An Honest History (Genesis 12)

Nations often whitewash their history leaving out the bad. Does frank honesty about the strengths and weaknesses of patriarchs, prophets and apostles help us trust the Bible as true history? Let’s discuss this in Genesis 12.

How did Abram become Abraham, father of the faithful? Does the letter to the Hebrews explain whether he just had faith alone or a faith that obeyed God?

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (Hebrews 11:8-10 NKJV)

Does Romans explain that the promise to Abraham is also to those who have the same faith as he?

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (Romans 4:16 NKJV)

Was Abraham justified by faith without works of the law?

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. (Romans 4:2 NKJV)

Was Abraham’s faith a living faith with good works of obedience as fruits?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? (James 2:21 NKJV)

Were Abraham’s descendents to be an exclusive inward-looking people or to bless the whole world?

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3 NASB)

Did Abram obey God? How old was he? Would we be willing to do something similar in our old age?

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. (Genesis 12:4-6 NIV)

What did God promise? What does He promise us for our obedience?

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev. (Genesis 12:7-9 NLT)

Did Abram receive the promise in his lifetime or only after his death?

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13 NKJV)

What lie did Abram concoct about his wife as he entered Egypt?

There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at. It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive. Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.” (Genesis 12:10-13 WEB)

Did the lie seem to go well at first? Did Abram’s lie help him prosper for a time?

When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw how beautiful his wife was. When Pharaoh’s princes saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s household. Things went well for Abram because of her: he acquired flocks, cattle, male donkeys, men servants, women servants, female donkeys, and camels. (Genesis 12:14-16 CEB)