Genesis 12: 9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.
10 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.
In the previous chapter of Gen. Abram and Sari, Terah his Father, and Lot his nephew, along with all their families began their pilgrimage to Canaan. They got as far as Haran and stopped to dwell there. Some would question why Abram would stop in his quest for the Promised Land to live in such a place as Haran, (The city was also a major center of worship for the moon god Sin.) How ironic that they should live in a place dedicated to SIN. It was while they were living at Haran, the city of SIN, that Terah the father of Abram died. Here we begin our story.
Gen 12: 1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: God’s instruction to Abram was for him to leave Ur of the Chaldees, his birthplace and ancestral home, located in Mesophatamia between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers. His journey would lead him to the place God wanted to give him and his people forever. Now Abram was to leave Haran, the city of SIN, and travel to the land of Canaan. God has also called us from the state and habitation of SIN into an abundant life in Christ Jesus. God made promised to Abram and they entered into a COVENANT relationship.
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
We too are given certain promises and gifts as a result of our relationship with God. We have salvation with the gift of the Holy Ghost, spiritual gifts and talents given to us by his spirit, healing and restoration, last but not least eternal life and a home in Heaven.
4 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. 5 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.
So Abram and his family came to Canaan and here is what he did.
6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. 7 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. 8 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.
Sichem meant shoulder or back depicting strength. In our new found life with Christ we are strengthened by the Holy Ghost in our lives.
Moreh means instruction or archers which I believe would indicate that the word of God in our own personal study as well as the preaching of the Word we hear will instruct us and equip us with the necessary weapons of our warfare.
BETHEL (Bethel; house of God) It is so important that we maintain our relationship with the fellowship of believers in attending the gathering of the local church.
Hai or Ai as it was better known, meant ruin and it was where Israel learned they could not take a city known as the ruin if they disobeyed God. Victory did not lie in military strength or wise leadership. It lay in God’s presence. Israel also learned they had hope after defeat. Confession of sin and punishment of offenders helped restore God’s favor. So we learn that at the house of God we are purged by the word of God and we confess and forsake lest judgment comes.
NOW FOR OUR TEXT: Abram continued on his journey Southward
And found himself in EGYPT. He overshot and went beyond the land of promise. Is it possible for us to be called from sin, be instructed by the word, assemble together in praise and still miss the place of God’s calling. Well Abram did. He journeyed on from the place and peace of God to EGYPT. What does EGYPT usually depict in scriptures. SIN
They were called out of the city of Sin only to later return to the country of SIN, Egypt.
Let’s notice a few things about Abram after his journey from the city of Sin to the land of promise, from Canaan he left again and went back southward to Egypt the depiction of SIN. How confusing. But so many do the same thing.
In Egypt Abram lied about his wife. (a little white lie after all she was really his sister) He nearly lost his life over that little shenanigan. The land that Lot and Abram’s herdsmen would eventuality quarrel over was caused by the cattle they secured while in Egypt. The land could not sustain the sheep and the cattle too so Lot and Abram had to part company. The maid Hagar was acquired while they were in Egypt that caused Abram much trouble.
The point is the major problems of Abram’s life stemmed from his traveling too far Southward into Egypt.
We have been called out of a world of sin into a life of freshness, but let’s don’t make the mistake Abram made and get bad attitudes and live half hearted and take for granted the things of God. We will get in deep trouble and it can affect generations to come.
