By: Obed Pineda
There is saying that my mother would say to me frequently that went, “One proposes, and God disposes.” This, as you may have already figured out, was the saying she would speak to me to remind me that God is in control; even when things did not go in my favor. It was mom’s way of saying “God will provide, son.” When decisions are made, but do not turn out to be what was expected, it becomes frustrating. Doubt leads to questions of why, how, or when? Disillusion and discouragement grips a person’s heart as he begins to wonder if he made the right decision, especially when those decisions affect an entire family. The weight of responsibility and guilt begins to mount upon that person’s shoulders and it can become asphyxiating. A sinister sense of loss and confusion sprouts from being unprepared for the unexpected. Indeed mom was wise to remind me always that no matter the outcome, God is in control for Scripture expounds, “A man’s heart plans his way,but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, emphasis added). This was the first lesson that Abram was taught by the Lord. Holy Writ manifests that “there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land” (Genesis 12:10, emphasis added). Let us empathize with Abram for a moment in this pericope before we begin to attempt to decipher how a famine was the first trial of his faith. We have already seen in the previous treatise of this series how Abraham had trusted Jehovah God by choosing to leave everything he had and known behind, for a land that was being promised to him. We learned that his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot, both followed him voluntarily (along with all their servants and animals they had acquired) because they believed him. Therefore, can we imagine the sense of dread that entered Abraham’s mind when his first experience in the promised land was a severe famine? There is no question that a hurdle this massive would make any human being question the logic of his choice. Yet, Abraham’s faith can still be seen gleaming in the midst of this surprising turn of events. Observe what the Bible states about Abraham’s and Sarah’s faith: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return” (Hebrews 11:13-15, emphasis added). It is interesting that the Hebrew scribe points out that Abraham & his family could have returned to Haran whenever they desired. Yet, this undeniable truth is what brightens Abram’s faith. He chose not to return home when calamity struck. In a situation as dire as the one he and his family found themselves in, the majority would have returned to the safety of the homeland, giving up on the promised land due to this setback. The disappointment of witnessing a famine of this caliber would have discouraged any head of household from continuing this venture and risking the lives of his family. Yet, we read that Abraham went in the opposite direction of Haran, into Egypt. However, it is unrighteous to ignore that despite his bold choice of not going back home, Abram did err out of desperation. Remember that what Holy Scripture is teaching us is the development of father Abraham’s faith. Therefore, although Abram did not give up on the promise made to him by God, his mistake was moving without consulting God. It is true that perhaps this error may seem as a minor misstep on behalf of Abraham, but of this the Preacher warns “dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor” (Ecclesiastes 10:1, emphasis added). Regrettably, this is illuminated resplendently in Abram’s “little folly” when we consider the consequences that transpired from it. Scripture explains that when he neared Egypt Abram was afraid that due to his wife’s beauty, “it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you” (Genesis 12:11-13, emphasis added). Lamentably, his erroneous decision of not consulting God placed him in a very precarious predicament. His fear of being murdered so that his wife could be taken from him was indeed a possibility since, according to several Biblical scholars, the Egyptians were well known for their licentious lifestyles. Truth be told, the Holy Spirit confirms Abram’s suspicions since “the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house” (Genesis 12:14-15, emphasis added). Abram, sadly, relied on his quick wit to survive this situation, but did so selfishly and out of desperation. He did not stop to consider the condition he was placing his wife in when he asked her to conceal the nature of their relationship. We learn, upon careful examination of the sacred text, that he was more concerned about what was going to happen to him, than he was about Sarai. His faith lacked in this situation because he relied on his human wisdom instead of heavenly wisdom (James 3:13-18). Unquestionably, Abram’s mindset is one of which the world thrives on today, summarized in the idiom that quotes “the end justifies the means.” However, Abram quickly learned that with God this is not so. Holy Writ reveals that “the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife” (Genesis 12:17, emphasis added). This immediate punishment from heaven, forced Abram to disclose the truth about Sarai to Pharaoh, and was rebuked by one whom, earlier, he had identified as wicked (Genesis 12:18-20). Thus, it is irrefutable that Abram endured great shame when his ploy was discovered as the source of God’s plagues. However, Jehovah God’s divine intervention must be noted as the lesson learned by Abraham and Sarah here. There is no question that Abraham learned that “no temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1st Corinthians 10:13, emphasis added). Thus, the Lord provided Abram and Sarai a way of escape from his unwise choices, but did not allow his sin to go unpunished. In truth, in this experience Abram unintentionally set the stage for what would become the next trial for the continuation of the development of his faith. To be continued…