TumbleDweeeb

THE CALL OF ABRAM (Genesis 12:1-20)
The Blunt Bible Edition
By: Emmitt Owens
(Index #10202025)

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✍️ Author’s Note:
   Following God without knowing the full plan is terrifying.
You don’t get a roadmap. You don’t get a timeline. You don’t even get a destination address.
   You get: “Go. I’ll tell you when you get there.”
   And somehow, you’re supposed to trust that’s enough.
   This is the story of Abram—a 75-year-old man with no kids, a barren wife, and a divine calling that makes absolutely no logical sense.
   God tells him: “Leave everything. I’ll make you into a great nation.”
   Abram’s response: “Okay.” And he just… goes.
   But here’s what nobody tells you about faith: it doesn’t exempt you from failure.
   Abram obeys God’s call in chapter 12, verses 1-9.
   By verse 10, there’s a famine.
   By verse 13, he’s lying about his wife to save his own skin.
   One chapter. Faith and fear. Obedience and failure.
   Back-to-back.
   This is what messy faith looks like in real time.
   Let’s talk about the call of Abram. ‍♂️

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PART 1: THE CALL (Genesis 12:1-9)

God Shows Up with a Massive Promise and Zero Details

Genesis 12:1 (KJV) – “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 shew thee:”

God’s Command:
– Leave your country ✅
– Leave your relatives ✅
– Leave your father’s household ✅
– Go to… wait, WHERE?

God: “A land that I will show thee.”
Abram: “Can you be more specific?”
God: “Nope. Just start walking. I’ll let you know when we get there.”
Abram: “Can I at least get a general direction? North? South? East?”
God: “Trust me.”

   This is the worst GPS navigation in history.
   Imagine an Uber driver: “No address—God will ping me when we arrive.” Most of us would get out. Abram gets in.

The Setup:
– Abram is 75 years old
– He’s lived his entire life in this region (Ur of the Chaldeans, then Haran)
– He has family, property, an established life
– God says: “Leave all of it. Go somewhere I’m not telling you about yet.”

The Destination: “I’ll show you when you get there.”
Translation: “Figure it out as you go. Have faith. It’ll be fine.”
Spoiler: It will NOT immediately be fine.

—–

The Promise: Massive Scope, Zero Current Evidence

Genesis 12:2-3 (KJV) – “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: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

God’s Seven-Part Promise to a 75-Year-Old Childless Man:
1. “I will make of thee a great nation”
God: “I’m going to make you into a GREAT NATION.”
Abram: “That’s awesome! So… when do we start having kids?”
God: “You’ll see.”
Abram: “Because Sarai and I are not exactly in our childbearing prime.”
God: “Did I stutter?”

The Math:
– Current descendants: ZERO
– Promised descendants: MILLIONS
– Abram’s age: 75
– Sarai’s age: 65 (well past childbearing)
– Sarai’s medical status: Barren (Genesis 11:30)

Math status: still not mathing
You’re telling me a 75-year-old man with a 65-year-old barren wife is going to become a “great nation”?
God: “Yes.”
Abram: “Okay then.”

2. “I will bless thee”
Personal blessing on Abram himself. Vague, but nice.
3. “Make thy name great”

—-HOLD UP—-

   Remember Genesis 11? The Tower of Babel?
   Humanity at Babel: “Let us make US a name” (Genesis 11:4)
God to Abram: “I will make YOUR name great”
The Difference:
– Babel: Self-made fame through pride and rebellion
– Abram: God-given greatness through obedience and faith
   At Babel, humanity tried to build their way to greatness.
   With Abram, God says: “You can’t make your own name great. But I can. And I will.”
   You want to be great? Stop trying to build towers. Start following God.

4. “Thou shalt be a blessing”
   Not just blessed. A SOURCE of blessing to others.
   You’re not blessed just for you. You’re blessed to bless.

5. “I will bless them that bless thee”
   Alignment with Abram = alignment with God’s purposes.
   Be good to Abram, God’s got your back.

6. “Curse him that curseth thee”
   Oppose Abram = oppose God’s plan.
   This becomes HUGE in Israel’s history. Nations that blessed Israel were blessed. Nations that cursed Israel… didn’t do so well.

