(Bible passages from the ESV)

God calls and provides blessings

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” —Genesis 12:1

Abrahamic Covenant

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” —Genesis 12:1-3

Land

Seed

Blessing

God tests our faith

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. —Genesis 12:4
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. —Genesis 12:5

Test 1: Don’t conform to those around you

Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
—Genesis 12:6-7
From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb. —Genesis 12:8-9

Test 2: Trust God with physical provision

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” —Genesis 12:10-13

When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. —Genesis 12:14-16

If we are faithless, God remains faithful because he cannot deny himself. —2 Timothy 2:13

But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had. —Genesis 12:17-20

Take home truth

God makes Himself known and He often does this through His people

Study Guide

Ice breaker: How has the Geneis series impacted your life? Be specific as you can.

1. Why is Abraham important in light of Genesis 10–11? What does this say about God?
   

2. Why did God choose Abraham? What type of environment does Abraham come from (see Joshua 24:2)?
   

3. What is the Abrahamic covenant?
   

4. Why does God call him out of his country to “go to a place God would show him?”
   

5. Where do you see the Gospel or a picture of Jesus in Genesis 12?
   

6. How does Genesis 12 impact your present situation? Your life and relationships? Be as specific as you can.
   

Prayer