Parashah 3: Lekh L'kha (Get yourself out) Genesis 12:1 through 17:27

Shabbat shalom, everyone, and welcome to our weekly Torah studies!  This week’s Parashah is Lekh L’kha (Get yourself out); Genesis 12:1 – 17:27.   In this week's lesson we learn that Avraham, our first Patriarch (a former pagan Chaldean), was truly one of the "great and chosen ones" because YHWH made several covenants with him - even though, Avraham (at first known simply as "Avram" which means "exalted father") was guilty of not placing all his faith and trust in God....

Note, first and foremost, that Avram was from the line of Seth, not Cain (see Genesis 5) and that he "called on the Name of YHWH" (Genesis 12:8; 13:4 and 13:18) which means he was obedient to YHWH's commands/Torah!

The first thing we see in Genesis 12:1 is YHWH separating Avram from his pagan ties:

Genesis 12: 1 Now ADONAI said to Avram, "Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

YHWH needed Avram to completely sever his ties with his family and friends so that he could be molded into whom YHWH needed him to be. The moment Avram accepted YHWH and began to obey him, he became a "Hebrew" (which in Hebrew means "to cross over" - remember Avram crossed over both spiritually and physically when he left his own country; see Genesis 14:13).

Do you realize that this is exactly what YHWH wants us ALL to do?  The more you read and study Scripture (from cover to cover, and then starting all over again), the clearer it will become that you cannot belong to God and be who HE wants you to be, if you allow “the world” to hold you back! This includes friends and relatives.  In other words, make a decision as to whether or not you want to BE a man or woman of God … or not.  There will be no “lukewarm” or “half-hearted” in Eternity with Him.  Take a look:

Isaiah 66:1 "Heaven is my throne," says ADONAI, "and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house could you build for me? What sort of place could you devise for my rest? 2 Didn't I myself make all these things? This is how they all came to be," says ADONAI. "The kind of person on whom I look with favor is one with a poor and humble spirit, who trembles at my word.

3 Those others might as well kill a person as an ox, as well break a dog's neck as sacrifice a lamb, as well offer pig's blood as offer a grain offering, as well bless an idol as burn incense. Just as these have chosen their ways and enjoy their disgusting practices, 4 so I will enjoy making fools of them, and bring on them the very things they fear. For when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not hear. Instead they did what was evil in my sight and chose what did not please me."

5 Hear the word of ADONAI, you who tremble at his word: "Your brothers, who hate you and reject you because of my name, have said: 'Let ADONAI be glorified, so we can see your joy.' But they will be put to shame." (CJB)

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