He Who Laughs First

Then God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.  I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."  Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"  And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!"  But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.  "As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.  "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year."  When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. (Genesis 17:15-22 NASB)

This is the main place this chapter overlaps with the next.  In addition to the charge to circumcise, enough to fill a conversation all by itself, God also gives the timing of the child of promise, and the missing detail that he will come through Sarah (quick name change to grow her up, you know, now that she's 90 and all).  The element about Sarah bearing a child is more than Abraham can bear, and he falls further on his face (see verse 3).  It's as if he falls down laughing, so I imagine him going from a bowing position to rolling over holding his belly laughing.

I can only imagine all the emotion that the laughter contains.  He has waited 13 years for another word from his Master, he has raised a son he loves, he has achieved a "grove", and now to have it interrupted...again.  It couldn't have been easy wondering for the last 13 years where this child he invested his heart into would fit, or even if he would fit, into God's plan.  Again with the life interruption.  Again with the plan changes.  It could very well have been that if Abraham hadn't laughed, he would have cried.

So now the name of the child will be Isaac, he laughs.  Here it is Abraham laughing, yet still pushing for minimal disruption in his world.  "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!"  A plea for the child he has come to love, his child, first born son, and the one he has poured 13 years into.  God hears the plea, and His word to Abraham sounds a lot better than the "donkey man" speech He gave to Hagar.  But it is clear that Ishmael will not be the chosen one.  So what were the last 13 years about anyway?

This time next year Isaac will be here.  One more year to wait and the child of promise will finally arrive.  It's been 13, and now there is one more.  What is the thing God is revealing about Himself that is so important?  What do I learn about my Master from Abram's waiting 13 years for a name change and a "frag order"?  What do I learn about my Master from dragging out the fulfillment of this promise, the gradual revelation of various details, the name changes, and the incorporation of the one not chosen?  What's the lesson?

Who am I to put my Master in a box or framework to enable me to understand Him?  When does it become possible that He will accommodate my timing over His own?  What plan can I come up with that covers the bases, dots the i's and crosses the t's to a more thorough degree than His?  Why do I continue to see the world around me through lenses I create, grind, and wear, knowing they distort the truth my Master wants me to see (I call these lenses 'fear')?  Seriously, the lesson I believe in this passage for me is, "How long before I finally relent and let God be the Master of all?"

The laugh of Abraham could also have been one of relief.  The peace missing for the last 13 years, caused by the tension of knowing that the child before you isn't the child of promise, but having no other alternative.  The released tension of wanting desperately to hear the voice of his Master, yet being left to muddle or trudge through on his own; well at least feeling that way.

Perhaps what I need to learn is to laugh with Abraham; to release my tension and receive His peace; to finally drop my lenses; to finally disassemble my "framework" limiting my Master; to quit planning for Him, finally, and just let Him be the God Who Hears, Who laughs, Who sees me, and Who permits me to see Him and live.  Maybe what I need is a good laugh.  So, a horse walks into a bar, and the bartender says, "Why the long face?"

Every Decade or So

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.  "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly."  Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,... (Genesis 17:1-3 NASB)

Chapter 16 finishes by telling me that Abram was eighty-six years old.  Now, thirteen years later, God shows up again for a chat.  Thirteen years!? I'm not confident that my faith would hold out a full decade while I'm heading through my eighties and nineties waiting for God to fulfill His promise.  He made it clear to Hagar that Ishmael wasn't the "one", so...where is he?  And finishing out his nineties isn't where Abram wants to be when he has a child.  He probably looks back on the early years with Ishmael and would rather not repeat it, especially not now.

Well, while I'm very sure about the time, but the Scriptures also make it very clear that Abraham's "nineties" are not like what people endure or live like in their nineties now.  There's strength and "iron" in Abraham that is lacking in people of this modern time.  I believe the passage and others in Scripture make a good case for Abraham wanting Ishmael to be the promised one because he loved the boy very much.  While Abraham may complain that he's too old to have kids, later passages are not implying that's not the case, they state it plainly (Genesis 25:1-4).  So, his complaint had to do with something else.