7. “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed”
   THIS IS THE BIG ONE.
   Not just Abram’s family.
   Not just one nation.
   ALL families on earth.

This is the proto-gospel right here.
  The promise that reverses the curse from Genesis 3.
   The blessing that undoes the scattering from Babel.
   All nations—scattered in judgment at Babel—will be blessed through Abram’s descendant.

That descendant? Jesus.

This verse in Genesis 12:3 is fulfilled in Matthew 28:19 (the Great Commission—go to ALL nations).

   The Scope of the Promise: Universal blessing through one old man with no kids.
   The Problem: That man currently has zero children, a barren wife, and no forwarding address.
   The Timeline: God doesn’t give one.
    Just: “Trust me. It’ll work out.”

—–

Abram’s Response: He Just Goes (No Questions Asked)

Genesis 12:4 (KJV) – “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.”

Abram’s Theological Debate With God: [silence]
Abram’s Questions About Logistics: [none recorded]
Abram’s Concerns About His Age: [not mentioned]
   Abram’s Response: He left.
   That’s it.

   Verse 4. Done. He went.
No “Let me pray about it.”
No “Can I get that in writing?”
No “Let me think about it and get back to You.”
Just: “The Lord said go. So I went.”

What Abram Takes:
– His wife Sarai
– His nephew Lot (this WILL become a problem later—Lot has terrible judgment)
– All their possessions
– All the people they had acquired in Haran (servants, workers, etc.)

What Abram Leaves Behind:
– His homeland
– His extended family
– His security
– Everything familiar
– Any retirement plans he had

At 75 years old, Abram packs up his entire life and goes to a destination God hasn’t revealed yet, trusting a promise about descendants he doesn’t have.

This is either:
– Radical faith
– Or the most extreme mid-life crisis in biblical history

Genesis votes for “radical faith.”

   But let’s be honest—Abram’s friends probably thought he lost his mind.
“You’re doing WHAT?”
“God told me to leave.”
“God told you to leave? Where are you going?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“You don’t KNOW?”
“He’ll tell me when I get there.”
“…Abram, are you feeling okay?”

—–

The Journey: From Haran to Canaan (AKA “The Roadtrip of Faith”)

Genesis 12:5 (KJV) – “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.”

The Route:
– Start: Haran (northern Mesopotamia, modern-day Turkey/Syria border)
– Destination: Canaan (the Promised Land, modern-day Israel/Palestine)
– Distance: About 400-500 miles
– Travel Time: Weeks, possibly months (they had livestock, servants, elderly people)
– GPS Accuracy: “I’ll know it when I see it”

They make the journey. No drama recorded in this part. Just: they went, and they arrived.
Faith in action: Obedience without knowing the outcome.
But also: Abram brought Lot—sweet loyalty, disastrous foreshadow (Gen 13–14; 19).

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First Stop: Shechem – God Appears and Narrows the Promise

Genesis 12:6 (KJV) – “And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.”

Location: Shechem—a significant place in Canaan, between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal.
Important Detail: “And the Canaanite was then in the land.”
Translation: The Promised Land is already occupied.

   Abram shows up to claim his inheritance and there are people already living there.
   Lots of people.
   Established cities. Fortified walls. Armies.
   This isn’t an empty plot of land waiting for Abram to move in.
   This is a populated region with inhabitants who are NOT interested in giving up their land.
   God’s promise isn’t going to happen overnight. This will take time. And conflict.

But God appears to clarify:

Genesis 12:7 (KJV) – “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.”

   God Appears to Abram (this is a theophany—a visible manifestation of God)

God narrows the promise:
“To YOUR SEED (offspring) I will give THIS land.”
   Not “a land somewhere eventually.”
   THIS land. The one you’re standing on right now. The one with all the Canaanites currently living in it.
   And not to you directly, Abram.
   To your seed. Your descendants.

Abram’s Current Seed Count: ZERO.
   But sure, God. “To your seed.” Got it.

