Digibron cookies

Voor optimale prestaties van de website gebruiken wij cookies. Overeenstemmig met de EU GDPR kunt u kiezen welke cookies u wilt toestaan.

Noodzakelijke en wettelijk toegestane cookies

Noodzakelijke en wettelijk toegestane cookies zijn verplicht om de basisfunctionaliteit van Digibron te kunnen gebruiken.

Optionele cookies

Onderstaande cookies zijn optioneel, maar verbeteren uw ervaring van Digibron.

Bekijk het origineel

The Calling of Abraham (10)

Bekijk het origineel

+ Meer informatie

The Calling of Abraham (10)

8 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

Rev. J.B. Zippro, Grand Rapids, MI

Pharaoh’s behavior

We can sometimes have a premonition that something is going to happen. This was also the case when Abram and Sarai came to Egypt, for what Abram had feared came to pass. Sarai was a beautiful woman to look upon, and when the Egyptians saw her, they took her. We read in God’s Word, “The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house” (Genesis 12:15). What a difficult time this must have been for Abram and Sarai. Sarai was brought into temptation even as we hear and read of some girls in our days. They are kidnapped and sometimes held for years in concealed places without any sign of life. Oh, that the Lord may spare our children from such people who would abuse them. You can well imagine what it meant for Sarai to be taken into Pharaoh’s house. Here she was surrounded by wealth, power, and enticing words.

We may believe that during the years Sarai was married to Abram they had many wonderful experiences; together they had prayed, calling upon the Lord, and had brought their sacrifices upon the altars. We also may believe that Sarai had some of God’s work performed in her heart, but even with this knowledge, she had to be taken away and brought to the court of Pharaoh, to be surrounded by all those strange men. Oh, what a difficult situation Abram brought his family into; our own foolishness should make us ashamed when we see where it brings us. We do not read that Abram was ashamed, but we can well imagine that he was filled with fear for the sake of his wife and himself. His wife was taken from him because he feared for his own life. Oh, how foolish we can be when we fail to put our trust in the Lord.

God’s care

Now the wonder, for no harm came to them because the Lord cared for them. It was not what they had deserved, but the Lord watched over them, and Abram was treated wonderfully by Pharaoh because of Sarai, his wife. Pharaoh gave him sheep, oxen, menservants, maidservants, and camels. His herd of cattle grew, and he became a rich man. In Genesis 13:2 we read, “Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.”

This shows that obtaining wealth is not forbidden in God’s Word; however, riches can become a snare in our life, and God’s Word warns against that. We read in Luke 12 of the rich man who said, “I will pull down my barns, and build greater,” yet that very night his soul was taken from him. The Lord Jesus also said in the Sermon on the Mount that we should not seek for ourselves treasures on earth but the treasures of heaven, for what can we take with us at the end of our lives? That is the result when we trust in our riches. Riches may also be a blessing, however, if they are received in the right way. We see this in the life of Abram, for he became a rich man, and the Lord cared for him in spite of his foolish behavior.

We might be quick to judge and say, “Abram, now you deserve punishment, and the Lord could take away all of your riches and your cattle.” That is what we might say, but the Lord’s dealing is different, and He is the One who is protecting him and who even defends Abram and Sarai. Did not the Lord promise him, “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee”? We read, “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh” for his behavior, for he had deserved it. What a wonder that “the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.” We do not read what kind of plagues the Lord sent upon Pharaoh, but perhaps they were diseases or other difficulties in his life. The Lord plagued him but dealt wonderfully with His child.

In Psalm 103 we read, “He hath not... re warded us according to our iniquities,” according to what we deserve. Has it ever become a wonder in your life that the Lord did not come with His plagues and punish you for all the sins which you have committed and all the foolish things which you have done? If the Lord would come with His judgments, it would be just and righteous, but, oh, the wonder that the Lord takes care of us in spite of our trespasses. It is never because of any reason in us; neither was it because of any reason in Abram. It was only because of Him who will come from the loins of Abram in the fullness of time and who was plagued with plagues because of the sins of His people. He was born so that, from Bethlehem to Golgotha and in His death on the cross, He would become a curse for His people so that such unworthy people might be blessed.

Suddenly Pharaoh either understood the reason why afflictions came upon him or the Lord made it known unto him. (We read in Genesis 20 that the Lord appeared unto Abimelech in a dream.) Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, she is my sister?”

Abram had no answer. He had to give an account for his actions, but he was not able to do so. That is something to be ashamed of, for here he must be reproved by a heathen. In a certain sense, here Pharaoh is more righteous than Abram. Abram could not answer because Pharaoh spoke the truth. Then Abram received a clear message from Pharaoh, “Behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.” What a wonder this must have been for Abram, for he received his wife again, and no harm had come to her.

Perhaps you may have had a similar situation where a loved one was returned to you unharmed, in an amazing way, such as after a journey or after having spent time in the service or in other circumstances. So it also was for Abram. How wonderful it was to see his wife again, and how remarkable it was that Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him. This means that a heathen Pharaoh charged his men not to injure Abram or Sarai in any way. They were sent away. How ashamed Abram must have felt, but the Lord never puts His people to shame. We see here how the Lord cares for His people.

In Hebrews 11 we read, “Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.” God is not ashamed to be called the God of His people. How often must we not be humiliated when we see our weaknesses, our sins, and our foolishness, acting as though we can go on without the Lord and stand in our own strength. We will go into Egypt, making our own way and our own decisions, but even when His people go in such ways, the Lord will not forsake them.

We read of that in Pilgrim’s Progress, also, where many times Christian departed from the narrow way. He went on his way in his own strength but was ashamed when he met a man named Worldly Wiseman who told him to go to the village Morality to meet a man called Legality. In other words, Legality told him that to become a real Christian he had to go to the law, and Christian believed him and turned out of his way. We so often must feel shame, yet the Lord will never put us to shame. What a wonder it is that the Lord is not ashamed to be called their God.

Abram may now go back and return to the promised land. You may ask, “What about that severe famine? Did it disappear?” We read nothing further about it. We can only say that God made everything well. Abram was permitted to return to the promised land, which can also be the case in the life of God’s people. Some times when afflictions or crosses come which we cannot bear ourselves, though we may look to solve them ourselves, one day they will disappear, and the way is opened so that we can return.

We return full of shame as we read of Naomi and Ruth, also. Naomi fled to Moab, which was a sinful way. She left the land of Israel to live in the land of Moab, but one day she could return when she heard that the Lord had visited His people. It was a wonderful way for Naomi, just as it was for Abram. He was permitted to return, ashamed in himself but full of the wonders of the Lord, for He had made everything well. God is faithful to the unfaithful. When we are unfaithful, and when we are weak in ourselves, what a wonder it is to experience that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.

To be continued


When the Lord finds His rod, His people find their knees.

William Tiptaft

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Bekijk de hele uitgave van donderdag 1 oktober 2009

The Banner of Truth | 24 Pagina's

The Calling of Abraham (10)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van donderdag 1 oktober 2009

The Banner of Truth | 24 Pagina's