Abraham's Faith Falters - Labeling Sarah as His Sister

Vol 1 - No 8, March 20, 2004

The Word of God to Abram, renamed Abraham, the father of all that believe - Romans 4:1111 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

- Part Two:

Abram's faith tried.

When 75 year old Abram, by faith in God's Word, left his home in Haran and went into the land of Canaan to a place called Sichem he took with him his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, their servants and all their property - Genesis 12:4 - 54 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

. After arriving in the land he had been promised, Abram built alters to worship God. However, in this study we observe that the power to bring about something hoped for and not seen rests in the power of God's Word and not in the relative strength of human faith. Also we will see here, as from the beginning, Satan attacking God's Word and trying the faith of man.

After Abram arrived in Canaan a famine occurred, likely caused by Satan in order to thwart God's promise that a great nation and blessings would come out of Abram. God had already made these promises to Abram but he took his eyes off the object of his faith, that is, God's Word, and took it upon himself to find a way to survive the famine. He took his family and went down to the land of Egypt to get food. On the way there he became fearful that the Egyptians would want his beautiful wife Sarai and he reasoned that they would kill him to get her. In order to assure his own safety he conspired with Sarai to tell the Egyptians that she was his sister. Genesis 12:10 - 1310 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

We note in Genesis 20:1212 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

that Sarai was indeed the daughter of Abram's father, but not of his mother. However, Abram was deceptive because he did not reveal that Sarai was his wife.

In Egypt, Pharaoh the king of Egypt took Sarai into his house as his intended wife and he gave Abram cattle, camels and servants because Abram said he was Sarai's brother. Had Pharaoh consummated marriage to Sarai God's promise that Abram would be the father of the promised one would have been thwarted but God intervened and sent plagues on Pharaoh's household in order to save Sarai for Abram. As a result of the plagues, Pharaoh sent Abram, his wife Sarai and their entire entourage along with the goods he had given them, away and out of Egypt.

Because of God's Word it was a sure thing, had they remained in the land of Canaan, that Abram and those with him would have been provided food and water, just as God later provided for Moses and the Children of Israel in the desert. Also, God would have protected Abram had he entered Egypt with Sarai as his wife. But Abram took it upon himself to feed his household by going down to Egypt and then, in order to protect himself, he put his wife in jeopardy of being used by Pharaoh by not admitting he was her husband. So, in spite of Abram's weak faith God honored His Word and saved Sarai for Abraham's seed. Genesis 12:10 - 2010 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.

15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.

17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.

18 And Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

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We read in Genesis 15:11 After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

- "After these things the Word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision saying, Fear not Abram: I am thy shield, and they exceeding great reward." In Genesis 15:44 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

God tells Abram that Abram's heir would come out of him. Abram's name was subsequently changed to Abraham and Sarai's to Sarah and after God spoke to Abraham a number of times Satan again tried to thwart God's Word by polluting the seed that would ultimately produce the Savior of the World (Jesus Christ.)

This time, Abraham traveled toward the south and encountered Abimelech king of Gerar. As in the case involving Pharaoh Abraham told Abimelech that Sarah was his sister, but in order to keep from being killed he did not say anything about her being his wife. Abimelech took Sarah into his house but before he could have relations with her God appeared in a dream and explained the situation to him. God also placed a curse on his household by closing the wombs of the women there. Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham and like Pharaoh, gave him riches including cattle, servants and silver. It took Abraham's prayers to God in order to lift the curse from Abimelech's household. Genesis 20:1 - 181 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.

4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.

8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.

9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.

17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

Abraham's faith was weak when he kept quiet about the fact Sarah was his wife in order to save himself from death on these two occasions. But, we learn from these experiences that it is the power of God's Word that accomplishes what is hoped for and cannot be seen and not the relative strength of a man's faith. Abraham may have been the first, but he was not the last to have this problem. Many of God's chosen men who followed Abraham also suffered lapses or weakness in their faith; men like Moses, David and even the Apostle Peter. But God's Word to them did not falter, just as it did not falter in Abraham's case, and this in spite of their relative weak faith at times.

God's Word to Abraham was specific and it had the power to provide that which was promised. Later in his life Abraham does meet the test of his faith, which we will examine in a subsequent study. And, in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews, sometimes referred to the "faith" chapter, there are more verses referring to the faith of Abraham and Sarah than there are about any of the other individual's named therein.

Approximately 3900 years ago the Word of God proclaimed that Abraham would receive specific blessings. He and Sarah did have a son but the fullness of the blessings promised have not as yet been realized. However, God's Word is as good today as it was when it was uttered and Abraham will yet enjoy the promised blessings. "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isaiah 40:88 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

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