Abram’s Response:
   Builds an altar.
   This is worship. Gratitude. Faith.
   Even though:
– He has no children
– The land is occupied
– He doesn’t own a single square foot of property here
– God just promised something that seems physically impossible

Abram worships anyway.
   That’s faith.
   Not “I see how this will work out, so I’ll trust You.”
   But “I have NO idea how this will work out, and I’m trusting You anyway.”

—–

Second Stop: Between Bethel and Hai – Another Altar

Genesis 12:8 (KJV) – “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.”

   Abram keeps traveling through the land.
   Sets up his tent.
   Builds another altar.
   Worships God.

The Pattern:
1. Travel to a new place
2. Build an altar
3. Worship God
4. Call on the name of the Lord
5. Keep moving

   Abram is marking the Promised Land with altars.
Physical declarations: “This land belongs to the Lord. My family will worship Him here.”
   He’s claiming it spiritually before he owns it physically.

Genesis 12:9 (KJV) – “And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.”

   He keeps moving south through Canaan, exploring the land God promised him.
   Everything seems great.
Faith ✅
Obedience ✅
Worship ✅
Altars ✅

And then: Record scratch.

—–

PART 2: THE FAMINE & THE LIE (Genesis 12:10-20)
AKA “How Abram Immediately Messed Everything Up”

Immediate Crisis: Famine in the Promised Land

Genesis 12:10 (KJV) – “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.”

Wait.
  WHAT?
   Abram obeys God’s call.
    Leaves everything.
     Travels hundreds of miles.
      Arrives at the Promised Land.
       Builds altars.
        Worships God.
         And immediately there’s a FAMINE.

   Not abundance. Not prosperity. Not “Wow, God’s blessing is so obvious.”
   FAMINE.
   Abram shows up to the Promised Land and the Promised Land is OUT OF FOOD.
   God’s welcoming gift: STARVATION
   Great start.
   Abram’s Decision: Go to Egypt (where there’s food).
   This makes practical sense.
   Egypt had the Nile River. Reliable agriculture. Stored grain. Irrigation systems.
   When Canaan had famine, everyone went to Egypt. It was the regional breadbasket.
   So Abram going to Egypt isn’t crazy. It’s survival.

But here’s the tension:
   God JUST told Abram: “I’m giving you THIS land.”
   And now Abram is leaving it.
   Immediately.
   First crisis, and he’s out.

Is this:
– Wise stewardship (finding food to keep his household alive)?
– Or lack of faith (leaving the Promised Land the moment things get hard)?

   Genesis doesn’t explicitly judge Abram for going to Egypt.
-The problem isn’t leaving during the famine.
-The problem is what he does when he gets there.

—–

The Fear: “They’ll Kill Me and Take My Wife”

Genesis 12:11-12 (KJV) – “And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.”

As they approach Egypt, Abram starts spiraling.

Abram’s Internal Monologue:
   “Okay, so Sarai is beautiful. The Egyptians are going to notice. If they know she’s my wife, they’ll kill me to take her. But if they think she’s single… I’ll survive.”

Abram’s Logic:
1. Sarai is beautiful (true)
2. Egyptians will notice (probably true)
3. They’ll want her (reasonable assumption)
4. If they know she’s married, they’ll kill me to take her (WILD assumption)
5. But if they think she’s available, they’ll leave me alone (faulty logic)

The Problems With This Logic:
– It assumes the WORST of the Egyptians (maybe they have laws? morals? basic decency?)
– It prioritizes Abram’s survival over Sarai’s safety (she’s the one being put at risk here)
– It’s based on fear, not faith
– God LITERALLY JUST PROMISED to bless Abram and make him into a great nation
   Hard to do that if he’s dead.
   But fear overrides promises.
   Even after Abram’s radical obedience—leaving Haran, traveling to Canaan, building altars, worshiping God—when crisis hits, he reverts to self-preservation mode.
   This is human.
   This is real.
   This is messy faith.

One moment: trusting God enough to leave everything and travel to an unknown land.
Next moment: lying to save his own skin.

Welcome to the life of faith. It’s not a straight line.

—–

The Lie: “Say You’re My Sister”

Genesis 12:13 (KJV) – “Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.”

