This narrative shows us that

even the strongest among us

struggle and fall.

◦ Abraham here lies.

◦ Moses was a murderer.

◦ David was an adulterer and murder.

◦ Paul was a persecutor of

Christians.

Yet, Abram continued his

struggle to be who God needed

him to be.

◦ Eventually he got there.

◦ If you and I keep struggling, we can

get there, too.

GENESIS 12:10-20

This passage presents a big faith

challenge for Abram.

◦ First, there is a famine in Canaan.

How will Abram and his family survive?

If God is going to give Abram this land,

couldn’t He stop a famine from coming?

◦ Second, If Pharaoh takes Abram’s

wife, what will Abram do?

How will he go on without his

helpmate?

How will God give him the many nations

he’s been promised?

“Abram went down to Egypt to

dwell there” (v 10).

◦ Notice that Abram did not simply

go to Egypt to survive the famine--

he went to dwell in Egypt.

“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” (NIV).

The point is that Abram’s faith is

suffering a major lapse here.

He plans on staying in Egypt a while

instead of journeying on to the land

God would show him.

The Hebrew word is used elsewhere

for stays of several years in duration

and even permanent residences.

Why is Abram’s “faith challenge”

understandable?

◦ What are some comparable “faith

challenges” in our lives?

◦ Obviously, Abram need have no

fear--God would lead him to the

Promised Land as promised.

How can we trust in God’s promises

when we face “faith challenges”?

What are some of God’s promises in

light of struggles?

Should Abram have intended to

stay for some time in Egypt?

◦ There seems nothing wrong in

Abram’s seeking refuge in Egypt.

◦ The issue is that he apparently

intended to remain in Egypt for

many years.

Abram apparently made a quick

transition from faith in God’s

promises to doubt and fear.

◦ Is it not easy to move from faith to

fear?

Famine was quite common in

Palestine.

◦ Rainfall in the southern part of

Palestine is only 4-12 inches per

year on average.

Abram has journeyed to “the South” (v

9).

The Hebrew is Negev, which means

“dry.”

◦ Egypt, on the other hand, could

count on the annual Nile floods to

fertilize the land.

Thus, Egypt was noted in Scripture for

its abundant food crops (Deut 11:10).

Egypt was often a place of refuge during

periods of famine (e.g., Joseph and the

Twelve Tribes).

Abram is worried about Sarai’s

beauty.

◦ Sarai is 65, and Abram considers her very

beautiful.

◦ The Egyptians also find her very beautiful,

and she was taken to Pharaoh’s house.

Abram’s proposal is to act as Sarai’s

brother.

◦ The purpose seems to have been for

Abram to intercept any marriage

proposals.

◦ In the ANE, there was an institution called

“fratriarchy” where a woman without a

father was protected by her brother who

negotiated marriage.

Of course, Abram was Sarai’s

brother.

◦ Gen 20:12.

◦ Since that’s the case, did Abram

really lie?

What is a lie?

Why is lying wrong?

Jn 8:44.

Eph 4:25.

Rev 21:8.

Abram was simply protecting his

life in this deceit.

◦ Is it wrong to lie to save our lives?

◦ Should we really die in order to

keep from sinning?

Heb 12:3-4.

Sarai was taken to Pharaoh’s

house.

◦ Whether this was a voluntary

taking or not, we simply do not

know.

But, Abram’s options would have

seemed limited since Pharaoh is the one

doing the asking.

◦ We also do not know if there was a

sexual relationship between Sarai

and Pharaoh.

That seems to have been the point of

Pharaoh’s taking Sarai.

God might have prevented that from

occurring.

However, Sarai was undoubtedly in

Pharaoh’s harem.

Abram is treated very kindly by

Pharaoh.

◦ He is given great livestock and

servants.

◦ The gift of female donkeys and

camels were particularly valuable.

Just because Abram is rewarded by

Pharaoh does not mean that God

approved of his actions.

◦ The great livestock are going to cause

problems with Lot.

◦ One of the female servants seems to be

Hagar (she was an Egyptian, Gen 16:3).

Therefore, this one sin is going to

cost Abram dearly (and it’s just a little

“white lie”).

◦ One sin can change the course of your

entire life (even after God has forgiven

you).

◦ How careful do we need to be with sin?

Once Sarai has been taken, “the

LORD plagued Pharaoh and his

house with great plagues.”

◦ This is the same Hebrew word

used to describe the ten plagues

God through Moses would later

bring upon the Egyptians (Ex 11:1).

◦ This is also the term used to speak

of skin diseases (Lev 13) such as

leprosy (2 Ki 15:5).

Pharaoh calls Abram & Pharaoh

is concerned about the breach

of morality, not Abram!

◦ Are there times that the world is

more concerned with morality than

we are?

◦ How do we remain concerned

about morality and God’s

standards?

Pharaoh cast Abram out of

Egypt in much the same way

God cast Adam and Eve out of

the Garden.

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