The Call of Abram (Genesis 12)

"And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing."
-Genesis 12:2
      I actually was not able to attend this Bible study, but I will share my thoughts on the passage. Abram is introduced, as a man who has no real significance. God then speaks to Abram, and tells him to go to a country where God will lead him. I don't know about you, but if I'm told to go somewhere, I would like to know where it is I am going and why. However, Abram obeys God and follows His lead. Later Abram goes to Egypt, and he lies to the Pharaoh hoping to save his own life. Abram is exposed of his lie, and Pharaoh kicks Abram out of Egypt.
      In this passage we can learn the effects of faith. When God tells Abram to go, Abram does not doubt God or question Him. He just goes. God gives Abram a promise that if he goes, that he will become a blessing to all people and his name will be great. Abram decides to take God at His word, and Abram eventually does become a blessing. He is the father of all nations, and God blesses him throughout his life.
      We also can see the effects of not having faith. When Abram is about to approach Egypt, he recognizes that he may be killed. To avoid this, he decides to lie about his relationship with his wife, in hopes that the Pharaoh will not kill him. Instead of praying to God and trusting that He will do something, Abram takes matters into his own hands. Abram lacked the faith to allow God to handle this situation, and as a result Pharaoh has Abram escorted from Egypt.
      One last thing I see in this passage is the faithfulness of God. God promises that He will bless Abram and make him into a great nation. In later passages we can see the result of this promise, but in this passage we see a glimpse of God's faithfulness. When Abram decides to lie to the Pharaoh, the Pharaoh is very angry at him. God strikes the Pharaoh's house with a plague, protecting Abram and Sarai. Pharaoh does not kill Abram because God was protecting him. God had plans for Abram, and He would not let Abram die without keeping His promise to him. God will never disappoint us if we have faith in Him.
-Smart