Focal passage: Genesis 12:1-9
There is a pattern in scripture of God pointing back to His faithfulness, reminding His people of how He has provided for them. It’s a pattern that we should emulate. It makes me think of the story of Hansel and Gretel and how they dropped pebbles along the path to remind themselves how to make their way home again. In the same way, we can leave a trail that reminds us of God’s faithfulness to us when there are times that we wander off the path or cannot see it ourselves.
In our greater context this week, we see Abram doing a similar thing (Genesis 12-13). As the Lord appears to Abram, he builds altars to worship God. It is those altars that remind Abram of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness toward him (see Genesis 13:4). How critical that must have been in a time of uncertainty and walking by faith.
In Genesis 12, God calls Abram to leave the land of his ancestors and move to a new place.
He calls Abram to obey Him in faith; to leave the familiar and comfortable, even in the face of risk. How does he respond to God’s call? Abram goes. “So Abram went, as the Lord had told him” (v. 4).
Abram’s obedience to the Lord results in multiple blessings. God promises to make him into a great nation and to make his name great (v. 2).
But it doesn’t stop there. Notice the reasoning behind the promise – “So that you will be a blessing.” In Abram, all the families of the earth will be blessed (v. 3).
This blessing is not about prestige, wealth and prosperity. It is pointing to the future hope of Christ. It is through the line of Abraham that the promised Messiah will later come (see Matthew 1:1).
Abram (later named Abraham) is considered the father of our faith. He believed that God would do as He promised and was therefore obedient to God’s call. He built altars in worship that served as a reminder of God’s never-ending faithfulness.
How is our faithful God calling you to obey?