The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”
Genesis 12:1 (NIV)
“Family first” and “I pledge Allegiance” are the catch phrases of idolatry. Perhaps Abram’s departure from his own family and nation in Genesis 12:1 is a lesson in leaving that mindset behind.
Now it came about, when Abram entered Egypt, that the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
Genesis 12:14-15 (NASB)Now it came about, when mankind began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.
Genesis 6:1-2 (NASB)
The scriptures echo. Or perhaps a better way of describing it is that the later instances are parables to teach you the meaning of the earlier ones.
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3 (NASB)
As far as Genesis has taught us, you can’t curse anyone God has blessed. So what does it mean when God says “anyone who curses you, I will curse” after He blesses Abram in verse 2?
As it turns out, there are two different words being translated as “curse” in this verse!
The first is kalal, which means to revile or dishonor or slight.
The second is arar, which means to bind with a curse.
And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your [a]descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him.
Genesis 12:7 (NASB)
[a] Lit seed
I’m charmed by the imagery of “seed in the land” that ties us back to the third day of creation.
Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit according to their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.
Genesis 1:11 (NASB)
After the water was separated from land, plants began to grow.
Yes, “seed” refers to descendants and offspring, but the word choice gives us an echo.
Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you into a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3 (NASB)
Genesis 12 introduces us to the relationship between God and His people by way of a Promise that God makes. God makes the promise. God will keep it.
But this isn’t new. It has always been this way. Even Genesis 1:1 starts with “In the beginning, God…”
First, God.
Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the people which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; so they came to the land of Canaan.
Genesis 12:5 (NASB)
If you recall that “people which they acquired” is literally “the living souls they made,” you’ll see Abram and Sarai were given the power to be fruitful and multiply, even though Sarai is barren. Being fruitful and multiplying is a spiritual blessing, and God makes it happen, long before Sarai miraculously gives birth to Isaac.
Nothing is impossible for God.
And I will make you into a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing;
Genesis 12:2 (NASB)
In Genesis 12, God mentions this word “great” twice to Abraham, and if you’ve been following along, you know this means we should look more closely. Perhaps there is something here.
God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.
Genesis 1:16 (NASB)
The very first time this word shows up in the Scriptures, it also shows up twice: the two great lights. And there is a mention of governing. Ruling. Something you expect a great nation to do well. So this feels related.
And God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:21 (NASB)
But in the same chapter, this word comes up again. The great sea creatures. Or perhaps great sea creature, which the rabbis suggest is the Leviathan: the great trouble of God’s people. And yet… given greatness. Authority. Like a kingdom of the sea. Or of darkness.
So we have these links between greatness and authority, and that all makes sense, although some will scratch their head at the Leviathan, unwilling to accept that the Serpent was also created by God. That’s fine.
But it’s the next instance of great that caught my attention.
Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure!
Genesis 4:13 (NASB)
Cain murdered his brother, and God assigned a punishment: the ground will no longer yield fruit. You will wander forever.
The verse says: וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל־יְהוָהגָּדוֹל עֲוֺנִי מִנְּשֹׂא
“My punishment is too great to endure!”
We read this in English, and it feels like a complaint: “You are too harsh!” And then it appears that God provides a protection over Cain, to prevent anyone from killing him.
The rabbis see something else here. Something greater.
The word “punishment” is an odd translation choice. It is the Hebrew word עָוֹן (“ah-vone”), which means “iniquity.” It is almost always translated that way in the rest of Scripture.
So in actuality, it reads: “My iniquity is too great to endure,” and in these words, the rabbis see a question, not a statement.
Cain is not saying that it is too great for HIM to bear. He is asking God: “is my iniquity too great for YOU to bear?”
Cain knows the story: his father Adam brought death to ALL humanity through disobedience, yet God covered him. He continued to bless him. He continued to loved him.
So Cain asks God: Is my sin too great? Can I not also be redeemed?
And in response, God covers Cain, this time with a mark to protect him from death.
Perhaps this is God’s greatness: Even though Adam brought death to us all, God has authority over death to redeem. Even though Cain brought death to his brother, God has the authority to restrain death from seizing Cain.
You have not met someone God cannot redeem. He can save you. He can even save me.
In verse 13, Abram tells Sarai, “say you are my sister.”
In verse 19, Pharaoh says to Abram, “why did YOU say she was your sister?”
Pharaoh makes it clear that Abram is the one who said it. But did Sarai say anything? Perhaps she said nothing? Maybe she told the truth? It’s unclear.
But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
Genesis 12:17 (NASB)
The rabbis note this phrase “because of Sarai” is עַל־דְּבַר שָׂרַי, which can be read literally as “at the word of Sarai,” and this changes the tenor of the story entirely.
The Midrash states, “at her orders: she said to the angel, ‘smite’ and he smote.”
This is not only a story of Abram, but of Sarai.
[Pharaoh] treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
Genesis 12:16 (NIV)
The rabbis suggest that Pharaoh fell in love with Sarai so hard that not only did he give her the animals and servants, he gave her one of his daughters (from a concubine), which is how Hagar enters the story in Genesis 16.
They also suggest that he gave her the deed to Goshen.