The Call of Abraham
After eleven chapters covering the whole human race, Genesis narrows to one family. Abram is told to leave his country, his people and his father's household for a land he will be shown — the instruction gets less specific with each clause, and no destination is named.
The promise attached to it has three parts: a great nation, a great name, and a blessing that will reach all the families of the earth. That last clause is the one the rest of the Bible keeps returning to.
He is seventy-five and childless when he goes, taking Sarai, his nephew Lot and everything they have accumulated at Haran. He travels through Canaan as far as Shechem and builds altars as he goes, but owns none of it. Hebrews notes that he lived in tents in the land he had been promised — a stranger in it all his life.
Where in scripture
[27] Now this is the history of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran became the father of Lot. [28] Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur of the Chaldees. [29] Abram and Nahor married wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah, the daughter of Haran who was also the father of Iscah. [30] Sarai was barren. She had no child. [31] Terah took Abram his son, Lot the son of Haran, his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife. They went from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan. They came to Haran and lived there. [32] The days of Terah were two hundred five years. Terah died in Haran.
Genesis 11:27–32
[1] Now Yahweh said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. [2] I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treates you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” [4] So Abram went, as Yahweh had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. [5] Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan. …
Genesis 12:1–9 — opening verses
[8] By faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. [9] By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Hebrews 11:8–10
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
