Stuck in the famine

Introduction

Today we start our first sermon series of the year 2023. The name of our first series will be “23 and me.” 23 and me is a company that specializes in genetics, ancestry, and genealogy. People use 23 and me to learn all about their history. I’ve borrowed that name for this series because we are going to examine the history and ancestry of Jesus. There is a common rule among preachers that you should avoid lists, numbers, and genealogies like a plague.Why? Because they are lists! If not done correctly, it can be about as exciting as listening to someone read names from a phonebook. People don’t exactly move to the edge of their seats when listening to someone read a list of names. Morgan Freeman might be one of the only people who could make a phonebook sound compelling.

However we are going to assume the risk that comes with studying genealogies because of what they teach us about Jesus. In the family history of Jesus we are going to see stories that are ugly. We are going to meet people who are outcasts from society. We are going to meet people who are downright evil, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Guess what? All these people are going to be part of Jesus' family history. As we examine the stories that make up the family history of Jesus, the humanity of Jesus will become more and more clear. In Hebrews 4:15 we are told this regarding Jesus. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” One of the reasons Jesus can empathize with us is because his family history is filled with stories which define the human experience.

So join us as we study the real, human stories which paved the way for the existence of Jesus in this world. The first name on the ancestry list we are going to study is Abraham.

Genesis 12:1–9 ESV

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

Abraham is without a doubt one of the more famous people on this list. We know that all of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic history can be traced through him. We know that he was to be so blessed that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.

Abraham and Sarai’s story is one which bears similarity to EVERYONE in this room. Because if you were to look and your ancestry, your ancestors would probably be either German, English, French, Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian, Eastern European, African. Asian. However you weren’t born in ANY of these countries. Which means at some point, someone in your family history made the daring journey to the new world of the United States. Abraham left his ancestral home in Ur of Mesopotamia, to travel to a new land which God would show him. Many of our ancestors would have left their homes to move to a place without knowing exactly where they were going, and what they would find when they arrived.

Could you imagine how much courage and faith it takes to up and move your family out of their home without knowing exactly where it was you were moving?

ILLUSTRATION: Most of us have moved at least once in our lives. I’m willing to bet that in almost every instance we knew EXACTLY where we were going. When we packed our possessions, we had another place already purchased or rented.

When Paige and I moved to Fulton, I walked into the U Haul Rental in Edwardsville, IL. Before I rented the truck they asked where I was moving. I said Fulton, MO because Paige and I knew very well where we were going.

If Ur of Mesopotmia had a Uhall office, Abraham would have walked in to rent a truck. When the attendant asked Abraham where he’d be dropping off the Uhaul, he’d respond by saying “I’m not really sure where I’m going, but God’s gonna let me know when I see it” The man would have stared at Abraham like he was Crazy!.

This story is relatable to us in regards to our family history. However in verse 10 of chapter 12 Abraham and Sarai’s story becomes much more relatable on a personal level. Their story is about to become even more hard and difficult.

Genesis 12:10 ESV

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

Life comes at you fast, and the way in which we envision our life going can turn on its head instantly. In these times we have questions. Perhaps the greatest question is “how could I possibly be faithful in this season.” This isn’t supposed to be the way it happens.

You can understand why Abraham and Sarai would have questions for God. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Abraham and Sarai are probably wondering how they are going to be faithful when life turns everything they know upside down.

Some of you understand this in a very real sense. Some of you know what it’s like to embark on a new journey. Only to find an insurmountable hurdle to cross right off the bat! In these times you understand what it’s like to say to God. “This isn’t supposed to be how it happens! Why are you letting this happen to me! I trusted you in this vulnerable moment, and I feel like you’ve slapped me in the face!

How are we supposed to be faithful in moments like this? There are a couple of things we must understand before addressing this.

Satan loves it when we are stuck. If you were suffering from Hypothermia, one of your symptoms would be lethargy. You would feel depleted of energy, and you would lose the will to keep moving forward. If you aren’t moving forward, your fate is sealed, because you will remain out in the cold, you will be stuck, and you will die. Satan wants to keep us stuck in the elements. Satan knows that if he can keep us stuck in the moments of our suffering, our souls will grow cold and die.

God’s plan is always in motion. Abraham and Sarai didn’t remain stuck in the famine, they acted! They went down to Egypt, and when they returned they had riches when they came back to Israel. Since Abraham and Sarai didn’t remain stuck, they did not perish and their family line continued. Since their family line continued their action helped pave the way for the birth of Jesus. God’s plan is always in motion, therefore we must be in motion.