Though one may not realize it, but almost a thousand years have flown by in the last 11 chapters of Genesis. But now, Genesis is going to come to a screeching halt as it follows one man's family for the next 38 chapters.
God is continuing the covenant that he made with the woman, and with Noah, and is now funneling it through a new man. Abram. God says to Abram "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the ones who curse you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." This highlights the purpose of Abram's descendants. Abram's descendants were chosen by God to bless the whole world. Now this is very important to understand. Abram's descendants are not chosen by God for no reason. Rather, Abram was chosen for a very specific purpose. It would be through his descendants that the world would get a chance to know God.
God says that He is going to give Abram's seed the land of Canaan. The issue is that we know that Abram's wife is barren. Yet God is insistent that Abram will have children who will possess the land of Canaan, and that those children will one day grow to bless the whole world. A mighty calling indeed. Because of this promise, Abram build's an altar to the Lord and "invoked the name of the LORD." (12:8.)
The concept of invoking the name of the LORD is something that Pentecostals have a very deep theological conviction of. To invoke the name of the Lord is to bring about his presence. It is not done without care, nor should it be done for no reason. God forbids that anybody take his name in vain, so it is very important that the reasons for invoking the name of the Lord are holy. The invoking of God's name is a sign of a very close and intimate relationship with God. This close and intimate relationship is often called a covenant relationship. The invoking of God's name shows that God is very close to Abram's heart.
Later, there is a famine in the land, and Abram is forced to go to Egypt. Out of fear of death, Abram tells his wife Sarai to pretend to be his sister. She was such a beautiful woman, that Abram believed that if it was known that he was married to her, he would be killed, and his wife would be stolen from him. But God has different plans. Even though Abram fails to trust God in this instance, God still delivers Sarai and Abraham from the Pharaoh.
After this deliverance Abram goes back to the place he offered sacrifice, and calls upon the name of the Lord again. Perhaps this literal turning back to the place of sacrifice was a form of repentance for Abram committing the sin of lying, and putting his wife in danger of rape.
Now, God had originally said to Abram "Go from your country and your kindred...to the land that I will show you." But Abram actually decides to bring his nephew Lot around with him. But after a while, Lot's shepherds and Abram's shepherds start fighting over food and water sources. So Abram seflessly gives his nephew the pick of the land. Lot chooses an area near a city named Sodom. A dark omen in scripture reveals that later, there will be conflict because of Lot's decision. "Now the people of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD."
In Chapter 14, Lot begins to live with the consequences of that decision. Some stronger kings come to Sodom and Gomorrah and loot the city, and kidnap Lot. Abraham comes to the rescue and pursues these attackers until he is able to win back the city's loot, and deliver his cousin Lot. After this happens, Abraham meets up with King Melchizedek of Salam. Melchizedek is an interesting character because he only appears one other time in the Old Testament. His name appears in a messianic psalm. Jesus' priesthood is said to come from Melchizedek.
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