Genesis 12

Abram appears on the scene at the end of chapter 11 and in v. 3 of this chapter we see that Abram is already 75 years old.  Abram and later Abraham is one of the most significant characters in Scripture yet we know very little about him before the age of 75.  We do know that… “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” Galatians 3:6-7.  If Abraham is the father of all who are of faith in God, then his significance can not be overstated.  The covenant God established with Abraham is eternal and we in Christ benefit from the relationship God enjoyed with Abraham.

I would also like to introduce The Ancient Book of Jasher, it  is one of 13 ancient books referenced in Scripture.  It is referenced in Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18; and 2 Timothy 3:8.  The book was never considered to be inspired by God, it is simply an accurate history book.  The word “Jasher” is a Hebrew word ישר yashar,  meaning “upright” If we believe the text itself, this book was written over 3,500 years ago corresponding to Genesis and Exodus.  It can be used to corroborate scripture or provide some key insight, but is not considered equal with scripture in any way. There is an extensive pre-Haran biography of Abram in Jasher.    The book of Jasher provides details to some of the questions that arise when reading Genesis. 

There are some apparent discrepancies with Genesis that will be evident to the reader, but just like all ancient books translated to a modern language, there are mistranslations that the reader should always keep in mind, even when reading canonical scripture.

As this study is on the book of Genesis, we will not spend too much time in Jasher, but students of God’s Word should make note of its existence and perhaps read it.

I.                Abram’s Call (Genesis 12:1-3)

A.    Genesis 12:1 – Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

1.     the Lord - יהוה Yĕhovah, God of the Covenant

2.     Abram - אברם 'Abram, "exalted father", from אָב, 'ab, meaning father and רוּם, ruwm meaning to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted

3.     What country was Abram instructed to leave? Haran, confusing because Haran was also the name of Abram’s brother who lived in Ur, the land of the Chaldees.  In Chapter 11 Abram and his brother Nahor left Ur After Haran dies they relocate to Haran.  The question then is was the location of Haran named after Abram’s brother as a memorial to him or was it already named Haran before they arrived?  Regardless, Abram is leaving Nahor and the rest of his family behind.

a.      Genesis 24:4 - But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

·        Abraham sends his servant back to his family

·        Considers Haran to be “my country”

b.      Genesis 25:20 – And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.

·        Betheul was Nahor’s son

·        Syrian was a geographical reference only, like we are Ohioans

4.     Haran - חרן Charan, "mountaineer"

-        The city to which Abraham migrated when he left Ur of the Chaldees and where he stayed until his father died before leaving for the promised land; located in Mesopotamia in Padan-aram at the foot of Mount Masius between the Khabour and the Euphrates. Located Northeast of Damascus in Assyria

-        Acts 7:2-4 – And he said, “Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran (Haran), and said unto him, ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.’  Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran; and from thence, when his father was dead, He removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.”

-        The call in Genesis 12:1 is the 2^nd call as we see at the end of Chapter 11 that they came into the Haran and dwelt there, this would have been in response to this call mentioned here in Acts 7:2-4.

-        Corresponds to the Book of Jasher 

B.     Genesis 12:2 – And (1) I will make of thee a great nation, and (2) I will bless thee, and (3) make thy name great; and (4) thou shalt be a blessing:

C.    Genesis 12:3 - And (5) I will bless them that bless thee, and (6) curse him that curseth thee: and (7) in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

1.     Why does God promise to bless Abram? At this point there is very little documentation of him doing much of anything, we can assume from what we read going forward the he was a man of great faith and obedient to God.

a.      Hebrews 11:8 - By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

·        Here we can see that Abraham went out:

o       By faith

o       In obedience

2.     God already knows that Abram will be a blessing in the future, has he?

a.      Yes! Christ the Messiah is the eventual blessing to “all families of the earth”

3.     What has Abram done to gain such favor with God? Faith, Obedience

4.     Sevenfold promise here in Genesis  12:2-3 corresponds with sevenfold blessing of Exodus 6:6-8

5.     Exodus 6:4-8 – And I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein thy were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, who the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant.  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and (1) I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and (2) I will rid you out of their bondage, and (3) I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And (4) I will take you to me for a people, and (5) I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.  (6) And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; (7) and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.”

II.              Abram in Canaan (Genesis 12:4-9)

A.    Genesis 12:4 – So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram [was] seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

1.     75 years old, a time when most people are in their twilight years, Abram is just getting started.

