A Faithful God in the midst of fear
Notes
Transcript
A Faithful God in the midst of Fear
A Faithful God in the midst of Fear
10 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. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 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. 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.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
The episode of Genesis we have before us seems to take a strange turn from where we were last week. For a quick recap we saw God call a pagan worshipper, Abram out of his homeland and told him to follow the Lord into an unknown land.
God made 7 amazing promises that climaxed with one, in you all nations of the earth will be blessed. We talked about how this is realized in the preaching of the Gospel and being in Christ we are heirs according to that promise. We also talked about the context of Genesis and how the first audience would’ve heard these stories as an encouragement for them as they were entering into the promised land of Caanan, which was occupied by enemy peoples.
It left us feeling glorious about the fact that God was calling his people to do something that he long before had prepared for them, in that Abram travels through the land erecting altars as a means of cleansing the land of foreign gods. We said it was as if he was reclaiming this land for the Lord and this would be so helpful for the children of Isreal to hear from Moses, the author, as they were struggling to see why God called them there.
So let us keep in mind that the first primary audience would’ve been hearing these stories and learning about God and gleaning encouragement from them.
So where is this happening as the setting of the story?
9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.
Negeb in is the southern most place in Caanan. If you look back at verse 7, God told Abram that he was giving him this land. Abram is traveling through the length of the land seeing all that God is giving to him as an inheritance.
If God is calling you to something, it is gonna be awesome, right? I mean for the children of Israel they would’ve been hearing these stories thinking, The land we are now looking to, the promised land, that is full of enemies… This is our land because it was promised to Abram.
But just when you would think they are hearing all positives and wanting things to go their way, they hear this story… the next episode of their history. And what is the first thing they hear?
10 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.
This amazing land that God was giving to Abram was experiencing a famine so severe that he had to get out of there.
Why is this something we cannot jump over? I mean it is obvious if you read ahead and hear of what happens next, but please stop and think about it in the way a person wandering through the dessert would’ve heard about it.
The children of Israel wanted to enter Caanan, A land flowing with milk and Honey. The land was full of many hostile people and they were already afraid. But this land is subject to famines as well. Even though it can be the land flowing with milk and honey, it can also be a place where famines so severe can come upon.
So much so that even Abram had to get out of there at one point. What is the point of this? Even if the Children of Israel take this land, they will need to depend on God because the land will not be their source, God is their source.
Think about it, just because God called them to it, did not mean that they wouldn’t have to continue ton trust God when they were in the land. By the way God was proving this to them when they were grumbling in the wilderness by feeding them with Manna from heaven and quail. He was their source in the dessert and the land he was calling them too may have been full of food but it could be a place where they still need him, because of this story, and future famines we will see in Genesis, like in the story of Joseph.
What we need to see is that God allowed the famine to push Abram out of the land. Even famines can be used by God to accomplish his plans. When we see destruction in our lands and we hear of great tragedies, does it cause us to trust God or Doubt him? Well what did Abram do?
11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 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. 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.”
It seems like Abram is trusting God until we get to this part of the story. And what do we find out? That even Abram is a sinner. He is a liar. And this isn’t just me pointing out his sin, but asking us to recognize what is under his sin that is driving him. Fear. He fears for his life.
Even though God promised to make his name great and bring a nation from him and his offspring… It is as if that promise isn’t part of his thinking here and he fears his life and doubts God is going to help him so he takes matters in his own hands. And his best plan is to lie, and ask his wife and all the people that are with him to lie… Just to save himself.
When people try to tell us that our fore fathers in the faith were such people of great faith, we need only to read the accounts of their life to find numerous times where they doubted and feared. Just like those before him, Abram is not immune to sin, and right here we see him going wayward. The one thing you would expect to see we do not see. We do not see that Abram cried out to the Lord for help. He doesn’t build an altar and worship like he did before.
It seems as though when things get bad he reacts and and moves to Egypt and comes up with his own plan. But could it be that this story is more than meets the eye? Let’s keep going...