Abram’s Plan: Lie about their relationship.
   “Sarai, tell everyone you’re my sister.”
Technically True: Sarai IS Abram’s half-sister (Genesis 20:12 clarifies this later—same father, different mothers).
Functionally a LIE: She’s his WIFE. The sister detail is true but weaponized to deceive.
   A fact used to deceive is still a lie.

The Implications of This Plan:
1. Abram is willing to let Sarai be taken by another man to save his own life
2. He’s gambling that being her “brother” will get him gifts/favors (bride price payments) while keeping him alive
3. He’s putting the mother of the promised descendants at risk
4. The ENTIRE promise hinges on Sarai bearing Abram’s child
5. And Abram just made her available to Pharaoh

Let that sink in.

   God promised Abram: “I’ll make you into a great nation through your descendants.”
   Abram’s response when things get scary: “Here, Pharaoh, you can have my wife. Just don’t kill me.”
   This is a SPECTACULAR failure of faith and integrity.
   And it gets worse.

—–

The Consequences: Pharaoh Takes Sarai (And Pays Abram For Her)

Genesis 12:14-15 (KJV) – “And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.”

What Happens:
– Egyptians see Sarai
– “Wow, she’s beautiful”
– Pharaoh’s officials notice
– They report back to Pharaoh: “There’s this stunning woman, says she’s single (well, her ‘brother’ is with her, but she’s available)”
– Pharaoh says: “Bring her to me”
– Sarai is taken into Pharaoh’s house (harem/palace)

Translation: Pharaoh took Sarai as a wife (or concubine).

   The promise of descendants through Sarai? Now in jeopardy. Because Abram lied out of fear.
   And Sarai?
   Genesis gives her no voice.
   No recorded protest. No dialogue. No consent. No agency.

Just: “the woman was taken.”
   Passive voice. Silent. Erased.

Abram made her complicit in a lie that endangered:
– Her body
– Her marriage 
– Her dignity
– The entire promise

   And she had no say in it.
    Genesis doesn’t give her one.
   We don’t know if she agreed, objected, or was silenced by fear. We just know: she was taken.

Let that horror sit.

   This isn’t just Abram’s failure. It’s Sarai’s trauma.
   And the text doesn’t even pause to acknowledge it.

Genesis 12:16 (KJV) – “And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.”

   And Then Abram Gets PAID.
   Pharaoh treats Abram well “for her sake” (because he thinks Abram is Sarai’s brother, not her husband).

Abram receives:
– Sheep
– Oxen
– Donkeys
– Male servants
– Female servants (one of whom is probably Hagar—acquired in Egypt through deception, she’ll become the mother of Ishmael in Genesis 16, and the consequences of this decision will haunt Abram for generations)
– She-donkeys
– Camels

   Abram is profiting off his wife being taken into Pharaoh’s harem.
   He’s getting paid for handing over Sarai.
   This is NOT Abram’s finest moment.
Actually, this might be Abram’s WORST moment.
   He’s literally selling his wife to protect himself.
   And getting rich doing it.

—–

God Intervenes: “I’ll Fix This Myself, Since Abram Won’t”

Genesis 12:17 (KJV) – “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.”

God has entered the chat.
   Abram’s plan endangered the promise.
   Abram’s lie put Sarai in Pharaoh’s harem.
   Abram is doing NOTHING to fix this.
   So God steps in.
   God sends plagues on Pharaoh’s household.

Critical Detail: Pharaoh didn’t KNOW Sarai was Abram’s wife.
   He was deceived.
   He thought she was available.
   He acted in ignorance, not malice.
But God still sent plagues to protect Sarai and preserve the promise.

Why?

Because God’s promises don’t depend on our perfection.

—–

This Is Grace in the Old Testament

   Let’s pause here. Because this moment deserves more space.
   God doesn’t wait for Abram to fix his mess.
   God doesn’t demand repentance first.
   God doesn’t say “You got yourself into this, get yourself out.”
   God doesn’t scold Abram before rescuing him.
   God just acts.
While Abram is still lying.
While Abram is still profiting from deception.
While Abram is doing nothing to rescue his own wife.
   God intervenes to protect what Abram nearly destroyed.

