Genesis 12:8-13:18
If you are a Christian you’ve probably experienced this: a moment of great deep spiritual experience – a time when you feel so close to God. He is with you and you are his. Maybe it was some great act of service. Or a moment where your changed character shone through – you acted holy! Or just an amazing experience at church or out in nature or just in your bedroom reading the Bible. Whatever it is – you’ve had this fantastic experience – only to be followed by some massive sin. And you think: can God really still love me? I’ve just had this amazing experience and then I go and do THAT or say THAT or think THAT and trash it all. I’ve really messed it up this time.
Ever had that experience?
Well, you’re not alone – Abram had exactly that experience in today’s story. The heights of being called by God, given an everlasting promise – followed by the lows of immediately disbelieving that promise, lying about your wife to protect your own skin, and then almost giving away the land God had promised you. Oops.
Today we’re going to follow two stories that teach us about Abram, about Lot – an ultimately a lot about God. Abram is unrighteous, Lot is a fool – and God will judge the wicked and God will save his people.
First, the journey to Egypt, which I have called:
1. Faithless Abram, faithful God
V10-13 At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. 11 As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ 13 So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”
Last week we looked at the great promise God gave to Abram, this promise which will dominate the Bible until the coming of Jesus who fulfils this promise. God promised Abram 3 things: have a look at v1-3 of chapter 12. V1: 1 go to the land that I will show you. He is promised LAND, the land of Canaan; v2 I will make you into a great nation. PEOPLE, that from Abram would come a great nation; and v3 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you. BLESSING, he would be protected by God, and ultimately the whole world would be blessed through his descendant (Jesus, if you weren’t here last week!).
So why was Abram so afraid?! He’s terrified, so terrified he makes a plan to lie to protect himself. And, what a hero, doesn’t seem to care too much about his wife – what could happen to her if she’s passed off as his sister and therefore able to be married! What would have happened to her if God had not intervened, sending plagues on the house of Pharaoh? Our “hero” Abram didn’t seem to care – as long as he was safe!
It’s worth pointing out just at this moment that we must never, never fall into the trap of believing that God chooses people because they are “better” than other people. The holy heroes of old are often very, very unholy people. They are ordinary – Abram’s response to danger is perfectly human isn’t it? Do whatever you can to protect yourself.
He seems to have forgotten God’s promise to him, doesn’t he? It is ironic: “the man of faith” acting without faith, acting as if God’s Promise doesn’t exist.
We might be being a bit harsh with Abram, though. He doesn’t know God like we do. In his culture, like many cultures today, gods belonged to different nations or different areas. Remember how the story started: Abram being forced away from “God’s” land, and into the land of Egypt. v10 At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner.
He probably thought that he was now out of God’s zone, and so had to fend for himself.
How wrong he was! Despite Abram’s faithlessness, God is faithful to his promise to bless and protect Abram.
17 But the LORD sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife…20 Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions.
This rescue showed Abram very clearly that God, his God Yahweh, is not limited by geography. He is not limited by the power of other gods – like the great gods of Egypt, the sun-god Ra and the god Osiris. His power is supreme, His word is law.
Our God is the God of the whole universe. All of time and space is his to command. How terrible for those who face his judgement! How blessed are those on whom his favour rests!
In this story, Abram nearly wrecked the Promise God gave him, didn’t he? He let his wife be taken by Pharaoh. He acted faithlessly. He sinned against Pharaoh – Pharaoh and his household suffered because of Abram’s lies. And Abram had sinned against God.
But God is faithful. His mercy is everlasting. No matter what Abram does, God will bless him. Why? Because God has said he will do this.
What about you? How often do you think “I failed. I’ve sinned. I’m far away from God. I don’t deserve his blessing”? Often, if you’re anything like me. And this is the point: we DON’T deserve God’s blessing. We never have. But he has CHOSEN to shower us with his blessing, to commit himself to us, to bless us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms – to show his great mercy and compassion. We are his trophies of grace – and nothing – not even you – not even your sin – not even your wilful, decided, “I’m going to do this trrrrbt to you God” sin, not even that can change who we are in God’s sight. He has seen all we will do, and has forgiven us, bearing our burden of sin on the cross.
