Deeper Reflection
Abram was a man who believed God at His Word and obeyed God to the best of his ability. This passage “provides a paradigm of the obedience of faith. It shows a faith that left everything and obeyed the Word of the Lord, but it also portrays a believer who proclaimed his faith”³⁶ . The verb “went” (v.4) corresponds with the verb “go” (v.1), which occurs twice more in the passage.³⁷ This repetition emphasises Abram’s obedience to God’s call. We know that Abram’s obedience brought great blessings to all the families of the earth through Jesus Christ. “…If he had not believed he would not have obeyed, and the promises of God would not have been fulfilled.”³⁸However, the journey was not all triumphant for Abram. For example, he almost led a “righteous Gentile”, Abimelech, into sin when he (Abram) lied about his relationship with Sarah (Gen 20:2-7). Yet, despite Abram’s shortcomings, God still used him to bless the nations. Abimelech’s acknowledgement that God was with Abram in all that he did (Gen 21:22), “proved that God’s determination to bless Abraham was being fulfilled in the presence of others”³⁹ .God will still use His people despite their weaknesses and failures. God’s call for Abram was clearly missional in purpose. For “missionary” Abram, God fulfilled His promise to bless him so that in him all the families of the earth will be blessed (vv.2-3). Likewise for us, when we answer and live out God’s call in our life, it involves both an act of our obedience and faith, and a demonstration of God’s grace and faithfulness to fulfil His promises to us.

---

³⁶ Allen P. Ross, Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Baker Academic, 1997), 262. ³⁷  “…go to the land of Canaan.” (v.5); “…still going toward the Negeb.” (v.9). ³⁸  Ibid., 263. ³⁹ Allen P. Ross, Creation & Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Baker Academic, 1997), 387