Abraham's Big Lie - Genesis Part 21

You know, one of the greatest proofs of the Bible's integrity and of the Bible's authenticity is that it records the failures of the Rose with the same honesty as it records their successes and nowhere is that more true than in our passage for today where were going to see the great man of God, Abraham, Duane really low down dirty nasty simple thing we want to go back and look and see what he did for thousand years ago and then we want to bring all of that forward and talk about okay so what are the spiritual lessons in this for us as followers of Christ today in the 21st century. That's our plan Genesis chapter 12 is our passage and a tiny bit of review last week we saw how Abraham obeyed God by faith and how he left his hometown a very prosperous town of very wealthy town where he was living in affluence and how he followed God to the land of Canaan and how God gave him the Abraham. It covenant what we want to do today is now that Abraham has arrived in the promised land. The land of Canaan.

We want to pick up and see what happens so there we go. Genesis chapter 12 verse six. So Abraham passed through the land as far as Shechem. Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel where he pitched his tent. Then Abraham continued all journeying towards the negative.

That is the southern part of Israel he started. Obviously, this only made sense in the northern part of the promised land because he was coming in from the north from Qumran and then he was steadily moving southward living in his tent as he went.

As I told you a few weeks ago, in part 19 of this series, a message entitled the historicity of the patriarchs. Archaeology confirms this picture of Canaan in 2000 BC the time of Abraham, the picture of the Genesis 12 presents to us confirms it as being an accurate picture archaeology tells us that reservoirs for storing water. We often call them cistern had not yet come into widespread use in the land of Canaan in 2000 BC and therefore at the time of Abraham. There were very few cities as we think of them today in Canaan. Most of Canaan was dry and aerated the open country at this time where semi nomads are a lot better when simply wandered around and lived intends but this is exactly the way the Bible tells us that Abraham was living renowned archaeologist Dr. Edwin Yamaguchi said and I quote he said the picture of Genesis of the in Genesis of the patriarchs moving about in the hill country of Palestine. Since in perfectly with the population patterns of this time that we have discovered from archaeology." Or, as we love the Savior McLean Bible Church.

Stay with me. The more they dig out of the ground the more the Bible proves to be right first him.

Now there was a famine in the land of Canaan.

So Abraham went down to Egypt to live for a while because the famine was severe in the land. Famines were not unusual in Canaan at this time in Genesis 26 we learned there was a severe famine in the days of Isaac, and if you remember in Genesis 42.

The whole reason that Joseph's brothers came to Egypt and ran into him again. Years after they had sold them in slavery was because there was a famine going on in Canaan and they came to Egypt looking for food. Now some commentators have suggested that Abraham's going to Egypt represents a lapse in his faith, a failure in his faith. They say these words, they say, well, you know, God called Abraham supernaturally to the land of Canaan. So Abraham should've stayed in the land and he should've trusted God by faith and God would've said even famine or no famine. If God sent reasons they say to feed Elijah in the time of a famine that he went through first Kings 17 the God would've done the very same thing for Abraham going to Egypt was a lack of faith on his part.

They say is a lot you agree with that.

Well friends I am not convinced that he is going to Egypt was a lapse in his faith. Number one. The Bible never says that anywhere in number two. God never condemns Abraham anywhere in the Bible for having done this the best I can tell you this may be Abraham's going to Egypt was soon and maybe it was. I really don't know but for sure what Abraham did. Once he arrived in Egypt. Then there was no doubt that that was soon watch verse 11 as Abraham was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarah. I know what a beautiful woman you are in that sweet I mean did you know there's a softball if I ever saw softball guys man tossed that to your wife, but he wasn't kidding. Listen, he said, when the Egyptians see you they will say this is why and they will kill me and they will let you live now. We should remember that at the time of Genesis chapter 12 Sarah was 65 years old you say are long so I mean no offense or anything, but how can a 65-year-old woman be so beautiful that people would kill for her. No offense will I don't know the answer to that. I've got three thoughts three theories number one lifespans were longer in those days, for example, Sarah died at the age of 127 so it 65 maybe Sarah looked like she was only really a 35-year-old woman in today's years. That's one possibility. A second possibility is that Sarah to think about is that Sarah had no children. Think with admin admit that Sarah got to sleep through the night every night. That meant that Sarah got to eat every meal in peace call.

