Genesis Session 20

On the move… that is where we find Abram and his family in our study this evening.

Moving from one place to another can be a season of all kinds of emotions.

One, you have to load up all your belongings and prepare them to travel with you

Two, you have to say goodbye to those you know and love that you are leaving

Three, you are starting over in a new place. Yes, there may be some commonalities, but it is still a major adjustments

Four, you have to unpack everything you boxed up and find a new spot for it

Five, you have to get settled into your new job, home, neighborhood, culture, etc.

Abram had been following the directive of the Lord at this point...

God had given him a promise… and Abram had moved on that promised. ABRAM BELIEVED GOD.

And this is a GOOD thing!

Believing God means a person is willing to do WHATEVER God instructs them to do… even if they don’t have all the details. Believing God means you trust Him to fill in whatever blanks may exist.

For Abram, God had promised to make His offspring into a nation… but Abram’s wife was unable to conceive. Only God could fill in that blank.

God had also promised Him the land… a land that God said He would show Abram. Abram trusted in God’s word and knew that God would truly show him the right way… and the right land. Only God could fill in that blank.

Today we are going to study a section of Scripture that looks a little… different.

We are going to find Abram on the move… but his moving is NOT based on the word of the Lord… but rather is based on his circumstance. Abram moves to change the situation he found himself in.

This is not always a bad thing… but it MUST include something very important - time spent with God regarding the decision.

We hit on this a while back in our Sunday Morning series… Joshua and the Israelites found themselves in a “treaty” with a people who had deceived them. The offer looked too good to be true so… without taking time to talk to God, they moved on the offer. And… the damage was done.

There can be times in life when our circumstances become concerning… even unbearable. And if you should ever find yourself in such a place… DO NOT MAKE ANY MOVES BEFORE TAKING IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER.

God is the master at filling in ALL the blanks! This is where unwavering trust comes in! God will not let you down.

In your pursuit of His will, If He says stay… then stay. If He says go… then go. But do not act until you have heard from the Lord!

Abram is moving because of what was happening in the land.

And what we are going to see is… three circumstantial wants that get Abram into a bit of trouble.

Abram looked to ease his situation but his desire led to some less than unfortunate events.

Circumstantial Want Number One: Abram Looked for Relief from the FAMINE.

Genesis 12:10 NIV

10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.

What is Famine?

Famine is the lack of a supply of food or water. Famine is the loss of that which sustains life.

Famine is not just the inability to acquire food or water meaning it is available but off limits, Famine is NO food and/or NO water to be had.

Imagine relocating to a new area, setting up your tents, get everything situated and then BAM! Famine hits the land! You watch the supply chains dry up, the crops wither away, and the rain cease to come.

The thought, “Did God really bring me here for this?” might even cross your mind!

Famine is no laughing matter.

Abram was facing a very difficult situation. His circumstance was beyond his control.

He could not change the food supply issue.

He could not make it rain.

All he could do… was move. All he could do is go to a land where the famine was not.

Now this seems like a very logical and reasonable move for Abram to make. Yet, we see no mention of Abram seeking God or talking to God regarding this move. Abram simply aims to change his circumstance.

Church… we need to stop and realize something for a moment. GOD MAY HAVE US IN THE CIRCUMSTANCE FOR GOOD REASON. And even though we may not understand in the moment what that reason is… we must learn to trust in Him.

This is why it is so important that we move according to the will of God and NOT the circumstance we might find ourselves in.

I never faced a famine but we have faced hard times. Yes, it might have been easier just to box everything up and go a different way… but God never promised that the path He sets us on will be the path of least resistance.

The enemy will do everything he can to tempt you to leave the direction God is leading you. Satan will try to make it look easier… he will try to convince you to go another way.

Such is why Jesus gave us this warning in Matthew 7:13-14

Matthew 7:13–14 NIV

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

The broad road is easier to travel… it is the road that many will take. It is culturally acceptable… it’s always easier to just go with the flow. But that path leads to destruction.

Abram makes a decision without first talking to God. He is looking to change his circumstance and escape the famine. Yet this one decision would lead to additional concerns that Abram would have to face.

Circumstantial Want Number Two: Abram Looked for Relief from his FEAR.

Genesis 12:11–12 NIV

11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.

Abram’s fear of the famine caused him to relocate to Egypt… but this relocation presented another problem… he became afraid of what might happen because of how beautiful his wife was.

In Abram’s day… Egyptian customs would not allow for a foreign prince and his entourage to live within its boarders without making a treaty.