So, I may not want to wait a decade through my nineties for a word from my Master, but can I really use the age as an excuse?  What about through my forties?  What about through my thirties or fifties?  The age really isn't the issue, it's the time.  Am I so patient that I can wait for a word from my Master?  Until then what do I do?  I live.  Really the only option while waiting is living out the life called to.  What was the last thing my Master asked me to do?  Wait, worship and walk before Him, sort of like what He commanded of Abraham here.

Even through the good strong years of my life (about 3 years right after I got out of the Army, after that, well...) I don't think that I would have been patient to wait for the next word from my Master.  I tend to get bored, get into trouble, and it begins to become all about me.  Really, it isn't even "patience" as much as steadfast faith that is the real issue.  Do I have the faith to stay the course He has laid out even when I haven't heard from Him in the last nine or thirteen years?

One of the common complaints I use for why I left ministry is that I never had a mentor to help me through the rough spots and avoid pitfalls.  But as I read this passage, where was Abraham's mentor?  The thing is, I really have no excuse where I can blame another, or blame the circumstances, or the "people" or anyone else.  I made the choice I made at the time believing it was the right thing to do.  It wasn't even a choice I made thinking that it was in my best interest.  What went through my head wasn't self-centered, it was removing myself from the place of distraction so God could get directly at them.  What I didn't understand is that God really doesn't choose to work that way.  The church failed anyway, families from there caused other churches to fail, ran into sin obliterating marriages, and disintegrating families.  I'm not sure I could have stopped that, but I certainly didn't succeed in enabling them to hear God better. 

Rather than ask whether or not I should have waited it out, what I need to ask now is what am I waiting for?  Is there a promise that my Master has given me that I'm holding out for?  Unfortunately, I'm not sure.  I suppose I'm really just waiting for the next thing, trying to be open to what that might be.  I believe I'm in a much better place to hear my Master than I have been before.  So, I suppose that, since my last marching orders were wait, worship, and walk before Him, I'll do that.  Since it's Sunday, the middle one should be easy, but Monday's coming...

Who's Wife Is It Anyway?

After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. (Genesis 16:3 NASB)

One of the most difficult things to factor into interpretation of the Bible is ancient near eastern culture.  In this verse there at least three, and an argument can be made to include more.  Abram and Sarai are from southern Mesopotamia, live in Canaan, and Sarai has an Egyptian maid.  If the variety of cultures represented in Canaan are included, the number increases by at least double.

I bring this up because this verse says that Sarai gave Hagar to Abram as his wife.  From the context, it doesn't seem that this meant that Hagar had the status that Sarai had with Abram, as understood by either Mesopotamian; unless this is the reason Sarai complains to Abram rather than just runs Hagar off.  On the other hand, Hagar the Egyptian seems to think her status equals or exceeds Sarai.  When God weighs in on the subject, He comes down on the side of Abram and Sarai.  We're never told what the Canaanites thought. 

What if Sarai wasn't quite sure what to think of Hagar's status nor hers before Abram?  Abram's response to her demonstrates that he still sees Hagar as his wife's maid, not another wife of the same status as Sarai.  What if Abram's not sure either which might be why he didn't step in earlier on Sarai's side.  On the other hand what male would do that?  That's just asking for trouble, because we never really know if we truly understand the problem, ever.

I pose this conundrum because I often run the risk of two dangers, both of which are deadly to understanding the inspired Scriptures and my Master who inspired them.  The first danger is interpreting too quickly without asking about the cultural influences, and trying to minimize my own.  This makes Abram and Sarai living and acting in America of the Twenty-first Century, which is obviously ridiculous.

The second is falling in love with my interpretation once I reach one.  When such cultural influences from several millennia cloud my understanding (and anyone else's) I have to accept the possible variety of understandings.  What I risk by loving my own is missing the view of my Master gained from the perspective of others.  He is far too magnificent to fit into a single mind, especially one clouded by self-love.  It's early, and my head is already fuzzy; the coffee is gone, and another is needed.  What I need to do is let those be the only clouds of my mind.  So, I suppose I need more practice.

