Genesis 12:1
The Call of Abram
The Call of Abram
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
Verse one of chapter 12 is a little confusing. First, this part of scripture is using the passive voice, “The Lord had said.” So we wonder, is this taking place when they were in Ur, or did God speak to Abram in Harran? The language “go from your country, your people, and your fathers household,” all sounds like they were in Ur when Abram heard from the Lord. Or perhaps God first spoke to Abram’s father Terah first, while they were in Ur..
Abram’s Family - Genesis 11:27-32
27 This is the account of Terah’s family line.
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. 28 While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth. 29 Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milkah; she was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milkah and Iskah. 30 Now Sarai was childless because she was not able to conceive.
31 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.
32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.
Whether it was in Ur or Harron when Abram heard from the Lord, it is clear what he is called to do - follow God out into the great unknown. Abram is to leave behind his country, his people, and his fathers household. For what? For a land that God will “show him,” for the great unknown. This is crazy! He is leaving the safety of family, community, culture, land, and the known for what? To follow God out into the unknown. Out to where there is danger, new languages, different cultural expectation and to a place that God will simply “show him.”
We are only 12 chapters into the whole Bible at this point, and we know forsake that our God, the God of Adam, Noah, and now Abram is a God who will ask his people to do hard things. He asked Noah to build a boat while all Noah’s friends laughed at him. Now he is asking Abram to leave everything to follow him. And let’s get personal, God is asking you to step out in faith and follow HIM into the great unknown. It’s probably not to Cannan, but it might be to a place “God will show you.” The popular song Oceans (where feet may fail) expresses my hearts cry, when God asks me to step out into the great unknown.
We know that our God is the one and only God. He will call each of us out upon the waters at some point in our lives, to follow him into the great unknown. My prayer for myself, my family, and you is “Spirit lead me (us) where my (our) trust is without borders, let me (us) walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me (us).” I hope this is your prayer as well. Remember, God’s grace abounds in the deepest of waters. I don’t want to miss out on the promise land, do you?
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will standAnd I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mineYour grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start nowSo I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mineSpirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made…