This is Romans 5:8 in Genesis 12:
   “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
   While we were still sinners.
Not after we cleaned up.
Not after we repented.
Not after we fixed what we broke.
   While we were still in the mess.
God moved.
   Abram screwed up. Massively.
   Endangered the promise. Put Sarai at risk. Lied. Profited. Did nothing.
   And God still protected the promise.
Not because Abram deserved it.
Because God is faithful.

God’s Faithfulness > Abram’s Faithfulness

-This is the theological heart of Genesis 12.
   And it’s the theological heart of the entire Bible.
   We fail. God remains faithful.
   We endanger the promise. God protects it.
   We make a mess. God redeems it.
Not because we’re good. Because God is.
   That’s grace.
Not as a New Testament concept we import backward.
   But as an Old Testament reality we often miss.
God’s faithfulness to His promises doesn’t depend on our performance.
   It depends on His character.
    Abram is proof.

This is the gospel before the gospel. Grace in the Old Testament. God rescuing what we endanger. God faithful when we’re not.

—–

Pharaoh Confronts Abram: “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

Genesis 12:18-19 (KJV) – “And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.”

   Pharaoh figures out what’s happening (probably because of the plagues).
   He calls Abram in.

Pharaoh’s Response:
“WHAT. IS. THIS. THAT. YOU. HAVE. DONE. TO. ME?!”
   “Why didn’t you tell me she was your WIFE?!”
   “Why did you say she was your SISTER?!”
   “I almost MARRIED her because of YOUR lie!”
   “Take her and GET OUT.”

Awkward reversal: the pagan king shows more integrity than the man of faith. Genesis doesn’t airbrush its heroes.

—–

Pharaoh Kicks Them Out of Egypt

Genesis 12:20 (KJV) – “And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.”

The Outcome:
   Pharaoh orders them to leave Egypt.
   Abram, Sarai, and all their possessions (including all the gifts Pharaoh gave them) are deported.
   Escorted to the border. “Get out and don’t come back.”

Blessed on paper, disgraced in practice.

—–

What Abram’s Call Actually Felt Like: 32-Year-Old Me

   Before we get to the morals, I need to tell you about the first time I understood what Abram’s call might have actually felt like.
   I was 32 years old. I was in a relationship that had been rotting for years.
   Not dramatically. Not explosively.
    Just… slowly decaying from the inside.
   Like fruit that looks fine on the outside but when you cut into it, it’s already gone bad.
   Years of rot.
    Years of distrust.
     Years of unfaithfulness.
      Years of gaslighting.
       Years of DARVO (classic abuser playbook)—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.
   The both of us destroying each other from within the walls.
   Every time I brought up a problem, it became my fault.
Every time she brought up a problem, it became her fault.
   Every time we expressed hurt, we was “too sensitive.”
   Every time we asked for accountability, one of us was being unreasonable.
   We failed to trust each other because trust had been shattered so many times there was nothing left to build with.
   She abandoned me.
    Not once. Not twice.
     Over and over for years.
   Walked away when things got hard. Left me emotionally, sometimes physically. Then came back. Then left again.
   And I stayed.
   Through every abandonment, I stayed.
   Through every lie, I stayed.
   Through every moment of gaslighting where I questioned my own reality, I stayed.
   For 12 years, I stayed.
    Because I didn’t know how to leave. Because I thought I was supposed to fix it. Because I believed the lie that if I just tried harder, it would get better.
   It didn’t get better.
    It rotted.
   Compromises that became patterns. Patterns that became prison. A life that looked stable but felt spiritually suffocating.
    And I was broken.
     Spiritually broken in a way I didn’t have words for.
   Anxiety that woke me up at 3 AM. A heaviness I carried everywhere. The feeling that I was supposed to be somewhere else, someone else, living some other life—but I couldn’t explain it.
   And then, something shifted.
    I felt the presence of someone else.
     Not her. Not me.
   Someone else.
    A voice in my head that was not my voice.
     It wasn’t my thoughts. It wasn’t my logic. It wasn’t my anxiety spiraling.
   It was something—someone—else.

