Lectionary Year A
February 24, 2002
Genesis 12:1-4a

Step V: Distillation

A. Summary of Salient Features

(JG) The center of this text appears to be focused on God blessing Abram, making Abram's name great, and blessing all the inhabitants of the earth through Abram. To accomplish this, God commands Abram to leave his family for an unknown destination.

Another significant part of this text is that God gives Abram assurance of safety by proclaiming that those who blessed Abram, would be blessed by God, and those who cursed Abram would also be cursed by God.

(BD)Through the word search and research I was able to develop a deeper understanding of the word krb. A definite Aha moment was reading the Rabbi description of the pool that purifies the unclean and that it is being God's desire to bless God's creation through the obedience of Abram. This brings alive the significance of our blessing through Christ. We are blessed or justified through Christ and are brought back to relationship to God.
The review of the use of the verbs used in the pericope was also a clarifying moment as to the significance of God's promise both to Abram and to all generations.

B. Smoother Translation

(JG)And the Lord said unto Abram, "you go from your city, from your relatives and your father's house to the land which I will show you. And I will fashion you into a great nation and I will bless you and I will make great your name, and you will be a blessing. And I will bless the ones who bless you and the ones cursing you, I will curse and blessed in you will all (the) human family (be)." And went Abram as commanded by the Lord and went with him Lot, and Abram was seventy five years (old) when coming out of Haran.

(BD)1 Now Yahweh said to Abram, " Go! Break away from your country and your relatives and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.
2 And I will make of you a great nation. And I bless you. I will make your name great. You will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you. And curse the one that curses you. And all the people on the earth will bless themselves because of you.
4 So Abram departed just as Yahweh had told him.

C. Hermeneutical Bridge

(JG) Called out by God- How have you been called by God?
Answering the call of God by faith.
What is God calling you to do?
How do we respond to God's call?
Blessing and Curses- Living on the promises of God one day at a time.

(BD)Blue-haired doll in trash can



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