Our word for today is used twice in Genesis chapter 12 in reference to Abram who is later called the father of our faith. He did start out with a huge act of faith when he trusted God without having all the details and left his home and people to go to a place God would later tell him. We find this right at the beginning of the chapter. This is remarkable. But Abram, like all of us, is not consistent as we see at the end of chapter 12. Notice the person who would become the father of our faith displays an amazing lack of faith. He doesn’t trust God to make him great but lies in order to save himself because he was afraid that the king would kill him and take his wife away from him. Genesis 12:11-13 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it יָטַב may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” He used his wife’s beauty both as a way to avoid being killed and as an advantage for gain. And it appears to work because this fearful situation was turned around and the king gave Abram wealth because of his wife’s beauty because Abram lied to him, and he thought he was her brother? Our word is used to identify Abram’s motive as well as how Pharo treated Abram. Genesis 12:16 And for her sake he יָטַב dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. יָטַב go well with, please, be agreeable. It is used 116 times in the Old Testament.
It is interesting that Abram planned and acted so that events would go his way, in his favor. But who was he trusting in? Who did the father of our faith put his trust in for the outcome he wanted? In himself and in the earthly king of Egypt, Pharo. Today we would say he wanted to be happy, so he put plans into motion to gain happiness. The king dealt with Abram in a way that made him happy. Notice that God thwarts Abram’s plans to be happy. Isn’t that interesting. We hear that a lot that God want us to be happy. That is not true. God wants something far greater for us than just to be happy. He wants us to have joy that only comes from him when we trust him and obey him and become like him. So, the king is not the only one who dealt with Abram God also dealt with him by allowing the king and his family to experience sickness. We see this specifically pointed out in verse 17. “But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.” This made the king question what just happened and changed his plans to take Sari as his own wife. God ends up protecting Abram and Sari even when Abram he doesn’t trust in him. Wow that is our God. Also notice that Abram doesn’t start out his relationship perfectly trusting in God who he just started calling out too. This new relationship of faith in God is going to take a while for Abram to grow into. Thank goodness God is patient with us. 2 Timothy 2:13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. We can also be thankful that God doesn’t give up on us. Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
