God had sent the ‘Flood’ to punish the inhabitants of the world for their gross and worsening iniquity.  It was clear to God that the society needed destroying.  This action however also showed his grace, for he spared Noah and his family, so that a new beginning could be made.   

The emphasis made in Scripture is that the entire race of men descended from a single-family, with a common language, a common culture, a common understanding of the divine rule, order and commandments.  All of this was abundantly clear to all men. 

After the Flood, and the renewal of the blessing which is described as the Noahic Covenant. (9:1), degeneration began and continued rapidly as the people began to distort God’s person. In an ungodly fashion, they began to desire renown for themselves; they schemed to maintain their unity by creating idolatrous worship, and to thwart the command to disperse, while maintaining oneness of God and his worship.   

Note that they did not want to eliminate God completely, but wanted to control him and re-create him in their own image and likeness. 

Note also the rather impressive and praiseworthy desire for unity that these men had.  Men are still haunted by this desire for unity, but it should be made it clear that unity outside of that brought about by the power of God will never work. 

We preach the unity of the Spirit, for there can only be unity in Christ.  We definitely proclaim that the ‘spirit of unity’ is not a biblical concept, for it is not the same as the ‘unity of the Spirit’.  Unfortunately this unbiblical doctrine to is what men prefer, to talk about, and encourage today.  They do not want the restraining hand of God, which is clearly revealed in his word, on them. 

God recognized the fact of their disobedience and rebellion in audaciously and wickedly attempting to establish an ungodly unity, and he accordingly intervened in the actions of these men. He confused their language, restricted their ability to act in unity and scattered them.  God showed his mercy and great patience, for he could have destroyed them, but instead he scattered them for their own good. 

Their inward desire for unity, was so disrupted by this miraculous removal of mutual understanding and communication, that their will, thought and emotions now showed itself in an explosion into different national languages and dialects. 

Clearly God can easily and effortlessly defeat the projects that wicked men create.  He makes it clear that His word will stand, and that they could never harden their heart against Him and prosper. 

One writer comments on how God intended to reverse this consequence of sin:

“A type of pledge of this hope was given in the gift of tongues on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church on the first Christian day of Pentecost, when the Apostles, filled with the Holy Ghost, spoke with other or new tongues “of the wonderful works of God”, so that the people of every nation under heaven understood in their own language.”  

Once we read that the many nations resulting from ‘the confusion of tongues’ were scattered over the Earth and speaking different languages, we are taken back to a discussion of Shem and his descendants, which are now traced in a genealogical line to Terah and to his son Abraham (Gen 11).. 

It is important to note, that the information given us shows that those living before the Flood, lived markedly longer and those born before the Flood, actually about twice as long. Seth lived nine hundred and twelve years, Shem lived six hundred years, Nahor lived one hundred and forty eight years, Terah two hundred and five and Abraham only one hundred and seventy five years. 

These two catastrophes, the Flood and its climactic changes, and the division and dispersion of the race into nations with different languages and different cultures, followed the first catastrophe, namely the expulsion from Eden, and these had a drastic effect on humanity. 

Most people have read about Hammurabi, ruler of Babylon, the famous maker of laws which predated the laws of Moses by over three hundred years.  He lived in the patriarchal period. 

Abraham lived in Ur of the Chaldeans, in any area given over to the worship of the moon God Nannar and his wife Nin-Gal. Practically everyone, though not all, were deep into a idolatry. 

It is out of this environment that God called one man, with a radical command for separation. 

Note that in Genesis there are the several obstacles successively placed, to thwart the fulfillment of the promises of God.  These threatening circumstances always came as a result of disobedience to the guidance of God, by the primary people who God called. We see this in Abram not fully separating himself from his family, the delay of Abram to quickly and fully obey God and head for Canaan; then we see danger when Abram and his wife left Canaan for Egypt, and more. 

God however kept them through all these various vicissitudes and promised them a land. He placed them in that small country strategically and providentially situated on the land bridge between the great ancient empires of Babylonia, Assyria, the Hittite Kingdoms, and the great Egyptian power. 

They, whether they liked it are not, would be a witness and a testimony to the true God, for no one could cross that land bridge between these ancient empires and avoid hearing about the true God.

