In the course of the journey, Abram and his entourage encountered severe famine. This situation forced them into Egypt where Abram, rather than consulting God, acted out of presumption. In the end, it required God to intervene. In the course of this story we see Abram’s fear, the errors he made, and God’s faithfulness to His promises.
Abram’s Fear
Abram’s wife Sarai was beautiful. She was a major part of the blessing from God. Maybe it was only a half lie but what if they killed him so they could have her? His fear was real. It played big in his thinking and caused him to strive for control over the circumstances.
Abram’s Errors
Abram’s fear overcame his faith. It caused him to make several errors. First, he forgot the promises of God. How could God fulfill His promise to make of him a nation if he were a dead man? Secondly he did not call on God for help. He likely knew the story of God delivering Noah and his family, but as of yet, in his own experience, he didn’t know God as a deliverer. Thirdly, he led his wife into deceit and left her vulnerable in a foreign country, in the home of a strange man.
God’s Faithfulness
Abram was treated well because of Sarai but God was not pleased. He didn’t scold Abram. Instead He sent great plagues against Pharoah and his household. Pharoah knew something was wrong before Abram did, and confronted him. “What is this you have done to me?” Pharoah asked. “Why did you lie? Here is your wife. Take her and go away.”
Despite Abram’s presumption and the circumstances which followed, God stayed true to His word. He continued to bless Abram. In 2 Timothy we read, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Or as written in the book of Numbers, “God is not a man, that He should lie.” What promises has God made to us? Do we allow fear to influence our actions in ways which deny His promises? In the course of this story we saw Abram’s fear, the errors he made, and God’s faithfulness to His promises.
