The Evidence of Rebellion...

This week, we are looking at a story in the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of Genesis. Yesterday, we saw the Lord engage Abraham in a conversation regarding the selfishness and rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was a heavy weight that cast itself against the holiness and justice of God. And as a result of the heaviness that the weight of the selfishness and rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah placed upon the holiness and justice of God, God came to earth with two witnesses to see firsthand what was happening.

While God was fully aware of what was occurring in Sodom and Gomorrah, His justice moved Him to gather all the facts together in preparation for His right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion there. The residents of Sodom and Gomorrah would be without excuse or defense, because God Himself was coming down to gather all the evidence necessary to answer any objection that anyone might have when it came to what He was about to do.

After allowing Abraham to intercede on behalf of Lot and the innocent, The Lord leaves Abraham. Today, we will see the story shift from the Lord and Abraham to the angels and Lot in Genesis 19:1. Let’s look at it together:

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square." Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

Now to fully understand what is happening here, we fist need to understand a few things about city life at this time in history. During this time in history, the city gate was the center of city life. The city gate was the hub of activity, which would have made the city gate the natural place to investigate and gather evidence regarding what was happening in the city. In addition, when visitors arrived at the city through the city gate, it was customary for the residents of the city to welcome the visitors.

And as the angels arrive at the city gate, Lot bowed down with his face to the ground, which was a customary sign of greeting and respect in the culture. Lot, unaware of who he is talking to, then invites the angels to spend the night at his home. The angels, however, wanted to spend the night in the square so as to gather information and to see how they would be treated.   Lot however, urged them strongly to stay at his house. In other words, Lot would not take no for an answer. Lot insisted that they stay with him.

But why would they reject such an offer? And why would Lot refuse to take no for an answer?  As we will see in a minute, Lot insisted that they stay with him and his family because Lot knew the danger of staying in the city square. Lot insisted because he already had a sense by how the residents of Sodom were responding to the angels and that the angels were in danger.

So Lot pressed the angels in a way that they could not take no for an answer. The angels finally accepted Lot’s invitation. However, after the angels had dinner with Lot and his family, their time with Lot was interrupted by the resident of Sodom in verse 4:

 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them." But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, "Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. "Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof." But they said, "Stand aside." Furthermore, they said, "This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them." So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door.

In other words, the entire male population of Sodom came to Lot’s door. Once at Lot’s door, the residents of Sodom asked him to send his guests outside so that they could have sex with them. You see, there were not even ten righteous people in Sodom. Instead, the population of Sodom wanted to participate in a homosexual gang rape of Lot’s guests.

Now, if that is not bad enough, Lot’s response seems even worse. “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. Hey don’t rape these men, instead rape my daughters”. Really. Lot unjustifiably offers his daughters to the men of the city because in the culture of the day, the host was responsible to protect his guests at all costs.

The residents of Sodom, however, did not appreciate Lot’s suggestion. The residents of Sodom basically say “Get out of the way. Who do you think you are anyways? You are an outsider who moved here, and yet you think you can judge us when it comes to who and how we have sex. Well, maybe we will just have to gang rape you as well”. At this point, the angels have gathered all the evidence that they need and reveal themselves and God’s response to the rebellion of Sodom in verse 10:

 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway. Then the two men said to Lot, "Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it."

Now when it says that the angels struck the men with blindness, this phrase literally means that the men of Sodom were struck with a dazzling light that blinded them. And as a result of being blinded by the light, the population of Sodom became tired of and gave up on their previous plans. The angels then revealed themselves and the reality that they would be the instruments that God would use to destroy Sodom as a result of the selfishness and rebellion that was a heavy weight that cast itself against the holiness and justice of God.

Friday, we will see Lot’s response to the news…

An Appealing Conversation....

During this summer, we have been looking at a section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible called the book of Genesis, where we have seen God engage a man named Abraham. This week, we are going to see the Lord continue to engage Abram in conversation. And it is in this conversation, and in what follows this conversation, that we will discover a timeless obstacle that can powerfully impact how we respond and live when it comes to God and God’s promises. So let’s begin where we left off last week, in Genesis 18:16:

Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? "For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him." And the LORD said, "The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. "I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know."

As we jump back into this story, we see Moses transition from a conversation between the Lord and Abraham and Sarah to a conversation between the Lord and the two angels that had accompanied Him on His visit. As Abraham walked with the Lord and the two angels toward the city Sodom, we are given a glimpse into this conversation. This conversation between the Lord and the angels, if communicated in the language we use today, would have sounded something like this:

 “Should I keep secret from Abraham what I am about to do? After all, I have promised Abraham that My choice of him would result in his descendants becoming a great nation that would be the vehicle that I will use to reveal Myself to the world.  I promised Abraham that through him and his descendant’s individuals from every people group and culture would have the opportunity to find blessing as part of a community of faith that would be My representatives on earth. After all, I chose Abraham to follow Me by faith and to live a life that is in right relationship with Me and reveals how right and just I am. And I choose Abraham and told him to teach his descendants after him to live the same way so that they could receive the promises that I made to them. So should I not let him know how I am going to exercise My right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah”?

