Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 12; Isa. 48:20; Isa.
36:6, 9; Jer. 2:18; Genesis 13; Genesis 14; Heb. 7:1–10.
Memory Text: “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” (Hebrews 11:8, NKJV).
W
e have now reached the center of the book of Genesis. This
central section (Genesis 12–22) will cover the journey of
Abraham, from God’s first call, lekh lekha, “Go!” (Gen.
12:1), which leads Abraham to leave his past, to God’s second call,
lekh lekha, “Go!” (Gen. 22:2), which leads Abraham to leave his future
(as it would exist in his son). As a result, Abraham always is on the
move, always a migrant, which is why he also is called a “stranger”
(Gen. 17:8).
In his journeying, Abraham is suspended in the void—without his past,
which he has lost, and without his future, which he does not see. Between
these two calls, which frame Abraham’s journey of faith, Abraham hears
God’s voice, which reassures him: “ ‘Do not be afraid’ ” (Gen. 15:1,
NKJV). These words of God mark the three sections of Abraham’s jour-
ney, which will be studied in weeks 6, 7, and 8.
Abraham exemplifies faith (Gen. 15:6) and is remembered in the
Hebrew Scriptures as the man of faith (Neh. 9:7, 8). In the New
Testament, Abraham is one of the most mentioned figures from the Old
Testament, and this week we will start to see why.