Genesis 12

Genesis 12

Posted on March 3, 2013 by tracijoy

And so it begins… God’s call to Abram. “Go from your relatives to a land I will show you.”  So Abram went forth.  That’s it. He went forth. He didn’t stand there and argue. He didn’t go ask his family what THEY thought He should do. He didn’t debate. Verse 4 says “So Abram went forth.” Are we that strong in our belief system, that we would just go forth?

Abram makes on mistake here. He was told to leave his country AND his relatives… but he took Lot with him. And even though he and Lot will eventually part ways, Lot’s presence will prove to be a continual source of trial for Abram.
As Abraham travels and follows the Lord to wherever He is leading, a famine comes upon the land. In order to survive this famine, Abram finds it necessary to go into Egypt. But here’s the kicker. Apparently Sarai is a very beautiful woman, and Abraham is afraid that when the Egyptians see how beautiful she is… they will kill him and keep her for themselves. So Abram devises this plan to keep himself alive… and it involves lying and saying that Sarai is his sister.



Help me here. Abram trusted God enough to let Him lead him out of his home country, into the unknown. Yet, when famine came to the land he headed to Egypt. That isn’t the part that troubles me. What I find interesting is that Abram had great faith to follow a fairly unfamiliar God into the unknown… yet he had to devise a plan… a lie… to keep himself alive while in Egypt? Just a little white lie. What would it hurt?

Well… I’m sure we all have done that at some point. We try to fix things ourselves… instead of giving God time to work. Instead of believing He has our best interest at heart. Why do we do that? Do we not trust Him? Do we not believe He will deliver us? Do we sometimes feel that since His eye is on the sparrow, He may be distracted and not see our dilemma? Do we feel that the Christians who are being martyred all over the world take His attention away from us and our piddly littl problems? 

Rest assured, that He DOES see those that desperately need His presence… and He is there. He sees al that is going on in your life and what may be a petty problem to you is HUGE for someone else… and vice versa. And if it weighs on your heart, it weighs on God’s also.

Abram was quick to make a decision according to his flesh. He convinced Sarai to go along with his lie and say she was his sister. Being the brother of the beautiful Sarai, the Pharaoh treated Abram well… giving him cattle and gifts and servants.  Abram responded only to the problem his eyes saw immediately before him. And though it may look like it was beneficial…it was costly. Costly to those he lied to… as God struck Pharaoh with leprosy because he took Sarai into his house to be his wife. At that point… somehow… Pharaoh figured it out and sent Sarai back to Abraham.. and sent them away out of Egypt. 

I DO marvel that Abram left Egypt with great wealth. I wonder how he was blessed in that situation.  So… you’re thinking… all’s well that ends well? No.. friend. God delivered Abram and Sarai… but His will to show Himself strong was forever lost in this situation. How differently Genesis 12 might have ended for us, had Abram trusted God. And NEVER assume God will let you out of your lie. Never tempt God to play His hand.