Charles Spurgeon Commentary Genesis 12
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Genesis 12
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Genesis 12
"Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father`s house, unto the land that I will show thee:" — Genesis 12:1 (ASV)
It was God's intention to keep his truth and his pure worship alive in the world by committing it to the charge of one man, and the nation that should spring from him. In the infinite sovereignty of his grace, he chose Abraham—passing by all the rest of mankind—and elected him to be the depository of the heavenly light, that through him it might be preserved in the world until the days when it should be more widely scattered.
It seemed essential to this end that Abraham should come right out from his fellow-countrymen, and be separate to Jehovah, so the Lord said to him, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee."
"and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make they name great; and be thou a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." — Genesis 12:2-3 (ASV)
There, you see, was the missionary character of the seed of Abraham, if they had but recognized it. God did not bless them for themselves alone, but for all nations: In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
"So Abram went, as Jehovah had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran." — Genesis 12:4 (ASV)
He had already attained a fine old age, but he had another century of life before him, which he could not then foresee, or expect. If, at his age, he had said, "Lord, I am too old to travel, too old to leave my country, and to begin to live a wandering life," we could not have wondered; but he did not talk in that way. He was commanded to go, and we read, "So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him."
"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. And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the oak of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land." — Genesis 12:5-6 (ASV)
Fierce and powerful nations possessed the country; it did not seem a very likely place to be the inheritance of a peace-loving man like Abraham. God does not always fulfill his promises to his people immediately; otherwise, where would be the room for faith? This life of ours is to be a life of faith, and it will be well rewarded in the end. Abraham had not a foot of land to call his own, except that cave of Machpelah which he bought from the sons of Heth for a burial place for his beloved Sarah.
"And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto Jehovah, who appeared unto him." — Genesis 12:7 (ASV)
Thus, you see, Abraham began his separated life with a blessing from the Lord his God.
Further on in his history he received a still larger blessing when he returned from his victory over the kings.
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