Divine Promises and Steadfast Obedience in Canaan

Genesis 12:7–9 (NASB95) 

7The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord who had appeared to him. 8Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. 

This is the first pivotal moment in the land of Canaan. At Shechem, Yahweh appears to Abram, reaffirming the promise of land and descendants. This divine encounter reassures Abram of God’s presence and faithfulness. In response, Abram builds an altar, marking the first of several acts of worship that publicly declare his trust in God’s promises. 

Shechem is a strategic location situated between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, about forty-one miles north of Jerusalem. It later becomes a significant religious and political center for Israel. From Shechem, Abram travels south to a mountain between Bethel and Ai, where he builds an altar and worships God again. He then continues further south toward the Negev, a semi-arid region. The total distance from Shechem through Bethel/Ai to the Negev covers approximately fifty-five miles. This journey is remarkable given Abram’s age of seventy-five and the presence of the Canaanites, who already inhabit the land. 

Below is a map that gives you a general idea of where he traveled. Haran, where the journey began upon Abram’s father’s death, is in modern-day Turkey. The total miles of the trip reflected on the map are about 600 miles. What faith and trust Abram is showing.