Genesis 12:3-4
I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
Reflection
The tower builders in Genesis 11:1-9 had built their tower with the purpose of making a name for themselves (verse 4). Their self-centered and heaven-storming strategy led only to confusion and scattering. But God now promises to give Abram a great name as a gift with the purpose that “you will be a blessing.” – from Dennis Olson’s commentary on Genesis 12:1-4a
Question
If God got mad at the tower builders for the same reward God offers Abram, what do you think is the difference between the two situations?
How is a promise different when we ask for one instead of waiting for someone else to offer it?
Prayer:
God of all who wander in the wilderness, you go before us as beacon and guide. Lead us through all danger, sustain us through all desolation, and bring us home to the land you have prepared for us. Amen.