In the previous post, we examined Abram’s move to Canaan in a long caravan of people and possessions. What we didn’t discuss in Lesson 4 was that Abram not only had a long caravan, but also a long journey to get to Canaan.
Abram came from Ur, a bustling Chaldean city. The ruins of this Mesopotamian city have been located in what is now Iraq, probably 140 miles to the southeast of Babylon. Ur was a port city, on the Persian Gulf, and a hub for trade, contributing to its size, prosperity, and significance in the region. It was centered at the point where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers converge, and was prosperous and well-populated (scholars estimate more than 250 years had passed since the dispersion) by the time it was mentioned in the Biblical narrative.
For Abram to travel to Canaan from Ur, his family would have to travel through the countries known today as Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, an overwhelming journey to be made on the backs of camels or on foot. There was one way to reach Canaan from Ur and both Abram and his father, Terah, undoubtedly knew that way—through what is known as the Fertile Crescent. The Fertile Crescent, the breadbasket of this region, was a new- moon-shaped region that was known for its production of rice, cotton, citrus fruits, dates, figs, grapes and melon. Passing through this region provided them both abundance of food for the journey and safety in its well-established and well-travelled roads.
Abram and his family traveled first to Haran (Gen 11:31). The Bible tells us that the family dwelt in Haran for an indefinite period and that Terah died there (11:32) at the age of two hundred and five. Now God reminded Abram of his original command (Gen 12:1). “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.” (Gen 12:4). The Bible narrative then adds an interesting detail. “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh.” (Gen 12: 6) The Lord confirmed this as the land that He was giving to Abram (12:7) and Abram built an altar there. But then verses 9-10 deliver a punch: “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.” So, the Lord appeared to Abram, confirming that Canaan was the place he was giving to Abram to be a blessing to him and his descendants, and Abram built an altar there, BUT he continued on from there, passing through the land and into Egypt! What? Did Abram misunderstand God’s calling? And even more, do we all?
So, Abram slipped and became afraid of the land of Canaan. Genesis included one detail: “And the Canaanite was then in the land.” Of course they were! The land was not uninhabited; was Abram expecting something different? The Lord himself appeared to Abram, confirming Abram’s calling to Canaan, and Abram built an altar and worshipped there, but then erred miserably. Isn’t this so often true of all of us as humans, that after a powerful “mountaintop” experience, we often find ourselves back in the valley below?
What’s more, we can already tell that nothing good will come of this misstep. Sure enough, in Egypt, the princes of Pharoah notice Sarah’s beauty and seize her for Pharoah’s house. What’s more, Abram had told her to lie about being his wife in order to protect him! (Gen 12:11-13). Sarah obeyed, but was in grave danger now that she was taken into Pharoah’s harem. And what of God’s blessing to make a great nation of Abram? Thankfully, the Lord intervened on Sarai’s behalf, in spite of Abram’s disobedience and sin, and brought plagues on Pharoah so that he released Sarai back to Abraham and sent him away.
So, Abram gets back on the “right road” as we see in the next chapter of Genesis. “And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai, unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first, and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.” (Gen 13:3-4)
Now Abram is back where God intended for him to be, and things are moving forward again in keeping with God’s plans for him to form a great nation from him. But does Abram bear a son right away? That’s another story. But one thing is sure: God will accomplish His plans, even though He gives us free will, and because of that, we often miss the mark. Don’t you just wonder how different life might be if God had not intervened? Suppose Abram had not gone to Egypt and obtained the slave, Hagar? Much to ponder, but one thing is sure: Lesson 5: God doesn’t change his calling for us.
From Peggy's Pen 