Genesis 12 (2) Believers’ Trials
- Read Genesis 12:1-20
Last week we saw that God made some great promises to Abram, to Abraham.
God called Abram out of a land of pagans, and even though Abram himself was as lost as a ball in high weeds at the time, and not because of any good thing Abram had done, God called Abram and told him, “Go to the place I will show you and I will bless and protect you.
Eventually, Abram did what God told him to do and went where God told him to go.
In verse 8, Abram built an altar and called on the name of the Lord.
Abram may have been slow in what he was doing, and he may have been slow doing what God called him to do, but eventually he got there and got his mind straight. He built an altar and called on the name of the Lord.
If ever there was a time for God to bless Abraham, it’s now. If ever there was a time for God to send down His spiritual and physical blessings on Abraham, it’s now.
Abraham is where he’s supposed to be, doing what he’s supposed to be doing. “Lord, I’m 75 yers old. I’ve been doing my own thing and living my life the way I’ve wanted to, but as of now I put my life in Your hands. I’ll follow You and trust You and worship You. Lord, now give me the things I’ve missed out on all my life by doing my own thing. Let me see the peace that passes understanding. Let me see your joy. Let me see Your blessing on my life. Let me see the things I’ve heard about all my life but have missed out on because of my disobedience or because of my slow and partial obedience.”
Verse 10, “There was a famine in the land.” There was a famine in the land.
Wait a minute, that’s not how this thing is supposed to work. This is not what I was told. This is not what I expected. I’ve finally got my stuff together. I’ve finally got God on the throne. Now is the time for me to see blessings, but, there was a famine in the land.
I. OBEDIENT PEOPLE WILL SEE TRIALS
My friends, I want you to understand that obedient people will have trials. Tell someone, in this world you will have trials.
In this world there will be trials.
Oh my friend, the Lord has promised us that one day His children will be in a place where there is no pain, and where there is no suffering, and where there will be no death, and no sorrow, and no grief. One day we will be in a place where there is no loneliness, a place where we never again have to say goodbye.
Save your places and turn with me please to Revelation 21. Revelation chapter 21 and verse 4.
- Read Revelation 21:4-8
Some day there will be a separation between the sheep and the goats. One day we will be in a place where the Lord Himself will wipe away every tear, but, we’re not there yet.
We have a promise. We have a hope. We have a goal. We have something great waiting us in the future, but we’re not there yet. Between here and there obedient people will see trials.
Yesterday, Linda’s Mom came over with Kyle, and brought some bookcases to our house. Drew and I were working on our roof when she got there, so we got down and went over to unload the bookcases. When we did, Linda’s mom asked if this was my son. I said, “Yes Ma’am. This is my son Drew, but my favorite child is in heaven.” She said, “What? What happened?” I said, “Gladys had a tubal pregnancy, so we lost our first child. This is what the Lord left us with.”
Now, I was kidding yesterday, but it wasn’t funny at the time. It wasn’t funny 26 years ago, when we lost that first child. It wasn’t funny during the next several years when we wondered if we would be able to have any children.There were a lot of tears back then. There were a lot of questions and a lot of soul-searching back then. Obedient people will see trials. Obedient people will lose family members. Obedient people will have wayward children, and birth defects. Obedient people will have automobile accidents. Obedient people will get hurt in burning towers helping other folks. Obedient people will have financial setbacks. Obedient people will have friends turn on them. Obedient people will get sick. Obedient people will get hurt. Obedient people will see trials.
Let me ask you, “Where were the disciples when the storm came against them and they saw Jesus walk on water?” They were in a boat, in the Sea of Galilee, right where Jesus told them to be and doing what He told them to do, and heading where He told them to go. And a storm came.
Do you remember what Jesus told the disciples shortly before He left? In John 16:33 Jesus told them,
> John 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.
In this world you will have suffering. In this world obedient people will have trials.
