Chapter 12
God makes this incredible promise to Abram. Over and over he says, "I will bless you. I will bless you. I will bless you..." And then I guess Abram took a nap or something, because suddenly he has forgotten the whole conversation. As soon as they set foot in Egypt, where God sent them to be protected from the famine, Abram gets scared. (I wonder what Satan was whispering in his ear that made him suddenly so self-conscious. Don't listen to him. He's a liar.) They pretend that Sarai is only Abram's sister. Why? Is he afraid that they'll mistreat her? No, he's covering his own butt. He thinks that since she is so beautiful that the lusty Pharaoh will kill him and marry her. (Girls, just because someone tells you that you are beautiful, doesn't mean that they have your best interests at heart. But that's a discussion for a different time.)
God just promised Abram that he was going to make him a great nation, and curse those that curse him. How is that going to happen if Abram is dead?! He had nothing to worry about. But instead he took his life into his own hands, risked his own wife's virtue, and got them all kicked out of Egypt.
Abram seems to redeem himself a little in chapter 13. He lets Lot greedily choose the verdant, abundant land for himself and leaves it to God to do the blessing. Wise decision for someone who made such a terrible one in the last scene. So what changed? Verse 4 says it all: "And there Abram called on the name of the Lord." Wisdom abounds when you spend time with the Lord, praising his name.
And what about Lot? We know that what the world calls success: fame, fortune, financial security, good-looking spouse, etc--that stuff looks good, but it isn't life. It has nothing to do with the abundance that God is offering. Lot took what looked like the better deal. But it was nearby a little city called Sodom. And in verse 12, it says that while Lot settled in the valley, he moved his tents as far as Sodom. The exciting life of the wicked men of Sodom looked good to Lot. He saw their big buildings, bright lights, beautiful women, the fun they were having, and he started inching closer and closer until his life started to look a lot like theirs. It sucked him right in.
In Chapter 14 we find out that life in the big city might not have been quite as cool as Lot had previously thought. He gets mixed up in trouble--a huge war, in fact. The city gets looted and raided, Lot gets kidnapped, and Abram has to come to his rescue. Abram is still walking with God at this point, because he refuses to take any of the spoils of the war. Instead he gives credit for all his success to God. Smart move.
So what are you taking from this lesson today? I know that sometimes the idea of a big house, cool car, plenty of money, the American dream...sometimes that stuff really gets under my skin. That stuff isn't in itself bad, but--and listen to this--it isn't life. It can all be taken away. Don't let the pursuit of success, wealth, and "happiness" suck you in the way it did to Lot. God is offering an abundance of joy, security, and LIFE that cannot be touched by anything.
This is so exciting. I can't tell you how much I LOVE the Old Testament, so I am having a great time digging deep into these scriptures. But I must repeat. The lessons that I am choosing to write about it these pages are not the only lessons to be gleaned from these stories. Read them for yourself. Let the word of God soak into you, and listen to the Spirit speak to you through it. It's gonna CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Next time: Genesis 15-16
I'm going to be posting this on Monday so you have plenty of time to read this section and let it sink in. READ THIS 2, 3, or 4 times. It is very important, and God has been showing me something huge to share with you from these chapters. I want you to be prepared. See you Monday!!
--Anna
I am caught up and am reading chapter 15-16 now. I read it once and then read your thoughts and went back again. I love what you said about the American dream and how that all looks great on the outside. It is so true that wealth and worldly riches come and go but the wealth of the Lord is eternal.
Posted by: Jessie Hurst | August 03, 2008 at 11:26 PM