14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house.
So while Abram appears to be trying to save himself, he is proven to be spot on in his hunch. Just like he thought, they would see her beauty and take her, they do exactly that.
In ancient near east peoples hospitality was something of a duty for someone when they meet a stranger. This is a harsh environment and meeting strangers in this land should be something of a welcome and not an attack. And while that is customary, Abram knew that a beautiful woman would be the game changer. There must be something that he knows about the culture of Egypt that would cause his to think this would happen.
But the question then is why go if you think that this could happen? The answer is, the famine was that bad… So bad that he was willing to put himself in harms way to save his people and himself. And yet again, he doesn’t cry out to the Lord here, he just comes up with a plan… And good thing too, because they take her from him.
But they don’t just take her, again the idea was to be hospitable to strangers in this culture, so look what happens next...
16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
Pharoah is willing to compensate Abram for taking his “sister”. He will treat him well and give him livestock and servants.
This tells us a couple things. First Sarai was beautiful, and apparently looked quite different than women in Egypt, enough so that it was obvious they would want her.
We also find out, not only was Abram right, that they would take her, but that he would benefit from this if they did take her. He said in vs 13…
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.”
He knew they wouldn’t just take her but that they would treat him well and spare his life. This seems like he was not only not going to the Lord for help but planning on benefitting from the circumstances. And by benefiting I mean some wealth but mostly they would let him live. This is self preservation at its worst, because he knows it will come at the cost of his wife, or on account of her, not necessarily anything he is doing.
But have you noticed that there seems to be a missing character here in the story so far. If I hadn’t mentioned the Lord ww wouldn’t have heard from him at all. Will God sit back and watch his people struggle and strive to work things out in their own power?
Will God just leave him alone in the midst of a famine, and then turn his back on him, when he in fear and sin and comes up with a plan that is less than righteous? Again, this isn’t just stories about people as examples to us. That is not what scripture is all about. Scripture is about God… Enter verse 17...
17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
God may have seemed silent, but make no mistake about it, he is never complacent. The Lord doesn’t sit back and wait to see what will happen and he certainly doesn’t allow his promises to be thwarted by man.
In fact, we would assert that scripture teaches of the Sovereignty of God in such a way that even when man is plotting evil the Lord will use that for accomplishing his plans. God does not author evil or have to employ it, but he rules over it in its intentions by decreeing from eternity past what the outcome will be and knowing the course of every human intention before they move.
So He knows what Abram would do, and he knows what Pharaoh would do. So then, the question is, why allow this episode at all? Clearly he isn’t going to let this stand, he is afflicting Pharaoh even though Abram was the one who cooked this all up. What could the Lord be up to with all this? Well, let’s finish up and see if we can understand it.
18 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? 19 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.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
Pharoah is mad, and doesn’t kill them all. This is not usual behavior for someone in his position. If this story ends like this… “Pharoah found out Abram lied, so he called him in and had him killed for lying to him, the end” If that happened no one would think it was an odd story. But that is not what happens?
He gets mad, but says take her back, and keep everything you have now, and go...
What has gotten into this ruler? We have nothing to suggest he knew that Abram worship the Lord or that he had any regard for the Lord. This is a pagan ruler that thought of himself as a god amongst people. Pharaohs are not known for being gracious, but rather taking what they want. That is exactly why Abram knew he would take his wife.
It is clear that God is way more in control in this episode than we would’ve given him credit for at the onset. Even when His people are in fear and things get escalated up to the highest court in the land. the highest ruler in the world cannot resist God...
1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.
God is not only greater than the greatest of mankind in all his power and pomp, but he is the true ruler of the universe. He can and will accomplish his will no matter what happens. Come famine, or war, or anything other tragedy… God sovereignly rules over all and will rescue his people… Even when their own sinfulness puts them in the position of needing rescue.
What ever rescue God’s people need, he is able, even if it involves turning the kings heart to be favorable towards those he would naturally kill.
