Genesis 12. 10-20 Faith and failure.

Living in the Negev, the “Dry Place” ( where there can eb no rain throghout the summe) on the southern side of Canaan, Abram found himself in the middle of a famine (v. 10).  This, in the land of promised blessings,  was a severe test of Abram's faith.  So, he headed off  to Egypt, a fairly prosperous place where people commonly went in times of famine. Records from Egyptian border officials show that people were often allowed to enter the land to find food. Years later, Abram’s grandson Jacob would look to Egypt in time of famine. But there's a problem, entering into this big, powerful pagan country.
Fear cut in as Abram analysed the facts (you are a woman beautiful to behold) and assumes the worst (the Egyptians will kill me).  (11-12)   Remember Dr Hook?  “When you're in love with a beautiful woman...”
When you're in love with a beautiful woman You know it's hard
Everybody wants her Everybody loves her, Everybody wants to take your baby home.
Only it wasn't his friends Abram had to watch, it was the king, Pharaoh., who would “want to take his baby home” and kill him to get him out of the way. 

We open ourselves up to fear when we add to the facts (Sarai was no doubt a beautiful woman) and add in our own assumptions, as though they were part of the facts.  Functioning well in challenging times, depends in part, on knowing the difference between the facts, and our negative assumptions about the facts. 

Failure. But don't worry. Abram had a scheme, so clever you could pin a tail on it and call it a fox.  In fact he had already decided, before they even set off on their journeys, that the time might come when they would claim to be brother and sister.  It was a  half-truth: Sarai was his half-sister (an arrangement we find abhorrent but which was tolerated four thousand years ago) and there is ancient evidence for the idea of  there being a  special social status attaching to a “sister-wife”.  But despite all that, the intention was to deceive.  So Abram said to Sarai, “Say you are my sister”. (13-15).   You remember the phrase “being economical with the truth”   made famous by Lord Armstong during the “Spycatcher” trial in Australia.  At that trial when barrister Malcolm Turnbull asked a really good question: “What is the difference between a misleading impression and a lie?”  

So here was Abram, set on minimising the risk to himself while subjecting Sarai to the discomfort of separation from family, living in a Royal Harem, with the possibility of having to give herself physically to a man she didn't love.  Abram was no gentleman at this point in his life.  He was a coward.  And he was so short sighted.  Sure, nothing happened. Abram rightly guessed that Sarai would not have been allowed anywhere near the Pharaoh for months, but would have joined a Harem and had a lengthy time of preparation: but that wouldn't last for ever.  Abram  told himself he would eventually think of something.   We all know that realities are better faced, and unpleasant tasks don as soon as possible.  And it was unbelief.  After all, God had said “I will make you a great nation” so Abram's life wasn’t' going to end at this point in some Egyptian dungeon.  

For a while, none of that seems to bother Abram:  as Sarai's brother, Abram was treated generously by Pharaoh, and  he gained considerable wealth (counted in cattle and sheep).  It may have been short sighted, cowardly, and downright dishonest: but it seemed to be paying off.

“Found out!”  Then people in Egypt started to get sick and to suffer from insect attacks.   God judged Egypt with plagues.  (17-19)   We actually don't know quite what they were.  Humanly speaking, maybe some kind of “public health” issue.   Now not every plague or flood or earthquake is “God's judgement”.  We live in a  broken world, where the good God spoke into the world in creation has been damaged and spoiled.  But on this occasion, as they struggled with the outbreak, and (presumably) used their own diviners and magicians to find out the cause, the Egyptians discovered that it was God.  It was happening because one beautiful woman who had been taken into the Harem – Sarai – was already married. Pharaoh  summoned Abram in, and asked him what he thought he was doing?  I imagine at that point, Abram swallowed hard: he's made the situation ten times worse. Not only was Pharaoh powerful enough to kill off Abram but now he was really angry, too.   God was at work – but Abram was still in a tight spot!

Freedom  What Pharaoh does is say  “Here is your wife, take her, and be gone.”  (19b, 20). And Abram is able to escape with Sarai – and all he had gained in Egypt....  This is a remarkable foretaste of the plagues of the Exodus; hundreds of years later Abram's descendants would end up stuck in Egypt; God would send plagues to persuade Pharaoh to let his people go, and when they eventually did escape, they left with the gold and jewellery the Egyptians had given them.  

