“But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.”
GENESIS 11:30-12:1-9 NLT
“The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. After that, Abram traveled south and set up camp in the hill country, with Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. Then Abram continued traveling south by stages toward the Negev.”
Here we meet Abram, soon to be called Abraham, who hi would become the father of many nations. His introduction is a curious one as he is at the end of an era for humanity. Whereas God had wiped out the evil on the planet chapters ago, both by the flood and then a disruption of communication, here we see the beginning of God rebuilding things actively. In a sense, Abram is a new Adam. God has promised him that he would set a new nation into history through his offspring. Coming off the heals of Babel, it is an important thing. In Babel, men tried to claim their own fame. Abram, by no human means a righteous man, had no real claim to legacy or fame. This is because of a simple truth. It would seem that he chose relationship with Sarai over his own ability to carry on his name. She was barren and this would’ve made her a poor choice for a wife. It made Abraham weak to be married to her. Therefore, it is notable that God chose to start a nation in him. It was both a demonstration of his power and a statement of his character. Whereas man had worshipped legends and gods who used their power to overlord humanity and drive it to judgment, God would build a nation from one who valued relationship over legacy, and gave up power. There would be no question as to who was the real authority in this relationship.
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