What is the meaning of Genesis 13:17? Get up When the Lord tells Abram, “Get up,” it is a clear call to immediate, physical obedience. God has already shown Abram where to settle (Genesis 13:14-15), but now He requires a response. • The same command pattern appears in Genesis 12:1, where Abram is told, “Go from your country.” God initiates; Abram must act. • Throughout Scripture, rising at God’s word marks a decisive moment—think of Peter stepping out of the boat at Christ’s “Come” (Matthew 14:29) or the angel’s instruction to Joseph, “Get up, take the Child” (Matthew 2:13). • Obedience validates faith (James 2:22). Abram’s willingness to stand up shows he believes the Lord literally means what He says. and walk around the land God invites Abram to explore what will one day belong to him and his offspring. • Walking the territory foreshadows legal possession; in ancient practice, setting foot on soil signified claiming it (Joshua 1:3). • The command transforms a promise into a personal experience—Abram’s eyes, feet, and heart all engage with God’s word (Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good,”). • By moving through the land, Abram publicly testifies that his allegiance is to the Lord, not to any neighbouring king (Hebrews 11:9-10 shows Abram living as a sojourner while trusting God’s city). through its length and breadth The dimensions matter because God’s gift is not token but total. • “Length and breadth” echo Deuteronomy 11:24, where every place Israel treads is secured by God. • The language underscores completeness—nothing is off-limits, hinting at later statements like Psalm 89:25, “I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers,”. • For Abram, pacing the extremes of Canaan cements in his mind the vast scope of God’s faithfulness (Ephesians 3:18 celebrates knowing “the breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love—an even greater fullness). for I will give it to you The promise rests entirely on God’s resolve. • Earlier God declared, “To your offspring I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7). Now He addresses Abram personally, assuring him the covenant is unconditional (Genesis 15:18). • The certainty of “I will give” echoes God’s oath-bound nature (Hebrews 6:13-15). Abram’s walk does not earn the land; it simply aligns him with the gift God is determined to bestow. • Because Scripture is accurate and literal, we understand this land promise as a real geographic grant to Abram’s lineage—later affirmed by prophets such as Ezekiel 47:13-14 and still integral to God’s redemptive timeline. summary Genesis 13:17 invites Abram to stand, step, and survey, demonstrating faith that trusts God’s literal word. Rising shows obedience, walking shows engagement, covering every span shows the promise’s fullness, and resting in God’s “I will” shows reliance on divine faithfulness. Each movement turns revelation into reality, modelling for believers today how to respond actively, confidently, and comprehensively to every promise God makes. |
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