Who's In Charge Here?

After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me." But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. (Genesis 16:3-6 NASB)

I have often wondered about Sarai's character, here and in other passages.  I have wondered what she knew and understood about her husband's faith, and wondered whether she shared it overly much.  This passage is one of those small windows into her character.  But it only provides a small glimpse of what kind of woman she was. 

She arranges the surrogate mother thing between Abram and her maid, Hagar.  He complies, and it works.  But Hagar doesn't follow the program, instead, treating Sarai as if the child will belong to Hagar.  Sarai, doesn't deal with Hagar as a lady to her maid, but goes to Abram.  It's an interesting move, that may give insight into the household relationships.  To someone from our culture, it might sound as if Sarai is being disrespectful to Abram, but I don't think so.  I think that, rather than assume Hagar has no position before Abram, she asks.  That seems rather submissive even if her wording is very intense.

Depending on what they understood of the promise God made with Abram, perhaps Hagar saw herself as the "mother" of that promise.  Regardless of what was going on in her heart and head, she treated Sarai with contempt.  The word used is the same word used for "curse" in Genesis 12:3, with reference to those who might curse Abram.  It is the opposite of "honor" using the same imagery of weight; to honor is to "make heavy" and to despise is "to make light".  This is a very wrong move for a slave girl to make. Her consequence is to be driven off.  She realizes that her status in the household is not as she assumed, but only too late.


Sarai invokes the name of God to Abram, calling Him as Judge between them.  This at least acknowledges that Abram has faith.  Yet, in previous passages, she goes along with decisions of Abram that would require tremendous amounts of trust in her husband's faith; trust that would have to transcend Abram and attach to God.  She would have to agree and even understand for herself the character of God to permit the sacrifice of Isaac.  She would need some stiff faith to allow Abram to refer to her as his sister repeatedly.  So what is it here?


Here I believe that Sarai is forcing a point with Abram, but also seeing where his heart is.  From a passage later on (actually chapter 17, I think), it becomes clear that Abram really loves Ishmael and wants the promise of God to go through him.  God has other plans, but if that is true, it's possible that Sarai was right to "test the ground" with her husband before running off his hope of a fulfilled promise.  


I guess what I bring away from this is that, in my dealings with those around me, I should be willing to clarify my understanding of where others are with God before running off willy nilly with what I think.  I should instead return to the picture I used ages ago in a church where we had a puzzle of Noah's ark.  Everyone in the church got a puzzle piece, and not all the pieces were handed out (not enough people in the church to complete the puzzle).  The resulting image was complete enough to see what it was, but still not complete enough to finish the picture.  The point was that our vision from God takes a church with each person working with the gifts God gives, including leadership.  It all fits together, or should.


The results are not perfect though.  People may work with the gift they want instead of the gift God gives.  People may not walk in the call they are given, or fearlessly follow the piece of the vision God has given them.  People don't always listen to others, including God.  It's hard for me to wait for the complete vision, seeking to move ahead, champing at the bit to get to the next thing God wants to do.  While that is good in a sense, it also becomes a distraction to listening.  Like Sarai, I need to test the ground before my Master.  I believe I know what I'll find, as Sarai probably knew.  But assuming is usually wrong, even if it's right.

Finding My Master in Sin CIty

Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. (Genesis 16:7 NASB)

Why would the Angel of the LORD be on the way to Shur (southern region of Canaan near Egypt)?  My guess is that He was looking for Hagar.  The promise to Abram wasn't involved here.  This isn't about the land nor about Abram's descendants.  So, why do this?

This is clearly an act of grace, but it takes place in the midst of Hagar's consequences for mistreating Sarai.  Since she was the surrogate she didn't have the status of wife (per se) since she was the hand maid.  She would have known that, so it's very possible that she mistreated Sarai out of pride.  She sinned, and yet here is the Angel of the LORD looking for her.

