Old Testament Reading: Genesis 13

“So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.’ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD. The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.’ So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.” (Genesis 13, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:1–10, ESV)

*****

Introduction

I do love that passage we have just read from Paul the Apostle (2 Corinthians 5:1-10). I love it because it is both honest concerning the sorrows of life, but it is also hopeful and courageous. 

Paul refers to his earthly body as “a tent”. And he admits that while in this tent “we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling.” When he says “heavenly dwelling” he refers  to the body we will receive  at the resurrection — our “resurrection body” is our heavenly tent or dwelling. And again he says, “For while we are still in this tent”, that is, our earthy body, “we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”

If you know anything about the life of Paul, you understand why he said “we groan”. Paul had a hard life (at least we know that it was hard after he came to confess that Jesus was the Christ!). He knew what it was to suffer. This suffering caused him to grown. And this suffering also increased his appetite  for the life to come. Paul longed to put on his “heavenly dwelling”. His longing was not to be “unclothed” — that is, simply released from this earthly body, but to be “further clothed” — that  is, clothed with his spiritual, resurrection body which is ours in Christ Jesus — “so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” Anyone Christian who has known suffering in this life (and all will, at some point) can identify with the words of Paul.

But notice that he was not without hope. Twice he says, “we are always of good courage.” Once in verse 6, and then again in verse 8 we read, “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him” (2 Corinthians 5:8–9, ESV).

The word translated “courage” means, “to have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing—‘to be courageous, to have courage, to be bold’” (Louw Nida, 305). It carries with it the idea of standing firm and unmoved in the face of danger and difficulty. Paul was saying, even in the midst of all this suffering, which does indeed cause us to groan, we are not moved. We are not shaken. Our hope, joy and peace have not been taken  from us. In  fact, despite all of the difficulties of this life, “we are always of good courage.”

My question is, how can this be? How can a person live with such courage in the face of difficulty? I believe that Paul provides the answer when he says in verse 7, “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

The Apostle Paul often used “walking” as a metaphor for living the Christian life. Take, for example, these series of statements found ins letter to the church in Ephesus. Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  Ephesians 4:1: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called”. Ephesians 4:17: “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.” Ephesians  5:2: “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:8: “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” And lastly, Ephesians 5:15: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.”

The Apostle John also loved to use the metaphor of “walking” to describe the Christian life. 1 John 1:6: “If we say we have fellowship with [God] while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 2:6: “whoever says he abides in [Christ] ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” And lastly 2 John 6: “this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” (2 John 6, ESV)

Not only is “walking” a very common metaphor for the Christian life, it is also a very appropriate metaphor. For the Christian life shares many things in  common with walking. 

Walking is active. It is something you must choose to do. And so it is with the Christian life. We must choose to follow Christ — to love and obey him — daily. 

Walking is a common activity. Most people find themselves walking throughout  day. Almost everything we  do involves walking, to one degree or another. And so it is with the Christian life. Our faith in Christ and our devotion to him ought to permeate all that we do. The Christian’s devotion to Christ

Walking is a methodical activity. It involves taking one step after another. And so too the Christian life.  The Christian life is usually mundane.  It involved living moment by moment, day by day, week by week, in obedience to Christ. The mature and faithful Christian is not the one who decides to sprint with religious fervor from time to time, but the one who walks in faithful obedience to God day by  day.  

Walking is also an enduring activity. Unlike sprinting, walking can usually be done for a long period of time. And so to the Christian life. The Christians is to endure to the end. 

It is no wonder, then, that walking is such an often used metaphor for the Christian life in the pages of Holy Scripture. But remember, Paul was able to live with such courage in the face of difficulty, not because he walked, but because he walked by faith.

Paul’s faith was no generic faith. His faith was not like the faith that many have today — faith, but faith in nothing in particular. Have you noticed that this kind of faith is popular in the world today. The world says, what matters is that you believe in something! No, when Paul said that he walked by faith he meant that his faith was in God. His trust was in Christ. His belief was in God’s word. What God has revealed, that he believed! And this is why that passage we read from2 Corinthians 5 has the words “we know” peppered throughout it. Paul walked by faith, meaning that he believed what God has said, and lived his life accordingly. He walked (lived his life day by day) in light of what God has said. Paul received God promises, his revelation, his law as true. And he lived his life, moment by moment,  day by day, thought by thought, word by word, according to what God has said. This is what it means to walk by faith. I means to walk, trusting always in God and believing what he has said.    

