Genesis 12:1 - 17:27
This Torah portion can be divided as follows:
Promises to Abram
Abram in Egypt
Abram Inherits Canaan
Lot's Captivity and Rescue
Abram and Melchizedek
God's Covenant with Abram
Hagar and Ishmael
The sign of the covenant
In Hebrew Lech Lecha is generally referred to as portion “Get Out” or “Go Out”. A more accurate rendering is "go to yourself".
This can be explained meaning that it was Abraham's, here still called Abram, movement towards the fulfillment of his task, his ultimate purpose for which he was created. The entire portion is about Abram.
We can notice that two things began to happen to Abram here:
First, God was beginning a separating and dividing plan for salvation, through Abraham. He had a part to play in God’s plan.
In this portion we read about the promises made to Abram. Before we speak about these it is fitting that we understand why this covenant was needed to begin with and why it was made.
When we go back to the beginning when God created human beings we find that:
People sinned
People suffered the consequences of their sin
And the Creator redeemed
We find that Adam and Eve sinned – suffered the consequences – and God set in plan (although mentioned subtly in Genesis) redemption. As soon as sin entered the world Yah began to “reveal” His plan to reverse the effects of the fall and to restore us and the world to what He originally created. Adam and Eve understood this completely! He made a promise to them that Eve would bear a man child that would redeem them from the sins committed and they expected it to be soon. We see this when Cain is born and later when
Seth is born.
Again, in Noah’s day. Man had sinned, he suffered the consequence through the flood, and God redeemed 8 on the ark. The very names used in Hebrew show us a pattern, and the name of Noah itself; meaning comfort.
Again, after Babel we find mankind sinning, suffering the consequences and then Yah promises redemption through Abraham.
Ever since the beginning, all of creation has been working towards this moment- the moment of the promised redemption which was first spoken about in Genesis. Each time God made a covenant. Each time Yah separated and divided. First their was Adam and Eve, then Noah and his family were separated, then Abraham and Isaac, then Jacob and his descendants. Then David, Solomon, and then the heir who was to come from Solomon.
In the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4) the Son was sent, the one who had been promised since the beginning. His name was Yeshua! He would be the ultimate redeemer.
God makes a covenant with Abram and makes these promises:
1. Promises to make from him a great nation. A great nation has land, so God promises him a land.
2. Promises to bless Abraham and to give him a great name and personal wealth.
3. Promises that all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.
This promise that all nations will be blessed in him will ultimately come through the promised seed of Genesis, the Messiah, His name is Yeshua. However, Abram's seed also was promised to be as the sand of the sea and the stars in the heaven. This had a spiritual fulfillment through Yeshua and a physical fulfillment through the people of Jacob (Israel).
Now, I know that thus far I haven’t said anything that you don’t already know but it is this second thing that happened to Abram that I want to bring out.
We see from reading this portion that after Abram was made promises, and separated by Yah for a task, that a series of events began to happen to him which seemed to deflect him from his mission. Doesn’t the evil one always seem to get in the way and try to mess things up?
One of these deflections was trying to bring forth the promised son with Hagar –Ishmael.
When the nation of Israel was born they had their own “go to yourself” event in that they
began on a movement towards the fulfillment of their task. The task that Yah had chosen for
them. Once again, a series of events were set in motion that seemed to deflect them from their mission of being a light to the nations.
You and I face similar battles and struggles in our lives. Sometimes they are caused by the evil one and sometimes they are caused by our own poor choices. Either way, if we repent and stay faithful we will see our ultimate destiny come to pass.
Israel, as a nation, and not individuals, will see their destiny come to pass, regardless of the errors arising from her own bad choices or whether from deflections caused by the evil one. She is predestined to be the holy people of God. Why? Because God will keep His promises to Abram. The holy One, Yeshua Messiah, has come from within her and He will rule and reign on this earth and bring about the fulfillment of all of the promises made to Abram.
When the world whirls around us and seems to deflect our destiny we must remember to keep our eyes on the goal. We must stay on the right course if we, as individuals, expect to be part of the nation of Israel which are predestined to be the Sons of Elohim!
Shalom,
Leisa