The character of the LORD shown here is so reminiscent of Jesus.  He sought the surprising people to show favor.  The widow giving only one mite was worth His rapt attention and praise.  The tax collectors, Levi and Zachaeus were both worthy of His attention and friendship.


I see the same pattern with me.  I fall down and He raises me up.  He seeks me when in the midst of my temper tantrums, doldrums, and pity parties.  Right now, I'm doing great.  I'm in "Sin City", Nevada, yet here among the smut, I realize my Master is still seeking me.  I'm not sinning, I'm not running from the consequences of my past, and I'm not sunk in pride.  Not at the moment.


Finding that I've been found my Master is so comforting.  It reminds me that He truly is close, He has my back, He loves me, and I am called to submit to be His servant.  Even here surrounded by self-centered indulgence I am a Knight of the Realm, Servant of The King.  Well, it's time to grab my lance and horse, and get back to work!

Trial and Error or Recon by Fire: An Option To Find The Will of God

So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. (Genesis 16:2 NASB)

In the Ancient Near East (ANE), surrogate motherhood was not an unheard of solution for barren women of wealth and status.  In that culture the woman acting as the surrogate gave birth sitting on the lap of the intended mother in the birthing chair.  The child was then "born into the lap" of the intended mother.  Not terribly comfortable for anyone.

So, in the case of Abram and Sarai, the option of surrogate motherhood seemed like a valid one.  After all, God had said the promised child through whom would come the descendants like the dust and stars would come through Abram.  He hadn't mentioned Sarai in His promise.  Given the length of time between discussions, it could easily be assumed, God was not waiting on them.  Typically, Abram and Sarai (particularly Sarai) get a bad reputation here, and it probably isn't deserved.  In fact, their search technique for finding the will and direction from God is actually fairly common.

Don't just stand there do something!  We say it, we think it about ourselves.  Our culture tells us that activity is better than passivity.  I have bought into it, and I'm not alone.  I'm told this axiom by my employer, by my friends, wife, family where I came from, and myself.  On the other hand, over a decade ago, a new version had become popular, "Don't just do something, stand there!"  It's not as popular as it used to be.

One of my weaknesses is procrastination.  It's a weakness I plan on working on one of these days.  I am an avoid-er of things I should do, I know it, and I beat myself up about it.  I feel shame about it.  I sense the failing, the fear, the empty courage.  But in coming out here to Nevada, I had to face the fear of acting according to everyone else.  I waited on the opportunities and direction of God, and moved to obey without waiting for resources to do so.  It was one of the most faithful processes I have ever had the joy of participating in.

So, I know that sometimes what my Master tells me is to wait.  Then, for me, waiting is an act of obedience.  And at times, He says to go or move or do, and to then to wait for more from Him is to disobey.  In Genesis 16, Abram has been waiting, but it doesn't say how long.  The word from God at first was lots of descendants.  Then it was expanded to be lots of descendants from Abram.  To this point, Abram has moved and been obedient to the vague direction of his God.  He has believed his God, and that belief has been credited to him as righteousness. 

One detail he was given was that his descendants innumerable would not possess the land until after 400 years of slavery.  In other words, after waiting a long time.  So, Abram knew that waiting was included in the promise.  But the child to come through him really couldn't wait all that long, at some point Abram would die.  So, while he had been waiting and knew that waiting was included in the "land" part of the promise, he also knew that there was a limit on how long he could wait for the "descendant" part of the promise.

In this passage, really the only clue we have that this option was wrong was the discussion between the Angel of the Lord and Hagar.  There we discover that Ishmael would be blessed (sort of) as well, but was not the child of the promise.  So, the option of a surrogate mother was not how God intended to fulfill His promise to Abram.  The practical conventionally wise solution under the circumstances was not the leading of God.  But it didn't bother God either.  In fact He wove the child of Hagar into His will and work all throughout the life of His chosen people. 