Directing me. Calling me. Telling me:
   “Leave.”
I couldn’t explain it to anyone.
   How do you tell people: “I have to leave because I feel something calling me that I can’t name”?
   How do you say: “There’s a voice in my head that’s not mine, and it’s telling me to go”?
   They’d think you’re losing it.
    Maybe I was.
     But the calling was louder than the fear.
      Louder than the 12 years of history. Louder than the logic that said “stay, it’s easier.” Louder than the gaslighting. Louder than the anxiety that told me I’d be alone forever if I left.
   The calling was louder than everything.
    And that day, I just… left.
   In 12 years, I left one time.

    That one time was the end.
Not because I had a plan.
Not because I knew where I was going.
Not because I had proof it would work out.
I left because I couldn’t stay.
   Because the rot had gone too deep.
   Because staying meant dying slowly, spiritually, in a life that wasn’t mine.
   Because someone else—a presence, a voice, a calling I couldn’t explain—was directing me to go.

And I finally listened.

—–

My altar moment:
   The first night after I left, I slept in an empty home.
   No furniture. Just carpeted floor.
   An empty house that echoed when I walked through it.
   I lay down on the carpet with a pillow and a blanket, staring at the ceiling of a space that held nothing but possibility and silence.
   It wasn’t comfortable.
   It wasn’t what I imagined “freedom” would feel like.
   But it was mine.
   That empty room—that was my altar.
   Not built with stones like Abram’s.
   Built with the act of leaving. The choice to sleep on a floor in an empty house rather than stay in a bed in a relationship that was killing me slowly.
   Abram built altars in the Promised Land before he owned any of it.
   I slept on the floor of an empty house before I knew what my life would become.
   Both acts of faith.
   Both declarations: “I’m claiming this space. I’m trusting the call. I’m here.”

—–

   This is what Abram’s call must have felt like.
   God didn’t give him a roadmap. He gave him a knowing.
   “Leave. Go. Trust me. I’ll show you when you get there.”
   Abram didn’t have proof it would work out.
   He didn’t have guarantees.
   He didn’t even have a destination.
   He just had the call.
   And the call was louder than the fear.
   So he went.
   At 75 years old, he packed up his entire life and walked away from everything familiar.
   Because the call was louder than the comfort of staying.

—–

   I understand that now.
   At 32, I left a relationship that had been rotting for years.
   I left the life I’d built that felt like a cage.

I left the version of myself I’d been performing to keep the peace.

   And I walked into the unknown.
   Spiritually broken. Anxious. Uncertain.
   But called.
   I didn’t know where I was going.
   I didn’t know what was next.
   I just knew: I have to go.

Because something—or someone—was out there, calling me toward a life I couldn’t see yet but somehow knew was real.

—–

And here’s what I learned:
-Faith isn’t having all the answers.
-Faith is answering the call even when you don’t.

   Abram left Haran at 75 with no destination.
   I left a relationship at 32 with no plan.

Same faith. Same uncertainty. Same trust that the call is real even when you can’t explain it.

The Promised Land had famines.
   My new life had loneliness, doubt, and grief.
    But it was still the Promised Land.

Because I was finally walking toward the life I was supposed to live, not the life I’d settled for.

—–

Genesis 12:1, translated for 32-year-old me:
   “Leave the relationship that’s rotting. Leave the life that’s suffocating you. Leave the version of yourself you’ve been performing. Go to a life I’ll reveal to you as you walk.”
   And I went.

Spiritually broken but spiritually called.
   Because the calling was louder than the fear.
   And sometimes, that’s all the faith you need. ‍♂️➡️✨