And remember, not only did Paul walk by faith, he also was determined to walk, not by sight. Paul’s attitude was, when I take a step, when I make a choice, when I think a thought or say a word, I wild so being informed, not by what I see with my natural eyes, but what I know to be true from God’s word. Brothers and sisters, I don’t have to convince you of this truth. Our natural eyes will often betray us. We will go down the wrong path if we choose to live according to what we see with our natural eyes. 

This is why Paul, despite his tremendous suffering, was able to honestly say, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

So far this has probably felt more like a sermon on 2 Corinthians 5 than an introduction to Genesis 13. But there is a connection, for Genesis 13 has a lot to do with walking by faith. 

In Genesis 12:1-9 God called Abram to walk away from his “country and [his] kindred and [his] father’s house to the land that [he would] show [him]” (Genesis 12:1, ESV). God also gave Abram his word. He promised to make him into a great nation, to bless him and make his name great, so that he would be a blessing. God said, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2–3, ESV). The rest of that passage describes how Abram walked by faith, and not by sight. The word of God alone compelled Abram to go. Nothing that he saw with his natural eyes compelled him. “By faith Abraham obeyed… And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8, ESV).

In Genesis 12:10-20 we learned that Abram was not perfect in faith. In fact it seems that, having been threatened by a severe famine, and being driven by fear of the Egyptians, Abram walked by sight and not by faith. But God was faithful to preserve him and to bless him nonetheless. 

In Genesis 13 we find another story which is instructive to the life of faith. Here we observe three things: One, Abram was restored. Two, Lot was driven by lust. And three, God was still faithful to keep his promises.  

*****

Abram’s Restoration

First of all, let us recognize that after Abram’s stumbling in Egypt God restored him. This we see in verses 1-9.

In verse 1 we read, “So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb [that is, the southern part of Canaan]. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. 

Abram went down into Egypt where he struggled in the faith. He was driven by fear. He  sought to take control of the situation and acted, not in simple obedience to God, but according to human cunning and wisdom. But God was  faithful to preserve him and to bring him back up in to the land that he had promised t him at the beginning.

Notice that when Abram came back into the land he was more wealthy than when he left. The text says that he was “now… very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold.” Material wealth is not always a sign of God’s blessing and grace. Sometimes those who are blessed of God  —  those who are recipients of God grace in Christ Jesus — are materially rich, and sometimes they are materially pour. And it must also be admitted that sometimes those who are cursed of God are materially rich, and sometimes they are materially pour. There are righteous and unrighteous  rich, and there are righteous and unrighteous pour. This we know for sure! But in this narrative the material wealth of Abram is clearly a sign of God’s blessing upon him. Abram received grace from God. God’s favor towards him was clearly unmerited. Though he was faithless when he went down into Egypt, God was faithful to keep his promises to bless him. 

In verse 3 we read, “And he journeyed on from the Negeb [this is, from the south of Canaan] as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai” (Genesis 13:3, ESV). This screams “restoration”. Abram came back from Egypt and went right back to the heart of Cannan where he had pitched his tent in the beginning. 

In verse 4 we are reminded that, not only did Abram pitch his tent there, he also had built an alter to the LORD. And there “Abram called upon the name of the LORD”, just as he had done at the beginning. The significance of Abram’s  worship of God at the alter, as well as the alter worship of those who went before him and would come after him, can hardly be overstated. This is so very significant that Abram worshipped at the alter. There he called upon the name of the LORD.  There he took the name of YHWH to himself. There he worshipped the LORD and called upon  him for wisdom and strength.

Friends, when the LORD calls us to himself, he calles us to worship him. This the only appropriate response to God’s call. If we are known him, we must worship and serve him, for he is God and our LORD. And when we respond to the call of God we must know that it will involve worship, not only of the personal and private sort, but public worship. This is what  Abram did. When he responded to the call of God — when he began to walk by faith and notify sight — he worshipped the LORD publicly. His life was centered around the alter.