After reminding the angels of His promise to Abraham, the Lord turns and engages Abraham in a conversation regarding these two cities. When the Lord says that the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, this phrase conveys the sense of the life of an innocent victim crying out for justice. This is a word picture of the innocent crying out to the just God for justice.  The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah cried out to Heaven for punishment, because the sin of the cities was exceedingly grave.

This phrase, exceedingly grave literally means to weigh heavily. The selfishness and rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah was a heavy weight that cast itself against the holiness and justice of God. And as a result of the heaviness that the weight of the selfishness and rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah placed upon the holiness and justice of God, God came to earth with two witnesses to see firsthand what was happening.

Now, God is not going down to Sodom and Gomorrah in order to get information. God is fully aware of what is happening there. God has all the information that He needs regarding the selfishness and rebellion of Sodom and Gomorrah. While God was fully aware of what was occurring in Sodom and Gomorrah, His justice moved Him to gather all the facts together in preparation for His right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion there.

The residents of Sodom and Gomorrah would be without excuse or defense, because God Himself was coming down to gather all the evidence necessary to answer any objection that anyone might have when it came to what He was about to do. And as Abraham takes in this conversation, we see his response recorded for us in verse 22:

 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. Abraham came near and said, "Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? "Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"

As the two angels headed to Sodom, we see Abraham engage the Lord in an effort to intercede for the residents of Sodom. You see, Abraham knew the evidence that the angels would gather in Sodom. And that evidence would result in God’s right and just response to the selfishness and rebellion there. And Abraham also knew that his nephew Lot and his family lived in Sodom. So Abraham intercedes with God to spare those in Sodom who would be right with God and not guilty of rebellion toward God.

Abraham appeals to God as the right and just God of justice. “You would not snatch away and destroy the innocent with the guilty, would You?” Abraham, out of concern for his nephew and the innocent, asks God to spare the entire city if there were fifty innocent people in Sodom. Now this word spare literally means to forgive. Abraham is asking God to forgive the rebellion of the residents of Sodom for the sake of fifty people who are innocent. We see God’s response in verse 26:

 So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account."

The Lord responds by revealing the reality that He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness. The Lord explains to Abraham that He is willing to forgive and spare the entire city if there are fifty innocent people. We see Abraham’s response to the Lord’s response of grace in the verses that follow:

 And Abraham replied, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. "Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?" And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." He spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose forty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it on account of the forty." Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?" And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." And he said, "Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the twenty." Then he said, "Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it on account of the ten." As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

Can you picture this conversation? Can you see Abraham doing the mental math? “Hhmm. What if there are not fifty innocent people there? Let me think; how many innocent people are there in Sodom anyways? I don’t know if there are fifty. God I know that I am not you; You are the Creator and I am just part of the creation. I know that I am here today and gone tomorrow. But I have resolved to speak out on behalf of the innocent. Would you forgive the city if there is only 45 instead of 50? How about 40? 30? Uhh let me think…how about 20? Are there even 20? Let’s see; there’s Lot and his wife and then their kids…how about 10?"

The Lord‘s response to Abraham’s repeated requests is the same: I will not destroy it on account of… After allowing Abraham to intercede on behalf of Lot and the innocent, The Lord leaves Abraham.

Tomorrow, we will see the story shift from the Lord and Abraham to the angels and Lot…

God’s promises require our trust regardless of our circumstances...

This week, we have been looking at a conversation between a man named Abraham and God that is recorded for us in a section of the very first letter in our Bible, called the book of Genesis. Wednesday, we saw Abraham respond to God reminding him that he would have a son by laughing in astonished amazement. Abraham laughed because he viewed it to be incredible to even consider the possibility that he and Sarah could have a son. Abraham laughed because he assumed that his descendants would come through Ishmael, who was the result of their lack of patience in God’s promises. In the back of his mind, there was a part of Abraham that believed that his plans would trump God’s promises.

The Lord responds to Abraham’s astonished amazement by reinforcing His promises and rebuking Abraham’s plans. As the Lord departed from Abraham and went back to Heaven, Abraham responded by faithfully following God’s command. Today, as we jump back into this story, we will see Abraham and Sarah have another encounter and conversation with the Lord. A conversation that is recorded for us in Genesis 18:1:

 Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. "Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant." And they said, "So do, as you have said." So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes." Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.

Moses records for us that a short time after the Lord returned to Heaven, the Lord, accompanied by two angels appear to Abraham. From Abraham’s perspective, the Lord and His two angels appeared like men. And as it was in the middle of the afternoon in the scorching heat of the dessert, Abraham offered hospitality. But, from the beginning, Abraham’s response made it clear that Abraham recognized that there was something special and significant about these three travelers.

