Lekh lekha appears only twice in the entire Hebrew Bible. Both times God speaks it to Abraham. The first time He asks him to leave his father. The second time He asks him to give up his son. Today we hear the whole letter.

In this letter

- The opening claim — God's first covenantal imperative is go

- Lekh lekha and what the doubled Hebrew phrase actually means

- The man before the call — the pagan in Haran

- The triple separation and the five I wills

- The universal scope — Paul's reading in Galatians 3 as the gospel preached to Abraham in advance

- The going — Abram at seventy-five, the altars, the journey south

- The Friday reveal — Genesis 22:2, the second lekh lekha, and the same hidden-destination pattern

- Lekh le ...