Remember that all of these people descended from Noah and their traditions would include knowledge of the true God. 

This is how God planned it and that is how it worked.  Every single person who lived in that ancient world had every opportunity to hear and learn about the true God, for they all had to pass by Israel. 

It is important to note, that when God found it necessary to change strategy and show the perfection of his grace and his love in his determination to save humanity, he moved through one man and his family. 

At that time there was no Gentile and Jew distinction. Ezekiel, in deflating the misplaced pride of the Israelites, reminded them that the father of Israel was an Amorite, and their mother a Hittite.

It is necessary then, to stress that it was the iniquity of mankind, that required the all-wise God to set about the creation of a special people for his name. 

The call came to Abram and Sarai, to become the progenitors of a new nation, that would become the means through which God would bless all people. The special nation coming from Abram was called on to bear the heat and pressure of the day and to face the wrath and corrupting seductions of Satan, as he fought to thwart the plan of God. The pressures facing this new nation would certainly not be light. Their task would be a mammoth one and only the sustaining grace of God, declared in his covenants guaranteed ultimate success. No one in their right mind should even envy them.

Abram married his half-sister Sarai.  Sarai means “Princess”, and some scholars speculate that she was of noble birth.  She was unfortunately barren, and this fact set the stage for the great miracle of having a child well after all normal human possibility of having a child had ceased. 

Verses 31-32.  Terah was the head of the family, and is stated to have taken Abram his son, Sarai his daughter-in-law by Abram, and Lot his grandson, out of  Ur of the Chaldees to go to Canaan. 

There is some controversy among scholars over whether Ur of the Chaldees was the famous Ur, that was located in the delta where the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers met.  Apparently there was an Ur in northern Syria, and some believe this was the ancestral home of Terah.  

Be that as it may, the group stopped in Haran, a town halfway between Ur and Canaan and  stayed there for sixty years until Terah died. Haran or Charan, was a place inhabited by Sabians, and they had a famous temple that was dedicated to the moon gods. 

Steven’s great speech in Acts 7 tells us that the glory of God had appeared to Abram when he was in Mesopotamia, and before he dwelt in Haran. We have no record of this appearance, but we are told that God had told him to get out of his country, from his people, and to come into a land that he would show him. 

God clearly took the initiative, and interrupted Abram’s life, changing him some speculate from worshiping the moon and the idols of his parents. Abram had an encounter with God and received a command to go, and he was given a promise of a land. 

It is generally pointed out that all who listen to the gospel hear exactly the same call of God.  Abram was commanded to leave his country, which for both him and for us represents leaving the old life, its loyalties, its worship, the organized society with its value systems and Satan driven philosophies. 

Abram was told to leave his relatives, the family traditions, pressures of family and friends, the kindred which we are so concerned about, and some of who try their best to keep us in the old life, that they love. We are also called on to do the same. 

Abram was also told to leave his father’s house, the place of his help, protection and resources. We like Abram are told to put our dependence and trust in someone who we do not see, and not to rest out faith on the arm of flesh. God tells all of us to leave our country, our people, and our kindred.  

We cannot stay in Ur and go to the land of promise at the same time. 

God confronts man with this call, and we are called on to concern ourselves with the things of God and not on the values and thoughts of the world.  

Much is made of the fact that the name Terah means “delay”, and that is exactly what Abram did. God promised Abram something valuable before he left Ur of the Chaldees. His father, who delayed him, was now dead, and his partial obedience now changed. 

Note that though Abram was not completely obedient, the ever merciful and gracious God did not take away his promise. 

God now restates his promises.

Note the importance of Abram.  God had chosen him and called him to be an important figure in the history of the world.  God had chosen Noah a restart the human race physically, and now God had chosen Abram to begin something extremely significant and dramatic, for now the plan of salvation went into high gear.   

The limit on evil had now been revealed.  God said that he would not allow evil to keep on accomplishing its work.  The remnant was now put in place, and God would protect them.  The promise of the child that would bruise the head of the serpent was now to be soon fulfilled, and we can be sure that Satan knew it and would step up his efforts to corrupt Abram and Sarah. 

