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41 Pharaoh’s Dreams
42 Joseph Sees His Brothers
43 Joseph Sees His Brothers Again
44 Joseph Detains Benjamin
45 Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
46 Israel’s Migration to Egypt
47 Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen
48 Blessing for Joseph’s Sons
49 Jacob’s Last Words
50 Burial in the Promised Land
42 Joseph Sees His Brothers
43 Joseph Sees His Brothers Again
44 Joseph Detains Benjamin
45 Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers
46 Israel’s Migration to Egypt
47 Jacob’s Family Settles in Goshen
48 Blessing for Joseph’s Sons
49 Jacob’s Last Words
50 Burial in the Promised Land
Genesis 12: Abram Leaves Home
When did Abram first hear from God to leave his homeland?
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Genesis 12:1 God said to Abram, “Leave your native country and relatives. Abandon your homeland, and go to a place that I will show you.
Acts 7:2 Fellow Jews and respected elders, listen to me,” Stephen said. “Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran.”
King James
Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Acts 7:2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
When Abram left Haran, what did he leave behind?
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Genesis 12:1 God said to Abram, “Leave your native country and relatives. Abandon your homeland, and go to a place that I will show you.
King James
Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Why did Abram think he had more to gain by leaving than by staying?
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Genesis 12:1–4 God said to Abram, “Leave your native country and relatives. Abandon your homeland, and go to a place that I will show you. I will bless you with abundance and make you a great nation. You will be highly regarded, a blessing to many. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families on Earth will be blessed because of you.”
So Abram did what the Lord said. He was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
King James
Genesis 12:1–4 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, 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 thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
What reasons did Abram have to believe God’s promise?
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Genesis 12:2–4 I will bless you with abundance and make you a great nation. You will be highly regarded, a blessing to many. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families on Earth will be blessed because of you.”
So Abram did what the Lord said. He was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
King James
Genesis 12:2–4 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
How did Abram know which direction to go?
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Genesis 12:5–6 With his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all their servants and possessions acquired in Haran, Abram left his home and entered Canaan. Abram went as far as Shechem and the oaks of Moreh. Canaanites occupied the land.
King James
Genesis 12:5–6 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 Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.
In what form did God “appear” to Abram?
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Genesis 12:7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I give this land to your child.”
In that place, Abram built an altar to the Lord.
King James
Genesis 12:7 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
As Abram move to the hills east of Bethel, what motivated his worship?
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Genesis 12:7–8 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I give this land to your child.”
In that place, Abram built an altar to the Lord.
He moved on to the hills east of Bethel and west of Ai, where he pitched his tent, built an altar, and worshiped the Lord.
King James
Genesis 12:7–8 And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.
Was it God’s direction or the severity of the famine that led Abram to Egypt?
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Genesis 12:9–10 Abram kept going, farther to the south. Because of the severe famine in the land, he went to live in Egypt.
King James
Genesis 12:9–10 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
What was there about Sarai’s beauty that made Abram fear for his life?
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Genesis 12:11–13 As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “You are a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see how beautiful you are, if they think you are my wife, they will kill me so they can have you. Please tell them you are my sister. Then, because of you, they will treat me well, and my life will be spared.”
King James
Genesis 12:11–13 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Was it a lie to tell the Egyptians that Sarai was Abram’s sister? In what way was it true??
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Author’s Paraphrase
Genesis 12:11–13 As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “You are a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see how beautiful you are, if they think you are my wife, they will kill me so they can have you. Please tell them you are my sister. Then, because of you, they will treat me well, and my life will be spared.”
King James
Genesis 12:11–13 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
Why was Sarai taken into Pharaoh’s palace?
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Genesis 12:14–15 When they arrived, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. Officials saw her beauty and recommended her to Pharaoh, so she was taken into Pharaoh’s palace.
King James
Genesis 12:14–15 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
Do you think Abram’s beliefs about the Egyptians were justified?
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Genesis 12:14–16 When they arrived, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was very beautiful. Officials saw her beauty and recommended her to Pharaoh, so she was taken into Pharaoh’s palace.
Because of Sarai, Abram was treated well, given sheep, male and female donkeys, camels, and male and female servants.
King James
Genesis 12:14–16 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
How did Pharaoh diagnose the cause of the diseases?
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Genesis 12:17–18 Because of Sarai, Abram’s wife, the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with terrible diseases.
Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
King James
Genesis 12:17–18 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Why did Pharaoh order him to leave, yet allow him to keep all his possessions?
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Genesis 12:18–20 Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say she was your sister, allowing me to take her as my wife? Here is your wife. Take her and leave.”
Pharaoh ordered his men to escort Abram and his wife out of the country with all his possessions.
King James
Genesis 12:18–20 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.