Abraham and Sarah responded to the presence of these three travelers with extreme generosity. Abraham and Sarah, who was in the tent making provisions, used over 6 gallons of flour to make bread for just three men. In addition, the couple provides curds and milk to quench their thirst and add flavor to the meal, along with killing a choice animal to provide the best steak possible.

In addition to being very generous, Abraham was also very humble. Abraham spent his time serving the three men as they ate their meal. Abraham was the host with the most who served the best of the best out of generosity. And it is in this context that the Lord engages Abraham and Sarah in another conversation in verse 9:

Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" And he said, "There, in the tent." He said, "I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing.

Now when Moses reminds us that Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; and that Sarah was past childbearing, we need to remember that Abraham is 99 years old. Sarah is 90 and is on the other side of menopause. I imagine that sex was not what it once was for Abraham and Sarah. Now in case you thing I am making more about this than what is there, just look at Sarah’s response to the idea of having a child in verse 12:

Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

This phrase literally means, “after my wearing out, have I had sexual pleasure?” You see, God did not promise that He would provide them a child, by just placing a baby in Sarah’s belly. No, Abraham and Sarah were going to have a baby the old fashioned way. They were going to have to perform. Without Viagra or any other pharmaceutical aids.

They were going to have to get past their age; they were going to have to get past Sarah’s menopause; apparently, they were going to have to get past the fact that intimacy between them was not as pleasurable as it used to be. However, while Sarah laughed to herself, what she thought was a laugh to herself was a laugh out loud, as we see in verse 13:

 And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?'  "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Sarah denied it however, saying, "I did not laugh"; for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh."

The Lord responds to Sarah’s private laughter about her and Abraham’s lack of intimacy and pleasure by calling Sarah out publicly in front of Abraham. And as the Lord calls Sarah out for her doubt, we see the Lord ask them both a very pointed question: Is anything too difficult for the LORD? And it as at this point that Abraham and Sarah had a decision to make. Were they going to focus on their circumstances? Or were they going to trust in God’s promises regardless of their circumstances. Abraham and Sarah were going to have to act on with confident trust in God and his promises.

And it is here, in this conversation, that we see God reveal to us a timeless truth when it comes to God’s promises. And that timeless truth is that God’s promises require our trust regardless of our circumstances. Just as it was for Abraham and Sarah; just as it has been for humanity throughout history; experiencing God and the promises of God require a response. And that response is independent of our circumstances.

Just as it was for Abraham and Sarah, God has provided us clear direction when it comes to how we are to live in relationship with Him. And God’s direction has been the same throughout history: live a life of faithfulness and integrity that is driven by our confident trust in God and the word of God, regardless of our circumstances.

You see, God does not command us to be sinless, because none of us are or can be sinless. We all have done selfish and rebellious things that have hurt God and others.  Instead God commands us, regardless of our circumstances, to strive to follow Him by faith, as we live lives of integrity. Our lives are to be faithful and create the space for what only God can do as the promise maker and the promise keeper.

So here is the question for us to consider: Where is your focus? Are you focused on your circumstances? Or are you focused on living a life of faithfulness and integrity that is driven by our confident trust in God and the word of God, regardless of our circumstances?

Laughing At God's Promises...

This week, we are looking together at a conversation between the Lord and a man named Abraham that is recorded for us in the very first letter in the Bible, called the book of Genesis. Yesterday, we saw the Lord remind Abram of His promise to him 24 years earlier. And so that Abram would never forget God’s promise and God’s agreement with him, the Lord changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which literally means father of a multitude. As Abraham lived a life of faithfulness and integrity in relationship with God, the result would be a family tree that would reached across continents and centuries.

And if that was not enough, God reminded Abraham of His promise that the land that he had first traveled to as an alien and had lived as a foreigner would become his and his descendants very own possession. Abraham and his descendants would become God’s chosen people and God’s very own possession. Today we will see that, after reminding Abraham of His promise and His end of the agreement, the Lord explains to Abraham how he was to respond to His promises, beginning in Genesis 17:9:

 God said further to Abraham, "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. "A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. "But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."

Here we see the Lord explain to Abraham his responsibilities when it came to fulfilling his end of the agreement. First, in verse nine, God commands Abraham that he and his descendants were to keep and observe the covenant agreement. Then in verse 10, God explains what their responsibilities were when it came to keeping their end of the agreement: every male among you shall be circumcised. "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.”

And it is here where we discover what circumcision is and its significance for the Jewish people. Circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves removing the foreskin from the male genitals with a surgical knife, or in this case, a knife made of stone. The reason that circumcision was so significant was that circumcision was a covenant sign that identified the Jewish people as being God’s people. Circumcision was an outward sign was done in order to demonstrate an inward commitment and relationship to God.

So circumcision was not about performing for God in order to be right with God. Instead Abraham was to be circumcised in order to proclaim his trust in God as a promise maker and a promise keeper. God required that Abraham and all of his male family members and slaves undergo circumcision as a sign of their commitment to trust and follow the Lord. In the future, God commanded that every male child was to be circumcised on the 8^th day after their birth.

