Old Testament - Genesis 12:10-13:4 (Test of Abraham)

Old Testament - Genesis 12:10-13:4 Test of Abraham - Calvary Chapel Windward - OAHU, HAWAII - Pastor Tim Newman - From Local Olelo / Oceanic / Time Warner Cable show "A View from Calvary" - Episode #296 - Original Air Date 12/11/2011 A.D.

Gen 12:10-13:4
“The Test of Abraham”
1. Abram REFUSED to trust God’s promises.
Vs. 10
1a. Abram REFUSED to trust in a time of severe circumstances.
Notice that the famine was severe. Those in Canaan and especially the Negev did
this regularly because the Nile always guaranteed food.
1b. Abram REFUSED to trust and went down to Egypt.
Instead of remaining in the land and trusting the Lord to help him, Abraham went
“down into Egypt” (Gen. 12:10).

Gen 26:1-3
Abram’s going to Egypt was not so much an intentional sin as it was a reflexive
turn to his own devices.
Faith moves in the direction of peace and hope, but unbelief moves in the direction
of restlessness and fear.
It has been said,
“The will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”
2. Abram’s compromise RESULTED in greater sin.
Vs. 11- 13
2a. The RESULTS would be a scheme regarding his wife.
Abraham and Sarah brought this “half-truth” with them from Ur (Gen. 20:13), used
it in Egypt and Gerar (Gen. 20),
and then their son Isaac adopted it (Gen. 26).
Notice also the change in Abram’s attitude. He moved from “others” to self.
As the husband, Abraham should have thought first of his wife and not of himself
(1 Peter 3:7; Eph. 5:25, 2829).
Abram was playing off the well-known custom of fratriarchy, as Nahum Sarna has
explained:
“Where there is no father, the brother assumes legal guardianship of his sister,
particularly with respect to obligations and responsibilities in arranging marriage
on her behalf. Therefore, whoever wished to take Sarai to wife would have to
negotiate with her ‘brother.’
Great plan Abram but they hit a snag at the border coming through immigration.
3. Abram is REBUKED by a pagan king.
Vs. 14-20
3a . Abram is REBUKED because his plan does not work out.
Abram had forgotten one thing: Pharaoh.
The average Egyptian would have happily negotiated for his sister, but not
Pharaoh. Pharaoh was so pleased with obtaining Sarai that he made Abram a very
rich man.
3b. The REBUKE was the results of God’s intervention.
The Hebrew construction stresses the severity of the plagues; so we understand
that Pharaoh’s household was overwhelmed by them.
God called Abraham to be a blessing to the nations (Gen. 12:1–3); but because of
Abraham’s disobedience, judgment fell on Pharaoh and his household (12:17).
4. Abram REPENTS AND RETURNS to the LORD.
Vs. 1-4
4a. Abram REPENTS AND RETURNS to the Land.
Famines are God’s way.
Trials are what produce perseverance and maturity so that we may become
complete, not lacking anything.
4b. Abram RETURNS to Bethel and to the LORD.
What else did Abraham bring back?
The “big problem” is that everything Abraham received in Egypt later caused
trouble.
There are no benefits from disobedience.
The practical lesson from all of this is simply never abandon your altar.
Stay in fellowship with the Lord no matter what the circumstances may be.
Rev 2:4-5
A. W. Tozer
“God will take nine steps toward us, but he will not take the tenth. He will incline us to
repent, but he cannot do our repenting for us”.

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