Abram’s Departure
Read Genesis 12:1–9. Why did God call Abram to leave his country
and family? How did Abram respond?

The last time that God had spoken with a person, at least as recorded
in Scripture, it was with Noah, to reassure him after the Flood that
He would establish a covenant with all flesh (Gen. 9:15–17) and that
another worldwide flood would never come. God’s new word, now to
Abram, reconnects with that promise: all the nations of the earth will
be blessed through Abram.
The fulfillment of that prophecy begins with leaving the past. Abram
leaves all that is familiar to him, his family, his country, even a part of
himself. The intensity of this going is reflected in the repetition of the
keyword “go,” which occurs seven times in this context. Abram has first
to leave his country, “Ur of the Chaldeans,” which also is Babylonia
(Gen. 11:31, NKJV; Isa. 13:19). The call to “go out of Babylon” has a
long history among the biblical prophets (Isa. 48:20, Rev. 18:4).
Abram’s departure also concerns his family. Abram must leave his
heritage and much of what he learned and acquired through heredity,
education, and influence.
Yet, God’s call to go involves even more. The Hebrew phrase lekh
lekha, “go,” translated literally, means “go yourself ” or “go for your-
self.” Abram’s departure from Babylon concerns more than his environ-
ment, or even his family. The Hebrew phrase suggests an emphasis on
himself. Abram has to leave himself, to get rid of the part of himself that
contains his Babylonian past.
The goal of this abandonment is “a land” that God will show him.
The same language will be used again in the context of the sacrifice
of Isaac (Gen. 22:2) to refer to the mount of Moriah, where Isaac will
be offered and where the Jerusalem temple will be built (2 Chron.
3:1). God’s promise is not just about a physical homeland but about
the salvation of the world. This idea is reaffirmed in God’s promise of
the blessing for all nations (Gen. 12:2, 3). The verb barakh, “bless,”
appears five times in this passage. This universal blessing for all people
will come through the “seed” of Abram (Gen. 22:18, Gen. 26:4, Gen.
28:14). The text refers here to the “seed” that will ultimately be ful-
filled in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:25).
What might God be calling you to leave behind? That is, what
part of your life might you have to abandon in order to heed the
call of God?