For the person who refused to be circumcised, however, the Lord explains that that person shall be cut off from his people. Here we see the Lord use a play on words to reveal the reality that for any of Abraham’s male slaves or relatives who refused to be circumcised, they would be exposed to the divine punishment of an untimely death. They would be exposed to untimely death because they would have nullified the agreement that God had made with them.

Now a question that I have been asked about circumcision is “Well what about women? Women could not get circumcised, so why was there not some sign that women had to do in order to identify themselves as being committed to a relationship with God? The reason why women were not required to be circumcised was because in God’s design for marriage relationships, men were to lovingly lead, protect, and provide for women in all aspects of their lives, including their worship and relationship with God. And as a result of God’s design for marriage as being a one flesh relationship, since the two have become one flesh there is only need for an outward sign on one. And as the Lord continues His conversation with Abraham, we see the focus of the conversation shift to Sarai in verse 15:

 Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. "I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

So that Abraham would never forget God’s promise and God’s agreement with him, the Lord also changed Sarai’s name to Sarah, which means princess. As Abraham and Sarah lived a life of faithfulness and integrity in relationship with God, the result would be the birth of a son and the beginning of a family tree that reached across continents and centuries. And from the family tree of Abraham and Sarah there would arise nations and rulers of nations. We see Abraham’s response to God’s promises in verse 17:

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!"

Abraham fell on his face in astonished amazement. Abraham laughed because he viewed it to be incredible to even consider the possibility that he and Sarah could have a son. Abraham laughed because he assumed that his descendants would come through Ishmael, who, as we discovered last week, was the result of their lack of patience in God’s promises.

In the back of his mind, there was a part of Abraham that believed that his plans would trump God’s promises. And because of that, Abraham asked God “what about Ishmael? Can’t your promises be fulfilled through Ishmael?” We see God’s response in verse 19:

 But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year."

The Lord responds to Abraham’s astonished amazement by reinforcing His promises and rebuking Abraham’s plans. The Lord basically says to Abraham, “no, you and Sarah are going to have a son. And since you think that the possibility of having a son is so funny, you will name your son Isaac, which means laughter. And while you are laughing now, your future son will not only remind you of your laughter; your future son will be thon one which I will establish my agreement and my promises with for all of eternity. As for Ishmael, the child of your lack of patience in my promises, I will respond to your prayer and grant your request. From Ishmael will arise many descendants and a great nation. But make no mistake; my promises and my agreement are not with Ishmael. Instead my promise and agreement is with the son I have promised, which Sarah will give birth to next year and whom you will name Isaac”.  We see Abraham’s response to the Lord’s rebuke and reinforcement of His promise in verse 22:

 When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him. Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. All the men of his household, who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

As the Lord departed from Abraham and went back to Heaven, Abraham responded by faithfully following God’s command. However, a short time later, Abraham and Sarah would have another encounter and conversation with the Lord.

Friday, we will take a look at that conversation and discover another timeless truth…

A Promise Seemingly Unfulfilled...

During this summer at the church where I serve, we have been spending our time together in a sermon series entitled Promise. During this series, we are looking at a section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible called the book of Genesis. In this series, have seen God engage a man named Abram. And as God engages Abram, we have seen that it is in God’s promises, and how we respond to God and His promises, that powerfully impact our lives as well.

This week, I would like for us to pick up where we left off last week. And as we enter into this section of the book of Genesis, we are going to see the Lord engage Abram in another conversation. To fully understand this conversation, however, we first need to be reminded of the context in which this conversation takes place. Some 13 years before this story, in Genesis 15, we see God remind Abraham, who was 86 years old, of His promise to make Him a great nation that would leave a great legacy.

Abraham responds to God’s reminder with a question “How is my reward going to great? I am 86 and have no children. I am getting old. You are going to have to give the reward to servant.” God then makes an amazing and seemingly impossible promise to Abraham. Your servant will not be your heir. No, Abraham, you will have a child. And you will not have a small legacy. Your legacy, your descendants will be too great to count.

Abraham responded to God’s promise by believing God’s promise. Now the word believed here, in the language that this letter was originally written in, is the same word for faith. It conveys the idea of entrusting oneself to someone in complete confidence. Abraham placed his compete confidence in God.

Now fast forward 13 years. Abraham is now 99 years old. It has been 24 years since God first engaged him in a conversation in Genesis 12. And Abraham still has had no children. For 24 years Abraham remembered God’s promise that he would be the father of many nations. For 24 years Abraham remembered God’s promise of being the forerunner and example that a multitude of nations would follow. And for 24 years that promise had remained unfulfilled. And it is in this context that we enter into this story in Genesis 17:1:

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly."

Now imagine yourself as Abraham in this story. How would you respond? You have waited for 24 years as a promise remained unfulfilled. And after all that time, God visibly appears to you and makes the following statement: "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless”. Now it is important to understand that this statement is not a suggestion; this statement is a command. When God commands Abram to walk before Me and be blameless, this little phrase walk before me refers to how one conducts their day to day life. The word blameless literally means to have a sense of wholeness and completeness.

