Abram, whose marriage is barren, now discovers that the land of promise can itself become barren. Like any transient pastoral group responding to local famine (and like his father before him), Abram seeks better fortunes in a change of place. In such circumstances, such conventional wisdom or common sense may generally be assumed to embody the wisdom and implicit guidance of God. However, God has promised this land, barren or not, to Abram. Given that promise, does Abram act in faith or