In verse 5 we learn of a problem. The problem is very different from the one that drove Abram down into Egypt, but is meant to be compared with it. Remember that Abram was driven down into Egypt by a “great” famine. Now he has another problem — the land is not able to support his “great” wealth. I used the word “great” here to describe both problems, because that is what the Hebrew text does. The same Hebrew word appears in 12:10 where it is translated “severe” — “the famine was severe” , and in 13:3 where it is translated “rich” — “Abram was very rich in livestock”. The Hebrew word simply means “great, weighty, or heavy”. Abram was tested with a “great” famine, and now his “great” wealth is causing a problem for him. Both situations are to be viewed as a test. 

Verses 5-7 read, “And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land” (Genesis 13:5–7, ESV).

Abram’s response to this problem is what is to be noted. Verse 8: “Then Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen” (Genesis 13:8, ESV). Abram was certainly more powerful than Lot, and yet he did not use his power against him. Rather, he sought peace. Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9, ESV). Abram is an example to us in this instance. We too should be eager to pursue peace. 

And in verse 9 Abram spoke to his nephew Lot, saying, “Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left” (Genesis 13:9, ESV). 

This Abram is very different from the Abram who, when going down to Egypt, took matters into his own hands and acted according to human cunning as he attempted to manipulate and control the situation by his own strength. Here Abram is found walking by faith. He knows the promises of God. He is not afraid, therefore, to humbly and self  sacrificially give Lot first pick of the land. He simply trusted that LORD would keep his promises. The land would belong to his descendents. How this would come about,  he did not know. Here he is found walking by faith and not by sight. 

*****

Lot’s Lust

Secondly, let us see that Lot’s faith was in this moment being tested. Lot, instead of walking by faith in the promises of God, seems to have driven by a lust for prosperity. While Abram as founding walking by faith and not by site, it appears that Lot began to walk by sight and not by faith.  

“And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.” (Genesis 13:10–13, ESV)

When Abram gave Lot the first pick of the land we are told that “Lot  lifted up his eyes and saw”. Now, there is noting inherently wrong with lifting up your eyes to look at something. But it the whole narrative suggests that Lot made his choice, not in light of the promises of God, and not out of concern to remain closely allied with Abram, the blessed man, but based upon worldly appearances. 

 “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere”. It looked like the garden of the LORD, that is, the garden of Eden. It reminded Lot of Egypt. No doubt, Lot remembered the severe famine that had threatened them not long before. And I’m sure that he reasoned to himself, we have made such tremendous gains. I will go now to a land that is more like Egypt — a land with a stable water supply that is less vulnerable to drought. 

Notice that “Lot journeyed east.” This language is to remind us of the language of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Eden. They were banished from the garden to the east. The language is ominous, therefore. 

Then we read, “Thus they separated from each other.” This too is ominous language. Abram was blessed of God. The  promise of God was that those associated with him would be blessed. But Lot was content to separate from Abram. 

Abram settled in Canaan, right smack in the land  that was promised to him, but “Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom.” Lot traveled to the east to the very fringes of the land of Canaan, and eventually he sojourned to the south as far as Sodom. He separated from Abram, and the separation was significant.

In verse 13 we find another ominous statement: “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD” (Genesis 13:13, ESV).

Again, I will say that there was nothing particularly evil about Lot moving away from Abram for the sake of their livestock and for the sake of their peace. But the story about Lot is concerning. It gives the impression that Lot was walking, not by faith, but my sight — that he was being driven by his lust — that there was something about the land and the people to the east that appealed to his senses. And so decided to journey much farther away from Abram then  was necessary. Had Lot believed the promises of God — that Abram was blessed by God and that he would be a blessing to all who were allied with him, and that to Abram the land would have been given — I doubt he would gone so far away. 

The narrative of Genesis will eventually prove that Lot’s choices were poor choices. In chapter 14 Abram will have to come to Lot’s rescue after he is taken captive by conquering kings. And in chapter 19 God himself will rescue Lot before destroying the cities of Sosom and Gomorrah, for their wickedness was very great. 

