Genesis 12)
1 Now the Lord (Yahaveh, "The God of Glory" of Acts 7:2. Fig. of Speech = The Glorious God, in contrast with idols [Josh. 24:2]) had said to Abram, "Go for yourself out of your country (i.e. whatever others may do. Death had broken the link of nature's tie, which hindered Abram's obedience), and from your kindred (leaving Nahor and his family [except Lot]), and from your fathers house, to a land I will show you:
2 And I will make of you a great nation (note 7-fold promise with 7-fold blessing. Ex. 6:4-8), and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless them that bless you, and curse them that curse you: and in you (to Abraham personally. See 50:24) shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
To Abraham and his seed was the good news proclaimed, and the promise given that God would make of him a nation in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). This good news was gradually expanded and developed.
In Gen. 15:4 the heir was announced, and this heir was to be the Messiah (Gal. 3:16).
In Gen. 15:8-21 the inheritance was secured by an unconditional promise (not by a covenant between two parties, one of whom might break it, Gal. 3:18-20). That inheritance was (and is yet to be) "the Holy Land", "Immanuel's Land" (Isa. 8:8), Immanuel Himself being the Governor (Isa. 9:6, 7), and "the zeal of the LORD of hosts" its security.
5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all the souls that they had gotten in Charran;
and they went forth with all their substance that they had gathered into the land of Canaan; and into the land of
Canaan they came. (This time: not when they started from Chaldea.)
6 And Abram passed through the land to the place of Sichem (Shechem = back or shoulder. The place of Abram's first altar, Jacob's altar, and the Savior's first mission), to the land of Moreh (= teacher). {And the Canaanite being already in the land}. (It is evident that from Terah's and Abraham's Call, Satan knew the line by which "the Seed of woman" [3:15] was coming into the world. In Chapter 6 he aimed at the whole human race. Now he aims at Abraham and his land. Here is the second explanation of the words "after that" in 6:4. He pre-occupies the territory ready to dispute the advance. The Canaanite "was then" = being already there [cp. 13:7]. The progeny of the latter attempt to corrupt the race had to be destroyed by the sword of Israel, as those "in the days of Noah" had been by the Flood.)
7 And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, "To your seed will I give this land:" and there he built an altar to the Lord, Who appeared to him.
8 And he removed from there to a mountain on the east of Beth-el (= the house of Elohim, an ancient Canaanite sacred pillar, doubtless from previous time, called Luz [= almond tree]. When Moses wrote he used the latter name.), and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west and Hai (= Ai = heap of ruins) on the east: and there he built an altar to the Lord (betwen Beth-el and Ai would probably be Gerizim [= cutters] and Ebal [= stone, bare mountain], which were already or thus became sacred places), and called upon the name of the Lord.
9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. (The Negeb or hill country south of Judah. The Egyptian text mentions Negeb. Town taken by Shishak are mentioned as being there, e.g., Jerameel, Gerar, Kadesh, and Gaza.)
10 And there was a famine in the land (Satan's attempt [thus early] to destroy Abraham's seed, through Sarah. 13 famines mentioned in Scripture. 13 in biblical numerics = rebellion.): and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there (always "down" to Egypt. Egypt always being a base nation): for the famine was grievous in the land.
11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter in Egypt, that he said to his wife Sarai, "Behold now, I know that you are a fair woman to look upon.
12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians
shall see you (in Egypt the women went unveiled), that they shall say, 'This is his wife:' and they will kill me (Satan's next assault, working on Abraham's fear. If Elohim had not interfered, v.17, where would His promise have been?), but they will save you alive.
13 Say, I pray to you, you are my sister: that it may be well for me for your sake: and I, myself, shall live because of you."
14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was
fair.
15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her (the official title of all kings of Egypt, like Kaiser, Czar, &c. Pharaoh = "the sun" or "the great house"), and commended her before Pharaoh: and the women was taken into Pharaoh's house.
16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and (Fig. of Speech, Polysyndeton, emphasizing each class of property. All these pictured on the Monuments in Egypt) he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. (no horses in Egypt till 18th Dynasty)
17 And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues (Divine intervention) because of Sarai Abram's wife.
18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, "What is this that you have done to me? why didn't you tell me that she was your wife?
19 Why did you said, 'She is my sister' so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold your wife, take her and go your way."
20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had. (Notice this thing Abram did will come back to him in Jacob. You reap what you sow!)