Genesis 12:14-20: a reflection

14When Abram had come into Egypt, some Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15The princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16He dealt well with Abram for her sake. He had sheep, cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. 17The LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. 18Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this that you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife? 19Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now therefore, see your wife, take her, and go your way.” 20Pharaoh commanded men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that he had.

Abram, having gone down to Egypt in a famine, is afraid that the Egyptians will kill him to take his beautiful wife Sarai; so he tells her to say she is his sister. It is a failure of faith, a resort to deception out of fear. And Sarai is indeed taken into Pharaoh's house. But God intervenes: he afflicts Pharaoh's house with plagues, so that Pharaoh discovers the truth and sends Abram away with his wife. God protected Sarai, and kept his purpose, despite Abram's failure.

Notice how God acts here, despite Abram's failure of faith. Abram, afraid, resorted to deception rather than trusting God to protect him; and his scheme put his wife in danger. Yet God did not abandon Abram to the consequences of his failure; he intervened, protected Sarai, and preserved the family through whom his promise would come. God's faithfulness held even where Abram's faith failed; his purpose was not undone by his servant's fear and deceit.

That is a humbling comfort: that God's faithfulness is not undone by our failures of faith. We, like Abram, can fail, growing afraid and resorting to our own schemes and deceptions instead of trusting God; and our failures can create real trouble. Yet God does not abandon us to them; his faithfulness holds even where our faith fails, and he is able to protect and preserve his purpose despite our failures. This is no license to fail; Abram's deceit was still wrong. But when you have failed, grown afraid, and trusted your own schemes rather than God, do not despair as though your failure had undone everything. God's faithfulness is greater than your failures; he protected Sarai despite Abram's fear, and he is able to hold his purpose for you despite yours. Return to trusting him, and rest in a faithfulness that your failures cannot finally overthrow.

Lord, Abram, afraid in Egypt, resorted to deception about his wife rather than trusting you to protect him; yet you intervened, afflicting Pharaoh's house, protecting Sarai, and preserving your purpose despite Abram's failure of faith. Give me the humbling comfort of that: that your faithfulness is not undone by my failures. I, like Abram, can fail, growing afraid and resorting to my own schemes and deceptions instead of trusting you; and my failures can create real trouble. Yet you do not abandon me to them; your faithfulness holds even where my faith fails, and you are able to protect and preserve your purpose despite my failures. This is no license to fail; Abram's deceit was still wrong. But when I have failed, grown afraid, and trusted my own schemes rather than you, keep me from despairing as though my failure had undone everything. Your faithfulness is greater than my failures; you protected Sarai despite Abram's fear, and you are able to hold your purpose for me despite mine. Help me return to trusting you, and rest in a faithfulness my failures cannot finally overthrow. Thank you for your faithfulness, Lord, greater than my faltering.