I think it is clear that in this passage Abram is restored in his faithful walk, but Lot stumbles. He was driven by a lust for worldly things. He began two walk by sight, and not by faith. 

*****

God’s Faithfulness

Lastly, notice that in the midst of it all God remained faithful to his promises. In verses 14 we read,  “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.’ So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.” (Genesis 13:14–18, ESV)

Consider a few things about this portion of the text:

One, whereas in the last section Lot lifted up his own eyes to see that the Jordan Valley was well watered, etc., here it is “the LORD [who] said to Abram…‘Lift up your eyes and look…’” Both men lifted up their eyes to look, but Lot looked on his own initiative and with natural eyes only.  Abram, by the grace of God, looked with eyes of faith.

Two, notice that God again restated his promises to Abram, but in greater detail than before. This is now the second time that the promises originally made  to Abram in 12:1-3 have been repeated. The promise is still the same, but God is here more specific. He tells Abram to look “northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring.” He also specifies that this land will be theirs “forever.” Abram had already been told that he would become a great nation, but here the LORD said, “I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.” This was quite a promise for God to make to an old man with no children married to a wife who was barren. 

I suppose it is worth pausing for just a moment to ask the question, has God been faithful to fulfill these promises made to Abram some 4,000 years ago? The answer is, certainly he has!

Abram did become a great nation — the nation of Israel. 

His descendents eventually did take possession of this land. It would be Joshua who would lead them into it after the death of Moses. In fact, in  Joshua 21:43-45 we read, “Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”

But what about the promises concerning the land being Abram’s “forever”, and his descendents being “as the dust of the earth”? Concerning the promise regarding the dust of the earth, consider King Solomon’s prayer in 2  Chronicles 1, where says, “O LORD God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth”. Evidently Solomon saw that promises as having been fulfilled in his day. But both of these promises are fulfilled most fully when  we consider that the true children of Abraham are all who have  the faith of Abraham, and that they will inherit, not only Cannan, but the new heavens and earth. Understood in this  way — which is the way the New Testament speaks concerning the fulfillment of these promises — truly, Abrams descended areas numerous as the dust of the earth, and the land is theirs  forever and ever. 

The book of Revelation is where we see the ultimate fulfillment to these promises. In Revelation 7:9 John wrote, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And in Revelation 21:1-3  we read, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’”

The third thing to notice about this portion of the text is that after walking the land, Abram again settled “by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.” This entire episode begins and ends with Abram worshipping the LORD. Brothers and sisters, if God has called us to himself it is so that we might glorify  his name.   

*****

Application  

This sermon has been  a bit long. And so as we turn our attention to application I will simply ask you to reflect upon what was said at the beginning and to ask yourself, am I walking by faith or by sight? 

If you are quick and careless in this reflection I doubt you will come away with much at all. But you take the time, and if you prayerfully put this question to yourself, I’m certain that the Spirit of God will press you with the Word of God. Are you walking by faith or by sight?

First of all, does your “walk” even look like a walk? Are you active, constant, methodical, and enduring in your pursuit of Christ? Or does your”walk” look more like periodic sprints,  or worse yet, sleepy slumber? Are you walking as a Christian in this world?

Secondly, are you walking by faith? Are you trusting daily in God and in the Christ he has sent? Are you living in light of his word? Are you trusting in his promises, keeping his law, and living according to his truth? 

Or thirdly, are you walking by sight? Has grown enamored with this world and the things of this world? Like Lot, have you begun to make discussions being driven by the appearance of things  rather than in simple obedience to the commands of Christ? 

Brothers and sisters, I am sure of it. If we are walking by faith and not by sight, then we will find ourselves living a life of worship. We, like Abram, will be found constantly at the alter.  “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 12:10-20

“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. 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 may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.’ When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 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? 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.’ And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.” (Genesis 12:10–20, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-13

“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:1–13, ESV)

*****

Introduction

If we are to fully appreciate the passage that is before us today — the one which describes the journey of Abram and Sarai down into  Egypt and then back again — it is important that we compare it with what has come before and what will come after in the narrative of Genesis, and the rest of scripture.

Concerning the things that will come later in the narrative of Genesis and the rest of scripture, notice that this episode about Abrama nd Sarai is typical.  By that I mean, what Abram and Sarai experience and do in this narrative will be experienced and done by others in future generations, ultimately on a much greater scale, and even by the Christ.  