This is grace at work! Despite the fact that Abram has badly messed up, God has given him the intervention he didn't have the faith for and indeed he didn't deserve!  The plagues – sent by God – were enough to chasten Pharaoh so that he as prepared to let Abram go.  Wasn't god good to Abram?  Despite his complete lack of faith, he spoke to Pharaoh through a series of natural disasters.  And he gave Abram the kind of Pharaoh who was prepared to listen, and let him go.  He was working his plan out all the time, even through Abram's unbelief, cowardice immaturity and immorality.  I'd say that was grace.  It was mercy. 

• “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. (or Because of his steadfast love we are not consumed) his mercies never come to an end.   (Lam 3. 22).  
• “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3. 6).
• “No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel,  for I am God and not a mere mortal.”  (Hosea 11. 9)  

So God was working things out.  He was looking after Abram; he was protecting both Abram and Sarai, and even adding to Abram’s wealth at the same time.  That's grace. 

Abram journeyed back Northwards, towards the Negev – the dry place, with his wife, his sheep, his cattle.  And with the Lord; with his faith.  God had proved himself capable of providing for Abram's needs and protecting him.  A dry year or two was a problem to Abram, but not to the Lord.  And God had proved himself faithful, generous and loving, even in spite of Abram's failure and weakness and sin. 

He had obviously learned and grown thorough his experience in Egypt.   There would be plenty more challenges to Abram's faith. Some of these challenges, he would face with faith and wisdom.  That's a story for another time.    

If we were journeying with Abram, back to the Negev, what would we want to say to Abram? Possibly “You plonker Abram; what were you thinking about?  How could you?”   But I don't think we should be too hard on Abram: not because his mistakes weren't serious –  they were serious – but because they are our mistakes as well.  We recognise deception, fear, cowardice, short-sighted thinking, unbelief, in our own lives. 

This old man, who had such amazing faith as to get up and go, to an unknown land, because God said so, can encourage us with his faith.  In fact Rom 4. 11 says “Abraham is the spiritual father of those who believe ” whether or not they obey the Jewish laws.  But he can encourage us with his failures, too.  Because it took him the rest of his life, years and years of small victories and serious defeats, to be able to overcome the unbelief, the instinct to fix things himself, just in case God didn't do it.  His experience shows us that it is possible for us, too, to be men and women of faith.    

© Gilmour Lilly April  2015

Genesis 12. 1-9: Abram: Stepping out in faith

Just over a week ago I had my 59th birthday!  It sounds “old”;  it makes me feel old.   Roy didn't help by mentioning the prospect of having a bus pass in another year's time!   It all made me think about the changes in life as we get older: less energy, maybe less options and choices; being shaped and held by the consequences of decisions in the past, and maybe losing potential and a bit of the zest for life. You feel you no longer can; and you feel you no longer care. When you are in your twenties you think you can conquer the world. At sixty it's a bit late to be starting; there's the temptation just to mark time...  and maybe the possibility of taking things a bit easier.

Abram was 75 years old when his story begins.  Now a while ago Ruth said to me “70's the new 50”... and Abram's father was 130 when Abram was born … but Abram had plenty of reasons to think that some of his hopes in life were not going to be fulfilled; and to settle comfortably with what he had.... He could easily have decided eh was too old to be starting a new venture...  And God spoke to him.... Abraham at 75 : too old to be starting a new venture? But the very fact that God spoke to him  should encourage us if we are feeling to old or we've made unwise choices or in some other way come to a point where we feel we have no future.  Abram certainly wasn't too old to start an adventure of faith!

So this morning I'm speaking to all of us who think we are living with the consequences of decisions we have made and things we have done.  I'm talking to those of us who feel we've missed the boat, had our chance; those of us who feel frustrated and tired.... if we are feeling to old or we've made unwise choices or in some other way come to a point where we feel we have no future.   And God wants to speak to us.....that should encourage us.

When God speaks, listening isn't optional.
The chapter actually begins not with how old Abram was – it begins with the voice of God.  It is god who takes the initiative and begins this covenant relationship with Abram.  This is where the  Abraham story begins.  And these are not just random, nice words of encouragement.   This is a “covenant”... a treaty,  a special promise, that the Lord makes with Abram. 

