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Genesis 12:10-20

Categories: Bible Study Lessons

Put yourself in Abraham’s place for a moment. In the USA it’s difficult because we don’t have famines. Local food shortages are solved by our transportation system. Even if there is a local drought there is still food in the supermarket. This is true for other areas of the world as well. In ancient times, however, when there was no food, THERE WAS NO FOOD. People start to die and that’s a difficult thing to see. Perhaps the wealth of Abraham was dwindling fast as the herds were consumed by the family and raided by locals. Abraham’s family would starve soon unless he did something. Perhaps others were going down to Egypt out of desperation and so he decided to do the same. Abraham was in survival mode, but, in that mode he was about to learn a lesson about himself and about God. These are lessons we need to learn as well.

LESSON NUMBER ONE

When one is under intense pressure even the best can fall. This includes the best people you know. Your preacher, your elder, your grandfather, even apostles (Gal. 2:11). It might even be true that Abraham didn’t even see his sin while he was doing it. He was trying to save the lives of his family.

Why shouldn’t we accept the actions of Abraham as an example for us today? The Gospel teaches us that there are worse things than death. Matthew 10:28 tells us “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” We are not to sin, even to save the lives of our family.

LESSON NUMBER TWO

God revealed himself to be much more powerful to Abraham than he had before. Deities were thought to be local in those ancient times. Abraham may have thought that God’s aid ended at the border of Egypt. He found out that Jehovah was more powerful than Pharaoh (a living god in Egypt), more powerful than the sun and the river and the rest of the pantheon worshipped by the Egyptians. Abraham was on his way to learning the lesson expounded in Isaiah 44:6-8:

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. 7 And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.