Get Thee Out

The Story

Abram was seventy-five years old. He was settled in Haran with his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his possessions. He had no children, and at his age, he probably wasn’t expecting any big changes.

Then God spoke.

“Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.”

Notice what God didn’t say. He didn’t give Abram a map. He didn’t name the destination. He just said, go to a land that I will show you.

Along with the command came a promise. “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee… and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

The Bible says simply, “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him.”

He packed up everything and traveled hundreds of miles to the land of Canaan. When he arrived, God spoke again: “Unto thy seed will I give this land.” And Abram built an altar there to the Lord.

Centuries later, the book of Hebrews summed it up: “By faith Abraham… went out, not knowing whither he went.”

Reflection