QT 8/20/2025 Gen 12:10-20, Trusting in all decisions

Genesis 12:10–20 (ESV) —

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. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 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.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

 

NOTE: Abram's stories are an example of little faith alternating with great faith. In that sense, he is a lot like us, where fear alternates with our trust in God and what his word tells us.

 

Passage	Event	Live by Sight	Live by Faith
12:1-9	God calls Abram and promises him the land		Abram travels to the Land, traverses it, and build an altar
12:10-20	Abram moves to Egypt during a famine	Infers Sarai is his sister only
14:1-16	Lot is captured by 5 Kings		Attacks 5 Kings; rescues Lot
14:17-15:1	God reminds Abram to fear not	Abram had a lot of new enemies (implied fear)
15:2-6	God promises Abram his offspring will number like stars in heavens		Abram believed God
16:1-16 Abram is 86	Sarai convinces Abram to have child w/ Hagar	Abram & Hagar have Ishmael
17:1-8,15-21 Abraham is 99	God tells Abraham he will have a son in a year	Abraham laughs. Abraham suggests Ishmael be his son of promise
17:9-14,22-27	God commands Abraham to circumcise the males		Abraham immediately circumcises all males
18:9-15	God again tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son	Sarah laughs (reflects on Abraham -- did he not tell her?)
18:16-33	God tells Abraham about Sodom		Abraham prays for Lot & Sodom
19:27-20:18	Abraham moves to Gerar (The crisis of the seed)	Infers Sarah is only his sister
21:1-7	Isaac is born		Abraham & Sarah name him "Laughter"
21:8-21	Sarah wants Ishmael cast out		Abraham sought God's wisdom (implied in context)
21:22-34	Abimelech's servants seize a well (The crisis of the land)		Abraham reproves Abimelech and Abimelech's Army Commander
22:1-19	God calls Abraham to sacrifice his only son		Abraham takes his son to Mt Moriah to sacrifice
23	Sarah dies in the land		Abraham buries her in the land by legally purchasing a field and a cave
24	Isaac needs a wife		Abraham sends his servant to get a wife for Isaac (not from Canaan), and never to let his son leave the land

 

The interesting thing about this first story in Abram's life is that he assumes the Egyptians are immoral and willing to kill a man to get his wife. The Egyptians are quite disturbed that Abram put them in an immoral position by creating a situation that could have caused adultery.

 

I can remember traveling once to Europe and assuming that sin was rampant since God had been rejected by so many Europeans. And while there certainly was an acceptance of sin, people were nicer and more helpful than what I had imagined.

 

The message is not to assume, and to learn to trust. Not only did Abram "assume a situation," he developed a solution in his own mind, rather than doing the right thing.

 

PONDER:

1. It is good to use the mind God gave us, but it is not good to rely upon our thinking. How often do we bring God into our worries, concerns, and decisions?
2. Do we alternate between faith and sight?

 

PRAYER: Father, help me to bring you into all my decisions. I want to be prudent and smart and wise as a serpent, but I also want to trust you in all things.