Today we begin a new section in our Genesis sermon series. Until we interrupted to cover Palm Sunday and Easter, we had been looking at the first eleven chapters of Genesis. A number of times – probably more than you cared to count – I emphasized two important things:
- Genesis is part of a larger work – namely, the Pentateuch – and it has to be read in the context of the whole; and,
- The first eleven chapters functioned as a Preface to the larger work. They were not intended to be objective news reporting or contemporary accounts of events. Instead, those first eleven chapters were broad brush accounts introducing God and revealing how the events we are experiencing are part of a grander narrative God has written for the cosmos over which He is sovereign.
As we begin with chapter 12, we move out of the preface into the main body of this work. It is the account of the movement of God to rescue his people from bondage and slavery in Egypt, to the covenant at Sinai, and then delivering them to the Promised land.
God’s Love and Promises Last Through The Generations
We start with Abram, who will later be known as Abraham. The early identity of the people of God is rooted in this one person. I want to take a few moments to put that in a larger context so that you understand the scale and scope of the significance of Abram in God’s redemption plan. If we look at the recording of the prayers and stories the people passed from one generation to the next, they begin with Abram. Consider how the people of Israel described themselves.
First, if Israel had a “Star Spangled Banner” moment – that is, a national anthem – it would be found in Deuteronomy 6:4, the great “Shema”, part of Moses’ farewell sermon, in which he declared, “Hear, O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Then, in the explanation as to “why” they should obey those commands and how to pass them along through the generations, Moses instructed the people,
“When the Lord your God has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, take care that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. The Lord your God you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear.” (Deuteronomy 6:10-13 NRSV)
Moses told the people to remember God gave you this land, just as he had promised their ancestor Abraham hundreds of years previously.
Second, when they delivered the first fruits of the harvest to the sanctuary, the people were instructed to recite a prayer found in Deuteronomy 26. (Think of this like the Apostles’ Creed: a short declaration of what we believe.)
A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. (Deuteronomy 26:5-9 NRSV)
They told and re-told the story of God’s actions generations before as their own story. The story began with God’s promise to Abram. “This is what God has done with my family, with me.” In a “what have you done for me lately” world, this is our story, too. History did not begin when I was born; nor will it end at my death (if the LORD tarries). I need to know this story to know where I fit; I need to share this story with my children so they can know where they fit.
Third, when they had entered and conquered the Promised Land, at the end of Joshua’s time of leadership, he called them to remember who it was responsible for the fulfillment of the promises.
“And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterwards I brought you out. When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, you came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. When they cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did to Egypt. Afterwards you lived in the wilderness a long time. (Joshua 24:2-7 NRSV)
I spend time walking through these accounts in order to demonstrate how God’s faithfulness began with the promise to Abram and was fulfilled – in God’s time – over the many generations that followed. Over and over, the people are reminded to remember God’s promises and faithfulness. The God whom they worshiped, the God whom they followed, the God with whom they were in covenant, was bigger than any one generation.
Do you remember how Joshua concluded his address to the people?
“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”” (Joshua 24:14-15 NRSV)
God is faithful. Revere the Lord. Serve him. That’s what Abram did. That’s what our family does. That is what you do. Teach your children.
Go.
Let us go back to the text. Notice that God took the initiative and humans responded. Both with our Old and New Testament lessons today – Genesis 12 and Matthew 4 – it is God who is taking the first step and humans respond. With Abram, the LORD spoke to Abram. In the New Testament, Jesus said to the two brothers, “Come, follow me.”
I often hear people say they are searching for God. I wonder about that. I do not doubt their sincerity – I wonder about what it is they are seeking. More often than not, they are not looking for God, they are looking to find a servant who will allow them to act like a god. They want a god who satisfies their wants, they want a god who obeys their will, they want a god whom they can direct and makes them happy. When confronted with the one true God, they recoil at the idea of a God who can require them to do things that are unreasonable, unexplainable, or uncomfortable.
God’s call often is unreasonable. It does not fit within our plan or expectations. It often is unexplainable; as in, we cannot see or predict how it is supposed to work. It often is uncomfortable, calling us to give up our security, patterns, and control.
How difficult that is, to “go” or “come, follow me.” It is a jolting thing and it often requires us to do something that does not make sense to us. Abram was no different than we are. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about Abram’s existence – as compared with others of his time – with the exception that God chose him. Prior to chapter 12, Abram was born, he got married, and he was childless. He had a home, was surrounded by extended family, and had a job. Before God spoke to Abram, there was no description of superior physical, mental, or spiritual prowess. There was no description of heroics, intrigue, or charisma. Abram was just a guy.
At this point, we do not even know what kind of a guy he was: reflective, aggressive, outgoing or introverted, impulsive or cautious, we do not know. In those respects, we are no different than Abram; we could be Abram and Abram could be any one of us.
Well, you say, God appeared to Abram. Yes, that is what the Bible says – later. The first encounter was very simply: “Now the LORD said to Abram…” Abram heard the LORD’s voice and responded. So, Abram had to wrestle with the questions of “do I believe in God and do I believe God cares about me?”
What about you? How have you wrestled with those questions? Do you believe God is real? I am not asking whether you can understand or accept the concept that there may be some force beyond what we can see; I am asking whether you are convicted “the LORD is our God, the LORD alone.” Are you listening for his voice? Are you struggling trying to get to know him? Are you willing to follow his command to go?
