Genesis 12:1-5; 10
“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. 2I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
4 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. 5Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan.
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land.”
The twelfth chapter of Gensis begins with God’s call to Abram. God’s first promise that through him a great nation will be built. Yet before such a promising future can begin, Abram and his wife, Sarai, travel to Egypt. Like many journeys we encounter in scripture, the way isn’t easy and definitely not a straight line. Abram and Sarai have their first detour, by foot, into a land of strangers and one chosen for survival. A famine has impacted their route and so they head to where there is food. Our scripture does not give us much insight beyond Abram’s age, seventy five, as to how Abram or Sarai thought about this arrangement from God not being fulfilled immediately. He is no longer a young man and journeys, especially in that day, were hard. What faithfulness and fortitude they must have had to continue, as our story itself journeys on for another six chapters and we see the blessings unfold.
Prayer
God of the covenant, from Abram and Sarai as they journeyed to a land of promise and receiving the blessings of living as your people, we are honored to be counted among those stars and sand grains. Continue to strengthen us as well on our meandering journey of faith with our Lord and Savior, Jesus. Amen.