Bible Reading Blog
“The Turning Point”
Categories: Congregational Bible ReadingBIBLE READING: Genesis 12
Humanity was on a downward trend (Genesis 6.5-6). Even after the restart there was an immediate regression into sinfulness (Genesis 11.20-23). Genesis 12 is a noticeable and dramatic turning point. Even though it’s not the beginning of the bible story, Genesis 12 is a definitive moment in the history of humanity. It sets the scene for the rest of the bible and offers hope to an otherwise hopeless story.
We need to see 3 important things that happen in Genesis 12:
God reached out. Don’t miss this detail… If God doesn’t decide to come to Abram, there are no promises, Abram never leaves his home, and the ugly patterns from Genesis 3-11 continue. God could have left humanity to those things. But He didn’t want that. “For God so loved the world” that he made the first move in a much larger plan to change the outcome.
God had a plan. This is the key point that gets developed through the rest of the bible. Part of the plan involves Abram’s immediate circumstance – blessings for him and his family. But it also involves blessings for everyone through him. Genesis 12 creates momentum and expectation as God’s people look for this plan to come to fulfillment.
Abram responded. The bible tells us simply that “Abram went, as the LORD had told him” (Genesis 12.4). We cannot glaze over the enormity of that statement as it changed the entire course of his life. But it was not an isolated choice. Every time God revealed himself to Abram, there is a corresponding action (Genesis 12.1, 4; 12.7; 13.14, 18). His faith produced a total life movement in response to God. There was nothing sacred, nothing he held back, no “yes, but…” banter with God to address the other things he had going on in his life. I suspect if it were me, there would be a paragraph in the bible that says, "and Daniel asked "why"." Maybe it’s just me… but I think not.
We tend to desire predictability and resolution. We build homes and make investments for the future to give us confidence and security. We take comfort in knowing what will happen next, even if it’s not great. But we need to consider that God has always called people of faith to trust him and follow where he leads. Sometimes that means letting go of things that make us comfortable.
Genesis 12 not only teaches us patterns in our relationship with God but also reminds us our lives are directed by God’s revelation. People of faith are defined by God’s control over every aspect of our lives: finances, relationships, location, service, etc. Sometimes we deny God control over certain areas of our lives, and it hinders our growth. We need to think seriously about whom and what we trust. But most importantly we need to order our lives in faith, so that not only will we be blessed but so God may be shown to be great in our lives.