You see, God is not commanding Abram to be sinless, because Abram is not and cannot be sinless. Instead God is commanding Abram to live a life of faithfulness and integrity that was based on his relationship with God. Now place yourself in Abram’s shoes. How would you respond? What would you say? What questions would you have? We see Abram’s response in verse 3:

Abram fell on his face,

Abram fell on his face in an act of faithful and obedient worship. And as Abram bowed in worship before the Lord, the Lord continued to speak with Abram, which we see in the second half of verse 3:

and God talked with him, saying, "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. "No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. "I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. "I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

Here we see the Lord remind Abram of His promise to him 24 years earlier: "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you”. Now the word covenant refers to an agreement entered into by two parties. In other words, the Lord is reminding Abram of the agreement and the promises that He had made to him.

And so that Abram would never forget God’s promise and God’s agreement with him, the Lord changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which literally means father of a multitude. As Abraham lived a life of faithfulness and integrity in relationship with God, the result would be a family tree that would reached across continents and centuries. And from the family tree of Abraham there would arise nations and rulers of nations. You see, Abraham was given his name in order to identify himself as being the father of all the faithful, regardless of ethnicity or nationality.

And if that was not enough, God reminded Abraham of His promise that the land that he had first traveled to as an alien and had lived as a foreigner would become his and his descendants very own possession. Abraham and his descendants would become God’s chosen people and God’s very own possession.

Tomorrow, after reminding Abraham of His promise and His end of the agreement, we will see the Lord explain to Abraham how he was to respond to His promises….

God's Promises Require Patience...

When we think of God’s promises, one of the questions that we can find ourselves asking is “when will God fulfill His promises?” You see, as Tom Petty sang, “the waiting is the hardest part”. And in a section of the very first letter in our Bibles, called the book of Genesis, we discover that this is not a new problem. Instead, this is a human nature problem, as we see beginning in Genesis 16:1:

Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me." But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority." Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count." The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers." Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?" Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him.

Here we see Abram and Sarai attempt to help God out when it came to fulfilling his promise of children to them. Sarai convinced Abram to give take her servant Hagar in marriage, so that she could have a child through her. Instead of trusting in God’s promises, Abram and Sarai attempted to help God out by coming up with their own plan, because God’s plan did not fit their timing. However, after Hagar became pregnant and gave birth to a son named Ishmael, Hagar and Sarai became bitter rivals.

And it is in this strange story that we discover that God’s promises require patience. Just as it was for Abram and Sarai; just as it has been for humanity throughout history; God’s promises require patience. Just like Abram and Sarai, we find ourselves tempted to attempt to help God out by coming up with our own plan when God’s plan does not fit our timing. And we can often ourselves in a place in our lives where we experience the wake of consequences that comes as a result of our lack of patience instead of patiently waiting on God’s promises.

So, how are you doing when it comes to patience? Are you patiently following the Lord while waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled? Or are you attempting to help God out with your own plan because you are impatient?

God’s promises, not our performance, provide an opportunity to be right with God...

In the opening book that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of Genesis, we see God pursue and make a series of promises to a man named Abram. And it is in these promises, and how we respond to these promises, that can have a powerful impact in our lives. Today, we see God continue to engage Abram in Genesis 15:1:

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" And Abram said, "Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir." Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir." And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be." Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.

And it is in this encounter that we see God reveal another timeless truth about God and God’s promises. And that timeless truth is that God’s promises, not our performance, provide an opportunity to be right with God. Just as Abram’s confident trust in God and God’s promises resulted in Him experiencing a right relationship with God, it is our confident trust in the God and the promises of God that result in us having the opportunity to experience a right relationship with God.

It was not Abram’s performance for God by having an heir that enabled him to be right with God; it was trusting in God’s promise of an heir that resulted in him experiencing a right relationship with God.  And just as God’s promise to Abram was only dependant on God’s commitment to Abram, God’s promise to us is only dependant on God’s commitment to us through a descendant of Abram named Jesus.

So, what are you trusting in? Are you trusting in your performance for God? Or are you trusting in God’s promises?

God’s promises promote generosity...

For the past few weeks, we have been looking at a section of a letter in our Bible called the book of Genesis. In this section we have seen how God’s promises, and how we respond to God and His promises, can powerfully impact our lives.

Today, I would like for us to pick up where we left off last week. After being removed from the nation of Egypt and discovering that God’s promises trump our plans, we see Abram, Sarai, and Lot back in the land of Canaan. However, a problem arises between them, as we see in Genesis 13:1:

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land. So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. "Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left." Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere-- this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah-- like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

And it is in this story that we discover that timeless truth that God’s promises promote generosity. Abram humbly and generously allowed Lot to choose where he wanted to settle. And just as Abram’s trust in God and the promises of God promoted an attitude of generosity toward Lot, as followers of Jesus, our trust in God’s promises should produce and promote generosity toward others.  And just as it was for Abram, our generosity toward others serves as a sign that we aligned with the heart of God and the Promises of God.