2.     Important for our understanding the situation correctly is our knowledge of the age of Abram.  For if he is seventy-five years old, he is even according to the standards of that time a middle –aged man.  So decisive a step as his would hardly come so easily at his age as at an earlier period in his life. So the mention of Abram’s age helps us put a more correct estimate upon the heroic quality of this act of faith.  H.C Leupold; Exposition of Genesis

B.     Genesis 12:5 – And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came. 

1.     We can see here that this move is no small undertaking, and it becomes apparent that Abram is very rich

2.     Sarai – שרי Saray, princess

3.     Sarai is 65 years old, 10 years younger than Abram

4.     Lot – לוט Lowt, covering

5.     “Souls they had gotten …”

a.      Souls - נפש nephesh, soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

b.      They had gotten - עשה `asah, to do, fashion, accomplish, make

c.      Targum Pseudo-Jonathan: Genesis 12:5 – Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all the possessions which they had acquired, and all the persons whom they had converted in Haran, and they went forth to go to the land of Canaan.  When they came to the land of Canaan,

d.      Jasher 13:21 – And many of the people of Haran, about seventy-two men, followed Abram and Abram taught them the instruction of the Lord and His ways, and he taught them to know the Lord.

e.      It appears that Abram converted souls to Yĕhovah,

C.    Genesis 12:6 – And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land.

1.     Sichem – The place of Abram’s 1^st altar and Christ’s 1^st mission

a.      John 4:5 – Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of the ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

2.     Moreh - מורה Mowreh, teacher

3.     Canaanite - כנעני Kĕna`aniy,

a.      descendant of inhabitant of Canaan

b.      a merchant, trader

4.     Why would God send Abram to a land already occupied?

-        As soon as it was made known that the Seed of the woman was to come through Abram, there could have been a 2^nd (yet smaller in scale) influx of Nephilim as recorded in Genesis 6:4 …and also after that…

-        The aim of the enemy was to occupy Canaan in advance of Abram in order to contest its occupation by his seed.  E.W. Bullinger

D.    Genesis 12:7 – 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.

1.     In verse 1 the Lord spoke, but here the Lord actually appears. 

a.      How does the Lord appear?

b.      Was this a reward for Abram’s obedience?

c.      Altar - מזבח mizbeach, a masculine noun, derived from the verb זבח zebach meaning sacrifice or offering

2.     What does “thy seed” represent? Ultimately Israel, what about others such as Ishmael and those born of Keturah (Abraham’s 2^nd wife after Sarah died), Esau’s descendents, were they also part of “thy seed’?  The land of Canaan which God is referring was given to the tribes of Israel, therefore “thy seed” is not officially comprised of the others

a.      Genesis 21:12 - And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

3.     One thing to note here is that Isaac would be Sarah’s only son. Though the covenant is made with Abram, could the promise of Genesis 3:15 be partially fulfilled here with Sarah in order to isolate the seed of the woman, the seed of the woman in this instance being Isaac as well as the seed of Abraham?

E.     Genesis 12:8 – And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, [having] Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

1.     Bethel – בית–אל Beyth-'El, “house of God”, ancient place and seat of worship in Ephraim on border of Benjamin, identified with Luz (former name)

a.      Genesis 28:18-19 – And Jacob arose early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.  And he called the name of that place Beth-el: but the name of the city was called Luz at first.

b.      Proves that Moses is documenting history using present day geographical names for Beth-el wasn’t named until Jacob named it after his his dream of a ladder to heaven.

2.     Hai – עי `Ay, “heap of ruins”, a city lying east of Bethel and beside Bethaven near Jericho and the second city taken on the invasion of Canaan

3.     “called upon the name of the Lord” –

a.      קרא qara' - to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

b.      שם shem - name

c.      יהוה Yĕhovah – “the existing one”, the proper name of the one true God

d.      Same phrase as in Genesis 4:26, but there the phrase is preceded by the word חלל chalal, meaning to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin

F.     Genesis 12:9 – And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

1.     Abram accepted the promise, thanked God, built an altar and moved on

2.     South toward the hill country

III.            Abram in Egypt and Foreshadowing of the Future Bondage of Israel (Genesis 12:10-20)

A.    Genesis 12:10 – And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land.

1.     What brought about the famine God? Satan? Or the natural processes in place?

2.     Could this be another attempt by Satan to hinder God’s plan?

3.     Does Satan have the power to control climate?

4.     We will see the collective “seed” of Abraham facing many of these types of adversity, Scripture doesn’t specifically say that these adversities are from Satan, but there appears to be a trend.

5.     What was it that forced Israel to relocate to Egypt? a famine

a.      Genesis 42:5 - And the sons of Israel came to buy [corn] among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

B.     Genesis 12:11 – And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou [art] a fair woman to look upon:

1.     It just hit him that he had a beautiful wife

C.    Genesis 12:12 – Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This [is] his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

1.     Was this fear unfounded? Probably not

2.     Is Abram fearful because God did not instruct him to go into Egypt and Abram possibly believes he could be out of God's will by going to Egypt in response to the famine?

D.    Genesis 12:13 – Say, I pray thee, thou [art] my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

1.     Was Abram asking Sarai to lie?

a.      Genesis 20:12 – And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

b.      So it was a half truth in that Sarai truly was Abram’s sister, she was his half-sister, he neglected to mention she was his wife for fear of his life.

c.      Telling the truth with the intent to deceive renders it a lie

d.      Compared with Abram’s earlier and upcoming deeds of heroism and faith this appears out of character.