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The Morals

1. Faith doesn’t mean you have all the answers – Abram left Haran without knowing where he was going
2. God says “I will,” not “you will” – “I will make your name great” (you can’t do it yourself)
3. Obedience doesn’t guarantee immediate comfort – Abram obeyed, got to the Promised Land, immediate famine
4. Your calling doesn’t exempt you from hardship – Following God doesn’t mean everything will be easy
5. Fear makes us do stupid, selfish things – Abram’s lie was motivated by fear, not faith
6. Even faith heroes fail spectacularly – One chapter: radical obedience, then cowardice and lies
7. *MHalf-truths are whole lies – “She’s my sister” was technically true, functionally deceptive
8. Sometimes pagans act more righteously than believers – Pharaoh had more integrity than Abram here
9. God’s promises don’t depend on our perfection – Abram messed up; God still protected the promise
10. God’s faithfulness > our faithfulness – When we fail, God doesn’t abandon His purposes
11. You can’t build your own greatness – Babel tried and failed; God told Abram “I will make YOUR name great”
12. Blessing flows THROUGH you to others – “All families of the earth will be blessed through you”
13. Faith and fear coexist – You can have radical faith one moment and debilitating fear the next
14. God protects His purposes even when we don’t – Plagues on Pharaoh to preserve Sarai and the promise

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The Weirdest Parts

– God tells a 75-year-old childless man he’ll father a great nation (Math: not mathing)
– “Go to a place I’ll show you later” = Worst. GPS. Ever.
– Abram just goes – No recorded questions, objections, or “let me think about it”
– The promise is about descendants, but Sarai is barren and post-menopausal (Biology: also not mathing)
– God appears at Shechem: “To your SEED I’ll give this land” (Current seed count: zero)
– Abram gets to the Promised Land and there’s immediately a famine – God’s welcome gift: starvation
– Abram’s first crisis decision: lie about his wife – Not great, Abram
– Pharaoh (pagan king) acts more honorably than Abram (man of God) – Role reversal nobody expected
– God sends plagues to protect the promise Abram endangered – God cleaning up Abram’s mess
– Abram leaves Egypt richer but disgraced – Profited from deception, but got kicked out
– This same lie happens AGAIN later – Genesis 20, Abram pulls the “she’s my sister” move with King Abimelech (HE DIDN’T LEARN)
– Genesis doesn’t sugarcoat its heroes – Abram is the father of faith, but chapter 12 is NOT his highlight reel
– Lot’s presence is barely mentioned but will become a HUGE problem – Spoiler: Lot has terrible judgment about everything

—–

Why This Still Matters Today

Following God Without Knowing the Full Plan
We want:
– The roadmap
– The timeline 
– The guarantees
– The step-by-step instructions
– Proof it’ll work out

God often gives us:
– “Go.”
– “I’ll tell you when you get there.”
– “Trust Me.”

Abram’s call is the model for faith:
   Obedience without full clarity.
   You don’t need to see the whole path. You just need to take the next step.
   Moses didn’t see the Promised Land from Egypt.
   David didn’t see the throne from the sheep fields.
   Mary didn’t understand the virgin birth, but she said “yes” anyway.
   Faith isn’t having all the answers. It’s trusting the One who does.

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Faith and Fear Coexist (In the Same Person, Sometimes the Same Week)

Abram had:
– Radical faith (left everything at 75 years old to follow God to an unknown destination)
– Debilitating fear (lied about his wife to save his own skin)
Both in the same chapter.

Sometimes in the same day.
  That’s real faith.
   Messy. Imperfect. Human.
    You don’t have to have it all together to follow God.
     You don’t have to never be afraid.
    You just have to keep going even when you’re scared.
  Abram built altars. Then he lied. Then he got kicked out of Egypt. Then he kept going.
   The promise didn’t fail because Abram failed.
     God’s faithfulness carried him through his failures.

—–

Your Calling Doesn’t Exempt You From Hardship
Abram obeyed God’s call.
  Built altars.
   Worshiped.
    And immediately: famine.
   Following God doesn’t mean everything will be easy.
  Sometimes you do the right thing and life gets harder, not easier.
   Sometimes the Promised Land has famines.
   Sometimes obedience leads to difficulty.

The call is still real.
The promise is still true.
The hardship doesn’t negate the blessing.

   God didn’t say “Follow Me and life will be comfortable.”
   He said “Follow Me and I will be WITH you.”
  Big difference.

—–

God’s Faithfulness > Our Faithfulness

Abram:
– Lied
– Put the promise in danger
– Profited off deception
– Did nothing to fix it

God:
– Sent plagues to protect Sarai
– Preserved the promise
– Rescued Abram from his own failure

God’s purposes don’t depend on our perfection.
-He works through flawed people.
-He redeems our failures.
-He’s faithful even when we’re not.