In this instance trial and error wasn't working for Abram and Sarai to find the path to the promise of God.  This would have been an "error".  That's an option I often choose to find the will of my Master.  I can always tell by the "error" result that it's not working.  And I'm not really sure when I don't fail that I've truly found His path.  I wonder if He is "permitting" something I've chosen to attempt, as in His blessing of Ishmael; not great, but useful for later.  I realize that not knowing the will of my Master is never comfortable.  Sometimes I need to wait for His direction and act.  Sometimes I need to act when He speaks while I'm still blind.  The key is listening for His voice.  Actually, no, the key is hearing His voice, and receiving the whole message.

So, wait or not to wait.  How do I know?  Do I attempt to discover His will by trying various things until something works?  In the military we called that "recon by fire" where we would direct fire into an area where we suspect the enemy might be hiding.  Sometimes we would hit them, but most of the time we didn't.  Either way, we didn't loose a soldier.  Is that the way my Master wants me to find His will?  It doesn't seem so from this passage.  Perhaps I should put away my "guns" and make myself comfortable in the gallery outside the Throne Room of the King of Kings; read a book, drink coffee, pace the floor, I know the drill.

Obtaining The Promise of God

Gen 16:2 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

In the Ancient Net East, barren women of 'rank and privilege' would have a surrogate mother bear them a child. It was a strange custom where the surrogate mother would sit in the lap of her barren mistress in the birthing chair. Not comfortable for anyone really. So what Sarai proposes is a valid 'cultural' solution.

To be fair, God had clarified the promise of descendants by saying they would come from Abram; He hadn't mentioned anything about Sarai having the child. And with her being barren, it wouldn't have been an obvious assumption for them. So Sarai and Abram have received much undeserved criticism over the years for trying to "creatively" help God; they are just seeking His will like so many do today, by trial and error.

I think I do that a bit too much sometimes. I try to seek the will of my Master by trying stuff until I find the one that works. The one that works must be His will, right? Not here. God was working to bring about Isaac, but still permitted Ishmael. That may not have been where He was leading Abram and Sarai, but He worked with that too.

So when I seek the will of God, how do I know I have the whole thing yet? God hadn't mentioned Sarai, and culturally Hagar could have born her a legitimate son. What should they have waited to see or hear to know Sarai was the chosen mother? 

Any answer to this question is speculation, regardless of who, what, where, or how makes up the answer. Scripture doesn't say, and clues are subject to various interpretations. Here's mine, they should have waited for more detail just like they had been doing. In other words they were already doing what they were supposed to do. The only reason I say that is because they hadn't been given new direction. That's not a great reason. Suppose God hadn't given further direction because they didn't need any. As long as Abram was the father the promise was being kept, right? All along God has gone from vague to less vague; details have been in short supply. They moved their entire lives on less info from God.

Sometimes staying the course already plotted is good and God's will for change will happen more than be found. But sometimes God's will has enough latitude to include enough options I can choose among several. The factor in my choosing is often what I believe diminishes me and glorifies Him. In choosing among options or waiting for more direction, the motivating drive must be His glory or I will fail. And that's not a great option.

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AOL, Generosity, and Resources

Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur.  He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."  Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority."  Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count."  The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction.  "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers."  Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?"  Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.  (Genesis 16:1-14 NASB)

There has been lots of debate over whether the "angel of the LORD" was actually "the LORD" as opposed to an intermediary.  The account in Genesis 16 is the first appearance of this Bible character.  And in this account is also the first reference where the Messenger is closely tied with the One sending the message.  They are connected so closely, in fact, that to see the Messenger is to see the One sending the message.

Hagar had fled because she had treated Sarai, her mistress, with contempt and Sarai drove her away.  She had treated Sarai with contempt because she had become pregnant by Abram at Sarai's insistence.  Since she had become pregnant when Sarai couldn't she had contempt for Sarai; she forgot her place.

The Angel of the LORD (AOL, a better meaning than "America Online") finds Hagar on the way south back to Egypt (where Hagar is from).  There He opens the conversation with the question, "Where are you coming from and going to?"  One of the elements to this story that isn't questioned much is what did Hagar experience in this encounter that she could hold this conversation?  She replies, but did she see someone for her talk to?  It seems she did.  So the AOL is a visible character, and this is not a dream of Hagar's.

