Don’t settle in Egypt (Part 3)
“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.”-Genesis 12:14-16
Rather than trusting God, Abraham attempted to use lies and deceit to protect himself, Sara and his family. Anyone else ever try and take matters into your own hands, rather than trust God with the outcome?
How far from God are we being diverted when we are attempting to accomplish through deceit, what God fully intends to do for us Himself? This is especially true when the lies appear to be working.It’s hard to come clean when you are benefiting from the lies you told. Pharaoh was enriching Abraham because he believed Sara was Abraham’s sister and not his wife. So much so, God had to step in before Pharaoh did something that would have compromised God’s plan not just for Abraham life but for Sara’s as well:
“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 12:17-20
His actions had consequences, not just for himself, but for those around him. Abraham’s fear and uncertainty about his future led to him deal deceptively with Pharaoh, the Egyptians and even his own family.
Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
Sometimes that is easier said than done, depending on who or what you’re allowing to influence your decision making. Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve had more than one person trying to explain to you what to do? Multiple people shouting directions. Each one vying for your attention. It can be confusing and overwhelming. The same is true when we allow others to determine how we are going to walk out our faith everyday. The people around us can have a tremendous influence on us.
Pharaoh was not just a political figure. He was worshiped as a god. His voice was the voice of god in Egypt. It was the loudest voice and although Abraham, obviously did not worship Pharaoh as a god, he did allow Pharaoh’s voice- position, power, and authority to direct his behavior.
If not for God’s intervening by inflicting Pharaoh with plagues, Pharaoh likely would have killed Abraham. But instead he simply scolded him and sent him away unscathed. Scarcity, uncertainty and outside influences will attempt to distract and divert you from reaching the promises God has for you. Famine, fear and Pharaoh have one thing in common…They will cause you to settle somewhere you were never intended to live.
God refused to allow Abraham to settle in Egypt. Why? Because it doesn’t take long for Egypt to settle in us. Abraham was already looking to Egypt for his provision, he was allowing it to corrupt with character, and allowing the gods of that land to have a voice in his life.
The longer you live there the harder it is to come out. Just ask the children of Israel. Later they would live in Egypt for 430 years. It would take ten plagues to get them out of Egypt and a miraculous event at the Red Sea to finally free them from Pharaoh. However, it would take another 40 years of wandering in the desert of Sinai to get Egypt out of them. I wonder how many today have been diverted or distracted from the promises God has made because of scarcity, uncertainty or outside influences?
Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church