Genesis Bible study: Chapter 12–14

The story of Abram.

Chapter 12

This story starts with a Family:

Terah, his sons Abram, Nahor and Haran who live in the land of Ur of the Chaldeans.

Haran died and left behind a son named Lot, as well as his 2 daughters Milcah and Iscah.

Terah then decides to move away from Ur to Canaan and to bring Abram, his wife Sarai and his grandson Lot along with him.

So, they begin their journey.

Along the way, they set up camp in the land of Haran and they settled there.

It is here that Terah died.

God then reveals himself to Abram and tells him to leave Haran and go to another place. He gives no description of the place, He just says ‘I will show you’

God promises to bless Abram and make him great and that he will be a blessing to other people. He also said that the whole earth would be blessed by him.

So Abram takes his family, his workers, his belongings and then starts to move.

When Abram gets to Canaan, God tells Him ‘I will give this land to your descendants’

It’s important to note that Abram was 75 when he left Haran and at this point, he had no children.

Abram then makes an alter to the Lord and afterwards continues moving to Negev, which is in Canaan.

A famine struck and then Abram and his family had to move to Egypt. Before arriving, he tells Sarai to say to anyone that asks, that she’s his sister, so they won’t kill him.

I’m not entirely sure why

On arrival in Egypt, the Pharaoh was pleased with Sarai’s beauty and took her as his wife, while giving Abram lots of gifts.

The Lord sent plagues upon the house of Pharaoh because he had just taken another man’s wife. Pharaoh then angrily asked Abram to take his wife and leave Egypt. Which he did.

Note this story. You’d see why as we continue to read the book of Genesis.

It’s amazing how Abram moved without a map. He just followed God’s instructions and trusted that God would lead him to where to go.

Abram is also silent on the fact that he has no children, and receives the blessing of the land for his descendants by faith.

Chapter 13

Abram and his family leave Egypt and go back to Canaan. Abram has gotten richer, with plenty of livestock, gold, tents and servants, so as his nephew Lot.

The land they set up camp in wasn’t big enough to contain their wealth, so they had to split up.

Lot chose to go to the land that seemed more fertile, near Sodom. (Although these people were very evil, constantly sinning against God)

Abram stayed back in Canaan and settled there.

God then promised Abram that the entire land of Canaan would belong to his descendants and it would be their permanent home. He tells Abram that he would have so many descendants that he would not be able to count them.

Then Abram built another alter to God

Abram takes God’s word and doesn’t mention his current childless situation again.

God’s word seems to carry more weight.

Chapter 14

So Abram is on his own chilling in his tent mansion, when he hears that war has broken out in the distant land and his nephew Lot and his belongings have been taken captive.

Abram then takes about 300 of his well trained men and goes after Lot.

He succeeds in recovering Lot as well as Lot’s belongings and some spoils of war.

Then a man suddenly appears.

The King of Salem, also referred to as a priest of the Lord

Melchizedek

Melchizedek blessed Abram

And Abram gave a tenth of all he recovered from the battle to him.

This is apparently where the concept of tithing is said to originate from.

Who is this King ? Why is he important to the story?

I honestly have no idea. He remains a huge mystery to me

What I learned from these chapters.

1- Not everything that seems good is actually good.

2- It takes a lot of faith to move without a clear direction, only a word from God.

3- I have no idea who this Melchizedek guy is