He helps her figure out what to do, how to behave, and what will happen.  It isn't all good news.  Her son will be a wild donkey-man; not all that encouraging.  And nestled away in this description is the news that Ismael will not be the "promised one".  Again, that couldn't be all that encouraging either.  Yet, there is the promise that her son would be a great nation with lots of descendants as well.  That was encouraging.  Bad news and good news; or good news, but not all that good.

So, after getting her "marching orders", she worships (called on the name of the LORD), and gives God a new name, El-Roi (yep, like the Jetsons, "...his boy Elroy...").  But for her it meant, "The God Who Sees", or "...sees me."  Her explanation for this is her wonder that she "remained alive after seeing Him."  So, Hagar understood that seeing AOL was the same as seeing the LORD. 

So, what's the point for me?  Hagar saw a physical manifestation of God.  From my perspective as a follower of Jesus, I call such sights Jesus, the physical manifestation of God as a man.  This is not a "required" understanding by any means, but for many (or some), these are categorized as "pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus"; a long fancy title for visits by Jesus before being born of Mary.  For many others, this is just impossible to consider; a ridiculous proposition.

That such appearances are of an "angel", and since the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 13:2 that some have entertained angels without knowing it just by being hospitable, I ascribe greater importance to being hospitable.  It's not just a messenger I might entertain, but the Message Sender!  If it's possible that Jesus could have visited Hagar on the road to Egypt, isn't it possible that He could also visit me in Northern Nevada?

I had a pastor once tell me that I should be careful to look for "demons under every rock" by which he meant, not everything bad is demonic, but often just people exercising their right to be foolish.   Such a view point also works for this.  I shouldn't look for Jesus in every stranger who shows up unlooked for.  On the other hand, I should be hospitable in general because I never know.  Jesus makes this interesting distinguishing evaluation of people at the final judgment in Matthew 25:31-46.  He basically points out that the "sheep" were generous and hospitable to Him without knowing it, and the "goats" weren't generous or hospitable to Him without knowing it.  Now he does make the point of saying that the "least of these" are opportunities to be generous and hospitable to Him, but still, the connection is there. 

So, the AOL inspires me to be hospitable and generous with others, perhaps with my church, and with my family. I can't look at my resources and decide that I can't afford to be hospitable, the calling the judgment of my Master is pretty clear on this point.  If He has called me to such actions so clearly in His Scriptures, then it really is up to Him to supply the resources.  I may not be able to afford to be hospitable, but my Master can.  So, when I need a simple disbursement, I know that I can have it because I'm simply obeying my Master, the Source of all I need anyway.  The resources are not my problem, only the submission and obedience.  That's nice to know.

How Did He Know?

Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.  It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.  "Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."  It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.  Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.  Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.  But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.  Then 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."  Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. (Genesis 12:10-20 NASB)

Having yesterday examined whether Abram was being shrewed and faithful or cowardly and un-trusting, I want to look at Pharaoh.  How did Pharaoh know from the "plagues" on his household, that the problem was that Sarai was Abram's wife, and not his sister as he claimed?

There is a lot of detail just left out of this story.  The account of Abram's second go-around in Genesis 20 has a lot more specifics.  Here we're not told if Pharaoh consummated his marriage with Sarai, we're not told what form the "plagues" took, and we're not told how he determined that Sarai was already married.  There's a lot left out, so I'm forced to look elsewhere for clues.

First, in Genesis 20 I am given more detail, and there it says in verse 4 that the king did not come near her.  I would find it strange if God allowed it in chapter 12 but not later on in chapter 20.  On the other hand, the account in chapter 20 is sandwiched between God giving specifics of Isaac's coming, and the actually birth of Isaac.  So, in order to set aside any concerns that Isaac might not be from Abraham, was I given specifics?  Even so, it seems unlikely that God would permit Pharaoh to "touch" Sarai, when He prevents this other king from doing so. 

