The Calling of Abraham
After the flood, the earth began to repopulate, and God blessed Noah’s descendants. But over time, the people became scattered and began to build a tower to reach the heavens, showing their pride and desire to make a name for themselves. God, seeing their arrogance and disobedience, confused their language, scattering them across the earth.
Amidst this scattering, God called a man named Abram (later called Abraham) from the land of Ur. God spoke to Abram and made an incredible promise to him: He would make Abram into a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. God told him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to the land He would show him.
By faith, Abram obeyed God’s call, leaving behind everything familiar. He set out with his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot, in search of the land God had promised him. Along the way, God appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring, I will give this land.” Abram built an altar to the Lord as a sign of his faith and trust in God’s promises.
Genesis 11:31-12:7 (NIV)
"Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.
The days of Terah were 205 years, and he died in Harran.
The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Abram travelled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him."
God's Covenant with Abraham
As Abram journeyed, he continued to trust God’s promises, but challenges arose along the way. There was a famine in the land of Canaan, and Abram and Sarai went down to Egypt to escape it.
When they arrived, Abram feared for his life, as his wife Sarai was very beautiful. He told her to say that she was his sister, hoping that the Egyptians would treat him well for her sake. Pharaoh’s officials took Sarai to Pharaoh’s palace, but God intervened, sending plagues upon Pharaoh’s household.
Pharaoh realized that Sarai was Abram’s wife and confronted him for deceiving him. After Pharaoh sent them away, Abram and Sarai returned to Canaan, where they continued their journey.
Later, God reaffirmed His covenant with Abram, telling him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram, at that time, was 99 years old, and his wife Sarai was barren.
Yet, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of many nations,” and Sarai’s name to Sarah. God promised Abraham that He would give him a son, Isaac, through Sarah, and that He would establish His everlasting covenant with Isaac and his descendants.
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
Genesis 17:1-8 (NIV)
"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’
Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ‘
As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.’”
Lesson:
The story of Abraham teaches us about obedience to God’s calling, even when we don’t fully understand the path ahead. Abraham’s faith was not perfect—he made mistakes and struggled with fear, but he trusted in God's promises and obeyed His commands. Even when faced with uncertainty, Abraham stepped out in faith, knowing that God would provide.
The lesson here is that God's promises are sure, and when He calls us to follow Him, we can trust that He has a plan for us, just as He did for Abraham. His covenant with Abraham was not only for him but also for his descendants, showing that God’s plans often extend far beyond our immediate circumstances and have an eternal purpose.
We also see in Abraham’s story that God's timing is perfect, even when it seems impossible. At nearly 100 years old, Abraham and Sarah were promised a son, and through that son, God's covenant would continue.
God is faithful, and He does not forget His promises. We are called to walk by faith, knowing that God will fulfill His Word in His time.