Memory Text: Genesis 15:6 KJV “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
Genesis 15:6 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY It is obvious that Abram had no “righteousness” until it was credited to him by God. And if he had none, no man has ever had. Abram was a sinner and needed redemption, as does every other human being; but when righteousness was imputed to him, mercy and grace were also extended, effecting the pardon of his sin and bringing the rewards of righteousness. Here for the first time the full importance of faith is brought to view. Here also, for the first time, imputed righteousness is mentioned. From this point onward both fundamental concepts run through the Holy Scriptures, to find exhaustive and masterful treatment by the pen of the apostle Paul.

Sunday, November 12 Abram’s Background
Genesis 11:10-32 Holman “10 ¶ These are the family records of Shem. Shem lived 100 years and fathered Arpachshad two years after the deluge. 11 After he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived 500 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 12 Arpachshad lived 35 years and fathered Shelah. 13 After he fathered Shelah, Arpachshad lived 403 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 14 Shelah lived 30 years and fathered Eber. 15 After he fathered Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 16 Eber lived 34 years and fathered Peleg. 17 After he fathered Peleg, Eber lived 430 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 18 Peleg lived 30 years and fathered Reu. 19 After he fathered Reu, Peleg lived 209 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 20 Reu lived 32 years and fathered Serug. 21 After he fathered Serug, Reu lived 207 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 22 Serug lived 30 years and fathered Nahor. 23 After he fathered Nahor, Serug lived 200 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 24 Nahor lived 29 years and fathered Terah. 25 After he fathered Terah, Nahor lived 119 years and fathered /other/ sons and daughters. 26 Terah lived 70 years and fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 ¶ These are the family records of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran, and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in his native land, in Ur of the Chaldeans, during his father Terah’s lifetime. 29 Abram and Nahor took wives: Abram’s wife was named Sarai, and Nahor’s wife was named Milcah. She was the daughter of Haran, the father of both Milcah and Iscah. 30 Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter–in–law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years and died in Haran.”
Genesis 11:31 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Haran is situated on the Balikh river in northern Mesopotamia, halfway between Ur and Canaan. The reason for this interruption of the journey is not given, but it may have been occasioned by the attractiveness of the region, or more likely by the advancing age and feebleness of Terah. For the greater part of the family Haran became a permanent place of abode, which implies, perhaps, that the attractiveness of the region may have led to the original decision to stop there. The Balikh and Chabur valleys contain fertile pastureland. It is possible that the whole region was sparsely populated, and seemed to offer fine possibilities for increasing the wealth of the family before they proceeded on to Canaan.
Acts 7:2-4 NKJV “2 And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 "and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ 4 "Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.”

Monday, November 13 The Call
Genesis 12:1-3 NRSV “1 ¶ Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 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. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."”
Genesis 12:3 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY All further promises to the patriarchs and to Israel either clarified or amplified the promise of salvation offered the entire human race in the first promise made to Abram.
Hebrews 11:8-10 NRSV “8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

Tuesday, November 14 The Faith of Abram
Genesis 12 KJ21 “1 ¶ Now the LORD had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee. 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." 4 ¶ So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him; and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came. 6 ¶ And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. 7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram and said, "Unto thy seed will I give this land." And there built he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him. 8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD. 9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south. 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 had 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. 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee." 14 ¶ And it came to pass, when Abram had come into Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, that she was very fair. 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had sheep and oxen and heasses, and menservants and maidservants, and sheasses and camels. 17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 19 Why saidst thou, ‘She is my sister,’ so I might have taken her to me for a wife? Now therefore behold thy wife; take her and go thy way." 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.”

Wednesday, November 15 Abram and Lot
Genesis 13:1-13 MKJV “1 ¶ And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, (and Lot was with him) into the south. 2 And Abram [was] very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold. 3 And he went on his journeys from the south, even to Bethel, to the place where his tent had been from the beginning, between Bethel and Hai, 4 to the place of the altar which he had made there at the first. And Abram called on the name of the LORD there. 5 ¶ And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might live together. For their substance was great, so that they could not live together. 7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite lived then in the land. 8 And Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray you, between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we [are] men, brothers. 9 [Is] not the whole land before you? I pray you, separate yourself from me. If [you go] to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if [you go] to the right, then I will go to the left. 10 ¶ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the circuit of Jordan, that it [was] all well watered (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah,) like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you come to Zoar. 11 And Lot chose all the circuit of Jordan for himself. And Lot journeyed east; and they separated themselves from one another. 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the circuit and pitched [his] tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and sinners before the LORD, exceedingly so.”
Genesis 13:10 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Lying deeply embedded between the mountains of western Palestine and the high plateau of Transjordan, the whole valley of the Jordan has a tropical climate all the year round with a corresponding fertility.
Genesis 13:13 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY It is clear that the men Lot chose for neighbors were already wicked when Lot made his home among them. The greatest depravity is often found among people situated in the most fertile lands and enjoying the advantages of an advanced civilization. Such is the ingratitude of human nature that where the gifts of God are most abundantly lavished, there men forget Him first. It is one of the moral dangers of prosperity that men become so satisfied with the things of this present world that they feel no need of God.
Genesis 13:14-18 NIV “14 ¶ The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." 18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the LORD.”

Thursday, November 16 Melchizedek and Abram
Genesis 14:17-24 NLT “17 ¶ After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. 19 Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered. 21 ¶ The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.” 22 Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, 23 that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies––Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.””
Genesis 14:23 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY When Abram refused for himself the spoils offered by the king of Sodom, he demonstrated a loftier hope than that which motivates the children of this world. He was ready to give us his own rights, without hindering others in the realization of theirs. He permitted his own young men to take their subsistence, and his allies their portion. They would receive only what was their due.
Genesis 15:1-3 NLT “1 ¶ Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” 2 ¶ But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.””
Genesis 15:1 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Fear not. These reassuring words were designed to set Abram’s mind at ease. The Mesopotamian kings might return to avenge their defeat, or the heathen Canaanites, already jealous of his growing power, might attack. But God promised to be his “shield,” the symbol of protection in ancient warfare (see Ps. 3:3), and his “reward.” Abram had experienced both during the preceding military expedition, for God had protected him in battle and rewarded him with victory. He must believe that God would continue to do for him what He had done in the past.

In Monday's lesson we read that God made Abram's name "great"

Then it reminds us about the builders of the tower of Babel, who had undertaken the construction of the tower in order to make themselves a name (Gen.11:4)

How important to us humans is this idea, of making a name for ourselves?

The lesson of Sunday notice: Firstborn of each generation and their firstborn only ones named up until Abram. Then it changes and mentions 3 brothers, Haran is the firstborn and Lot is his firstborn. Abram takes Sarai to wife and Nahor takes Milcah who is Haran's daughter making her and Iscah both Lot's sisters
It was Terah that took Abram,Sarai, and Lot and went out of the Ur of the Chaldees and dies after living 205 yrs in Haran.

Terah dies between the "two" nations, that which they left and the one yet to come.

The scripture was fulfilled when Abram would become a great nation. As a man leaves his mother and father and cleaves to his wife the two become one. In much the same way as the marriage covenant Abram is uniting in covenant with God.