Abraham and his large household travel from Ur to Canaan, then to Egypt, and then back to Canaan—the land of God’s promise. By now Abraham is aging and his wife is barren. How will God fulfill his promises to give them this land, to give them descendants, and to bless the world through their line? Although it looks like God’s plan faces an insurmountable obstacle, God calls Abraham and Sarah to trust him. He will give them a son, Isaac, and through him blessing to the nations will come.

These chapters highlight a pattern in the Bible’s story: God is a God of promise, and his people are men and women of faith. God speaks his word of promise, his people trust him, and he counts it to them as righteousness. God accepts people not on the basis of their moral goodness but on the basis of his mercy and grace.