That means that Sarah had unlimited time to put on her makeup she could go to the gym every single day and stay as long as she wanted and when she came home she could take a hot bath with renewing salts in the bath and lay in the bath as long as she felt like it without somebody yelling so maybe this is why Sarah looks so good. What you think might be or my third theory is that God had blessed this woman and she was jaws drop dead gorgeous. I mean, no reason, no! She was jaws, beautiful either way.

Whatever the explanation is for Sarah's beauty.

Abraham had reason to be concerned. I mean Pharaoh in this day was a powerful man and he could do whatever he wanted to do and there wasn't anybody to stop him. Abraham had good reason to be concerned. Verse 13 so Abraham said to Sarah. Please say you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you and that my life will be spared on account of you now what Abraham asked Sarah to tell the Egyptians was not completely a lot. Indeed, Sarah was his half sister speaking to Abimelech in Genesis chapter 20 verse 12 Abraham said Sarah really is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not of my mother so she was his half-sister, but folks, she was still his wife and to ask her to do this was despicable. I mean, yes, Abraham's life might get spared. But just think what might happen. The Sarah is this a long stop and you suck.

How could a man like Abraham do this I mean this is a man of God right yes this man was a man of faith right yes then this man appears in Hebrews chapter 11 in the Hall of Fame of the Bible right yes this man God called them my friend right yes you say what in the world could he do this well. He was scared he was human. Verse 14.

So when Abraham entered Egypt.

The Egyptians saw that she Sarah was a beautiful woman and when Pharaoh's officials saw her. They praised her to Pharaoh and she was taken into his house. Therefore, Pharaoh treated Abraham well for her sake and he gave Abraham sheep and cattle and donkeys in male and female servants, and camels. While, but the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with serious diseases. The because of Sarah Abraham's wife and how much you love this folks, how much do you love the fact that Almighty God. Hymns built stepped in and defended this godly woman Sarah before Pharaoh could take her as his wife.

The Bible doesn't say exactly what kind of diseases. These were the God sent on Pharaoh and his family. But whatever they were Pharaoh figured out real quickly that something was clearly wrong and he obviously went to Sarah and said hey you know all these bad diseases started the minute you join my household what's going on here and she told him the truth. Verse 18 and Pharaoh summoned Abraham and said, what is this you done to me. Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife why did you say she is my sister so that I took her to be my wife now take her and go away while a complete pagan rebuking the man of God Abraham for his sin.

Amazing. Verse 20 then Pharaoh gave orders to his men about Abraham and they sent them away along with his wife and all that belonged to him. Everything Pharaoh had given him.

He carried out of Egypt within now that's as far as we want to go in our passage but just before we go to our most important question of the day. I have a second most important question a secondary most important question and that is Sarah writes in agreeing to do what Abraham asked her to do. Just saying that she was his sister.

Well my firm belief is that the answer was no. She was wrong you say will long. Maybe it's that she felt as a godly woman that she needed to submit, you know, to our husbands authority on this.

I mean, the Bible does teach that submission on the part of wives to their husband. Yes it does but friends submission or no submission what Abraham asked Sarah to do was sin and she should have said no, listen ladies submission biblical submission does not mean that you shot up, put your brain in neutral and accept every foolish idea that comes out of your husband's mouth that is not biblical submission. I noticed all the ladies clapping. That is not biblical submission. And furthermore, biblical submission does not give a husband. The right to make his wife and accomplice to sin. That is not what God is giving a husband.

The authority to do.

She still said no. This is wrong. This is sin. Abraham were to trust God. Whatever happens, happens. But I'm not doing this because it's wrong.

Are. So that's the end of our passage. But now, why don't we asked our most important question of the day so all you out there in our campuses and all of us here at Tysons.