The custom was for the foreign prince to give an acceptable daughter or a sister into the Pharaoh's harem to seal the treaty and guarantee good behavior while in Egypt.

If no treaty was made, crossing the boarder into Egypt would be considered an invasion or an act of war.

Fear moved Abram to convince his wife to tell the Egyptians she was his sister. Abram moved to escape the severity of the famine, but his wife would have to pay a heavy price.

Imagine for a moment… coming to a place where fear moved you to give up your spouse for the sake of your life. Abram should have been willing to give his life for the sake of his spouse… but in this case… his fear placed him in self-preservation mode.

Moving in fear often comes with a heavy price. When emotions are at the helm, we tend to do things we later regret.

Once again, Abram felt backed up against a wall. In order to escape the famine, they HAD to move to Egypt. In order for Abram to escape death, he HAD to lie about his relationship with his wife.

His human reasoning was going off the scale. He felt it was the only thing he could. So one move led to another and both moves led him further from God’s will.

Abram, the man who built altars in his last venture… has yet to make time to talk to God in his escape from his circumstance.

I find it interesting that when God told him to go… nothing was wrong per se… and Abram was quick to follow. Now that something was wrong, Abram found himself following noting but his impulsive response to the famine and his fear.

And… interestingly enough… what Abram spoke… came true.

Genesis 12:14–15 NIV

14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace.

We will never know if things might have played out differently had Abram told the truth. But the fear that guided Abram was the reality that came about.

Abram was alive… but now his wife was a prisoner of sorts to Pharoah.

And Abram… was a prisoner of fear.

But Abram’s circumstance wasn’t quite where he wanted it… not yet. For there was one more thing he wanted to happen in this season of transition.

Circumstantial Want Number Three: Abram Wanted Favor.

Genesis 12:13 NIV

13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

Abram had the favor of God in the land that he left.

Yes, famine was a very real thing… but can God overcome those kinds of circumstances? Sure He can!

Abram left the favor of God… and now looked for the favor of Pharoah. Look what happens after the lie is sown when they entered Egypt.

Genesis 12:16 NIV

16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.

Pharoah honored the treaty and Abram gained in wealth… but lost his wife! But Abram had what he wanted...

What cost are you willing to pay for what you want? For Abram… it cost him dearly. And his actions placed others in bad places as well.

His wife was now a mistress of the Pharoah. Yikes… I can’t imagine what she was feeling and what she was going through!

It cost Abram his favor with God. He was not walking in the will of the Father, but was walking in his personal plan to change his circumstance.

It cost the Pharoah his health and well-being. Although ignorant to the truth, God moved against what had taken place.

Genesis 12:17–20 NIV

17 But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

BUSTED! The lie had caught up to him. The truth had come out and they were no longer welcome in the land. One bad decision led to another that led to another. Abram’s wants led him to a place of disgrace and dishonor.

And such is why we cannot afford to allow our circumstances to dictate to us our direction.

God knows what He is doing! And if we truly want what He wants… then we will seek Him for direction and wisdom no matter what our circumstances look like.

The old phrase, “the grass is always greener on the other side” is something we should really take to heart. Again… the enemy will try to tempt us with our wants to lure us off the path God has for us. He did this very thing to Jesus while He was in the wilderness.

Matthew 4 tells the story.

When Jesus was hungry, the devil tempted Him with His felt needs.

Since Jesus was the Son of God, the devil tempted Him to prove His identity.

Because Jesus had a humble status, the devil tempted Him in promising Him everything.

Jesus didn’t go for it! And consider this… it was the Spirit of God that led Jesus to the wilderness in the first place! God had a plan… and Jesus was NOT about to let the devil mess up that plan!

Closing

We don’t always know why we go through what we do. Our circumstances are not always easy. But so long as we trust in Jesus… He will get us through!

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We need to learn to trust in Jesus no matter what!

Abram really messed things up when he impulsively reacted to the circumstances that surrounded him. Church, instead of moving into panic mode… we need to always move in faith and obedience. Before you make any decisions… decide first to pray about it. Seek God and His plan.

God will never let you down. God will never leave you or abandon you.

If you find yourself tempted to go about things on your own… step back and let God in. Fear is a powerful motivator… but faith will save you from operating in fear.

Place your trust in Jesus… find rest in Him, learn from Him, and allow the Lord to refresh your soul. he will guide you in the right way and He will do things you never thought possible!