Abram's Lies and God's Faithfulness

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 101

Psalm 101 ESV

A Psalm of David. I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.

Scripture Memorization: Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 “But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Scripture Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (Gideon)

2 Thessalonians 3:1–5 “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”

Sermon:

Good Morning Church! I was glad when they said to me let us go and worship in the house of the Lord!

Well this morning we are in sermon 21 of our series through the Book of Genesis. And we have made it here to a familiar story. One many of us have likely heard before. But also one that's in so many ways important to us and our faith because it teaches us a lot about the nature of faith and faithfulness.

So as we start, and really before we dive into it, we need to remember that Abram Is a hero of the faith. He's in Hebrews and in the Hall of Fame of Faith. In fact, he is the person with the longest resume in the hall of fame of faith. Longer than Noah, longer than Moses, longer than David. He is a man defined by faith- truly His faith is praised throughout scripture and ultimately Abram's. faith is what for us paves the way for our faith for salvation hope and healing.

I say all that to say that we should be very careful before we start to pick on — Make fun of — make light of — look down upon — and probably most importantly, think we are somehow better than Abram.

I say that because this is the first of many stories that we will cover in the Book of Genesis where Abram messes up. He doesn't do the right thing, and there are consequences we will find for Abram and also for the people around him.

In our passage today, Abram will find himself in Egypt. Abram will find himself confronted with a decision. He ultimately makes the wrong decision. And yet, what we will see is God is still faithful.

Our text for today, Genesis chapter 12, we will be looking this morning at verses 10 through 20. The end, then of chapter 12.

Genesis 12:10–20 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. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.” And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

These are the words of the Lord for us this morning. Let's open our time together with the word of prayer.

Oh Lord, Our Lord, how Majestic is your name and all the Earth? We praise you and thank you for all of the precious gifts that you give us. For salvation, hope, and healing. We thank you for your faithfulness. Your faithfulness that while we were dead in sin and trespasses, you made us alive together in Christ. Your faithfulness that we read in first Thessalonian That washes and cleanses and sanctifies us completely. You who have called us are faithful. We do Proclaim you will surely do this. We ask that you would meet with us this morning. That you would open our eyes to see give us ears to hear all that you have said and done. May our hearts be found as good soil where your word can take deep root. We ask that you would enliven us this morning as we hear and study your word. It's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. And amen.

As this text begins for some context issues. We have some words that, to the original audience, would be in many ways very painful. “Now, there was a famine in the land. So, Abram went down to Egypt.”

Abram in his journey has left Ur of the Chaldeans. He's taken a fairly circuitous route. He found himself … We looked at this last week… in the promised land. He's there by The Oaks of Mora, then camped in between Bethel and Ai. He's there, ready to hear and see from God. And God does promise this land will be yours. But, as we noted last week, he kept wandering. Not in the beautiful plains, not in the plains here between these two cities. He continues on towards the Negeb — to the Wilderness.

But as if that was not bad enough, Abram now finds himself in a place that that many Old Testament Saints were forced to stay and wander in. And the people hearing this story first, the people Moses would be writing this text to, the people on the verge of entering the promised land, those people, when they hear “he went down to Egypt”, their blood might run just a little bit cold. It's not good. Egypt isn't where you go to prosper and have a good time. Egypt is where you go to become slaves. To need God's miraculous intervention to save and deliver. That is going to the place that Moses has just freed us from! They would think what Isaiah would later say: “DONT GO DOWN TO EGYPT”. that is where, the first audience of this book just spent hundreds of years of captivity.

Nothing good happens in Egypt, they might think. And it's here that Abram's faith will be put to the test.

This is, in many ways, the first of many tests of Abram’s faith. just an overview of his life looks like this: Abram's life is a series of events, wherein either God will come and promise something that Abram's faith must grasp, or Abram's faith will be tested. And he's either passing these tests or getting more promises or failing these tests and getting more promises.

And here at the very beginning in the first real test of his faith … and you know what? Lets call this the second. We'll say. The first real test of the faith is, God says, go, and he goes. But here in Egypt. Where everything's hard where the best of the best may still falter - So does Abram.

Abram falters

Here in Egypt.

