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.
Genesis 12:10-20
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.
The first mistake: Gen 12:10 – Abram didn’t trust God to provide for them in Canaan during the famine. He made his own plan and went down to Egypt. This did not turn out well. See also Isa 30:1-5.
The second mistake: Gen 12:11-12 – Abram didn’t trust God to protect him while he was in Egypt. He made his own plan and prostituted his wife for his own safety’s sake.
A point of hope for all doubters: Gen 12:17-20 – the Lord protected Abram and Sarai in spite of Abram’s doubt, and He used this experience to grow Abram’s faith.
Our faith in God is often weak, and we take the promises of God and seek to fulfill them ourselves. Through the ensuing setbacks and trials, God continues to protect us, work out His perfect will, and grow in us a deeper faith for future trials.
