LESSONS FROM ABRAM

"Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!" Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had." Genesis 12:10-20

Abram had everything going for him. God had told him to take his family and his possessions and go where He directed and Abram obeyed, settling in Canaan. In return, God promised to bless Abram and make him into a great nation. What could be better than what Abram had? What could ever cause his faith to waver? Well, the answer is rather simple: Abram, you see, was a sinner. And no matter what God had already promised and done for Abram, one thing He couldn’t do is remove the sin within.

It was that sin that soon entered into Abram’s life as he went to Egypt after a famine had stuck his land. One would think that Abram would enter any land without fear after the Lord has promised that He would bless Abram and curse his enemies but this was not the case as our scripture tells us.
Abram as very concerned about what would happen when the Egyptians fixed their eyes on Sarai. He was certain they would kill him once they knew he was her husband and so he contrived a lie and then got Sarai to buy into it. The plan was for Sarai to say that she was Abram’s sister so they could ensure he would be spared. So not only did Abram not place his trust in God but he then deceived the Egyptians and their leader, Pharoah, by lying.

Well, the Egyptians bought Abram’s lie and Sarai was ushered into Pharaoh’s palace where she was made one of Pharaoh’s wives. Abram was rewarded in return with "sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels." Everything was working out great, just as Abram had planned. But there was only one problem. It was Abram’s plan and a sinful plan at that. It certainly wasn’t God’s plan and consequences were on the horizon that would disrupt Abram’s scheme.

For scripture shares that "the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai." Abram’s lie brought suffering to Pharaoh and his household and it didn’t take Pharaoh long to discover he source of his suffering. He confronts Abram and asks, "What have you done to me?…Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister,' so that I took her to be my wife?" Pharoah had every reason to kill Abram at this point. And yet, he didn’t. God had promised to bless Abram and He didn’t go back on that promise. Pharoah simply sent Abram on his way, "with his wife and everything he had."

So what can we take away from Abram and his mistakes in Egypt:

1. We should never lose our faith in God. Abram allowed the potential cultural problem in Egypt trump his faith in God looking out for him and Sarai. This led to his lie and everything went downhill from there. Trust in God to help you through any circumstance even if it appears that peril might be ahead. We serve a God that makes the improbable probable.

2. Never underestimate when sin might creep in. Abram had everything going his way. This might have made him more vulnerable to sin’s trappings. We can never let our guard down. Just when you think you are at your strongest, realize that you might actually be at your weakest. Why? Because we tend to be furthest from God when things are going well for us. And when we’re furthest from Him, we can bet that sin is drawing closest to us and ready to take over. Don’t let your guard down like Abram.

3. Lies never lead to anything positive. Abram thought his lie would lead to good but it was only because he was looking out for himself. His selfish attitude and subsequent lie only brought suffering to others who were innocent. When we lie, others get hurt. It happens every day. God expects us to tell the truth. Integrity is at the heart of God and He expects it to be at the heart of His people. We can ensure that happens when we always put Him at the center of our hearts and lives. Abram didn’t in this matter and it cost him his integrity. We need to learn from him to not repeat his error.

4. God is true to His promises. God had promised to bless Abram. Despite what had to be obvious disappointment in the way Abram conducted himself in Egypt, God still watched over Abram and ensured he and Sarai made it out of Egypt alive. He is true to His promises for us as well. Remember that He told us He would never leave us or forsake us. Keep this in mind whenever you might be facing your own personal challenges. God is true to His promises.

In Christ,

Mark

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