Lech-Lecha לֶךְ-לְךָ Go Forth Yourself!
Torah Portion Genesis 12:1-17:27
Reading #1 - Genesis 12:1–13
My Thoughts:
How strong and confident Abram must have been in hearing the voice of Hashem. Can you imagine uprooting your whole family and taking them to an “occupied” land. And then to be told that Hashem was going to make you a “great nation”. One would have to be absolutely sure you were hearing from Hashem. Abram must have been in a very close relationship with Hashem. I wonder if we could have the same type of relationship?
Challenge:
Do you hear Hashem’s voice clearly in your life? A while ago, my husband and I were taught something called “listening prayer”. We would take a prayer request to Hashem by sitting together, getting quiet, asking Him a question and then LISTENING to what He told us. It was interesting because so many times we would each “hear” the same thing from Hashem. I challenge you today to do some “listening prayer”. All you have to do is get into a quiet space, ask your question or request of Hashem, and get quiet and listen to Him. Usually it’s the first thing that comes into your mind. It could be Scripture, a “yes”, “no” or “wait”, or it could actually be some unexpected action you are to take. Try it. You will be amazed. You will learn to listen to Hashem just like Abram did.
Reading #1 - Genesis 12:1–13
12 Now Hashem said to Abram, “Leave your country, and your relatives, and 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 make your name great. You will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who treats you with contempt. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
4 So Abram went, as Hashem had told him. Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they went to go into the land of Canaan. They entered into the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, Canaanites were in the land.
7 Hashem appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.”
He built an altar there to Hashem, who had appeared to him. 8 He left from there to go to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to Hashem and called on Hashem’s name. 9 Abram traveled, still going on toward the South.
10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a foreigner there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at. 12 It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive. 13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”
