"Israel" is the blessed name given to Jacob the grand son of Abraham, who found grace in the sight of the LORD. The LORD made covenant with Abraham and promised to make him a great nation
with his posterity that cannot be numbered in similar way as the number of stars in heaven and the sand on the sea shore cannot be numbered. Not only God named “Abram” as: “Abraham” and
blessed him, but He also said, whoever blesses the name of Abraham will be blessed, and whoever curses the name of Abraham will be cursed. His posterity is promised physical and spiritual form
to inherit the Kingdom of God, and God promised them eternal life.

Not only Abraham’s offspring Isaac was blessed, but God also remembered in his mercy his offspring, Ishmael, who was born of his wife's hand-maid, Hagar.   However, God gave greater prominence to Isaac and bestowed greater blessings on him, who was the son through his legitimate wife, Sarah, than on Ishmael, a son through his wife's hand maid. The divine call given to Abram was great, in that he was
asked to get out of his country with his kindred and his father’s house and go an unknown land that God will show him. (Gen 12:1)

It was there that God said, that he will make Abram a great nation and bless all those who bless him and curse all those who curse him. Abram obeyed the voice of the LORD and went out with his
wife, Sarai, (who was later named as Sarah); with his children he had at Haran, and with his brother’s son, Lot. Abram’ age was seventy five when he departed from Haran and they proceeded to Canaan and entered Canaan. (Genesis 12:5). There was then a great famine, and Abram retrieved in to the land of Egypt and that seems to be one of the faltering steps he had taken when faced with
challenges and trials. Abram was then compelled in his mind to say a half-truth than to be fully true in the land of Egypt by proclaiming his wife as his sister to the king of Egypt, for the fear that he would
kill him. Sarai was related to him to call her sister, but not after marriage. In forcing Sarai to tell the king of Egypt that she was Abram’s sister he not only sinned, but he made his wife also a
sinner. Abram faced a great temptation to take this action just as any man would in times of trouble but this was unbecoming of a man of this stature full of faith and yet God had compassion on him.
Indeed, Sarai was very beautiful that anybody would lust after her and kill Abram for her, and that is the reason why he preferred to call his wife as his sister. (Genesis 12:13). God took compassion on
the feeble nature of Abram and was overseeing Sarai under his mighty wings of protection. The king of Egypt truly could not do any harm to Sarai, when the princess of Pharaoh presented Sarai to
him. Pharaoh treated Abram well for Sarai, but God brought plagues upon the house of Pharaoh to save Sarai from all troubles.

Pharaoh realized that he was about to do wrong and returned Sarai to Abram after questioning why Abram was calling Sarai as his sister. Abram then went up out of Egypt with his wife and all the
wealth he had and with Lot, his brother’s son and continued his journeys from south to Bethel. When Abram was passing through the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh, The LORD appeared unto Abram and said, “Unto thy seed will I give this land” and Abram built an altar there unto the LORD, who appeared unto him Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

Blessings Part II

This article is taken from my book "The Journey"
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