Are we ready day crime. Come on, here we go now limber up one to hold you say lawn, so one say whatever does any of this make to my life in the 21st century as a follower of Christ. What when I was studying this passage is weak. Ashley there were two just unbelievable spiritual lessons that the Lord impressed upon me, and you know usually when we do a so what I don't give you two so what hardly ever does that happen, but each of these was so I thought important that I'm going to give you two so what's both of which we see in this passage so erratic okay number one the first great spiritual lesson that I think we see here is that, as followers of Christ. This passage is a great reminder of God's on deserved grace, kindness and mercy to us all. They think about here in Genesis chapter 12 what Abraham did. Certainly did not qualify him to be blessed by God.

Eli, he deceived them he sacrificed his wife in order to protect himself. I mean, that was dastardly what he did, and yet what did God do for Abraham and return. Genesis 1216 therefore Pharaoh treated Abraham well for Sarah say and he gave Abraham sheep and cattle and donkeys in male and female service and camels and even when Pharaoh flew him out of Egypt. God allowed Abraham to take all of this stuff with them. The result Genesis 13 to was that Abraham became very rich in livestock in silver and gold, go ye I want. How do we ask blame this Abraham went into Egypt. He behaved shamelessly horribly and in spite of that God blessed them, and made him a wealthy man how the world, we explained that I only have one answer. The answer is the answer.

The Bible gives and that is that we have a God who loves to dispense mercy and grace and blessing to his children, even when we don't to deserve it years ago when I first came to the Washington area, I attended a church in South Arlington and there was a gentleman there named Jerry Phillips and Jerry and I became acquaintances and every time I would see them on Sunday or I passed him I would go a Jerry how you doing and he would always say the same thing to me. He would always say that or not deserve better not deserve better not deserve, and I thought, why don't you just say fine just say I'm fine, but he never ever said that it all the years I knew him.

You asked Jerry Phillips how are you doing and you will always be here better than I deserve. I was a very young Christian at the time and I didn't really get it. Now that I've been a believer 40 years. I get and I understand how right he was. Folks every single day. You and I as followers of Christ we are always doing better than we deserve. Thank God for that. If God only dispense blessings to you and me. When our behavior deserve it. I gotta tell you, we'd all be in pretty bad shape.

Yeah, thank God he don't do that.

Don't ever ask God to give you what you deserve. You don't want what you deserve, you won't like what you deserve you want to be as far away from what you deserve as possible. You want grace you will mercy you want God's benevolence in his goodness that you don't deserve that.

I don't deserve and that's why God treated Abraham like this topic is Abraham deserved this treatment and that's why God treats you like this Fred. That's part of what God isn't part of how he treats his children and that's why maybe you should start answering people when they say to you how you do it.

Maybe you should start saying better not deserve the other lesson that I see here in the events of Genesis 12 is that as followers of Christ. This passage is a great reminder that even our worst mistakes don't mess up God's sovereign plan for our lives to God had a sovereign plan for Abraham and Sarah's lives. We talked about it last week that plan was to start a new race of people that you wish people through their son Isaac and then to use the Jewish people to do three things.

Number want to give the world the written word of God. Number two, to give the world the true knowledge of the one and legitimate God of the universe and number three to give the world the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of the world now if Pharaoh had confiscated Sarah as his wife. Not only would God's plan for Abraham and Sarah have been messed up, but far more seriously God's plan for the redemption of all mankind would've been messed up. There would've been no Isaac understand and would no Isaac there would've been no Jacob would know Jacob, there would've been no Joseph, and with no Joseph there would've been no King David would know King David, there would've been no Messiah to believe Satan did notice don't you believe that he didn't have a hand in orchestrating the events of Genesis chapter 12. Don't you believe that the famine Abraham's fear of the lie that Abraham was tempted to tell Pharaoh's lost for Sarah. Don't you believe Satan wasn't behind every single bit of that intending to mess up God's plan of salvation for the human race. And you know what's more in their foolishness and in their human weakness. Abraham and Sarah play right in the Satan's hand.

The friends would you please notice the God was bigger. Would you notice that he was bigger than Satan schemes. He was bigger than Pharaoh's lost.

He was bigger than Abraham's sin, and he was bigger than Sarah's mistake God was bigger.