 

So what does the level of your generosity reveal about the level of trust that you have in God and the promises of God?

God’s promises trump our plans...

This week, we are looking at a section of the very first letter in our Bible, called the book of Genesis. In this section, we saw Abram believe that he had a plan to ensure his survival that was fool proof and would cover all the bases. A plan that would result in Abram being treated well by the Egyptians who he believed would attempt to win Abram over so he would to agree to let them marry his “sister”. A plan that would ensure the survival of Abram and Sarai from a famine and the advances of any man who would be interested in marrying his beautiful wife.

Yesterday, however, we discovered that, like so many plans, there was a major problem with Abram’s plan. We saw Abram’s foolproof plan fall apart, as Sarai was given in marriage by her husband Abram to Pharaoh and became a part of Pharaoh’s harem. Abram’s foolproof plan backfires as he loses his wife. Abram’s foolproof plan results in Sarai sleeping with and having an affair with Pharaoh.

Instead of trusting and obeying God for his survival, Abram decided that he was going to help God out by coming up with a plan to ensure his survival and the fulfillment of God’s promises. But now, far too late in the game, his plan has now backfired and has threatened the fulfillment of God’s promise. Today, we will see that it is in this context that we see God step into the situation in a powerful way in verse 17:

 But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

Here we see the Lord respond to Abram’s illegitimate attempts to help God out by bailing Abram and Sarai out of the horrendous mess that they had made. The Lord responds to the situation by inflicting Pharaoh and his household with a series of plagues. Now a natural question that arises here is “Well, Dave, why did God inflict Pharaoh with a series of plagues? I mean Pharaoh did not know that Abram had lied to him? How can God punish Pharaoh when Pharaoh was ignorant of Abram’s deceptive plan?”

If these questions are running through your mind, I want to let you know that they are great questions to be asking. And my response to those questions is this: Just because Pharaoh was ignorant of Abram’s deception that does make ignorance an excuse for selfishness and rebellion. Throughout the pages of the Bible we see revealed for us the reality that ignorance is not an excuse in God’s eyes.

And while Pharaoh was ignorant of Abram’s deception, he was not ignorant of his rebellion against God when it came to how he expressed his sexuality and by how he viewed himself as a god. And, as we will see, Pharaoh clearly understood that he was experiencing divine judgment for his selfishness and rebellion. We see this reality revealed for us in Pharaoh’s response in verse 18:

 Then 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."

Pharaoh responds to the divine judgment that he and his household was receiving by angrily summoning Abram and Sarai into his presence. Pharaoh focuses his anger at Abram with three sharply worded questions: "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?” You see, Pharaoh now recognized that he was guilty of adultery as a result of Abram’s deception.

Yet, unlike another ruler, King David, Pharaoh resists the temptation to further exercise his power in a selfish and rebellious way. Instead of killing Abram and keeping his wife, Pharaoh recognizes that the punishment would be even more severe on him and his family if he killed Abram. From Pharaoh’s perspective, if he experienced these severe plagues after sleeping with Abram’s wife, what would happen if he killed Abram?

So Pharaoh repents of his adultery by restoring Sarai to Abram, without asking for the large dowry that made Abram an amazingly wealthy man, and then tells them to leave. And as the story concludes, we see Pharaoh make sure that they leave in verse 20:

 Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him.

Now when Moses says that Pharaoh commanded his men to escort Abram and Sarai out of Egypt, this phrase, in the language that this letter was originally written in, is the exact same phrase that is used to describe how God removed Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Pharaoh had some of his men act like bouncers and threw Abram and Sarai out of Egypt.  Abram, Sarai, Lot, and the large dowry that made Abram amazingly wealthy, left Egypt and returned to the Promised Land, to the area near its southern border.

Now, I don’t know about you, but this story makes me want to go take a shower. This story has a high “ick” factor to it that makes you want to cringe, doesn’t it? But it is here, in this story that makes us want to cringe, that we see God reveal to us a timeless truth when it comes to God’s promises. And that timeless truth is that God’s promises trump our plans. Just as it was for Abram and Sarai; just as it has been for humanity throughout history; God’s promises trump our plans.

I mean, if we were brutally honest with ourselves, how often are we tempted to act just like Abram? How often do we find ourselves tempted to attempt to help God out by coming up with our own plan, instead of trusting in God’s promises and obeying God’s plan?  How often do we find ourselves in a place where we attempted to follow our foolproof plan, only to later look on as our foolproof plan backfires and falls apart?  And how often can we find ourselves in a place in our lives where we experience the wake of consequences that comes as a result of trusting in our plans instead of God’s promises? How often have we been in a place where God fulfills His promises to us in spite of us instead of because of us?

So here are some questions to consider: What are you trusting in? Are you trusting in God’s promises by following God’s plan? Or are you trusting in your attempts to help God out by coming up with your own plan? 