When he was about to enter Egypt, verse 11 tells us he looks at his wife. And Abram realizes he has a huge problem. This massive problem that Abram has: His wife's beautiful. His wife is extraordinarily attractive. So attractive that he believes that the Egyptians will see him and see his wife and think “look, lets Kill the old dude. So we can marry his wife.” Make this woman a widow. So that she's instantaneously available again. And then we might be able to woo her. You know, maybe they're thinking if she'll be with Abram maybe I have a chance?

We don't know what the thought process fully behind this was, but this is what he says, I know, you're a beautiful woman so his logical conclusion is:

Genesis 12:12 “and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live.”

So instead of Looking to God's promises… just to remind us: Abram should remember “God has promised to make me a great nation”. He see the problem: I have no kids. Well, I have to live. If I'm going to have kids if God's going to make me into a nation!

God promised all that land. I'm gonna trust that. Instead he is going to trust more his thoughts that he will die in Egypt... and if I die in Egypt, how can I have this land? How can I have children? How can these things happen? Instead of trusting that God will do that, however he will He falters. Instead of worshiping, which is what we read last week. Remember... he gets his promises He builds an altar. He goes to the next place he builds an altar. Ass we continue we will see He'll build more altars. Abram is largely in the altar building business. And yet here he is not building an altar.

He does not say what his faith maybe should have said. “My wife is beautiful when the Egyptians see that. They will seek to kill me. So instead. I will build an altar - consecrate, my life, and myself to God, and he will be the one who protects me.”

It doesn't say that.

Genesis 12:13 “Say you are my sister,

Tell them you're my sister. Then they won't kill me.

Genesis 12:13 “Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.””

Let's read between the lines here.

They might take you, but they won't have to kill me to do it. The consequence that we're going to see take place is already written here. Abram had to have thought and realized what was going to happen. Because what he didn't fix was the “my wife is beautiful They're gonna want to have her as a wife problem.” All he fixed was the “how can I not get murdered” problem.

What he doesn't remedy is the “if something happens to my wife God's promises will still will be in Jeopardy” problem. What he does remedy is the selfish “me” problems.

SO here me on this one church: His faith falters because he's looking solely inward.

And there are consequences here, for Abram's lack of faith. There's a few different ways we could approach this next section. We'll take it one way in the GracePoint, looking from sort of Pharaoh's point of view. But what I want us to see and learn here this morning is that our faith — Though very personal and important — And MY faith. does not just impact me.

Just to drive this home: I just had... Spoiler alert for the rest of service.... We have the baptismal out so that means we'll be doing a baptism. That also means that I had the joy and privilege of meeting with A few young men this week. And one of the things I often say in baptism interviews is that this has to be your faith.

We believe — Convictionally — For reasons that we believe we find in scripture. That what we celebrate here in the waters of baptism is not the faith of someone's parents or friends or relatives. What we celebrate is someone's own faith. And so, for each of the people who will be baptized today I've asked, “Do you have faith? Do YOU Believe? do you trust? What's in YOUR heart?” Because faith is, in some sense, very personal.

And yet, this very personal, very unique to myself faith, impacts the lives of all of those around me. In some ways, it can be positive. People could see our faith and be drawn to faith of their own. And yet, there are also consequences because here we see that when Abraham falters. Sarah suffers.

Sarai SUFFERS

Because Abraham's Faith falters his wife has to pay some consequences.

It turns out Abram in his view of his wife Was correct!

Genesis 12:14 “When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.”

So, here come Abram and his wife. They're walking in and Abram's afraid… “They're going to think my wife's beautiful” And here they walk in, and instead of feeling the joy of knowing that God has blessed him with an attractive wife. Instead he feels like all of his worst fears are correct.

His wife is beautiful. And the Egyptians see, and the Egyptians know, and they begin to brag of the beauty of Sarai to the one person who, in many ways, might be the the worst person who could find out that Abram has a beautiful wife. Pharaoh.

They brag to the Sovereign ruler of the entire land? The one who can take as a sort of right and privilege any woman he wants?

That's who hears of how beautiful Sarai is.

Genesis 12:15 “And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.”

In that one little phrase— in the “and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house”. There is a lot of context, a lot of things that we need to fully understand.

