Traveling Mercies

I am finding out there is too much information in the Old Testament for a daily (or weekly) blog. Therefore, here is a list to briefly highlight the "family drama" in Genesis, chapters 12-13!

1. The Lord God tells Abram to leave his country, his people, and his father's household and go to the land God would show him.
2. Abram sets out with his wife (Sarai) and his nephew (Lot). They leave from the land of Haran, with all the possessions they have accumulated and the people they have acquired (so far).
3. They arrive in Canaan, and the Lord appears and promises, "To your offspring I will give this land". Abram builds an altar there, in Shechem, and also later in the land between Bethel and Ai.
4. Due to a severe famine, they travel on to Egypt, where Abram fears for the safety of himself and Sarai. They pretend that Sarai was his sister, not his wife.
5. Pharaoh's officials believe Sarai is beautiful and report this to Pharaoh. He lets them in the palace and lavishes gifts and praise on them, for Sarai's sake.
6. The Lord inflicts diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai.
7. Pharaoh questions Abram about this sudden curse. He is furious with Abram for misleading him into thinking he could take Sarai into the palace to be his own wife. He orders his men to send Abram away, with his wife Sarai, and all that he has.
8. Abram, Sarai, and Lot head for the Negev, with all the people, animals and possessions they have acquired.
9. The land will not support them all in one place and the different herdsmen begin complaining and fighting.
10. Abram doesn't want hostility between himself and Lot since they are "brothers" (relatives...since Lot was actually his nephew). He instructs Lot to choose which direction of land he would prefer.
11. Lot chooses the land to the east, near Sodom. It would turn out that the men there were very wicked and sinning greatly against the Lord.
12. After Lot leaves for the east, the Lord reminds Abram that one day all the land in every direction will belong to Abram and his offspring. Abram moves his tents and goes to live near the trees of Mamre at Hebron. He builds an altar to the Lord there.

In the New Testament, references are made to the significance of Abraham's faith in God at that time in history. His wife Sarai was barren, but (like Noah before) Abram believed God, "and He credited it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). In the chapters that follow, we will read of Abram and Sarai's doubts, their efforts to bring this promise to fruition in their own timing, and the mercy God would eventually show to them and Hagar.