default destiny in an unspeakable environment.
†. Gen 12:3a . . I will bless those who bless you, and curse him that
curses you;
That curse works both ways; viz: it prevents God from cursing Abram. This
is very important because were God to curse Abram, for any reason, any at
all; He would have to level a curse right back at Himself.
God as much as granted Abram immunity from any, and all, of the curses
listed at Ex 34:6-7, Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1 69 that God
is obligated to slam Yhvh's people with for breaching the covenant that they
agreed upon with God as per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Modern Judaism insists that Deut 29:14-15 retroactively binds Abraham to
the covenant. But Deut 5:2-3 clearly exempts him.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 12:1. .The Lord said to Abram: Go forth from your native land
and from your father's house to the land that I will show you.
Stephen said Abram was still living in Ur, and hadn't moved up to Haran yet
when God called him to leave his kin (Acts 7:2-3). There's no record of any
interaction with God all the while that Abram lived in Haran. Yhvh was silent,
and waiting for Abram to get with the program and do as He said-- leave his
kin and head on out to a country of God's choosing. When he finally
departed, Abram was not yet informed of his precise destination. (Heb 11:8)
The Lord made several promises to Abram at this time.
†. Gen 12:2a . . I will make of you a great nation,
Greatness is arbitrary. Some say numbers best represent greatness, while
others feel that accomplishments, prosperity, health, and contributions to
mankind define greatness. In that last aspect; no other nation on earth has
contributed more to the benefit of mankind than the people of Israel. It is
through them that sinful men of all nations may obtain a full ransom from
the wrath of God. Israel is also destined to become the seat of world power,
economic prosperity, and the center for religious studies.
†. Gen 12:2b . . And I will bless you;
Abram became a very wealthy man; with enough male servants to field a
respectable army. He also enjoyed long life and good health; and the
admiration of his neighbors.
†. Gen 12:2c . . I will make your name great,
Nobody is more famous than Abram. Even people who never heard of
George Washington, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, or Genghis Khan, know
about Abram. He is connected to the three most prominent religions in the
world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. And his name is always held in the
very highest regard. Abram isn't known for nefarious deeds nor bloody
conquests. He is known as the friend of God, and as a role model for all
decent God-fearing people everywhere all over the world.
†. Gen 12:2d . . And you shall be a blessing.
There are some people that the world is well rid of like conceited
entertainers, neighbors from hell, thin skinned defensive people with raging
tempers, habitual liars, cry babies, people who falsify information, sully
reputations, ruthless businessmen, con and scam artists, unscrupulous
lawyers, crooked cops and dishonest politicians, insurance frauds, Wall
Street sociopaths, managers on a power trip, hackers, and the like. But
Abram was none of those. He was a very gracious, honorable man; the kind
of guy you would thank God for. But most of all, Abram is the progenitor of
Messiah-- the savior of the world.
"A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of
Abraham" (Matt 1:1)
Messiah is the one who makes it possible for sinners to escape the judgment
of God. You can't be a better blessing than that.
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be
lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God
so cared for the world that he donated His one and only son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send
His son into the world to condemn the world, but to rescue the world
through him." (John 3:14-17)
NOTE: The reference to Moses' serpent is located at Num 21:4-9
Just as Moses' people were spared certain death from snake bite by doing no
more nor less than looking to the serpent; so believers today are spared
eternal suffering by doing no more nor less than looking to Christ's
crucifixion to remedy their default destiny in an unspeakable environment.
†. Gen 12:3a . . I will bless those who bless you, and curse him that
curses you;
That curse works both ways; viz: it prevents God from cursing Abram. This
is very important because were God to curse Abram, for any reason, any at
all; He would have to level a curse right back at Himself.
God as much as granted Abram immunity from any, and all, of the curses
listed at Ex 34:6-7, Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1 69 that God
is obligated to slam Yhvh's people with for breaching the covenant that they
agreed upon with God as per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Modern Judaism insists that Deut 29:14-15 retroactively binds Abraham to
the covenant. But Deut 5:2-3 clearly exempts him.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=