Giving your wife away S1e70 Gen12:10
Strange, morally ambiguous stories of Abram
Apparently puts relationship with Wife Sarai at risk
At worst, trying to save his own neck trying to put Sarai in morally compromised position. Sexually compromised
At best, tryinging by scheming to survive—life and death situation
At risk from famine. Severe famine.
At risk from people, who wish to possess the beauty VERY beautiful of Sarai
10 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. …severe. Beginning of Egypt, where intersection of Israel
11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 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.” Get no indication this is commanded by the Lord
Gen 20: 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife…so Sarai is indeed Abram’s half sister. Father’s are the same, different mothers. They were celebrating holidays together! Maybe even growing up together. Leaves out the big truth: WIFE. Protocol: kill the husband, marry the wife.
THAT IT MAY go well with me.
I will make of you a great nation. 12:7 To your OFFSPRING I will give this land.
We are not told if this was done in faith and trust in the Lord that by this mechanism, by this deceit, the plans of the Lord are enacted
To me, sounds deceitful. Wife risking sexually. “and the woman was taken into Pharaoahs house”
Abram does not come off well here
14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
…Abram’s right. Egyptians love a beautiful woman. How beautiful? Pharaoh level beautiful. Too beautiful for generically to a wide variety of officials, including military officers, royal counselors, and members of the ruling classes. OUT OF MY LEAGUE
17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? 19 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.” 20 And Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.
…
Pharaoh takes Sarai as his wife
Negotiations for bride price--gifts
Ch 20, Abimilech states he is innocent of taking Sarai as wife
Ie: does not have sex with her
Here, the text is silent on the issue
All agree, it does matter who you have sex with.
Best design is for that wonder to be protected and cherished and celebrated in the exclusive garden of a marriage. Not shared before, during or after marriage.
16 in negotiations or gifintg Abram gets FEMALE SERVANTS. Egyptian female servant was HAGAR ch. 16
BUT THE LORD. Rides in here to save Abram and Sarai.
Forshadows future patriarch: MOSES and future pharaoh and plagues
Somehow, Phar. Knows that this plague, on top of generalized famine, means more than just a bad spell: this is the result of something bad Phar. Is doing that can possibly be corrected.
Great plagues can get someone’s attention: to Phar. Credit, they do!
Troubles center around Abram What is this YOU have done to me?
Resolves: take her and GO (with all that he had)
Conclusions Abram doesn’t come off well here
God is sovereign amidst the HUMANS that He has chosen to be faithful to.
Abram was not perfect. Neither am I or you.
But God is and is working a plan dispite the knuckleheads and knuckleheaded decisions that they make
Morally dubiousness: not a license. Just because unusual things are in scripture does not mean they are PROSCRIPTIVE: that I get to do shady things before God because someone in scripture did shady things before God.
Failure of Ab to trust in the Lord; puts own interest above Lord, wife
Deelevates man, elevates God.
God was with Ab in Egypt
God redeems bad situation; sinful; gives grace. Gives food, gives the spoils of Egypt: sheep Camels people
Happy for the mercy of God, and here the grace
I think Ab. Gets more than he deserves.
