Genesis 11: 10-32  This chapter lists the descendants of Shem..  10 generations from Shem to Abram. Each generation produced many sons and daughters and the earth was beginning to be filled with people once again.  Although Shem lived over 500 years each succeeding generation had a shorter lifespan.  Terah, Abram's father lived to be 205.  The passage tells us more about Terah .  He had 3 sons.. Abram, Nahor, and Haran. .."and Haran became the father of Lot."  

Haran had 3 children before he died.. Lot, Milcah, and Iscah.    Abram and Nahor both married.  Abram married Sarai and Nahor married Milcah, who was the daughter of Haran.  Terah took Abram and Sarai and Lot and left Ur and moved to a place named Haran.  It appears that Nahor and his family stayed behind. It was there in Haran that Terah died. 

Chapter 12 Everything that came before this chapter has been background information.. now we get to the point... Abram is in position for what God wants to do in him and through him.  The first thing He wants to do in Abram's life is to move him.. move him further away from Babylon and the influence of the Chaldeans.  He asks Abram to leave.. but to walk in faith.. "Go .. to the land I will show you." 

God makes a promise to Abram.. " I will make you a great nation and I will bless you;  I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed by you." 

Abram and Sarai and Lot left Haran together and traveled to Canaan.  The first place they stop is Shechem.  Here the Lord appears and says, " To your offspring I will give this land."  Abram built and altar and worshiped the Lord there.  Then he went further to Bethel, still in Palestine, and "there he built and altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord." (v8). A deeper relationship with God was beginning to form. 

If only Abram had stopped there!  But, there was a famine and so Abram and all his troop went to Egypt. Abram was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him and take Sarai, for she was a beautiful woman, so he made her say that she was his sister.  Pharaoh did take Sarai, but when a plague struck his household he found out that she was Abram's wife and sent her back to him and sent them all away. 

And that is how Abram ends back in Bethel. 

Father, You order our steps.  We want to walk in faith and trust You to place us where You want us to be and to do the things you want us to do.  Lead us in Your paths of righteousness and truth.  Thank You for the lessons we learn through Your people.  Help us to heed Your commands and continually seek Your face.  We ask this  in Jesus' name. amen.