Parsha: Lech Lecha (Go or Come to yourself)
Torah: Bereishit 12:1-17:27
12:1 Avinu said to Abram, “Go to yourself (Heb – lech lecha), from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.”—Genesis 12:1
If you were not you, if you saw yourself from the eyes of another, how would you see your journeys through life? You would see how each journey leads away from home. Away from your birthplace, from those who nurtured you and that which made you what you are. Outwards, away from yourself in so many directions. But when you see your journey from within. From within, every journey leads in one direction: Towards within. Towards yourself. Closer and yet closer. To the place in which Avinu shows you (brings you to) yourself.
“Ac 7:2 And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The Avinu of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 “and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 4 “Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. 5 “And Avinu gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. 6 “But Avinu spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. 7 ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said Avinu, ‘and after that they shall come out (repent) and serve Me in this place.’” (Ac 7:2-7 )
12:2-3 I will bless you; In you will all the families of the earth be blessed; Meshiach and all of the “firstfruits” came and are still coming through Avraham to be a blessing to the entire earth;
12:4 Avram departed as Avinu had spoken; Avram was 75 years old;
12:6 (Here is some geography)
Ur of Chaldees is approximately 200 miles east of Yerusalem. Mamre is south of Yerusalem.Avram entered on the north east side of Canaan and travelled to Moreh.
12:7 First promise for the land; Avram built an altar – establishing “ownership” – think about planting a flag on foreign soil, thereby setting up a claim of ownership for the entity that you represent,;
“16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Meshiach. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by Avinu in Meshiach, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but Avinu gave it to Abraham by promise.” (Ga 3:16-18 )
Yeshua tells us a parable that describes “lech lecha” in a slightly different way.
“11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 “And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 “But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 “Then he went and joined (enslaved) himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 “And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself (repented), he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 ‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 “and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Lu 15:11-20 )
Shaul gives us the “source” of “Lech Lecha”.
“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness (graciousness) of Avinu leads you to repentance?” (Ro 2:4 )
12:8 He moved from there, built another altar and called on “the name” of Avinu;
Several different times in Avraham’s journey he built an altar and “called on the Name of Avinu…” These were markers on his journey. Avinu was bringing him to “that place” in his life when complete surrender would be required.
How are you doing on your journey?
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