Genesis 12:10–20 (ESV)
Abram and Sarai in Egypt
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.
This is an interesting story. Abram (Abraham) is later called a man of faith. Well, where is the faith in today’s reading. Abram lies about Sarai when he says that she is his
sister. He is afraid of his life and where is his trust in God? To be honest, Sarai is a half-sister of Abram, but this half-truth is also a half-lie. He was afraid. So he lies to protect himself. Well, we often resort to stretching
the truth when we sin and get caught. We all fall short of the glory of God… even Abram and… me. God is a forgiving God and I give thanks for that. The Lutheran Study Bible states: “Although God promises Abram that he
will possess the land that God will give him, Abram still finds no secure place in which to dwell. At times, we also find ourselves in circumstances that show the opposite of what God says. In Abram’s case, he went forth—even out of the land of
promise—trusting that God would fulfill His Word. God returned Abram and Sarai, in time, to Canaan, and there kept all that He had promised to them. In the fullness of time, He even brought forth the Son by whom all nations would be blessed. Though the
hour of Jesus’ agony and death was dark, God was keeping His promise.”
I pray: Lord God, when all we see appears to contradict what You
have promised, teach us to rely on Your unfailing Word. Defend us in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.