So, don’t let trials or setbacks or disappointments or pain, or suffering convince you that you are out of God’s will because obedient people will see trials.
Second, with trials come temptations.
II. WITH TRIALS COME TEMPTATIONS
- Read Genesis 12:10-13
This part of the world is known for often being right on the brink agriculturally. Abraham had come from a place that was known as the breadbasket of the world, the fertile crescent. Now he’s in the area of the Negev, an area that must have looked like a barren wasteland in comparison to where he had come from. And a famine hits.
What did Abraham do? Did he build another altar and consult with the Lord? Did he pray and ask the Lord what to do in this situation? Did he turn to the Lord and say, “Lord, you promised to bless and protect me. What’s up? I’m going to stay right here and do what you told me to do, and trust you to keep your promises.” Did he do that? The Bible makes no record of it.
No, Abraham tried to figure it out. He said, “I’ll go down to Egypt.”
There are times when the Lord told His people to go to Egypt, like when He told Jacob in Genesis 46:3-4,
> Genesis 46:3-4 “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”
Or when an angel told Joseph
> Matthew 2:13 “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
For the most part though, going down to Egypt is a symbol of making an alliance with the world. So, Abraham looked at his situation, and instead of praying about it or waiting on the Lord, he grabbed at the first opportunity he found. He said, “The men in those traveling caravans told me there is food in Egypt and plenty of grass for my livestock, so I’ll go down to Egypt.”
Don’t we often do the same thing? A difficulty comes our way, and instead of checking with the Lord to see what He wants done, we grasp at the first straw we find. Things are difficult at work, so we jump at a new job. Things are difficult in this relationship so we look for another.
It would have been much better for Abraham to have thrown the responsibility back on God and to have said, “You brought me here, and You must now bear the weight of providing for me and my family. I will stay till I clearly know what you want me to do.” (F. B. Meyer, The Life of Abraham: The Obedience of Faith Lynnwood, WA: Emerald Books, 1996, 41-43)
Later in Israel’s history, the prophet Isaiah used Egypt to symbolize the nation’s faithless response to an invasion crisis. He writes,
> Isaiah 31:1“What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 31:1
Going to Egypt led to another temptation, one which he would have faced if he had stayed where he was. Look there at
- Read Genesis 12:11-13
Heading down to Egypt, Abraham asks his wife to lie, so his life would be spared. That’s a heck of a situation to find yourself in, isn’t it? “Ah Baby, weren’t going down here, and I need you to lie to save my life. I don’t know for sure what’s going to happen down there, but let’s get our story straight right now.”
“We must be aware that with every trial there is a temptation. While Christ was in the wilderness fasting in obedience to the Spirit’s leading (Matt 4:1), Satan came to tempt him. Before Christ went to the cross, no doubt, he was tempted to quit. However, he prayed, “Take this cup from me, but nevertheless your will be done.” There was a temptation in Christ’s trials.
In every trial, there is a temptation. When we are stuck in traffic, there is a temptation to become impatient, anxious, or even angry. When there is conflict at work or in our family, there is a temptation to hold grudges, to respond harshly, or even to cut people off. We must choose correctly. We have the opportunity to grow in patience, love, and gentleness, or we have the opportunity to sin and build even deeper strongholds.
Every trial comes with an opportunity to grow or to fall further into sin. Abraham had the opportunity to trust and seek God while in the famine or to trust himself. Abraham chose to take things into his own hands and trust in his own wisdom, rather than relying on God. He chose to sin instead of practicing his faith.” (The Believer’s Response to Trials [Genesis 12:10-20] Gregory Brown, bible.Org July 10, 2017)
Obedient people will see trials. Temptations come with trials. Third, I’d like you to notice that others suffer when we sin. Others suffer when we sin.
