#36 Canaan Genesis 12

Now the Lord had said to Abram:

"Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 

So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy five years old when he departed from Haran. Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountains east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord. So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South. Genesis 12:1-9NKJV

This is the beginning of God's covenant with Abram, and includes amongst its elements, a nation, and the blessing to all families of the earth. This is the continuation of the seed and reaffirming of Messiah, who will be born of this lineage and the blessing to all peoples. It is this nation that will know the law's of God and be the oracles of truth; it is a privilege that they will often disdain and regret. God has not chosen a perfect group of people, but has acted on His sovereignty and perfect will. 

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:8-10 NKJV

Abram builds an altar to God, this is his faith and his religion. This is a faith that will be tested, as God will not bring instant fulfillment of His promise but speaks to the nation of Israel future and to heavenly city.