And so back to this story, Abram is sent away. But God doesn’t want his people to just see him help out Abram… When His son was fearful and sinful, God was faithful and saved him… But he doesn’t save his people without displaying his magnanimous nature...
1 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.
Abram is leaving Egypt and going back to where he came from. The land of Caanan where the famine was. He is now very rich after leaving Egypt… And as I am saying that, you may just now be thinking of another place where in scripture where this story all the sudden seems like a parallel… And you would be right.
Remember the first audience is the Children of Israel. And who are they? They are the people who would eventually come from Abram. They will be in Egypt as slaves until God rescues them by the hand of Moses. Moses is the one who writes Genesis. Are we seeing the connections here.
If they needed encouragement because of everything they were facing, they would’ve heard these stories and seen a familiar pattern. Think abut what we just heard...
God sends a Famine… We see this in Gen 12 in the text we heard today but look at Gen 47
4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.”
And after the Famine that God allows brings them to Egypt, the Egyptians afflict God’s people just as they did to Abram By taking his wife, only this time they were ruling over them as slaves who were making their mortar and brick. In Exodus 1:11-14 we see how they ruled ruthlessly over these people. But after Egypt treats God’s people wrongly, In Abram case they took his wife, and in the children of Israel’s life they beat them, then God send plagues.
In Gen 12 vs 17 God Afflicts them with great plagues… The bible isn’t clear on what that means exactly but in Exodus chapter 8-11 We get a detailed outline of 10 plagues that God sends on Egypt.
The in Gen 12 in vs 16 and 20 we see that Abram is sent away with great wealth, just like Exodus 12
36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
Just like Abram left Egypt with great wealth so did the children of Israel. And just like Abram they arrive back in the promised land of Caanan at the end to worship the Lord. Abram is now in Negeb and they would end up back in Caanan to worship the Lord.
It is clear that to this first audience these stories of Abram in Egypt would be a great encouragement that even when God’s people are fearful he is Faithful.
See since all of scripture is really all about God and not us, we must conclude that this story is left in scripture to show us how gracious and marvelous our God is.
When man is afraid of what he knows will certainly come upon him, and that causes him to compromise, even then, God will not turn away from his people. Once he sets his love upon them he will deliver them.
Israel heard this story and were reminded how even in Abrams sin God delivered him and when they needed him he also delivered them. God is proving his faithfulness all through scripture.
But for us now as we hear this, what are we meant to know and understand of our God?
What is we are to act in sin and faithlessly… Will God turn his back on us?
3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
This is the question the Apostle Paul brings up when teaching us about who the God of the Gospel is. He is faithful because that is who he is.
When he sets his love on you and awakens your heart it is for good, even if you act faithlessly. This is to his glory and only possible through fellowship with Jesus Christ according to the scriptures.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
When we are in Christ we are those who receive grace upon grace upon grace. For the children of Isreal to hear these stories and then to have Moses deliver the law to them. They couldn’t possible fulfill everything they needed to in order to be God’s people. And yet we are under the Gospel of Jesus Christ which to us is grace.
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Aren’t you glad that you have received grace and truth inJesus Christ?!
Are you despairing today because of the state of the world around you. It may not be a famine but it is none the less a God ordained moment for his people to walk through.
Are you tempted to come up with a plan to fix things on your own or will you hear of how God always rescues his people.
Perhaps today you have felt the weight of your sin and you know all too well just how faithless you have acted and just how much you have doubted God ability to to save and protect you… even more his ability to bless you in the midst of a broken sinful world. then listen to the word of God...
11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
God cannot deny himself. He is faithful. He always has been and always will be. Call on Jesus today to save you from your sin and he will save you. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and help and he will help you and fill you.
Look to your forefathers (like Abram) and how they were fickle, and learn not to waver in your trust of God. All through scripture God’s people have turn away from him and yet he still sends Jesus to save us from our sins… Why
Because he is faithful. No matter what we face today… it is a new day but the same God. He is a faithful God in the midst of fear, and we can trust him.