Genesis 12:9-10 Abrams First Mistake and Ours?

And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine [was] grievous in the land.

G-d told Abram that he was going to make him a great nation, a great people, a blessing to all the earth. However, at the site of a little trouble, he hightails it out of the country. What's up with that? Did Abram think that G-d was messing with him, only to lead him to a place in order to die.

Why is it that everytime we have problems in our life, we attempt to run away? Didn't Abram believe G-d? Don't we believe G-d? Didn't G-d promise to take care of Abram? Aren't those same promises ours to claim?

Then why do we also turn our backs on G-d and attempt to remedy the problems in our lives ourselves. Do we not think G-d is capable?

Unfortunately, it's human nature. However, we need to rely on G-ds nature, not our own. But, most of the time, we don't. And when we don't and we fall flat on our faces, the most important thing to do turn to G-d in these troubled times in order that our faith in him is increased.

Abram does exactly that but not before he gets himself in trouble and leaves us a bad example to follow. That, my friends, is for the next entry. I leave you with something Y'shua told us in Matthew 6:26.

"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?"

G-d takes care of us, even if you don't believe it. It's all about faith. Believe it.

Shalom

Genesis 12:7-8 Keeping Your Eye On The Big Picture.

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Abram has been traveling and it had to be pretty difficult up to now. However, as G-d does with us, Abram is stop and reminded of the promise. Abram responds like one with true faith. Abram builds an altar to G-d. We need to continually keep the altar of G-d first and foremost in our minds. The altar of G-d has been and always will be the way that reminds and leads us to G-d's side. The altar of G-d is the cross on which Y'shua was sacrificed for our sins.

As we journey with Abram and through our own lives, keep your eye on the cross, the altar of G-d.

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

Abram was reminded of the promise of the land. However, Y'shua tells us that not only did Abram see this promise but he saw the big picture of the promise, the coming of salvation through the Messiah and rejoiced in it.

Abraham, your father, was glad that he might see my day; and he saw, and did rejoice. John 8:56

We see an alusion to exactly that here. The first altar represents the first part of the promise, the promise of the land, being a great nation and a great people. The second altar refers to the second part of the promise, the promise of the whole earth will be blessed through Abraham by way of the Bethel, which means "House of G-d."

I find it very interesting that Bethel was assigned to the Benjamites(which is representative of Israel), but they did not possess it, and we find it taken by the children of Joseph(which is representative of the Messiah and those who follow him, the church).

Please, don't take this as the promise passing from Israel to the church. That is not supported by the Bible. However, you can take it as the church as the fulfillment of that promise.

Presently, the House of G-d is still calling out to the House of Israel and the House of the Gentiles. This is my calling. I feel that G-d is using me to reach out to the Jew and Gentiles. G-d desires for the the two houses to become one within the House of G-d under the leadership of the Messiah.

If you belong to a synagogue or church that does not actively reach out to both, then it's time for a serious self re-evaluation.

Shalom

Genesis 12:4-6 ...And So Our Journey Begins.

So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

As G-d commanded, Abram leaves his old life behind in order to start a new life. Two lessons we learn from here:

1. You are never too old to be called out to do G-d's work. Abram was 75 years old. Most of us want to sit back and enjoy the rest of our lives. Never rest until we go home.

2. Haran is the Hebrew word, "Charan", which means parched. If you are being called out by G-d, no matter where you are, no matter what you are doing or who you think you are, you are living in a parched or barren place. G-d wants you begin your journey from that parched place to come to the living water where you will never thirst again.

And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

Canaan is the Hebrew word Kenaw, which means "humiliation or to make humble". At first thought, you have to ask, "Why would G-d call Abram out of a parched or barren place and lead him first into a land which means, "humiliation or to make humble"? Sometimes, G-d has to break down the old person you are in order to recreate the new person sanctified and usable by G-d. This is the case, as we will see, with Abram.

And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

I love G-d's Word. Here, on the way from a barren life to the first lesson in a sanctified life, Abram passes through Sichem and Moreh which means "shoulder the burden" and "teaching". Isn't that the way G-d is? Even though Abram will shoulder the burden of this new life, G-d will teach him how to survive it.

That's the way you and I go through life. G-d tells us that it is not going to be easy to make it to the promise land but he will be there to help us shoulder the burden and continually teach us the way to get through the humbling times of humiliation.

Shalom