Sermon Tone Analysis

In the 8th season of the best sitcom of all time, there’s an episode entitled “The Bizarro Jerry”—a classic Seinfeld episode.

In the episode, all sorts of weird things happen.

Kramer gets a job—kinda.

He’s not actually hired; he’s accidentally invited into a staff meeting and then just keeps showing up for work.

He takes a briefcase with him (but its only contents are a few sleeves of Ritz crackers), and he’s quickly fired (which is difficult because he doesn’t really even work there).

Elaine becomes friends with a guy named Kevin who has two other friends: a short, bald man named Gene and a tall, crazy-haired guy they just call ‘Feldman.”

Kevin and Gene and Feldman are almost the exact opposite of Elaine’s other friends: Jerry, George, and Kramer.

Kevin, Gene, Feldman are good people.

They do nice things.

They read…books!

It’s bizarro world; everything is backwards.

Kevin’s apartment is a mirror image of Jerry’s.

Jerry’s nemesis is Newman, a rotund postal worker.

Kevin, on the other hand, is friends with a jolly FedEx delivery man named Fargas.

That Seinfeld episode came to mind as I read our text for this morning.

There’s a Seinfeld episode corresponding to just about any event, even things that happened in the ANE.

You see, last week, we met a fellow named Abram.

The LORD called Abram to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to a land the LORD would show him (Gen 12:1).

And Abram goes.

He trusts the LORD’s promise to him to make him into a great nation.

Abram believes what the LORD has to say.

He’s obedient—Abram goes, as the LORD had told him.

And Abram worships the LORD in the midst of the pagan, Canaanite land in which he finds himself.

The picture we have of Abram in the first half of Genesis 12 is of a man worth emulating.

Abram trusts, obeys, and worships the LORD.

Now the second half of Genesis 12…for lack of a better phrase, it’s Bizarro Abram.

He’s different, almost completely different.

We see the other side of the guy we were introduced to last week.

What are we to make of this?

Unlike Seinfeld, this isn’t funny.

And it’s hard to imagine a shift like this.

Yet, here we are.

It’s completely upside-down.

In a way, it’s hard to reconcile the two Abrams (faithful, obedient Abram and Bizarro Abram).

At the same time, we get it.

It’s a conflict present in most of us.

The apostle Paul dealt with it himself.

He writes this honest assessment of his struggle in Romans 7:

It’s Paul and Bizarro Paul.

We know the struggle, the dichotomy that often exists within us.

We see this clearly in Genesis 12.

The chapter starts out with the Abram who trusts and obeys and worships the LORD, and then concludes with Bizarro Abram in our text for today.

As Victor Hamilton puts it: “How different is the Abram of 12:10–20 from the trusting, obedient Abram of 12:1–9!”

If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to Genesis 12.

If you’re able and willing, please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word.

May God add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!

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Our text begins with the mention of a famine in the land and Abram traveling to Egypt to live there for a while.

[MAP]

Egypt, because of the Nile River, was better placed to provide food for people and animals during a time of drought.

Knowing this, Abram decides this is where he and the people with him ought to venture.

It’s not a bad idea, but is it God’s idea?

God doesn’t direct Abram to Egypt.

It’s not a bad idea, but is it God’s idea?

Abram trusted the LORD enough to leave his home country, his father’s household, and set off for the land the LORD would give him.

Now, who is Abram trusting?

Distrust Replaces Trust

As is common in Biblical stories, the author doesn’t give any direct evaluation of the participants’ actions, leaving us to figure out the ethical questions and answers.

There’s no commentary at all in the text about whether this move to Egypt is a good idea or a bad idea.

“Yet all the indications are that Abram did not stop to enquire, but went on his own initiative, taking everything into account but God.” -Derek Kidner

Isn’t that something?

What an interesting and foolish and altogether common scenario this is!

Abram here is very much like me (maybe a little like you, too).

Instead of turning to the LORD, calling out to Him in prayer, seeking His guidance and direction, I tend to trust my gut.

Make my own decision.

Guide myself.

Make the call.

I mean, come on!

I’m smart enough.

Educated enough.

Experienced enough.

I can figure this out without help.

Like a petulant toddler, I can do it myself.

If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves in many a situation like Abram.

Our ideas and decisions may not be outright bad, but do our ideas and decisions take into consideration the LORD’s will or any direction from Him?

That’s something to think about.

Clearly, Abram’s not trusting what God has said, what God has promised.

In Genesis 12:2-3, the LORD is clear: The LORD is going to make Abram a great nation and will bless Abram.

Abram trusted that initially.

Incredibly, he believed the LORD.

Here, Abram’s showing little to no trust at all.

What do you think?

If the LORD led Abram to the land He had for him and promised to bless him and make his name great, do you think the LORD is going to let Abram starve?

Has this severe famine taken God by surprise and tied His hands?

The problem is, Abram’s looking out for himself instead of trusting God to look out for him.

Abram’s actions here imply he thinks God is unable to care for him or protect him.

By taking matters into his own hands, by deciding all on his lonesome, by doing it himself like a big boy, Abram lost the opportunity to discover that the LORD could provide for His people, not only a land, but also necessary food.

The trusting Abram of verses 1-9 shows himself to be distrusting Abram here.

He failed to draw near to the LORD and, when trouble struck, failed to trust Him.

Hamilton argues, and I think he’s correct, though this is hard to swallow: “The source of Abram’s danger was confidence in his own judgment.

Like Abram, we have to learn that it is all to easy to find ourselves off the track, simply because we have trusted our own reasoning instead of consulting our Guide.

All kinds of dangers follow.”

The takeaway here for us then is to keep trusting—actively trusting the LORD, with a trust that seeks Him in all things.

Before we take a step in this direction or that, to seek Him and consult Him.

To trust our Guide.

To turn to His Word.

To speak with Him in prayer.

In Abram’s mistrust and distrust,

Deception Replaces Obedience

You remember the obedience of Abram in verse 4. The LORD spoke to him and Abram went, as the LORD had told him.

Simple, immediate obedience.