III. OTHERS SUFFER WHEN WE SIN
- Read Genesis 12:17
What had Pharaoh done wrong in this situation? Nothing. Yes, the Bible tells leaders not to accumulate many wives, but in this situation, Pharaoh wasn’t trying to harm Abraham. As a matter of fact. Pharaoh gave Abraham a lot of stuff in exchange for what he thought was Abraham’s sister. And yet, because of Abraham’s sin, an innocent person suffered.
Not only did Pharaoh suffer. Pharaoh’s whole household suffered. His whole household had plagues. Not just some little old chicken pox or something. The Bible says that they suffered severe plagues.
When God’s people sin, when God’s people don’t do what God tells them to do, when God’s people are not obedient, when God’s people are not in God’s will, the innocent always suffer.
Every Egypt has a Pharaoh. Every period of disobedience in a believer’s life, has someone who pays a price for it.
Think of the children who grow up without responsibility or maturity or a sense of right or wrong, because their parents did not walk with the Lord when the children were growing up, and never disciplined their children or taught them right from wrong.
Think of the wives left home alone because a husband is so concerned about building his business, or because he’s so concerned about spending time on the golf course or in the woods or whatever.
Think of those who grow up without a knowledge of God because their parents didn’t take them to church or read the Bible to them.
How many communities are not reached because God’s people don’t obey God’s call to make disciples of every nation. They are concerned about whet the church can do for them and their family, what programs are there for me and my children, what activities does the church have for me, instead of people wondering how they can serve and minister to others.
How many people go unreached and are ministered to because there are so few Isaiahs around willing to say, “Here am I Lord, send me."
Others suffer when we sin.
IV. OTHERS WATCH US IN OUR TRIALS
Fourth, others watch us in our trials.
When you are a Christian, and people know you are a Christian, when they know you are a believer, they are going to watch you to see if you act like you claim to believe.
- Read Genesis 12:18
Pharaoh came to Abraham and said, “What have you done?”
What have you done? Do you see what’s happened to me because of you? What have you done?
I remember in High School, sitting in my Geometry class one day, there was an older boy who sat next to me who used pick on me. On one particular day, he took a lighter, and heated up a paperclip, and stuck it to the back of my arm, burning me. I don’t remember exactly what I said, but I know I shouldn’t repeat it here.
I do remember my teacher saying, “Gene, It surprises me to hear you talking like that.”
When you claim to be a Christian, and when you claim to believe in God and when you claim to live according to a higher standard, people are going to watch you to see if it is real and to see if your faith actually impacts the way you live.
Someone posted the other day, “Treating people kindly means a lot more than the Bible verses you post that you never keep.”
My friend, people are going to watch you in your trials to see if there is anything to this God you claim to believe in and to serve. People are going to watch and see if there is a place where they can truly find comfort or help in disappointing times.
Others watch us in our trials.
V. GOD REMAINS FAITHFUL IN SPITE OF OUR FAILURES
- Read Genesis 12:16, 20
Abraham had a period when he was not obediently walking with the Lord. Abraham had a period when he was not living a God-pleasing life.
What did God do? Did He say, “Well, I made a mistake with Abraham. I’m gonna let him go and go find someone else. I’m going to build a nation using someone else. This guy isn’t ready for a relationship with Me”
No. God didn’t throw in the towel. God didn’t give up on His man. God continued to bless.
I don’t know about you, but I find that comforting. It is encouraging to me to see that God doesn’t give up on us quickly. He takes us where we are, grows our faith over time, and uses us a we grow.
God didn’t even punish Abraham for his failure. He allowed the natural consequences of his actions to be played out, while God continued to protect him.
My friend, I don’t know who may have been hurt by your disobedience. I don’t know what temptations you have faced in your trials. I don’t know where you are in your walk with the Lord today. I don’t know if you’re in Egypt right now.
But I do know this. God is faithful. God loves you, and God doesn’t abandon His children. Would you today say, “Lord, I find my self in this situation because I didn’t check with you first, Lord, I have disappointed some folks who know I walk with you . . .
God loves you and allows His children to come home.
Father of the prodigal son.