The Falling Apart of a Foolproof Plan...

This week, we are looking at a story that is recorded in the very first letter of the Bible, called the book of Genesis that makes us want to cringe. Yesterday, we saw Abram, out of fear for his life, come up with a deceptive plan that called for he and Sarai to claim that Sarai was his sister. Abram believed that he had a plan to ensure his survival that was fool proof and would cover all the bases. A plan that would result in Abram being treated well by the Egyptians who he believed would attempt to win Abram over so he would to agree to let them marry his “sister”. A plan that would ensure the survival of Abram and Sarai from a famine and the advances of any man who would be interested in marrying his beautiful wife.

Today, however, like so many plans, there was a major problem with Abram’s plan. A problem that is exposed in Genesis 12:14:

 It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.

Moses tells us that when Abram and Sarai settled into Egypt as an outsider in the midst of their culture, Sarai became the talk of the town. You see, not only did Abram think that Sarai was easy on the eyes; the Egyptians also saw Sarai as being very easy on the eyes. And very quickly word spread all over Egypt about Abram and his beautiful sister who had moved into town. Sarai was so beautiful that when the officials of Pharaoh saw her, they responded to her beauty by praising her beauty to Pharaoh himself. And as soon as Pharaoh heard his officials sing the praises about the beauty of Sarai, Pharaoh decided that it was time to add another wife to his collection. And Pharaoh would not take no for an answer.

You see, this was not some man that Abram could simply buy time with when it came to his interest in Sarai. This was not some man whom Abram could just make the price and the conditions of marriage too steep, and he would back off. This is Pharaoh; this is a person who is one of the most powerful people on the planet at this time in history. This is a man who has almost unlimited resources. This is a man who does not take no for an answer. This man will do what it takes and pay what it takes to get what he wants.

And what he wants is Sarai. And because he wanted Sarai, he treated Abram well for her sake. Pharaoh gave Abram an amazingly large dowry for the right to have Sarai as wife. Pharaoh gave Abram a large amount of livestock and slaves. In addition Pharaoh upped the ante by giving Abram female donkeys and camels, which were considered expensive, luxury items in that day.  This dowry would have made Abram a wealthy man.

Now, place yourself in Abram’s shoes. What would you be thinking? How would you respond? What excuse or reason could Abram possibly use as to why he would not give his “sister” Sarai to Pharaoh? You see, there was no legitimate answer that would not result in Abram being exposed as a deceiver. And as a result, Moses tells us that Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s house.

In other words, Sarai was given in marriage by her husband Abram to Pharaoh and became a part of Pharaoh’s harem. Abram’s foolproof plan had fallen apart. Abram’s foolproof plan backfires as he loses his wife. Abram’s foolproof plan results in Sarai sleeping with and having an affair with Pharaoh.

Instead of trusting and obeying God for his survival, Abram decided that he was going to help God out by coming up with a plan to ensure his survival and the fulfillment of God’s promises. But now, far too late in the game, his plan has now backfired and has threatened the fulfillment of God’s promise.

Tomorrow, we will see God enter into this story in a powerful way and reveal for us a timeless truth regarding God’s promises…

A seemingly foolproof plan...

A few weeks ago, we looked at a section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of Genesis. In Genesis 12:1-9, we saw the Lord command Abram to leave his country, his culture, and the religious system of his family behind. Abram was to leave all that he had previously known behind in order to go to the land which I will show you. The Lord did not provide Abram a destination; instead Abram was simply pointed in the right direction and told to get going.

 

The Lord also promised Abram that his obedience to the command would result in individuals from every people group and culture, being blessed. In what God was going to do through Abram and Abram’s descendants, all humanity would have the opportunity to find blessing as Abram found blessing.

And it was in this story, that God revealed to us a timeless truth that God’s promises require a response of trusting obedience. Just as it was for Abram; just as it has been for humanity throughout history; experiencing God and the promises of God require a response. And that response involves is a response of trust and of obedience. Just as it was for Abram, God has provided us clear direction when it comes to how we experience and live in relationship with Him. And God’s direction has been the same throughout history: follow Me to the place where I will show you.

We discovered that the Lord never reveals our life story by telling us how the story of our lives is going to end. Instead, the Lord, day by day, says “follow Me today. Follow Me and My word today and trust Me that I am leading you the right way to the right place”. God call to us, just as it was to Abram, is to obey Him and trust Him with the results of that obedience.

 

We ended our time together with God showing Abram all the land that was promised to his descendants. Starting from the north and traveling south, the Lord led Abram on a journey to take a tour of the Promised Land. And each leg of that journey required Abram to trust and obey the Lord as he was led into the unknown.

This week, I would like for us to spend our time together picking up where we left off a few weeks ago. And as we enter back into a section of the very first letter that is recorded for us in the Bible, called the book of Genesis, we come to one of the stories in the Bible that gives me the confidence that the Bible was not made up by men. This story reinforces for me the reality that the Bible was not made up by men, because, if I was writing the Bible, I would not have put this story in the Bible.