Here in Genesis 12:1-20 we learn that a famine drove Abram and Sarai down into Egypt. There they stayed for a time. There they were threatened. There God was faithful to preserve them. And from there God brought them back into the land of promise more prosperous than they were before. God was faithful to preserve them. 

And the very same thing would be experienced by Abram’s descendents. In the days of Jacob and Joseph, Abram’s descendents would be driven by famine to go down into Egypt. There they would stay for a long time. There they would be severely threatened. God would be faithful preserve them. And from there God would bring them back into the land of promise much more numerous and prosperous than before. Of course I am here referring to the Exodus of Israel from Egypt in the days of Moses. The journey of Abram and Sarai down into Egypt and back again was typical. 

It is also worth noting that the Christ himself would experience something similar. In Matthew 2:13 we read that, “when they [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child [that is, baby Jesus] and his mother [Mary], and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son’” (Matthew 2:13–15, ESV).

The  experience of Abram and Sarai was typical. It established a pattern that would be repeated throughout the history of redemption. Therefore, the event had a prophetic quality about it. And the message for future generations was clear — God is able to keep his promises. He is able to preserve his people as they sojourn in foreign places. He is the sovereign king, not only over Abram and Israel, but over all the nations of the earth. Surely he would be faithful to bring about the promises he made to Abram at the start. 

More comparisons could be made between this text and future happenings in the history of redemption, but we also need to compare this text with what has come before it. 

We must remember that promises were just made by God to Abram. The LORD spoke to Abram saying, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3, ESV). And after Abram was obedient to leave his fathers land and to sojourn down into Canan the LORD reiterated these promises. “The LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him” (Genesis 12:7, ESV). 

Everything that we encounter in this passage — the one about the journey of Abram and Sarai down into  Egypt and back again — must be considered against the backdrop of the call of God and the promises of God given to Abram. When we approach the passage in this way it becomes clear that although Abram initially responded in faith and obedience to the call and promises of God, he soon floundered. When things got difficult — when the heat was turned up — he began to stumble. He took matters into his own hands. Instead of trusting in God to fulfill his promises — instead of walking by faith and in simple obedience to the commands of scripture — he began to live according to his own wisdom and power.

I’m sure that you can already see that there is a lesson here for us. God has called us to himself through faith in Christ Jesus by his word and Spirit. He has given us his promises. We know his word, and we have been called to live in faith and obedience to him in all things. But as you know from experience, life is accentuated by trials and tribulations. It is during these difficult times that the people of God are often tempted to doubt the promises of God and to live, not by faith and in simple obedience to him, but according to our own wisdom. Brothers and sisters, may it never be. May we imitate the faith of Abram, and learn also from his floundering so that we might flee from it. 

*****

Famine In The Land

After being told of Abram’s faith and obedience in verse 4-9, in verse 10 we read, “Now there was a famine in the land” (Genesis 12:10, ESV). 

This declaration concerning a famine in the land is intended to suprise the reader. God had just promised to bless Abram and to give him this land. And the reader probably assumed that God would always bless Abram — that life would be always easy for him — and that he would  immediately fulfill his promises to him concerning the possession of the land. But the words, “now there was a famine in the land” make it clear that this is not so. Though Abram was ultimately blessed of God, that did not mean he would be spared from the trials and tribulations of this life. And though Abram would ultimately inherit the land, that did not mean he would inherit it immediately. 

Again, the experience of Abram is typical for all of God’s people who live in this world. Those who belong to God through faith in Christ are truly blessed, but this does not mean that they will be  without trials and tribulations. Those who belong to God through faith in Christ are heirs with him — they have, by virtue of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, already come to possess  the new heavens and new earth in him — but it is not yet theirs in experience.  

The scriptures speak plainly concerning the difficulties that those who are blessed in Christ Jesus will experience in this world. 

Jesus himself spoke to his disciples saying, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV).

In Acts 14:21 we read, “When they [Paul and Barnabus] had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:21–23, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, we should not be surprised when we read that there was a famine in the land immediately after it was promised to Abram, and neither should we be surprised when trials and tribulations come upon us. This is what Peter explicitly says in 1 Peter 4:12: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12–13, ESV).

