Genesis 12

Genesis 12 verses 1 - 9

There are a number of times in the life of Abraham when he built an altar to the Lord.

The altar of salvation - verse 7.  Abraham lived in the land of Ur of Chaldees.  He worshipped false gods.  God came and spoke to him in that heathen land.  Abraham believed God, he went out from his country.  He believed what he heard and set out on a journey.  He set out on a journey of faith to follow God.

The altar of stability - verse 8.  Abraham moved on from the place where he met with God.  He is now between Bethel and Ai.  Bethel means house of God whereas Ai refers to the world and worldly things.  Abraham was living in the world but not off the world.  This was an altar where Abraham met with the God of heaven.  His tent was in itself a witness.  Are we progressing in our Christian life?

The altar of strength - chapter 18 verse 13.  Abraham came to the place of Mamre which means strength.  In verse 4 he called upon the Lord in prayer.  In verse 8 he was a peacemaker.  In verse 9 we see him as an unselfish man.  In verse 14 he is seen as someone who hears from God and in verse 16 as a man who believes the promise of God.  We need to be grounded in the things of God, to understand the Bible for ourselves and not be blown aside by others.

The altar of surrender - chapter 22.  God comes to Abraham and puts him under a severe test.  He would have to surrender all he hoped for in the future.  Everything is in this promised son, the one who would be blessed by God.  A place of getting alone again.  God has still a place of surrender in our lives.


Abraham was the founder of the nation of Israel.  Abraham was summoned by a call.  Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees, a rich and fertile part of the world, a secular and materialistic society.  Acts 7 tells us that Abraham lived in Charran (Haran) and the call was to "get thee out of thy country".  God was clear with his call, he was to get out from his family, country and kindred.  Abraham was influenced by his father Terah.  They stopped in Haran.  In Genesis 15 God promised Abraham a son but Abraham couldn`t wait so listened to Sarah when she suggested he use Hagar for this purpose.  The second time Abraham got off course, influenced by someone else, his wife Sarah.  A son was born out of a wrong decision.  Are we influenced by a wrong decision?  Are we listening to others?

Abraham was now surrendered to the call of God.  God found this man whose heart was in touch with him.  He wanted to do a great work through Abraham.  Abraham`s heart was opened to God`s call and he was surrendered the whole way.  God showed him piece by piece.  God never gave up on Abraham.  He didn`t give up on others - Moses and Jonah for example.  Remember the story of Jeremiah - God told him to buy a field off his uncle (Jeremiah 32 verse 8 "then I knew that it was the word of the Lord")  After 70 years when the people of God returned from Babylon Jeremiah still had the field to work and build in.  Do we recognise when God speaks to us?