Abram Went as the Lord Directed Him

2nd Sunday of Lent - Genesis 12:1-4a

The LORD said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.

“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”

Abram went as the LORD directed him.

Abraham’s life typifies a life lived walking with the Lord. Ur, in modern day Iraq, represents where he came from, his past, the things he left behind along the way. The land of promise in modern day Israel represents all the promises held out by the Lord that will find their ultimate fulfillment in heaven. The journey between them along the Euphrates River that today takes fourteen and a half hours by car represents the span of a life lived journeying in faith toward the promise. In these early days of our journey through Lent, the Spirit is holding up the blessings of Abraham as our destination. 

Genesis 12 is just the beginning of Abraham’s journey of faith as recorded in the Scriptures when he is already seventy-five years old. The Lord makes a threefold promise to give his descendents their own land, to make his name great (a way of describing kingly descendants), and to bless all families of the earth through his descendants. God will confirm each of these promises with its own covenant with Abraham and then fulfill each one with yet another covenant. The Mosaic Covenant in Exodus 24 established the nation of Israel just before they inherited the Promised Land. The Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7 established the monarchy in Israel with a spiritual authority over the whole world through David, a descendant of Abraham, and his own descendants. The New Covenant established by Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, now brings divine blessing to every family on earth willing to accept it. 

Already in the twelfth chapter of the Bible, the Lord had revealed exactly what he was up to. The climax of his plans was nothing short of universal (the meaning of “catholic”) blessing and not simply blessings for the Jewish nation. This means God had you in mind when he uttered this promise to Abraham more than three thousand years ago. From the beginning, he has been after your family. Divine blessings do not necessarily protect us from hardship; just read the rest of Abraham’s story if you need proof. But they do promise great rewards for faithfulness. 

As we continue on our journey through yet another Lent, the Lord reminds us of his ever-ancient and ever-new promises. Jesus invites us to take up our cross and follow him to a New Promised Land under the leadership of the New Davidic King to experience the blessing of Abraham. This has been his plan all along, and he is once again inviting us to go forth from “the land of your kinsfolk” to “a land that I will show you.” Let the journey begin!