Second, it seems from the account of Joseph and Moses that Egyptians are rather adept at, and hold in high regard, spiritual "magic". The priests of Pharaoh are able to replicate some of the plagues that God sends on the Egyptians. Dream interpretations are held in high regard, and that there are those who can interpret them is "understood". I wonder if God revealed through Pharaoh's "priests" or other such official the real situation Pharaoh and his household was in.

These two things are really just possibilities without firm support.  What I can surmise from this is that God thought it was important to ensure Sarai did not remain with Pharaoh.  That may seem an obvious statement, but consider that Abram could have moved on and married another.  God didn't really need Sarai to accomplish His plan, He just "wanted" to accomplish His plan through her.  But could there have been another reason God want sent plagues on Pharaoh and his household?

The accounts of God and His dealings with Egypt are not exactly the same as they are for other nations around Israel.  He seems to reveal Himself more and permit them to exist longer than other nations.  That is not to say He doesn't punish them and that there no passages that prophesy against them.  But there are also passages that prophesy against Israel as well.  For reasons I have not been able to find in Scripture, God seems to really like Egypt.  He uses them to "care" for His people in a sense that He does not with Assyria, Babylon, and Persia.  With those empires there is a dispersion of His people.  With Egypt they are kept together and assembled to become a formidable nation (which is probably why the Egyptians feared them).

On the other hand, Israel is warned not to "return" to Egypt, even to buy horses (which I always thought was an interesting specific).  It's as if God wants to work on Egypt, but also keep His people untainted by them.  This doesn't really work, and even in the Second-Temple period, there are a great number of Jews in Egypt.  They even build their own temple in Elephantine.  In spite of Jeremiah's prophesy against working with/going to Egypt, he is kidnapped by Jewish rebels who then escape to Egypt (one of the great ironies of his life).

I suspect that this account of Abram in Egypt might be one of the earliest accounts of God's work among them, to reveal Himself to them.  History does not teach that God was able to reach them as a nation, or never for very long, but Scripture can be seen to indicate He tries on several occasions.  For whatever reason, God loves Egypt.

Can I learn from this that my Master is also the Master of communication?  Regardless of how Pharaoh knew Sarai was Abram's wife, the knowledge originated with my Master.  Even if my Master worked through Egypt's "spiritual magic" to reveal it, he got the message loud and clear.  So, if my Master is so clear with a pagan who He never really reaches completely, why would I wonder so often what my Master says to me?  Can't I trust that what He wants me to know He will reveal?  Can't I rely on His timing?  He informed Pharaoh in a timely fashion, so why would I doubt He would work more vaguely with me (when it was important)?

I think my problem here is that I want to know what I want to know when I want to know it.  On the other hand, my Master reveals only what He wants me to know, and only as He wants me to know it.  The "progressive revelation" my Master uses with Abram/Abraham, He also uses with me.  That's how I got out here to Nevada in the first place.  It was a progressive revelation of where and how He would make it possible for us to be here.  And yet, I still struggle with wanting to be in control of the flow of information from my Master.  And that means that I still struggle with letting Him have mastery over me.  Once again, I must submit to the Master of communication and timing.  What I perceive now from my Master is that I'm a slow learner.  I get that loud and clear.

From Faith to Fear: Do I Really Trust God?

Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.  It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.  Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."  It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.  Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.  Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake; and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys and male and female servants and female donkeys and camels.  But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.  Then 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."  Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him. (Genesis 12:10-20 NASB)

Having walked the length of the land promised to him, Abram finds it necessary to go to Egypt for food (hmm, this sounds familiar for some reason).  He has been told that his Master will curse anyone just dishonoring him, he has been told he will be a blessing on every family, he has been told that his Master will be with him to guide him all along the way.  These have been "carrots" for his faith.  It seems that these carrots are fine motivators to travel, but this motivation hasn't yet been "faith".

On their way into the land, Abram tells Sarai to pretend to be his sister.  Abram says this for a few reasons.  First, so that it may go well with him; and second, so that he might live.  It would seem that Abram doesn't want to be bothered or that it might not go well for him.  As he left Haran, the promise was that whoever "dishonored" him, God would curse.  What did he really have to fear, even from annoying people?  What I don't get is why God seems to work with this method.

