As we come to Genesis chapter 12, God’s long term plan to redeem humanity and restore the creation is coming into focus. He will establish a particular nation, Israel, to whom he will reveal himself in special ways, and through whom he will reintroduce himself to the fallen human race. Memory of the one true God has dimmed and human imagination has retreated into idolatry and myth.
So, just as God chose Noah to reestablish the human race after the flood judgment, now he chooses a man named Abram (later renamed Abraham). Genesis 11 connects Noah to Abram by another genealogy, and then chapter 12 introduces the story of Abram. God’s promise to Abram is a key moment in the Bible’s story:
“The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3) (more…)
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