As God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, loving patience endured in spite of mankind's wickedness He continued to employ His plan to restore mankind from their sinful nature by offering a way for eternal life. He began by calling out a people of His own from among mankind. It was at that time God called upon Abram and his wife Sarai who were from the land of Ur of the Chaldeans. "And Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai the wife of Abram, and they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan. But when they arrived in Haran, they settled there" (Genesis 11:31).
"The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country, your kindred, and your father's household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you. " So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan" (Genesis 12:1-5).
Abram and those with him came upon the land of Canaan and while there, the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your offspring" and Abram then built an altar to the LORD at this place. Overtime Abram became extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold. Abram lived in the land of Canaan and the LORD said to him, "Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west. For all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width—for I will give it to you." So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre in Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD" (Genesis 13:14-18). All of heaven witnessed these events as they were unfolding and saw that the Creator was a just God. When God makes a promise, He keeps it. Therefore, part of His plan was to establish a great nation of His people and He chose to carry this out through Abram and Sarai.
It was not long before the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." But Abram replied, "O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Abram continued, "Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir." Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir." And the LORD took him outside and said, "Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able." Then He declared, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:1-6). Once again, the Almighty God creator of heaven and earth was faithful to His word. Out of Abram would spring forth a great nation, which in time would become the nation of Israel.
Anyone who knows anything about world history knows the many challenges the nation of Israel, the Jews, have faced throughout the years. Moreover, it was no different for them from their very beginning than it is for them today. So the LORD told Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own; they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete" (Genesis 15:12-16). All of this all came to be just as the LORD said it would. The nation of Israel would travel to Egypt to find relief from famine and eventually find themselves enslaved by the Egyptians. Yet, with the help of the LORD, the Israelites would depart Egypt and ultimately find their way back to the Promised Land. This fulfilled God's promise made with Abram earlier. "The LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land" (Genesis 15:18).
Therefore, keeping true to His word the LORD appeared to Abram and told him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly." Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And to you and your descendants I will give the land of your sojourn—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God" (Genesis 17:1-8).
"The LORD said to Abram, "Leave your country, your kindred, and your father's household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you. " So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan" (Genesis 12:1-5).
Abram and those with him came upon the land of Canaan and while there, the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "I will give this land to your offspring" and Abram then built an altar to the LORD at this place. Overtime Abram became extremely wealthy in livestock and silver and gold. Abram lived in the land of Canaan and the LORD said to him, "Now lift up your eyes from the place where you are, and look to the north and south and east and west. For all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted. Get up and walk around the land, through its length and width—for I will give it to you." So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre in Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD" (Genesis 13:14-18). All of heaven witnessed these events as they were unfolding and saw that the Creator was a just God. When God makes a promise, He keeps it. Therefore, part of His plan was to establish a great nation of His people and He chose to carry this out through Abram and Sarai.
It was not long before the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." But Abram replied, "O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" Abram continued, "Behold, You have given me no offspring, so a servant in my household will be my heir." Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir." And the LORD took him outside and said, "Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able." Then He declared, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:1-6). Once again, the Almighty God creator of heaven and earth was faithful to His word. Out of Abram would spring forth a great nation, which in time would become the nation of Israel.
Anyone who knows anything about world history knows the many challenges the nation of Israel, the Jews, have faced throughout the years. Moreover, it was no different for them from their very beginning than it is for them today. So the LORD told Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not their own; they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete" (Genesis 15:12-16). All of this all came to be just as the LORD said it would. The nation of Israel would travel to Egypt to find relief from famine and eventually find themselves enslaved by the Egyptians. Yet, with the help of the LORD, the Israelites would depart Egypt and ultimately find their way back to the Promised Land. This fulfilled God's promise made with Abram earlier. "The LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land" (Genesis 15:18).
Therefore, keeping true to His word the LORD appeared to Abram and told him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly." Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you the father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you. I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And to you and your descendants I will give the land of your sojourn—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession; and I will be their God" (Genesis 17:1-8).
