March 7: Genesis 12

Today's reading.

The Bible is full of imperfect people imperfectly following a perfect God. That's a decent description for the church throughout the centuries. Which is why it's fitting that Abraham is so frequently referred to as the father of our faith.

We are introduced to Abram (later Abraham) for the first time in this chapter. The beginning of his story is actually somewhat impressive: "Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you'" (12:1). Of all the people in the world, God chooses to speak to Abram. That's a pretty cool thing to get to put on your resume: "chosen out of all the nations for regular conversations with and special calling from the Almighty." Not bad.

Abram knows nothing other than that God 1) is calling him to a yet-to-be-determined location, and 2) is making him incredible promises (all the families of the world would be blessed through him!). Surprisingly, Abram steps out in faith and just goes! He picks up and leaves his home and follows God he knows not where. That is serious faith. Abram seems like a pretty serious, faithful guy in the first half of the chapter.

Then he goes to Egypt.

When Abram gets to Canaan (the Promised Land!), there is a severe famine there. I wonder what he thought when he arrived. "God, I followed you hundreds of miles to get here, and there's not even enough food to feed me and my family?" I wonder if maybe he lost faith at that point, if maybe he lost hope that God would really give him that land.

He and Sarai go to Egypt, and it's here that Abram's faithlessness is put on full display. He doesn't believe God can provide food in the Promised Land, so he leaves. Now he doesn't believe God can provide safety in Egypt, so he makes his wife lie and tell everyone he's her brother. (Wives, how would you like it if your husband was afraid and so tried to pass you off as his sister? Abram is dashing, isn't he?)

And if we read closely enough, we discover that part of Abram's motivation in passing Sarai off as his sister was profit-driven: "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" (12:13). It isn't just for protection, but "that it may go well with" him. In other words, if Pharaoh takes Sarai as his wife, he'll give lots of money and stuff to Abram. In other words, Abram is pimping out his wife.

We are imperfect people imperfectly following a perfect God. And God, in his mercy, uses us to accomplish his purposes. Abram was about as raw a material as you could find, but God used him to start rolling the ball of our redemption. God would bless all the world through sinful, selfish Abram. His potential isn't great at this point in the story, but God isn't finished with him yet. Thank God he isn't finished yet with you and me either.