[6] And Abram passed through
the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite
was then in the land.
The Canaanite was then in the land - He found the country
possessed by Canaanites, who were likely to be but bad neighbours; and
for ought appears he could not have ground to pitch his tent on but by
their permission.
[7] 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.
And the Lord appeared to Abram - Probably in a vision,
and spoke to him comfortable words; Unto thy seed will I give this land
- No place or condition can shut us out from God's gracious visits. Abram
is a sojourner, unsettled, among Canaanites, and yet here also he meets
with him that lives, and sees him. Enemies may part us and our tents, us
and our altars, but not us and our God.
[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 on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the
LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. [9] And Abram journeyed,
going on still toward the south.
And there he built an altar unto the Lord who appeared
to him, and called on the name of the Lord - Now consider this,
-
As done upon a special occasion when God appeared to him,
then and there he built an altar, with an eye to the God that appeared
to him: thus he acknowledged with thankfulness God's kindness to him in
making him that gracious visit and promise: and thus he testified his confidence
in, and dependence upon the word which God had spoken.
-
As his constant practice, whithersoever he removed. As soon
as Abram was got to Canaan, though he was but a stranger and sojourner
there, yet he set up, and kept up, the worship of God in his family; and
wherever he had a tent, God had an altar and that an altar sanctified by
prayer.
[10] And there was a famine
in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine
was grievous in the land. [11] And it came to pass, when he was
come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold
now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: [12] Therefore
it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall
say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
And there was a famine in the land - Not only to punish
the iniquity of the Canaanites, but to exercise the faith of Abram. Now
he was tried whether he could trust the God that brought him to Canaan,
to maintain him there, and rejoice in him as the God of his salvation,
when the fig - tree did not blossom. And Abram went down into Egypt - See
how wisely God provides, that there should be plenty in one place, when
there was scarcity in another; that, as members of the great body, we may
not say to one another, I have no need of you.
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