You make no mistake about it, my friend the sovereign plans of Almighty God are always going to be worked out in this world doesn't matter about the schemes of Satan doesn't matter about the mistakes of people doesn't matter about the sins of Christian the nothing nothing, the lust of this world hey God's plan is going to get worked out and you know why I'll tell you why, because God is omnipotent, which means he's powerful enough to make sure his plans get worked out no matter what anyone says to matter what anyone does. Even Satan himself. Daniel chapter 4 verse 35, King Nebuchadnezzar realized it. He said all the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing and God Dawes as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth and say the next two words with me Seo. No one, no one can hold back his hand. No one paid Joseph's brothers. They tried to hold back God's plan and make to exalt their brother Joseph by selling them into slavery and shipping them off to Egypt but you know what my friends they failed. Why, because God is omnipotent, and God is bigger and then Pharaoh Amenhotep. The second you Brenner try to hold back God's plan to liberate the Israelites from the land of Egypt. He did everything he could to stop it, and by the way he was the most powerful man on the face of the earth and Moses his day buddy Pharaoh you know why because God is omnipotent, and God is bigger and Jonah tried to hold back God's plan to spare the people of Nineveh, he headed off in another direction got to go to Nineveh he said I was 180° from Nineveh. That's why I'm going complete disobedience to God, and you know what happened to him. He got turned around in a very unusual way and when it was all said and done, he couldn't hold back God's plan. Why, because God was omnipotent, and God was bigger in the Jewish leaders in Jesus's day tried to stymie and hold back the plan of salvation for the human race in opposing the Lord Jesus Christ paper to know what they buried him in the tomb. They put a rock in front of the tomb. They seal the tomb.

They put apply to Roman officers in front of the tomb of the work of course not. Why, because God is omnipotent, and God is bigger and may I say to you if you're a follower of Jesus here today. Folks, none of this is change. God is still omnipotent and God is still bigger than anyone who tries to stop the plan of God in your life, then anyone who tries to hold back the plan of God for your life and he's even bigger than usual makings, but mistakes that might hold back the plan of God for your life is bigger than the whole thing you say will lawn like how does this work out practically you know I rented is a somebody of the David was telling me about a young couple who they can pick out a name for their baby because every name means something you know some main names mean just and some mean brave and some meanwhile Eisen and so they were. They were so afraid that they're going to pick the wrong name and pick a name that didn't match up with God's plan for their baby that they couldn't pick any name at all because they were so afraid if they picked the wrong name.

They'd mess up God's plan for their baby's life. You say like about this a little extreme in that.

Well, maybe. But there are people like this. I need Christians like this all the time who spiritually paralyzed themselves out of here.

What if I buy the wrong call. What about by the wrong house. What if I choose the wrong career.

What if I married the wrong person.

What if I make the wrong decision about this or about that about the other thing I could totally mess up God's plan for my life so they're afraid to make any decision they're afraid to do anything listen to me as a follower of Jesus Christ. When you act like this you are making your God too little and you are making yourself way too big. My friend you really think you're big enough to mess up the sovereign plan of God for your life. I gotta tell you, if you could have, you would have already sold by civil law. What if I make a mistake, will you be like Abraham made Abraham made a bad mistake but do you see here in Genesis 12 God had already compensated for the mistake of Abraham he knew was coming. He already had plans for any already compensated for it in the plan of God.

You say how does that work. How do I know I'm not God I don't have the foreknowledge of God, I don't have the omnipotence of God. I don't have the slightest idea how God does that, but he doesn't and what he wants to do is remove the fear we live in that oh my gosh were going to mess it up all my guys, I can't make mistake. God says I'm so far ahead of you every mistake you make.

I've already compensated for and still work my plan out for your life. Stop living in fear bigger than that.

No few years ago actually a long time ago when I first came to McLean Bible church I was preaching through first Corinthians. Don't ever do that because everything in there's controversy everything and draws a brand-new pastor into stupid to understand that and so I just you know charging the lines then every single week and one week. I preached on a particular item in their and through the church into a tizzy.