This story is one of those stories that make you cringe when you read it. This story has a high “ick” factor to it. And it is in this story that we will see God reveal for us another timeless truth when it comes to God, the promises of God, and how our response to God and His promises can powerfully impact our lives. So let’s look at this story together, beginning in Genesis 12:10:

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.

After being led on a tour of the Promised Land, Abram, Sarai, and Lot ended up continuing toward the Negev, which is the southern desert area between Jerusalem and Egypt. However, there was a problem. And the problem, Moses tells us, is that there was a famine in the land. You see, the land that God had promised Abram was prone to times of drought and famine. As a matter of fact, the book of Genesis records three significant famines that occur in this area.

However, this was not a normal time of a lack of precipitation. Instead, Moses tells us that the famine was severe in the land. This phrase literally means that the population of the region was oppressed by the drought and subsequent famine. This famine was weighing heavily upon the people.

The famine was so severe that Abram made the decision to travel to Egypt. Unlike the region of the Negev, Egypt’s water supply was much more reliable, with the Nile River providing a consistent source of water. And because of that reality Abram made the decision to make the trip to Egypt. The decision to travel to Egypt was not God’s decision. Abram made the decision on his initiative, not God’s initiative. When Moses tells us that Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, this phrase means that Abram went to Egypt to live as a foreigner. 

You see, Abram did not travel down to Egypt in order to embrace the culture of Egypt. Abram had no desire to become an Egyptian. Instead Abram made the decision to travel to Egypt to live as an outsider in the midst of the culture. Abram was simply relocating temporarily to seek relief from the famine. However, as Abram approached the border of Egypt, we see him engage Sarai in one of the strangest conversations that is recorded for us in the entire Bible. Let’s look together as Moses lets us listen in on that conversation, beginning in Genesis 12:11:

 It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

As Abram approached Egypt, a fear began to grow in his mind. You see, Abram had come to understand that his wife Sarai was beautiful in appearance. Abram recognized that he had married up in the world. And because Sarai was easy on the eyes, she would draw a lot of attention from the Egyptians. Sarai’s beauty would result in Egyptian men being attracted to her. But since Sarai was married to Abram, she was no longer on the market.

At least, she was no longer on the market as long as Abram was alive. If Abram was dead, however, Sarai would be available. You see, Abram feared that when the Egyptians saw Sarai that they would kill him, but they would allow Sarai to live so that they could marry her. And Abram recognized that as a stranger in a strange land he and Sarai would be vulnerable. As outsiders in a foreign land, there would be no one to support or protect them.

And as a result of Abram’s fear, Abram shares his fear with his wife. "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.” However, what Abram does not mention to Sarai is that the reason why the Egyptians would kill him is so that they could have Sarai.

You see, Abram was so focused on his own situation that he did not take into account how his plan could impact Sarai. From Abram’s perspective, God’s promises would not be fulfilled if he was dead. But instead of trusting and obeying God for his survival, Abram decided that he was going to help God out by coming up with a plan to ensure his survival. We see Abram reveal his plan to Sarai in verse 13:

"Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."

Now this morning, imagine yourself as Sarai, place yourself in her shoes: What would you think of Abram’s plan? Actually, Abram’s plan was more of a command then a plan. Abram commands Sarai to lie to the Egyptians so that instead of killing him the Egyptians would treat him well. Now, if you were Sarai, would you be happy about the plan? And would you think that the plan would place you in danger? While the Bible does not specifically tell us what Sarai thought of Abram’s plan, her silence, here and later in the story, indicates that she agreed to the plan.

Now a natural question that arises here is “What is Abram thinking here? I mean what would possess Abram to try to get his wife to say that she was his sister instead of his wife?”  To understand what would possess Abram to come up with such a plan, let’s take a minute and place ourselves in Abram’s shoes. You see, from Abram’s point of view, he believed that from a man’s perspective, if a woman is very attractive, and there is a guy that is constantly with the woman, it would be better for that guy’s chances of survival if that guy was her brother instead of her husband.

In addition, by claiming to be Sarai’s brother, Abram could fend off potential suitors by promising marriage and then not follow through on that promise by actually giving her away.

Abram believed that by being deceptive, he could buy time to deal with any man who was interested in Sarai. Abram thought that he could just make the price and the conditions of marriage too steep, and the potential suitor would back off.  As a matter of fact, a little later in the book of Genesis we see Laban attempt to use this technique when it came to his sister Rebekah being given away in marriage to Isaac.

So Abram believed that he had a plan to ensure his survival that was fool proof and would cover all the bases. A plan that would result in Abram being treated well by the Egyptians who he believed would attempt to win Abram over so he would to agree to let them marry his “sister”. A plan that would ensure the survival of Abram and Sarai from a famine and the advances of any man who would be interested in marrying his beautiful wife. But, like so many plans, there was a major problem with Abram’s plan.

Tomorrow, we will look at that problem and its consequences….