Covenant.   In the ancient world, these treaties or covenants were often made between different rulers or groups of people.  They could sometimes be pretty much between equals: “We will allow you to pass through our territory, and you will allow us to pass through your territory; If you have a war, we will send our soldiers to help you fight; and if we have a war, you will send soldiers to help us.”  But sometimes these covenants were made between a powerful king, and a much less powerful country.  They usually went something like this: “You will pay taxes to our king every year; and send soldiers to fight in our army; and if you do, we will leave you to live in peace”.  Now God doesn't come as  an equal to make an agreement with Abram (or with us) he imposes a covenant, like this: “You do exactly as I say, go where I tell you – and I will make you a great nation through whom all nations on earth will bless themselves.”   It is a covenant that establishes Abram’s family as “A divine protectorate.”  Idols had to be forsaken, and commitment given to the Lordship of Yahweh. God speaks to us – invites us into what he wants to do – and makes a covenant with us.  We don’t' negotiate the terms.  We don’t' say “OK, Lord, I'll go where you tell me, so long as I am kept healthy and safe and prosperous.  But if you don't look after me, then I'm cutting loose and living for myself.”   We either say “OK, Lord, I accept your terms!”  or we walk away.  It's that simple.

Call to significance.   You see, this was not just about Abram.  Don't get me wrong, Abram was an immensely privileged person.  His very name would be changed to reflect the change in his status, from Abram (“The father is exalted”) to Abraham (“The father of nations”).  But the terms of what God said to Abram, refer to “the land that I will show you” (and that Hebrew word “ha-'erets” – the land – is still important to Israel today.  And God promised to make Abram's family into a “great nation”: it wasn't just about the land (and it never is!) but about the people, the community. And God promised   “by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves”.   God was calling Abram, this seventy-five year old man, who had lived in a close-knit family and followed where his father Terah had led, to a place of global significance, poses sign a land, fathering a nation and blessing the nations.  We need to hear God's call to significance.   It's not too late.  You're not too old.  You've not used up all your chances.  You don’t' need to be “stuck” spiritually.  God calls us to significance.  To possess the land, to spawn a growing people, and to bless the nations.   

Creative blessing    This is not just a call but a promise.  When God said to Abram, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” he was speaking a blessing over  Abram.   And these words are “Creative words” like in Genesis 1.3 where the Lord said “Let there be light and” there was light.  God's word doesn't return to him empty but accomplishes God's purpose  (Isa 55. 11)  So, when God speaks these words, the very act of speaking them out, begins the process of making them happen.  God speaks over us in creative blessing, and that word does something.  Think about what God has said about us:  “Whoever believes in me has eternal life.”   “You shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth”.  “It is the father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”  “If you forgive anyone's sins they are forgiven.”

We need to hear God's call to significance , his imposed new covenant, and his creative blessing. Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it amazing.  For us, the ones who feel we are to old, too tired, too late; tied up in our circumstances, God speaks, with a covenant, a call to significance and a creative blessing.  God's purposes were bigger than Abram.   God perspective was higher than Abram's.

When god speaks, listening isn't enough.
“So Abram went” (v. 4)   Abraham responds with obedience that is rooted in faith. 

The Faith When God spoke again and said  “To your descendants I will give this land,”  there were two particular problems:

• There were Canaanite in the land.  This land wasn't just sitting there waiting to be occupied.    IF God was going to give Abram's descendants the land, he would need to do something about the Canaanite who were already there.  and
• Abram didn't have any descendants, nor much likelihood of having any. 11. 30 tells us that Sarai was infertile.. 

So what did Abram do?  He built an altar, believing God was and is bigger than the obstacles.  Faith steps out – despite the obstacles – the problems that shout at us “There is no way that is going to happen.  
The obedience is seen in getting up and going.  Now, remember all the obstacles to obedience:  Abram was older in years; he was already fairly prosperous and comfortable. He was responsible for a significant family group that included not only his own wife but also his nephew, the son of his deceased brother.  He could easily have said to himself, “I'm too old for this – I'm doing rather well here in Harran, other people depend on me for their livelihood.  After all, when my father was alive we already did this once, and we settled here because its' a good place to live. So why should I move on?  Especially since I don’t' actually know where I mm going to?  It's not sensible; it's not prudent; it's not convenient; I'm too old for all this.”   But “Abram went.”  And even when God had promised, “To your descendants I will give this land” Abram kept on going, because God hadn’t' said “stop!”  He kept going, even though he was heading for the “Negev” - the “dry place”.  He set the character of the nation for the next several hundred years, as pioneers and pilgrims rather than settlers. He was obedient. 


© Gilmour Lilly April  2015