It should be remembered that Christ himself, who was blessed of God more than any other, suffered in this world. The same may be said of his Apostles. To be blessed of God, and to be an heir of the new heavens and earth in Christ Jesus, does not guarantee a life without tribulations. Far from it. Trials and tribulations are permitted in this life so that we might be tested and purified through them. It is God’s way.  

Listen again to Peter’s words: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3–7, ESV).

Abram had been called by God. He had received the promises of God concerning the new heavens and new earth. He had responded in faith and obedience initially. And then his faith was tested — there was a famine in the land that God had promised to him not long before.

*****

The Faithlessness of Abram

In verses 10 through 13 we discover that Abram, instead of walking by faith has he had done before, was, in this instance, found to be faithless. Instead of believing upon thee promises of God, his faith floundered.

Verse 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. 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 may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake’” (Genesis 12:10–13, ESV).

I’m not sure if we should criticize Abram for going down to Egypt to sojourn there. Perhaps he planned to go down trusting that the Lord  world also provide an opportunity for him to return to the land that had been promised to him. But on the other hand, it is a bit unsettling to learn that Abram was willing to so quickly leave the land promised to him and to sojourn in Egypt as a foreigner. All things considered, it  does seem as if Abram was loosing sight of the promises of God. It seems as if he was beginning to compromise. 

What I am sure of is that Abram displayed a lack of faith by telling a half truth, which is in fact a lie, concerning his relationship to Sarai, who was his wife and his half sister (see Genesis 20:12). 

Abram was afraid that because his wife was very beautiful the Egyptians would kill him in order to take her as one of  their wives. Brothers and sisters, it is never good to live your life being driven by fear. Fear and faith cannot coexist. We should walk by faith, and not by fear. But Abram was afraid, and his faith was weak. Being driven by fear Abram concocted a plan to tell the Egyptians that Sarai was his sister, and not his wife. Again, according to Genesis 20:12, this was a half truth, for Sarai was his half sisters. But it was also a lie, for she was in fact his wife. 

Now, there was probably a  method to Abram’s madness. In that culture brothers had a lot power. They were the ones to give their sisters away in marriage, especially if the parents were no longer around. And perhaps Abram reasoned that if Sarai was to be noticed and pursued, he, as her brother, would be able to delay, stonewall, and even refuse to give her up, and in so doing both he and she would be protected from harm. He probably even reasoned to himself that in this way he would be helping the plan of God along. After all, what good would the promises of God be concerning a great nation being produced through him if he was dead! It is strange how can we can sometimes reason within ourselves to justify our sin and rebellion against God.  What Abram probably didn’t expect is that Sarai would be noticed by Pharaoh himself.  And in that case, it doesn’t matter what the brother says, does it. The Pharaoh will get his way. And that is what happened. Sarai was noticed by Pharaoh, and she was taken into the his harem.  

Brothers and sisters, not only is foolish to make decisions being driven by fear, it also also foolish to make decisions according to human wisdom and cunning. There is a wisdom from above that is to be pursued, but their is also a wisdom from below. And certainly any course of action that involves transgressing the law of God is foolish, and it is to be avoided. If Abram were walking by faith and not by sight he would have refused to lie — he would have gone on in faith, living in perpetual obedience to God in all things. But instead he decided to take matters into his own hands, to act, not according to the law of God, but according to the ways of the world. And as you can see, things didn’t turn out so well. Friends, they never do when we abandon God and go the way of the world. We might seem to proper for a time, but the wages of sin is always death. 

*****

The Faithfulness of God

Lastly, notice that though Abram was faithless, God was still faithful to keep his promises. 

In verse 16 we read, “And for her sake he [the Pharaoh]  dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 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? 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.’ And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had” (Genesis 12:16–20, ESV).

Notice a few things:

One, notice that ironically the Egyptians are portrayed as having more integrity than Abram in this situation. Pharaoh, having been afflicted by God, was upset with Abram that he would lie and put him in this position.