I mean absolutely upset the apple cart. Your McLean Bible church and I remember after I did it. I was talking to one of our elders and I was really upset. You know that everything was so that I got everybody all of stirred up and I said to this elder. I said you know when I was sincere.

I said I just hope I haven't destroyed the work of God. McLean Bible church and he said to me don't worry lawn you're not that big pretty good advice you not that big long and friends when it comes to God's plan for your life to worry you not that the United I was talking to a friend at the gym this week, whose children are all grown up now and he said you know he comes to church here. He says you know I look back 15 years and he said if I don't only been walking with God. 15 years ago like him walking with God today. I think how different the lives of my children would be spiritually how much better they'd be right now and I could tell by the look in his eyes.

This was really weighing on his heart. And I said to him a lesson. Don't you beat yourself up over this God has already compensated for all of that. He's already worked all of that into his perfect plan for your children's lives and I said to him you know I had a horrible childhood, you know you've heard me talk about my childhood, my parents and all the damage that I've got because of that, but you know what I said to him, all that damage God already compensated for in all of it fit perfectly into God's plan for my life and he said I don't understand how I still let me tell you how.

If my parents had raised me normally I am so arrogant and I am so self-sufficient that I would never have come to Christ.

The only reason I came to Christ is visible in my parent's mess me up so bad and I was so broken that I didn't have any other options for survival. God knew that. So he already compensated for. He said on the ring just got a Christ, have to really mess them up first. And so that's what and I praise God for that. That's not a bad thing. I praise God that I came to Christ and if it took messing me up the mess me up friends.

Don't worry about this stuff. I you know some of us here are living in the shadow of mistakes we made years ago and sinful things we did years ago and were so certain that God's never going to bless our lives were so certain that we've ruined God's plan for our life and were so certain that were second-class citizens in the eyes of Almighty God, friends, that is a lie of the devil and don't you believe it now little balance just before we close. Of course God wants you and me to seek his face and of course God wants you and me to obey his word and of course God wants you and me to try to make godly biblical choices in life.

Of course he does. And I'm not saying that we shouldn't try with all of our heart to do that but I'm just saying nobody gets it right all the time and we get it wrong. The great news of the Bible is the God's bigger than any mistake you and I will make you already knew we were going to make it and he's already compensated for in the plan of God. So don't live in fear do the best you can.

Yes, but then believe God is bigger like that.

Elder told me lawn you're not that big and friend you're not that big.

God will take care of his plan for your life. You're not big enough to mess it up. God doesn't want us focusing on on our mistakes. He wants us to learn from God wants us focusing on him and his power and his sovereignty and his omnipotence and his ability to take even our mistakes as he did with Abraham compensate for them, turn them around and use them positively in the plan of God for life. Only God could do that folks, but he did it for Abraham. He does it for you and me and because of this.

Because of this, you and I always doing better than we what to serve its right to walk out of here today praising God and saying, Lord Jesus, I don't how you do it you need tell me how you do it, but while to be a child of God for his amazing privilege how you lead my life for more.

Jesus, thanks for talking to us today about something that I believe is so important for us as followers of Christ, and that is the ability not to be paralyzed by our mistakes and our shortcomings in our sinful behavior because were just human and we we do this stuff all the time. No matter how hard we try we don't get it right. More Jesus if that's what we focused on every one of us would go jump off a bridge. Thank you that you've given us in the word of God. Something else to focus on, not our mistakes, not our sins, not our shortcomings, but rather the omnipotence and sovereignty and how are of Almighty God, to work his perfect plan for our lives in spite of us how you do it is well beyond anything we could comprehend in our puny human mind but that you do it is clear from the word of God, so may we focus on that Lord. May you give us the courage to go out each and every day to live our day to the fullest we can do in the best we can serve Christ without fear that if we make a mistake, all is lost because of this encourage our hearts today with your word for those of us who been imprisoned for years to mistakes and since the we've committed liberate us today.

Help us turn it loose and help us to believe what that Elder told me years ago.

We are not big enough nor is any mistake we make to mess up the plan of God. And so help us leave your rejoicing today and we pray these things in Jesus name what God's people say they mean it. Well say it like you made it, and that