The Call of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3)

"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.'" (Genesis 12:1)

The Call to Go

The passage tells us the Lord spoke to Abram. We aren't told how God spoke to Abram, nor does it tell us why God chose to call this man. I think it is unwise, though, to use this passage as an example of divine election for salvation. Abram received this call of God, not for eternal salvation, but to be a blessing to the nations. It was not until later that he believed the Lord's promise that he would have innumerable offspring that God counted it to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). At that point, Abram was justified by faith. Here, he is merely called to go from his country and family and father's house to the land God would show him.

The Land

We should also notice the first appearance of God's promise regarding the land. This will become a dominant theme, as we'll see in this chapter. God will promise this land to Abram's seed (Genesis 12:7). Abram will build altars to the LORD in this land (Genesis 12:7-8). Here, God said he would show Abram the land. So the whole narrative, in a sense, is about the land God said he would give to Abram and his offspring. It was in this land God would reveal his glory through Israel. They were supposed to reach out from there to nations. And, one day, Jesus Christ would be born, live, and die in the land. Because of this, the land would be a source of great blessing to all nations.

The Blessing 

"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. 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.” (Genesis 12:2-3)

Theocentric Interpretation

It becomes immediately obvious that God is the one who will fulfill this covenant with his man, Abram. Over and over again in the passage, God says, "I will...". This is a theocentric covenant. Even though Abram is called to obey God, God is portrayed as the first mover. He acts. He moves. He initiates.

Remember this when it comes to your own experience and walk with God. He is active. He initiates. He pursues. And there is much he will do for his people -- therefore it makes good sense to obey and follow him. Like jumping into a flowing river, Abram would jump into God's flow through obedience. We should also see God as moving on our behalf. Let's jump into his stream of activity through obedience.

A Great Nation, Name and Blessing

And if Abram left Ur, God would do three things for him. First, God would make of Abram a great nation. Second, God said he would bless Abram. Third, God would make Abram's name great.

All this would be done so that he would be a blessing, which we'll talk about in a moment. But note what God said he would do for Abram. He would turn him into a great nation, meaning the nation of Israel. He would also bless him. And he would make Abram's name great. And God has done all three.

Also remember, here, the citizens of Babel. They wanted to become a great people or nation. They wanted the blessing of the heavens. And they said, Let us make a name for ourselves (Genesis 11:4). But, though they sought all this for themselves, they became a dispersed people, cursed by God, and a blight on human history. The name they wanted they did not receive.

And now Abram comes along. He is not presented as striving for a name. He isn't trying to be known or famous or widely esteemed. But God declares he will make him into a blessing of a man whose name is great.

We often spend so much time building our own kingdoms, only to see them crumble. Abraham shows us, however, a different way of life. One where we obey and God makes us a valuable blessing, and therefore people of a great name. The significance so many people crave is actually found in the counter-intuitive path of submission to God. He then redeems our lives for his purposes and glory.

All the Families of the Earth Shall Be Blessed

God had other blessings to pronounce upon Abram as well. He said, "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" (Genesis 12:3).

This was God's original plan. Adam was supposed to lead to the blessing of all nations. All peoples were to be blessed by Adam's walk with God. Humanity was meant to know and enjoy their creator, and Adam's life was to beget more life. Unfortunately, his disobedience led to a curse. Abram's obedience, however, was going to lead to a blessing for all nations.

Ultimately, this promise to Abram was fulfilled in Jesus. It is only through him all the families of the earth can be blessed. From Abraham's line came Jesus, and his death and resurrection blesses anyone who believes in him (Romans 9:5). As Paul said:

"And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8, ESV)

Obedience Leads to Blessing

Through this whole passage, God's plan is presented in the form of chain reactions. Obedience to God leads to a chain reaction of God's blessing. As I said earlier, God's blessing is like a flowing river. Obedience enables us to jump into his flow. And that is how Abram's life works. God gave him two commands, followed by three blessings or promises.

• Command #1: Go from your country to the land I will show you. If he did, God would make him into a great nation, bless him, and make his name great.

• Command #2: He was to live as a blessing to others. If he did, God would bless those who bless Abram, curse those who dishonor him and bless all the families of the earth through him.

This was important for Israel to read about. Obedience leads to great blessing. They were called out of Egypt, and there were times that obedience was costly and hard. They needed to trust that their obedience was going to lead to great blessing.

We need to know the same. Though we aren't called to move to a foreign land like Abram and Israel were, we are called to obey the Lord. And we should know obedience leads to blessing. For instance, what happens within you when you read a passage like 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV):

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;” 

Some will cringe when reading that command of God. Abstain from sexual immorality?! What a terrible life! Others will understand it as a pathway to great blessing. They will see it as a protective word from God. He wants us to obey him, and when we do, great blessing follows.