So, they enter the land of Egypt.  It turns out that Abram is right, and the Egyptians are very taken with Sarai.  In fact, they are so taken, the princes of Egypt hear of her and tell the Pharaoh how amazing she is.  Pharaoh is so taken that he takes her as his wife.  It really is an astonishing turn of events.  I don't know if Abram expected such a dramatic reaction, but there is no protest recorded.  What can he say after he has said she's his sister?  And Pharaoh gives him stuff, the equivalent of a year's groceries, new cars, extra hands around the mobile-ranch.  How can he change his story now?  And yet his wife is in the house of another, and it's his fault.

It's possible that Abram was surprised at the turn of events, but I have to ask myself, "What did he expect, if not that someone would try to take her as their wife?"  Seriously, if she's beautiful and "unattached" what would have been the alternative outcome?  Had he refused to let her marry, he would be in danger of the same fate he was trying to prevent, his death.  All of a sudden, I'm not so enamoured with Abram's devotion to his wife, the devotion that kept him from getting a newer child-bearing wife in Haran.  This is actually sort of creepy.  But there might be an alternative interpretation.

I leave Abram, and I think of Sarai; what does she think of all this?  Her husband, her master and lord, essentially sells her as a wife to another.  This is a completely different culture, so I can't judge it by what my wife would think or feel if I tried this; after all, Abram survives his wife, I'm not sure I would.  Taking into account the way she treats him after this, I would say that she is clearly aware of what's developing, and is at least acquiescent.  That baffles me.  Is it her devotion to Abram that leads her to respond this way?  Is it somehow that she trusts his faith; that it will be alright and she doesn't have to worry about these developments?  You may ask at this point, "what faith?"

At this point, I have to hold on to a couple of things to reach this next conclusion.  The setting of these two things has to do with the culture; the culture is not what I live in now.  These guys were traders, and everyone "haggles" seeking the "best deal".  Nomads have always been known for this, it was a survival technique with them.  So, it is reasonable to assume that Abram was too.  The readers aren't told, it's assumed, everyone knows that.

So what are the two things?  First, I asked some "rhetorical questions" a few paragraphs before.  "What did Abram expect, if not that someone would try to take Sarai as their wife?"  So, knowing this, why would he willingly enter into this charade?  Well, I believe the second is that he also knew that whoever dishonored him, like taking his wife for their own, would be cursed by God.  What?  Think about it.  Sure it's a famine, and he needs food, but "selling" his wife?  Not likely, even if she was barren, it's doubtful he would sell her just to get relief from a famine.  Don't forget, God seems to go along with this plan.  I believe that it's possible that Abram sought the best deal for himself at the expense of the Egyptians, knowing he had God as his "muscle".

If this is true, it doesn't necessarily put Abram in a better light, but it does explain a few things.  For instance, why does he do it again (Genesis 20)?  I have always wondered how God could go along with something like this.  Where was a prophet like Nathan to call Abram to task for selling his wife?  But God doesn't, in fact in Genesis 20 God warns the poor king duped by this charade so he doesn't defile Sarah (at that point she's Sarah).  And again Abraham (at that point his name is changed too) is blessed by the king, and even allowed to stay in the country.  I think it's possible what is typically thought of as a failure of faith is actually a manipulation of his position before God.  And before we castigate Abram for this, if it's true, I recommend a thorough reading of Luke 16.  The parable that begins doesn't describe this situation, but rather an attitude of God toward what we might think of as "double-dealing".  I think it might be a cultural thing.  But really, I can't even be sure of that.

I'm left once again, not really understanding my Master.  Do I manipulate my position before my Master?  Should I?  Is my faith strong enough that I would risk all that is precious because I know my Master has my back?  I suppose that is the real question.  Is my faith that strong?  I hope that after nearly 40 years of walking with Jesus it would be, but I don't think it is even now.  I have more growing to do...still.