If there’s one thing to learn from today’s passage it is this: that God is faithful even in the face of unfaithfulness. Just like with the people of Israel in the desert, and time and time again in the land – and just like with us. We are faithless, weak – he is faithful, strong. God keeps his promises. We may stumble and fall, but he will carry us safely to the Heavenly city. Why? Not because of us, but because in his great mercy he has called us his children. Like Abram, we are often not the best, or the most moral, or the cleverest or the nicest – we do not deserve God’s mercy. But we have it, by his grace! Isn’t that amazing?
There’s one more thing I want us to notice before we go on to the next story. Did you notice that Pharaoh faced God’s anger, even though he had acted “righteously”?
Our own righteousness counts for nothing – what counts is knowing God. You see, Pharaoh’s righteousness (acting right) was nothing more than cultural – he did what was culturally acceptable. There was no love for God, no fear of the Lord, in his actions. Here in Norway many are righteous with the righteousness of our culture. We have a lovely country, blessed with lovely people, righteous people. But there is no love for the Lord, no fear of God. And that righteousness counts for nothing, because they do not know God.
We are saved not because of our righteousness – but because of his. Our righteousness cannot save us – only Christ can.
If you are in Christ, then be at peace, brother – God is powerful to save, and faithful even when we are faithless.
If you are not in Christ – that is, you do not know Jesus personally – then your righteousness is like the righteousness of Pharoah. A thin cloak which will be blown away by the winds of God’s judgement. Turn to Christ while there is still time. Ask him for mercy, and he may hear your cry.
Because as we see in the next story, God will judge the wicked, and save those who seek refuge in him.
2. Two faithless choices
On the face of it, it’s a simple little story about two guys with too much stuff treading on each other’s toes. 5 Lot, who was travelling with Abram, had also become very wealthy with flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and many tents. 6 But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. 7 So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot.
It’s too crowded for both of them! So when the older guy (Abram) says to the younger guy (Lot) “take whatever land you wish, and I’ll move to the land you don’t want” – we think, hey, problem solved.
But hang on a minute – what was the first part of God’s promise to Abram? Land. Where are they? In the land of Canaan. They are in the land of the promise. Look at v4 This was the same place where Abram had built the altar, and there he worshiped the LORD again. And in v7 we’re reminded again where we are At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.
Now, Lot. Lot knew which land had been given to Abram, which land was the land of God’s promise: the land of Canaan. But Lot it says in v10 Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan Valley in the direction of Zoar. The whole area was well watered everywhere, like the garden of the LORD or the beautiful land of Egypt.
Lot had an eye for the easy life – and did not think spiritually about the consequences.
He was not looking with spiritual eyes at the land. He was not seeing the land through the eyes of faith, seeing what God had promised. He saw only ease and comfort. But look at v13 But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the LORD.
Lot has thrown his lot in (ha-ha) with the wrong crowd. As Psalm 1 says Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
Lot joins in with the sinners, and suffers the consequences later as Sodom is destroyed and he and his daughters flee for their lives.
But there’s more: the story of Lot separating from Abram, travelling eastward, and settling in the plains, in the city of Sodom is deliberately written to echo the story of the people after Noah separating, travelling eastward, and settling in the plain of Shinar, where they set out to build the tower of Babel, the city of Babylon.
The author, probably Moses, wants us to understand that Babylon and Sodom have the same destiny: destruction. The close parallels of the destruction of the “city in the east” drives home the point that God’s judgment of the wicked is certain and imminent (can come suddenly, at any moment.) Rebellion against God is short lived and has only one outcome. The easy life is not such a good life after all.
So Lot’s choice was faithless. But there’s another faithless choice in this story. And it’s found in vv8-9 Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! 9 The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.”