2.     This appears to reveal Abram’s humanity and lack of faith

3.     Does God choose to reveal this passage to us in order to show us the growth in Abram’s faith from the time he was called out of Haran to its climax with Isaac on Mt. Moriah?

E.     Genesis 12:14 – And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she [was] very fair.

1.     According to the Word it appears that Sarai was in fact a very pleasant looking 65 year old

F.     Genesis 12:15 – The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

1.     Pharaoh – official title for all kings of Egypt

2.     Commended - הלל halal, verb meaning to praise, boast, be boastful

3.     Sarai is representative of the upcoming nation of Israel in that they were also held in bondage by Egypt

G.    Genesis 12:16 – And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

1.     These possessions were not necessarily all gifts from Pharaoh as Abram to have had not that Pharaoh gave. 

2.     As evidenced by 14:22-23 where Abram refused gifts from the king of Sodom.  Abram is very particular of what he accepts and who he accepts it from.

3.     Corresponds to the Pharaoh blessing Israel when they first migrated to Egypt.

a.      Genesis 45:18-20 - And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.  Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.  Also regard not your stuff; for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

H.    Genesis 12:17 – And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

1.     The Lord intervened

a.      Why was it necessary for God to intervene?

b.      God has permitted much worse throughout history, why intervene here?

·        To preserve the messianic seed line was of the utmost importance, Satan’s attempts of corruption had to be stopped

2.     A foreshadowing of the expulsion of Israel from Egypt due to the God’s plagues upon Egypt 

I.      Genesis 12:18 – And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What [is] this [that] thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she [was] thy wife?

1.     Scripture does not specify how Pharaoh found out that Sarai was Abram’s wife.  How did he find out?

2.     Pharaoh almost responds as if this was to be expected…take someone’s wife… receive plagues from God, natural consequence right?

3.     The Book of Jasher 15:16-27 – And the woman was then brought to Pharaoh’s house, and Abram grieved on account of his wife, and he prayed to the Lord to deliver her from the hands of Pharaoh.  And Sarai also prayed at that time and said, O Lord God thou didst tell my Lord Abram to go from his land and from his father’s house to the land of Canaan, and thou didst promise to do well with him if he would perform thy commands; now behold we have done that which thou didst command us, and we left our land and our families, and we went to a strange land and to a people whom we have not known before.  And we came to this land to avoid the famine, and this evil accident has befallen me; now therefore, O Lord God, deliver us and save us from the hand of this oppressor, and do well with me for the sake of thy mercy.  And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Sarai, and the Lord sent an angel to deliver Sarai from the power of Pharaoh.  And the king came and sat before Sarai and behold an angel of the Lord was standing over them, and he appeared to Sarai and said to her, Do not fear, for the Lord has hear thy prayer.  And the king approached Sarai and said to her, What is that man to thee who brought thee hither? And she said, he is my brother.  And the king said, it is incumbent upon us to make him great, to elevate him and to do unto him all the good which thou shalt command us; and at that time the king sent to Abram silver and gold and precious stones in abundance, together with cattle, men servants and maid servants; and the king ordered Abram to be brought, and he sat in the court of the king’s house, and the king greatly exalted Abram on that night.  And the king approached to speak to Sarai, and he reached out his hand to touch her, when the angel smote him heavily, and was terrified and he refrained from reaching to her.  And when the king came near to Sarai, the angel smote him to the ground, and acted thus to him the whole night, and the king was terrified.  And the angel on that night smote heavily all the servants of the king, and his whole household, on account of Sarai, and there was a great lamentation that night amongst the people of Pharaoh’s house.  And Pharaoh, seeing the evil that befell him, said, surely on account of this woman has this thing happened to me, and he removed himself at some distance from her and spoke pleasing words to her.  And the king said to Sarai, Tell me I pray thee concerning the man with whom thou camest here; and Sarai said, This man is my husband, and I said to thee that he was my brother for I was afraid, lest thou shouldest put him to death through wickedness.

J.      Genesis 12:19 – Why saidst thou, She [is] my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take [her], and go thy way.

1.     Notice Pharaoh does not give Abram an opportunity to respond, was Abraham justified in his actions? Would Pharaoh have likely killed Abram for Sarai?  Only God knows these what if questions.

K.    Genesis 12:20 - And Pharaoh commanded [his] men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

1.     Psalm 105:14-15 – He suffered no man to do them wrong: Yea, He reproved kings for their sakes; saying, “Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm.”

2.     Pharaoh, though he was not a follower of God, feared God and restored Abram and sent him on his way.

3.    Pharaoh took Abram so seriously that he provided him an escort out of the land, indicates that he recognizes that God is holding him personally accountable for Abram’s safe passage.