Those are hard questions. We like the idea of a loving God; we are not as comfortable with the reality of a sovereign God. It is ok for God to tell Abram to go from his country and his father’s house; but what if God told me? I know my first response would be, “Who, me? Are you sure?”
I know that would be my response because that was my response when God called me to leave law and go to seminary. I had paid off my student loans. I had spent several years cultivating and building a good practice. I was enjoying life and thought that things were just going to continue along that same trajectory. I was serving God, I thought, through teaching Sunday School classes and going on mission trips; all the while getting more comfortable and secure. Then God came to me and said, “Now, I want you to go to seminary.” “Who, me? Are you sure?” It was both terrifying and peaceful beyond all understanding. Yet, at that moment, the unreasonable, unexplainable, and uncomfortable dissolved in the light of the joy of the adventure God was laying before me. I did not know any details or have any idea of the mechanics; all I knew is that I would be walking with God in my obedience.
Scripture portrays God’s method of operating. Jesus said, “Come, follow me.” The LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land I will show you.” It takes faith to follow God. It takes faith.
God’s Command and the revelation of his purpose.
God’s command to Abram came with a declaration of purpose. In verse 2, God explained his four-fold purpose:
- I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you;
- [I will] make your name great, so that you will be a blessing;
- I will bless those who bless you; those who curse you, I will curse; and,
- In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Note the sequence: God will make Abram a great nation and will bless him. That is particular to Abram. God is working within history and with a specific individual to accomplish his purposes. Then Abram’s name will be great so that Abram will be a blessing. Out of God’s action blessing Abram, Abram will be a blessing to others. Then, there is the horizontal reciprocity with others: God will bless those who bless Abram, God will curse those who curse Abram. Finally, there is the universality of God’s purpose in calling Abram: in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
The sequence foreshadows what God will do in Jesus. In Jesus God has created a new people, a new Israel: a new nation. Jesus’ name is great and Jesus is a blessing. Those who believe and bless Jesus are blessed; those who curse Jesus, God will curse. All the families of the earth are blessed in Jesus.
I find that I am saying this quite a bit these days: what God promises, God delivers. The author of Genesis did not have the full history at his disposal to detail all of the ways God accomplishes what he declared ahead of time. Nevertheless, the author wanted readers to know that God was active and accomplished in history: God fulfills his purpose and promises. We have a far more expansive view of history and can see how God has done exactly what he has purposed and promised. So, going forward, will we trust God and God’s word?
Abram’s obedience
That takes us to verses 4-9. Abram trusted God. He obeyed God’s command. He left his home and family and made the roughly 500 mile journey from Haran to Canaan. Abram went, as the LORD had told him.
When they arrived at Shechem, the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” Remember: the Canaanites were in the land. Abram was 75 years old and childless. In the month or so it had taken Abram and the caravan to make the journey, it must have crossed Abram’s mind that he was delusional. Do you think there may have been some backseat drivers suggesting that Abram stop along the way and ask for directions? Yet Abram trusted God’s word and promise. He obeyed despite the observable circumstances all around him.
At Shechem Abram built an altar to the LORD. We do not know how long he lingered at Shechem, but from there he journeyed south and built a second altar to the LORD between Bethel and Ai. Again, we do not know how long he stayed there. From there, he continued his trek south by stages into the Negeb. Two quick things to note here:
- These are the same three locations visited by Jacob when he returned from Haran after fleeing Esau. They are the same three sites occupied by Joshua as God drove out the nations from the Promised land. They are important physical markers for God’s specific purpose being enacted within history.[1]
- The altars and movement were an expression of God’s sovereignty over the land; in contrast to the gods of the people of the land. In other words, though Abram was not conducting a military raid, God was declaring through Abram his authority over the land he had promised to Abram. God’s promises have physical consequences and manifestations.
I emphasize the physical reality of God’s promises because it is the essence of our Easter declaration: Jesus rose from the dead – bodily, physically. God revealed his authority over all creation: physical, spiritual, and chronological. Just as Abram entered the land God promised and built altars to the LORD, the risen Lord Jesus ushers us into the kingdom of heaven with worship and praise. From Abram, through Jesus, to us and the generations that will follow us until Christ returns; God has, is, and will work his plan to redeem creation from brokenness to glory.
God’s redemption plan is made most clear in the meal we are about to share: communion with God through the saving grace God. Has given us in Jesus Christ. You hear me say in our thanksgiving prayer our gratitude as we:
- Remember what Jesus did;
- Recognize how we are sustained and renewed presently; and,
- As we look forward in the assured hope and certainty that we will celebrate this meal in the revealed kingdom of heaven, face-to-face with God.
Abram was made a great nation. His name was made great and he was a blessing. Those who blessed him sere blessed; those who cursed him, God cursed. Through him all the families of the earth were blessed. Through him, God gave us Jesus.
In Jesus God made a new and great nation. Jesus’ name is great and he is a blessing. Those who bless Jesus are blessed; those who curse him, God has cursed. In Jesus all the families of the earth are blessed.
So when God says, “Go,” – even if our first response is, “Who, me?” – go. Go. Abram went, as the Lord had told him.
And what did the risen Jesus say? Go. “Go make disciples of all nations.” Even if our first response is, “Who, me?” – go. Go. Go, as the Lord has told us.
Amen.
[1] Frank E. Gaebelien, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 2, Genesis, p. 112.