Let us not think that this couple would ever have an easy time.  Abram was commanded to make a simple and final decision and head straight for the land, leaving all their natural inclinations behind and showing that they preferred the goodwill and honor of God. 

This verse makes it clear that Abram was called to trust God in a remarkably way, for he was called to leave his own country to go, not to a land that he would be given, but to a land that he would “show him”. God did not tell him what kind of land it was, and what he would face in that land, but simply gave them a command which would require total faith in the word of God. 

He had to now start learning complete dependence on God, and on his direction. We will note that this was a problem for Abram, and it is very interesting to trace his growth in this area.

It will be wise for us to consider how this growth happened, and the path it took, for we too have to face a similar path. 

Abram will certainly become a giant of faith.  Everyone recognizes him as the father of believers in God.  His example certainly makes him shine out of the darkness. 

It is also important to recognize that Abram did not start as a giant of faith. He was pretty faithful at the start, but was imperfect. God graciously took him through experiences that allowed him to grow in faith and obedience.  He is a perfect example for all of us. 

Let us never forget that God wants us to get to a certain place.  He will not accept sloth and a second-best. 

Canaan was Abram's destination.  We too have a destination that we must reach. We should never allow ourselves to be diverted by the seductions of false teachers and the world system that is steeped in iniquity and headed for destruction.

Verse 2.  God continues his dialogue with Abram; showing that his commandments always come with promises. The obedient will always be rewarded. 

Note however that the promises come with “I will”. God's promises are God's plans and their fulfillment are absolutely certain. 

Note that there are really six promises.

First, God would make him a great nation.  He had taken him out of a great nation, and he would make him the head of another. Obviously if he was to be a great nation he would have to have children.  If he was to be a great nation he would also have to have a land. A great nation would be a nation that was great in wealth and power. 

Note carefully that both he and Sarai would be receiving the same promise. She would have to learn to trust the same God, to continue to be his loving companion all his life, to serve the purposes of God alongside him and to grow with him. 

Second, flowing from that first promise, God would bless him.  The blessings of God are distinctive and many. He would be endowed with great things from God. 

God would make his name great. In those days a man would not leave his clan except he were poverty stricken, considered of little value, and/or was running away from something.  That kind of person would not have a great name.  Only the landless, fugitives, and the defeated would move from the protection of home to a new, strange place where they were all alone. 

But here God is telling Abram that he would become honorable, a gift from God.  This would lead to his name being honoured by all men, and that is precisely what has happened. 

God is offering us the same thing today.  We might never become wealthy and honored of men, for they are not worthy of us, but we will get the wonderful riches in Christ, and will be honored by the Father.  See John 11:26.  

Fourth, since God had made him a blessing, he would be able to dispense this blessing, becoming the medium of blessing to others.  Wherever he went He would bring blessing to men.  God would use him, and bring him the joy of a fruitful life. 

When God calls us to riches, honor and blessing, he intends to use us to help others solve their impossible problems, to bring together people who are estranged from each other, to make people understand what the real life is all about.  In other words, those called by God must bring the blessings of the gospel to others, and in so doing will be a blessing to men.

Verse 3.  God here warned Abram that once he was marked out as the special Son, there would be several reactions.  Some would bless him, and God would treat those that serve his people well and reward them.  God will take care of his people, and will take care of those who take care of his people, for in doing so they are really taking care of him. 

On the other hand those that curse his people are really cursing God too, and cursing and rejecting the cause of God. No one can touch the apple of God’s eye and not upset him. 

Next, God crowned all the promises by now stating that all the nations of the world would be blessed through him.  This is nothing less than the promise that the Messiah would descend from him.  All those who believe in the Messiah are therefore regarded as children of Abram.  Because of his faith, salvation would be available to the entire human race.

Verse 4.  Abram, now seventy five years old, an old man, and now he obeyed God without delay. He believed the word of God, and rested on his promises.

Note however that he was only in partial obedience, for he took his nephew Lot with him.  The record shows that Lot was not a blessing to Abram.  He put a lot of stress, trouble and inconvenience on Abram.  This verse suggests however that it was Lot that made the decision to go with Abram, so maybe Abram could only be blamed for not insisting that Lot stay behind.  Family ties still had an influence on Abram.

