Genesis 11:27-12:20

Genesis 11:27-12:20

God gave Abraham (then Abram) a command in 12:1. It is followed by a great promise. (12:2) God is promising to do something that only God is capable of doing. Only God could make Abraham's offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky. Only God could make such a promise, and deliver it fully!

Abraham immediately obeys. Going with God to a foreign land he didn't know: trusting God and believing God is calling him. When God asks us to go, we should follow Abraham's example and go fully trust in the Lord our God, and going immediately. When Abraham arrived in Canaan, God appears to him and says: "To your offspring I will give this land" (12:7). Abraham's response was to immediately worship God. He built an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him! He moved to another place and again he built an altar to the Lord out of praise and called on the name of the Lord! Worship should be a daily part of our lives!

Abraham is experiencing an intimate relationship with God. God is giving Abraham a command to "go", but he also gave a promise. He promised to make Abraham's offspring to be a great nation. In addition, God states to Abraham that he will bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him. He is going to protect Abraham! Abraham experienced an encounter with God as he appeared before Abraham. Abraham is brought to his knees and builds an altar to worship the Lord.

A short time later (later that year)…
God sent Abraham, Sarai (his barren wife), and Lot (his nephew) to Egypt. As they are on their way to Egypt, Abraham is preparing his wife for the half-truth he is going to have her speak. Abraham is fearing his life, because of her beauty. He wants her to lie in hopes of sparing his life in case the Egyptians would kill him for Sarai. While she is his sister, he is leaving out one little detail: They are married: Husband and Wife!

Jesus says: "for this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. (Matthew 19:5-6)"

Can you imagine why God would afflict Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, for taking Sarai as his wife, because of their deception? Can you imagine why this would displease God? Abraham is acting in unbelief! He is choosing to take things into his own hands instead of trusting in God!

When we sin or disobey God, we don't just hurt ourselves. We hurt God! We hurt others. Ignoring opportunities God has given us could affect someone else's life too. They will miss blessings, because we weren't obedient to God. Pharaoh missed blessings and instead was cursed, when Abraham told his wife to lie and say she was his sister. While she was his sister, she was also his wife.

This passage is also a reminder of how quick we forget. We can hear God speak mightily and see his work in our midst, yet we allow fear or emotions to dominate once again in our lives. We need to replace those moments of "unbelief" with reminding ourselves of God's great SOVERIGNITY!!