She was taken to be his wife, not invited over for dinner. She was brought into his Harem. She would have been presented as a woman for Pharaoh to take as he pleases.

As we read between the lines here. This is not good for her.

Abrams saved his own skin by quite literally offering the skin of his wife.

She here suffers.

And Abram... Actually does well.

Genesis 12:16 “And for her sake he dealt well with Abram

At this point, it feels like. This is… well, This is not how I would write this story. Let's say it that way.

Abram lies and his wife suffers. She's thrown into pharaohs harem. To become an object for him to use as he pleases. So, Pharaoh gets what he wants. And Abram gets what he wants as well. He gets to live, and not just that, he gets blessed. For Sarah's sake, Pharaoh will deal well with Abram. He begins to give him gifts. Sheep, oxen, donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, camels.

Pharaoh is buying Sarah. Just To be clear about what's happening here.

And though, this isn't. As bad as it maybe sounds to us in our culture, in this time there were dowries. There's some sense where it would be right and proper for this to happen.

But we should always know that It would never be right or proper to take a dowry for your wife. She's your wife.

The two have become one flesh. What God therefore has joined together. Let no man separate. We could go back to Genesis 2, 3, 4. Abram has known his wife. In a deeply profound and intimate way. His wife, who, again to go back to earlier in Genesis, was taken from his side. That he may shelter, preserve, and protect her. And instead, he is getting rich off of her Sorrow and Suffering.

I would love to try to butter this up. Put a positive spin on what's Happening Here, but it's kind of hard.

Abram's Faith falters and for a moment, it feels like he's just continuing to live this blessed life. He's getting away with it.

But is he?

He may have all of the. Donkeys, sheep, Ox, and male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels in the world. If the story ends here. From the world's point of view, Abram got away with it. He lived, AND he got material rich blessings.

But in the eyes of Genesis of everything we've read up till now. This is complete and total failure.

Because now he has all the riches money could buy. But he has not the promises of God. Congratulations, Abram! You saved your life yet you lost out on the promises of God!

The Lord said to Abram go from your country and your children in your father's house to the land that I will show you and I will make of you a great nation. You're not going to be a great nation if you don't have a wife… In fact, You've taken a step backwards. Before you had a wife with no kids... but at least you're halfway there. Now, you don't even have a wife because Pharaoh took her. You are further now from the promises of God.

You got all this stuff: Sheep oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants but You have no land. Which God has promised you? You are now no closer to that one.

And in fact, there's this sort of phenomenon that we should think about and understand if Pharaoh has the right to give you all of these things. What makes you think that the guy who took your wife will not take these from you too? If he changes his mind about you?

Ultimately if the story ended here: you have nothing. Abram. How many people had their wives taken by Pharaoh and we have never heard of them because they died alone with no kids?

Your wife suffers. She's taken from you. You've forfeited. In many ways, the promises of God.

So, God intervenes.

God INTERVENES

The lesson more than anything else that we must learn from this text is not — though this is a lesson we can try and learn — Have more faith in Abram.

Because spoiler alert. Just to be frank with us — Good luck having more faith than Abram.

Abram is a man praised for his faith in scripture. I spend my life trying to to, to muster up one grain of a mustard seed of Faith. That I may be able to move mountains.. Abram has appropriated God's blessings and promises in a very real and tangible way.

So, if the only lesson here is: “well, you just got to be better than Abram.” I think we're in trouble. Just to be honest.

Though we have the Holy spirit in a way that he didn't, though we do have ways that can help us. I still don't think that's the lesson.

I think the lesson we need to learn is that the reason we can have faith is because we know — Because we've seen it — If God promises. God will do it. He will intervene.

Genesis, chapter 12, verse 17 start with my favorite words in all of scripture. In the New Testament, we usually read it. “But God.” We have here “But Yahweh” But Yahweh!

But the covenantal God of Israel. But the God who has already come and promised, chapter 12, verse 1, “but the Lord said to Abram” that same Lord that same God, The God Who promises and entered into fellowship and relation and care for Abram. But that same God comes and afflicts pharaoh.