Two, notice that Abram was blessed by God despite his faithlessness. The Pharaoh “dealt well with Abram.” He made Abram to proper for Sarai’s sake. And the Pharaoh sent Abram away a much more wealthy man than when he came into Egypt. Just as Israel would plunder the Egyptians at the time of the Exodus, so too Abram plundered the Egyptians despite his faithlessness. 

Three, notice that Egyptians were cursed. 

Does this not further prove what was said before concerning the promises made to Abram in  12:1-3. Clearly, they were promises, and not stipulations. Clearly they were gospel, and not law. If the words spoken to Abram were stipulations and laws which required Abram’s obedience to secure the blessing, then the blessing would have been forfeited not long after it was offered! But here we see that Abram was blessed despite his shortcomings. This is by the grace of God alone. These blessing came to Abram, and the curses came upon the Egyptians, not because of the faith and obedience of Abram, but in spite of his faithlessness. Friends, God is faithful to fulfill his promises, even when we are faithless. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:1–13, ESV).

*****

Application  

As we move now towards the conclusion I would like to suggest some application. 

One, I ask you, what is your “famine”? And by that I mean, where is the Lord testing the genuineness of your faith? What trial or tribulation are you facing that the Lord is using to refine your faith? In what way are you being tempted to doubt the promises of God that are ours in Christ Jesus and to live, not in obedience to God, but according to the wisdom of the world?  If you took the time to think about it, I’m sure you could identify something. The evil one is always at work to temp us to abandon our “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3, ESV). What is it for you? In what way are your being tempted to dismiss God’s word and to go your own way.

Two, and having identified your “famine”, I ask you, will you continue on in faith and obedience, or will you abandon the way of Christ to live according to human wisdom and cunning?

The way forward should always involve faith in Christ and a simple obedience to his commandments. Why we make life more difficult than it needs to be, I’m not entirely sure. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3, ESV).  But how easy it is for us to compromise. How easy it is to take what seems to be the easy way. How easy it is believe the lies of the evil when he says, “do you really expect to prosper in the world by keeping the commandments of God?” “If you would only… then you would be respected.” “If you would only… then you would be prosperous.” “If you would only… then you would be happy.”   

The ways in which we are tempted to compromise are too numerous to list. “If only you would tell this lie… if only you would use foul language… if only you would gossip like the rest of them… if only you would employ manipulative tactics… if only you would steal… if only you would join yourself to this person…  etc. There are so many ways that the Christian is tempted to abandon their simple and sincere devotion to Christ to go the way of the world.  

Brethren, rarely do Christians apostatize from the faith all at once. More often than not the road to the denial of Christ is a long road, the journey consisting of many little steps and little compromising decisions. We reason within ourselves and we justify our actions saying, is it really so bad that I grow emotionally attached to this man who is not my husband, our this woman who is not my  wife? Is drinking to the point of drunkenness really so bad? Is it really such a problem that I self protect within the marriage, refusing to submit and to love as the scriptures have called me to? 

On and on I could go. I am urging you, brothers and sisters, to ask the question, where is my  faith in Christ being tested? In what ways I being tempted to live to according to worldly and sinful stanards instead of by faith and in simple obedience to the commands of Christ? Christians should have a “sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3, ESV), and it is this that we are so often tempted to abandon.  

Three, I have noticed that many are tempted to compromise in their personal lives, but I have also noticed that many are tempted to compromise in the public worship of God. The scriptures are clear, brothers and sisters, that we are to honor the Lord’s Day Sabbath and to keep it holy. It is to be a day set apart as distinct. It is to be a day where we cease from our worldly recreations and employments. It is a day for assembling with the people of God to ingage in the public worship of God. The scriptures are clear concerning these things. The law of God says, honor the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. And the New Testament scriptures warn us, saying, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24–25, ESV). If you have not yet been convinced that the 4^th commandment still applies to us today, I would be happy to demonstrate this to you from the scriptures. But assuming that it is true, my exhortation to you is to not compromise.  Do not go the way of the world. Do not neglect the assembly of the saints and the public worship of God. 

Friends, may we imitate the faith of Abram of Genesis 12:1-9, but may we refuse to compromise as Abram did in Genesis 12:10-20. But may we also remember and take comfort in the fact that “if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:1–13, ESV).