The Call of God and the Breaking of Bonds⤒🔗

In our discussion of Genesis 12:1, we saw that the Lord tears Abram away from his natural bonds of life to demonstrate through him that redemption does not come from cultivating human relationships, but only through the grace of God, who acts redemptively from above. The opening of Genesis 12 is deliberately set in contrast to Genesis 11. In chapter 11, humanity seeks self-redemption; in chapter 12, man receives redemption from God as a gift of grace. At this point, Scripture introduces the great contrast between Babel and Israel—a line that runs throughout biblical history, even into Revelation.

Abram is thus removed from his familiar surroundings and placed into a new environment. The call of God therefore involves not only breaking existing bonds, but also entering an entirely new setting. This makes obedience all the more challenging.

The Challenge of a New Environment←⤒🔗

The environment into which Abram is placed is unfamiliar and potentially hostile. The verses indicate that this is a setting where the contrast between truth and falsehood is intensified. Had God only separated Abram from his former circle—placing him, as it were, on an isolated island—obedience would have been simpler. The challenges would have been mainly negative—having to give up certain comforts—but he would not have experienced conflict. He would have been “not of the world,” but also not “in the world.” The call of grace is weighty. God requires not only that Abram separate from the familiar, but also that he take his place in an alien environment. He must not only give up peace but actively confront hostility. God places him in a setting against which he must stand in faithful opposition.

Abram’s Encounter in Canaan←⤒🔗

The first thing Abram encounters in Canaan is “the place Shechem.” The word “place” may suggest a village or town, but interpreters stress that this is not a settlement; rather, it is a cult site, a sanctuary where a particular deity was worshipped. Abram’s first encounter in Canaan is with a pagan temple. The true God reveals himself to Abram and demands his worship, but requires that this worship occur amidst idolatry.

Next, he comes “to the oak of Moreh.” At first this may seem harmless, but the difficulty lies not in the oak grove itself, but in that specific tree, called “Moreh.” Literally, the text refers to “the diviner’s oak” or “oracle-terebinth.” Priests claimed to hear the voice of the gods in its rustling leaves. Here stood not just a pagan temple with sacrifices, but a site where the deity was believed to reveal the future.

Thirdly, “the Canaanites were in the land.” Abram did not find empty land where he could settle freely. The land was already occupied. Claiming it inevitably brought conflict, for the inhabitants would not tolerate a stranger. Thus, at the very outset of his entry into Canaan, Abram confronts idolatry, false prophecy, and entrenched opposition.

Divine Revelation and the Antithesis←⤒🔗

It is precisely in this place of idolatry and Canaanite occupation that God first reveals himself to Abram. The Lord appears to Abram at the oak of Moreh. This is a moment of true revelation contrasted with false revelation. The conflict between truth and falsehood emerges clearly. The Canaanites claim, “This land is ours.” Yet the Lord tells Abram—at the very place where the Canaanites make their claim—“To your seed I will give this land.” Here appears the conflict between heirs: the possessor by nature versus the possessor by promise. At Shechem, Abram builds an altar to the Lord who appeared to him. As he journeys through the land, he repeatedly encounters Canaanite high places, yet continually builds altars to the Lord and “calls on the name of the Lord.” He does not pray only in secret, but publicly worships. (The biblical phrase “to call on the name of the Lord” refers to public worship, similar to how the church gathers today.)

The antithesis is set by God, embraced by Abram in faith, and publicly confessed. God begins: positioning his revelation against false oracles—truth versus lies. God continues: declaring Abram heir against the land’s inhabitants—promise versus nature. Abram completes: he believes God’s word as truth, embraces the promise, and by faith sets his altar against the Canaanites’ temples. God says, “Abram, you alone shall dwell here.” Abram replies, “Lord, you alone shall be worshipped here.” Thus begins Israel’s entry into Canaan. It unfolds according to God’s initial promise, as God establishes opposition, and humanity, by faith, accepts it.

The Relevance for Today←⤒🔗

Abram already stands further along than Adam when he received the first promise. Then the world had no idolatry, no divination, no Canaanites. The contrast was present, but less visible. With Abram, all these challenges are present. Lies have multiplied, but truth shines more gloriously. The contrast is sharper.

What about us today? God continues to bring this opposition, as seen in the protoevangelium, the mother promise, of Genesis 3:15. This structure was present with Abram and continues now. Yet we live at a later stage of the conflict, when the contrast is more intense. After Pentecost, the conflict, once localized at Shechem, is now worldwide. The power of lies is greater than ever, for “the spirit of the Antichrist is in the world.” Yet, against this, the Spirit of Jesus Christ is manifested in power: truth is stronger. God now dwells permanently in his church, while to Abram he appeared only occasionally. The promises we receive are far richer than Abram could have imagined. The hostility of the world is greater than ever. Yet God maintains his promise that the wicked will be cut off. The contrast is now made by God more clearly than in Abram’s day. Let us, as true children of Abram, live by his faith. Let us not avoid this opposition, but consciously accept it, in our lives and in the world—always building the temple of the Lord and offering on his altar. Redemption draws nearer as the Lord reveals himself, but we do not share it unless, in equal measure, we call upon the name of the Lord.

Only those are children of Abram whose faith and service of God keep pace with the unfolding of revelation.