ABRAHAM SERIES: FROM FAITH TO FEAR.

Earlier in this twelfth chapter of Genesis, we saw after hearing six covenant promises from God, Abram responded to God’s instruction and left his country and journeyed to a land that God showed him. Also revealed was the fact that despite God telling him to get away from his kindred, Abram took his nephew Lot and his household with him.

Upon arrival in Canaan, God appeared to Abram and informed him that his seed would be given the land. Abram stayed in Canaan until there was a famine, and then he left Canaan and went down to Egypt.

Sarai was a beautiful woman, and Abram felt the Egyptians would kill him and take Sarai, so he told her while in Egypt if questioned to say she was his sister. As he expected, the princes of Pharoah saw how beautiful Sarai was, and they told Pharoah, who in turn took Sarai. In payment for Sarai, Pharaoh gave Abram sheep, oxen, asses, menservants, and maidservants. Nevertheless, God caused great plagues to beset Pharoah’s house because of the displacement of Sarai.

The scriptures do not reveal how Pharaoh realized Sarai caused the plagues, nor does it tell how he realized Sarai was Abram’s wife. It does share that Pharaoh confronted Abram about Sarai being his wife, returned her to him, and sent him away without harm by him or his men. 

This chapter disclosed how Abram went from faith in God to fear of man, and in doing so, he put his wife’s life in jeopardy. Fearing for his own life and acting unadvisedly, Abram places Sarai in a dangerous position. Sarai had to cover him when Abram, the head of the household, should have been protecting her. If not for the intervention of God, Sarai might have ended up being violated by Pharoah.

Recognize, spiritually speaking, that when Abram left his place of promise, he went down. While in Egypt, Abram did not build any altars to God. Nevertheless, the province of God willed that Sarai’s worth bring riches to Abram, which allowed Abram to gain wealth. Finally and most importantly, despite Abram’s faulty choices, God delivered him and his family.

Here are the nuggets I extracted from this blog:

No matter what negative situations are happening, stay in your assigned place.

If you have faith and trust in God for one thing, you can trust him in all things.

Trust God for your daily provisions.

Prayer and direction from God are necessary prior to making moves.

Fear for your life can make you forget the promises of God. 

Married people sometimes lie for their mates.

Denying marital status can lead to adultery.

When you are out of your assigned place, you must make unwanted adjustments.

When you are out of your assigned place, you enter dangerous territory.

When you are out of your assigned place, your family can be compromised.

When you are out of your assigned place, those around you can suffer.

Your employed subterfuge can lead to unwanted consequences.

Despite your failings, God is present to deliver.

God will afflict people to get you where you belong.

When you are delivered, return to your assigned place.