If God only used perfect people, He wouldn’t use anyone.
   Abram is proof: God doesn’t need you to be flawless. He just needs you to be willing.

—–

The Abram → Abraham → Jesus Thread (AKA “How One Promise Became Global Salvation”)

Genesis 12:3 – “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

-This isn’t just about Abram’s family.
-This is about the whole world.

The Thread:
– Abram becomes Abraham (father of many nations)
– Abraham’s descendants = Israel
– Through Israel comes King David
– Through David’s line comes Jesus
– Through Jesus, all nations are blessed (the gospel goes global)

Babel scattered humanity in judgment.
   Abram’s call begins the process of gathering humanity back to God through blessing.
   What started with one man and a vague promise in Genesis 12 ends with the global church in Acts and Revelation.
   The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19—”Go to ALL nations”) is the fulfillment of Genesis 12:3.
   God’s plan from the beginning: Bless one family so that ALL families can be blessed.

That’s the gospel.
That’s grace.
   That’s why this 4,000-year-old story about a 75-year-old man and a famine still matters.
   Because we’re living in the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abram.

—–

TL;DR

Part 1: The Call (12:1-9)
   God tells 75-year-old childless Abram: “Leave everything. Go to a place I’ll show you later. I’ll make you into a great nation and bless all families on earth through you.”
   Abram’s response: “Okay.” And he just… goes.
   No map. No timeline. No guarantee. Just obedience.
   He travels to Canaan. God appears and says “I’m giving THIS land to your descendants” (that you don’t have yet).
   Abram builds altars and worships God.
   Everything seems great.

Part 2: The Famine & The Lie (12:10-20)
   Immediate famine. Abram goes to Egypt for food.
   Gets scared. Tells Sarai to say she’s his sister (not his wife) so the Egyptians won’t kill him.
   Pharaoh takes Sarai into his harem. Abram gets paid (livestock, servants, camels).
   God sends plagues on Pharaoh to protect Sarai.
   Pharaoh figures it out, confronts Abram (“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”), returns Sarai, and kicks them out of Egypt.
   Abram leaves richer but disgraced.

The Lesson:
   Faith doesn’t mean perfection. Even the father of faith lied, failed, and needed God to rescue him from his own mistakes.
   But God’s promises don’t depend on our perfection—they depend on His faithfulness.
   One chapter. Radical obedience and spectacular failure. That’s faith. That’s Abram. That’s us. ‍♂️

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Final Reflection

   The call of Abram is inspiring and humbling at the same time.

Inspiring:
– A 75-year-old man leaves everything to follow God without knowing where he’s going
– Radical obedience in the face of impossible promises
– Worship even when nothing makes sense

Humbling:
– That same man lies about his wife to save himself
– Fear overrides faith the moment things get hard
– The pagan king has more integrity than the man of God

This is what messy faith looks like.
Not a highlight reel.
  Not a testimony with all the rough parts edited out.
   Just: real, flawed, imperfect obedience mixed with real, embarrassing, human failure.
  You don’t have to be perfect to follow God.
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You don’t have to never mess up.
   You just have to keep going.
   Abram built altars. Then he lied. Then he got kicked out of Egypt. Then he kept going.
   The promise didn’t depend on Abram being flawless.
  It depended on God being faithful.
And God was.
-Through Abram’s obedience AND his failures.
-Through his faith AND his fear.
-Through his worship AND his lies.
   God’s purposes moved forward.
   The promise given in Genesis 12:3—”in you all families of the earth will be blessed”—wasn’t fulfilled in Abram’s lifetime.
   It took thousands of years.
  Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Israel → David → Jesus → the Church → the Gospel to all nations.
But it happened.
   What God promised to one man in Genesis 12 became the blessing for the whole world.

   At Babel, we tried to reach heaven through bricks and pride.
   With Abram, God came down to earth and said “I will make YOUR name great.”
   And through Abram’s descendant, Jesus, God reached down to save the whole world.

That’s the whole Bible in three stories. ️➡️‍♂️➡️✝️