I think it's important we start to see here how this twist is actually panning out. Because, Wait a second, Pharaoh didn't get everything he wanted.

Pharaoh got afflicted.

Not just Pharaoh, but also his house. With great plagues. And what's interesting is that God does this in a very particular and unique way and in his own way.

For the people who would be reading this? Though, this is the first time we've read of plagues. This would surely not be the first time they've heard of plagues. Because Moses who wrote this was God's vehicle once in their lives... And maybe it would be their parents lives because this might be the end of the wandering here... But in one generation. God sent plagues through Moses to Egypt to free his people.

Here, God doesn't do this through the the mediator Moses. No, here God just does it.

Pharaoh, you messed up. You took this man's wife. It's still wrong, and, and this is really what we'll talk about in Grace group. It's still wrong for Pharaoh to take this man's wife, even if he doesn't know it's his wife. And there's a lot of reasons why this could go down... how this happens. you know. He should have been more careful, he should have pushed a little farther? Should Pharaoh, even if he has the quote unquote “right” to take anyone he wants, should he? no! And he took this woman he was not intended to have.

And so God Afflicted him with plagues. But more than that. What we see is that as important as Abram and his faith are to the story of all of scripture. So too, Sarai is of critical importance.

And so she — the one who is suffering — God comes Because of her.

First quick minor lesson. We need to understand the Lord Afflicted pharaoh in his house with great plagues because of Sarai. Because God sees the Affliction of his people, and he cares. Because God will intervene on behalf of his people, and he will deliver them. Because God loved her. Because he saw her suffering, he intervenes. Because of Sarai Abram's wife.

Just to read that verse again, Genesis 12:17 “But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.”

And Pharaoh knows What's up. Fascinating, in this story, and it's intentional by Moses as he's writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: There's only one person in this text who speaks the truth.

Pharaoh comes, and he questions Abram. And Pharaoh's point of view is, and by what he says, Pharaoh is more right — And in some sense, more righteous— than even Abram. Because Pharaoh knows he should not have lied.

Abram Never in this text is like, “oh man, messed up, shouldn't have lied”. And it turns out he's not going to learn his lesson here because he will do the exact same thing. We will come to another story. Later in Genesis, just for those of you who love to look ahead. Where this exact same scene will play out.

But Pharaoh, it seems, learned his lesson. “Why? Why did you lie? What have you done to me? Why did you not tell me why did you say she was your sister? Why would you do this? You don't lie, you don't lie about a woman who's your wife being your sister, who does that?”

God comes in. God sends the plague God intervenes. God opens the eyes of pharaoh so that Pharaoh can see the truth. Then this is the main lesson: God has saved and delivered his promise.

Genesis 12:20 “And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.”

Do not think for one moment that Pharaoh is the one who blessed Abram. This was all a work of God. God intervenes. God steps in God shows Pharaoh the truth. God sends the plague so that Abram and his wife may go back to the land because God's promise will come to fruition.

Abram needs a wife, so God protects her. Abram has all of these blessings. God allows him by his grace and mercy. To still keep his possessions.

Pharaoh could have, and maybe even in some sense should have said, “Take your wife back. I want my stuff back. I want a full refund.” Pharaoh could have demanded a full refund and more.

Instead it is Just take your wife and go.

And It's all because of God's intervention.

The lesson we must learn. And learn to grasp and place deep in our hearts. Is this:

And now May the God of Peace himself. Sanctify, you completely.

It's not up to you.

God has promised to wash us and cleanse us and make us holy.

May the God of Peace himself do this.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

God had given Abram a great many promises, even now. A promise of a Nation and a blessing that they would multiply that they would be a blessing to the world around them. He has promised them land abundant flowing with milk and honey. He has promised Abram these good things and because GOD is the one who has promised: even Abram can't mess it up.

Praise be to God.

Because God has promised me Even more abundant set of blessings: eternal life, life Everlasting, he has promised to bless me to keep me, to watch over me to hold me, that he will give to me a new heart with his law written upon it. He's promised me new life. He's promised me, no condemnation. He's promised me that Romans 8:38–39 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He's promised me all of these things And he — God — will surely do it.

Even I Can't mess it up.

Praise be to the faithful God.

Lets Pray

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