Chapter 18 of 1163

GENESIS 12

God’s Word leads to faith (1–3). Abram was an idolater when God called him (Josh. 24:2), revealed His glory to him (Acts 7:2), and spoke to him. Abram turned from vain idols to walk with the Lord, and all of this was by God’s grace. The hearing of the Word creates faith (John 5:24; Rom. 10:17). Again God’s creative Word is at work.

Faith leads to obedience (4–6). The New Testament states, “By faith Abraham obeyed” (Heb. 11:8). “I will show you, I will make you, I will bless you!” were God’s promises, and Abram believed. It has well been said that faith is not believing in spite of evidence; it is obeying in spite of consequences. The proof of faith is obedience, for true faith always leads to works (James 2:14ff.). Hearing leads to heeding.

Obedience leads to blessing (7–9). We are told nothing about the journey, which must have been very difficult; but we are told that God met Abram when he arrived and gave him a new promise. God always goes before us and has His Word ready to encourage us. From now on, Abram’s life will be marked by the presence of the tent (a pilgrim on earth) and the altar (a citizen of heaven).

Blessing leads to testing (10–20). Faith is always tested for at least three reasons: to prove whether our faith is real; to help our faith grow; and to bring glory to the Lord (1 Pet. 1:6–9; James 1:1–8). Imagine a famine in the very land where God led him! We can be in the will of God and still suffer trials. It has been said that “faith is living without scheming,” but Abram began to scheme. He was walking by sight and not by faith, and it cost him his testimony—and almost his wife! Note that Abram had neither a tent nor an altar in Egypt. “Going down to Egypt” is Bible language for getting out of the will of God.

God blessed Abram that he might be a blessing. Through Abram and his descendants, the whole world has been blessed. Whenever God gives you a blessing, it’s so that you might be a blessing to others. God’s blessings are not luxuries; they are opportunities.

Am I Living by Faith?

When you live by faith, you make your decisions on the basis of the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), and you seek to glorify God alone (Rom. 4:19–20). True faith is not in a hurry; it is willing to wait (Isa. 28:16; Heb. 6:12).

Faith obeys God in spite of circumstances or consequences, and it is not afraid of what others may say or do (Heb. 11:29–30).

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