Verse 5.  Abram took his wife and all their possessions including their servants, that they had accumulated in Haran.  God had obviously increased Abram’s wealth though he had delayed in Haran. 

Abram finally came into the land, the geographical location where God would work out his great  salvation. This arrival of these pilgrims was a most critical event.  It's important cannot be overestimated.

Verse 6.  Canaan was not an empty place.  There were inhabitants there and so Abram could survey the land, passing through from place to place, but he could not regard it as his own and formally take possession of it.  He would simply remain as a person that wandered up and down the land in faith.   

This kind of life required dependence on God, and continually awaiting his Providence.  

He would have to observe the activities of the increasingly ungodly pagan tribes, and his family would be brought up knowing how important it would be to find and exterminate these people.  The disobedience of the Israelites to the lessons learned by the experience of Abram as he wandered around, would bring serious consequences; for these people that remained would be a thorn in their side.

Note also that Abram would never have any great support or comfort from the people in the land.  These Canaanites were just as bad as the people that he had left in Ur.  In fact, they would likely be worse for they would not have been exposed to the great intellectual traditions of Ur.  Separation from the world required separation from those pagan tribes, those idolaters, in Canaan.

Verse 7.   God was Abram's only support, and his only friend. The wise God therefore appeared to Abram and spoke words of comfort to him.  Abram was a pilgrim, and could not settle among these people, but though Abram was among his enemies, God visited him to assure him that he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Now that Abram had seen the land, God assured him that this was the land that would forever belong to him and his descendants.  He would henceforth travel up-and-down, owning nothing except his burial plot, but everything would be his one day. For now, by faith, he would dwell in the land with no permanent place of abode. 

Abram had made his decision. He would never return to his old land and his old life. He never went back. He obeyed the voice of God and all of history was changed. God had made him promises and he knew that God would fulfill them. 

Abram acted in submission and recognition of his relationship with God. He acted by building an altar and offering sacrifices on the altar.  By doing this he marked out the land as the place of God, and honoured God who had appeared to him. 

Note that Abram was not simply following ceremony, but was seeking to please God, to call on his name, to make solemn worship of God, and to make an example for us.  

In addition, Abram’s actions would make the pagans understand that the true God was now in town. They would be watching Abram, and his success would be a continuing witness.

Verse 8-9.   Abram continued traveling throughout the land.  His faith was strong and vibrant.  He knew that he needed continuing cleansing, and therefore everywhere he went He built an altar to the Lord.  His continued calling on the name of the Lord was an ongoing witness.  He had made his choice, and wherever he went he worshipped God in full view of the pagan tribes of Canaan. 

Note that the continued traveling showed his faith, for his faith motivated him to see the entire land that God had promised to give him and his descendants.  He wanted to begin experiencing the blessing of God and that is exactly what he did. He saw the rich valleys and beautiful mountains and he knew that God had given him something great.

God appeals to us and invites us to be involved with him in total dependence, to leave where we are. 

Remember that the only permanent things we leave behind us in this world are the altars that we have built, the sacrifices that we have made for God and to God, the signs of worship of God and the calling on his name, the pointers to God which will help the people of the world. 

When we read the life of Abram we see that God repeatedly and patiently acted in his sovereign grace to save Abram, to awaken him to repentance, to get him to move away from his delay and to go to do the work required of him.  

We must not entangle ourselves with friends, relatives, or anyone else if that entanglement delays the work of God. 

Believers must recognize that they are on a road established by God.  Maturity happens over time. We must establish and strengthen our relationship with God, for this will result in improving ourselves spiritually. We must not live simply to improve the flesh. 

As children of Abram we inherit great promises, a home made by God, personal significance, personal blessing, a great name, an opportunity to be a blessing to others, to touch those around us and help them to a living faith in God. 

We can do no less.  We cannot quit too soon. 

Let us look at our lives, all the areas of our lives without exception.  Examine them and identify what is keeping us away from total dependence and submission to God.  Actively reject it and place our faith in the Lord God, for He is the only true God.  He is only God that can give eternal life.