1. Lesson One of the Book of Daniel, Introduction to the Book of Daniel

Lesson 29, Geography Study Concerning the Scriptures, Patriarchal Migrations and Wanderings, Abraham in the Promised Land

ABRAHAM IN THE PROMISED LAND 

MAP 10,  Abraham was the most traveled of the patriarchs according to the bible.   

Yet, though his journeys took him through much of Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt, his travels and life in Palestine were mostly restricted to the central mountains.   

Aside from an apparently short, if significant, stay at Gerar,, his life in the land of promise was spent at a campsite near Bethel, followed by stays at Hebron and Beersheba. 

Gerar (city)

[geh-RAR] Ancient city located in the Negev in sw Palestine; both Abraham and Isaac journeyed to Gerar and formed treaties with its king, Abimelech.

It later became a part of Philistia. During the divided kingdom period, Asa pursued the Cushites as far as Gerar, destroying the surrounding villages.

Recently its excavation revealed occupation only as early as the 16th century b.c.

Abraham is the example of what faith may require.   

It may require the leaving of all that is dear to you.   

God’s call on Abraham to abandon his land of inheritance where he would be heir to all that his father had (land, clan, family) required that he abandon every form of security known in his world.   

The Bible says in Hebrews 11:10 that Abraham… looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. 

The way to leave all that is dear to you is to know someone who is dearer still.   

God was dearer to Abraham than all of the land, all of the clan or family that Abraham had. 

Upon arriving in the central highlands of Canaan, the great patriarch built an altar at the city of Shechem and worshiped God there.   

Genesis 12:6,7,  And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem (Shecham), unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.  And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 

He then moved south to encamp at Bethel (House of God) and Ai.

Bethlehem – house of  bread

Genesis 12:8,  And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai (Ai) on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. 

During this trip Abraham discovered a harsh truth about this land of promise, it was dominated by Canaanites.   

Genesis 12:6, And the Canaanite was then in the land.    

This is a truth that every one whom the Lord saves must realize.   

The Canaanite is going to be in the land.   

For the Canaanite shows the child of God that he is to flee for refuge to God, he is to trust God in spite of the Canaanite in the land.