Abram knew which land God had given him, and yet at this moment if Lot had said “I’ll have Canaan” he had promised to walk away! The Promise is in jeopardy (danger!). What if Lot chooses Canaan?! From Lot came the Ammonites and the Moabites! At this moment Abram is about to hand the Promised Land over to the same people who throughout Israel’s history were a thorn in their side and an obstacle to the fulfilment of the promise of the land being Israel’s. Even the author Moses had significant problems with the Ammonites and Moabites (like in Num 22–25 with Balak and Balaam and his donkey). Thanks to Abram the promise seems to teeter on the whim of the father of the Moabites, Lot.
But such stupidity from Abram is no obstacle for God. Lot chooses to go east, Abram remains in the land. God’s promise is secure.
But why? Why is Abram blessed and secure, and Lot ends up in a heap of trouble? The narrative drives us to ask this question. And the answer is clear. Like Noah before, it is because of God. Because God’s promise was for Abram. Because in his mercy he had called Abram. There was nothing special about Abram except for this: God, for no reason except his own, called Abram.
Likewise, you and I are not special. We are not precious like a snowflake. We are not better than others, cleverer, more given to holiness, more righteous. There is nothing special about us - except this: God, for no reason except his own, called me, called you.
That is mercy, extreme mercy!
Lot was a fool, and chose to live the easy life in a wicked city. Abram was a fool, who did not value the promises of God.
But, as certain as God’s judgement on the wicked, is God’s salvation of those whom he loves. Lot, because of his connection to Abram, is spared by God from the judgement on Sodom (chapter 19). Abram, despite his foolishness, is still to be blessed by God. 14 After Lot had gone, the LORD said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. 15 I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. 16 And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! 17 Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”
God reminds Abram again of his promise to him, and Abram walks through his land down from Bethel to Hebron, the land he almost gave away. In a sense he receives the land again, his land by faith, seeing with eyes of faith the promised land. Abram cannot lose this promise, not even through his own foolishness. The word of the Lord is secure, and not even our sin, our folly, can shake God’s grip.
But how can we be so sure that we can draw comfort from God’s dealings with Abram. Why will he deal with us in the same way? How do we know God will be faithful?
Well, didn’t the Egypt story strike you as very familiar – very Exodus-like? And the separation of Lot to the city in the east repeats the story of Babel, and foreshadows the rise and fall of Babylon. These stories are deliberately structured to remind us that as God was in the past, so he is now, and so he will be.
Abram flight to Egypt and subsequent rescue is deliberately written to foreshadow the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt: forced to flee to Egypt because of a famine; blessed by God, increasing in number; Pharaoh poses a threat; God rescues through mighty plagues; and Pharaoh says “Take your people and go!”.
Moses wants us to see that the past is not just the past: it tells us about the character of God, the way he deals with his people. We know God by how he has dealt with his people. What he has done with Abram, he will do for his people today and tomorrow.
As Paul says in 1 Co 10:11 (NLT) These things (these stories in the Old Testament) happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
I’d like to end by reminding us of the fulfilment of the Abrahamic Convenat – the Promise given to Abram. Because these words are our promise, given to us by Jesus on the night he was betrayed. Jn 14:1–4 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”
You will always be with me where I am. His promises are secure. God’s word can be trusted. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away says Jesus (Luke 21:33) He is the only fixed point in all of eternity. He is our anchor point, our refuge in the storm, our shelter, our fortress. Even our sin cannot take away Jesus’ promise ; just like with Abram. He sinned. He was not righteous. He was forgiven, he was blessed. His sin did not shake the Promise. Our sin does not shake Jesus’ promise.
So let us learn from Abram and Lot. Let us learn what a glorious God we serve. Let us learn to see with eyes of faith instead of choosing the easy path of comfort and wickedness. Oh Lord, open our eyes to the need of Notodden to hear your gospel. Burden us with our friends and neighbours, our work colleagues and classmates at school – they need to hear your voice, hear your gospel through our lips. Speak O Lord, to save. Will you bless Notodden as you promised Abram so many thousands of years ago: that through his descendant Jesus, your eternal Son, we would be blessed to see many turn to Christ in repentance and joy.
Thank you that you are the rescuing God – as you have done in the past, so will you do in the future. Save us we pray Sovereign Lord, and exalt your name. Glory to God in the highest!
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