Genesis 12:7-20 The Gospel Preservation

The Introduction

We are in Genesis 12. Let me set the stage: every word of this Bible is inspired--literally breathed out by God--so every word here holds weight.

When we talk about the Christian faith, teachers will point to certain important passages to speak about the foundations of our faith and religion. We will then talk about covenants or the promises of God. And just to be crystal clear, when God promises anything, it is an unbreakable promise--meaning, God has or will fulfill it because He is unable to break a promise or tell a lie. Because he is holy, right, good and perfect. I would like to say my word is bond. But my word and promises do not dare to compare to the Holy One of God.

When teachers of the word talk about covenant, they will label it by whom the covenant was spoken to. Already, we have read of one covenant:

Genesis 3:15 (CSB) I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

This is the good news--the gospel--within the Adamic Covenant. This is the unbreakable promise of God given to Adam.

The next one is the Noahic Covenant we find in:

Genesis 9:8–15 (CSB) Then God said to Noah and his sons with him,“Understand that I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you,and with every living creature that is with you—birds, livestock, and all wildlife of the earth that are with you—all the animals of the earth that came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you that never again will every creature be wiped out by floodwaters; there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations:I have placed my bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds,I will remember my covenant between me and you and all the living creatures: water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature.

Last week, we just covered the Abrahamic covenant at the beginning of Genesis 12. God spoke his promise to mankind. When that happens, we should be settled in our hearts that we are good with God and God is for us and God is near and God is good. In other words, you would think that receiving a promise of God that mankind would lean towards not sinning. You would think that.

God promises Adam that he would send a Messiah. He removes our original parents shame and guilt and covers them with his own righteousness. What happens next? One of their sons murders the other son.

God promises Noah that never again would he destroy the living by water. What does Noah do--marked by righteousness of God? He gets drunk and gets buck-naked in front of his grown sons and tries to curse one of his kids for his own drunken and lewd acts.

God promises Abram--some Gentile minding his own business tending to his dad's business and says:

Genesis 12:2-3 ² I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

³ I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

We are 12 chapters into the Bible where when God makes a promise to mankind, mankind is going to commit a sin.

Do you think it will be different this time around?

The Text

Genesis 12:7-20 (CSB) ⁷ The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring, I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

⁸ From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the LORD there, and he called on the name of the LORD.

⁹ Then Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev.

¹⁰ There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land was severe.

¹¹ When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are.

¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.

¹³ Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”

¹⁴ When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

¹⁵ Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s household.

¹⁶ He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

¹⁷ But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife, Sarai.

¹⁸ So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?

¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.

Spoiler alert: mankind responds by sinning.

Our God

⁷ The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring, I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him.

⁸ From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. He built an altar to the LORD there, and he called on the name of the LORD.

Preserved by God: Here is a place to live

Ezekiel 36:24 (CSB) “ ‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.

Acts 17:26 (CSB) From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.

Who determines where you live? Is it your parents? Was it your job? Your income? Your skin color? Your credit score? I know what the world says. I know in America that you determine where you live because you worked hard and pulled yourself up by your own bootstraps. But the reality of it all is that God alone determines where you live--not only the places but the times as well.

It is not by chance or circumstance you live where you live and you are a citizen of a land. It is not by coincidence that you born on the day and year you were born. But why? Why does God forms us in the womb of our mothers at a certain time and place?

Keep reading Acts 17:

Acts 17:27 (CSB) He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

You and I are to seek God, to reach out and find him. And if you and I have found God, then you are commissioned by Christ to tell everybody else the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord. For:

Hebrews 1:1–2 (CSB) Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.

And

Romans 8:14–17 (CSB) For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

You are not your own. You belong to Christ. Christ is your Lord and he will let you know where you are going to live.

Your place and home is not your own because this whole world belongs to Christ and He is the heir of all things. But because we have Christ, we are co-heirs with him--now we have everything.

⁹ Then Abram journeyed by stages to the Negev.

¹⁰ There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land was severe.

Preserved by God: Here where you must go

Proverbs 16:9 (CSB) A person’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.

Just like Abram had other plans for his life before God met him, we too might have plans for our own lives.

But the kick of it is: some of us want one thing that is not from God and yet want God to bless it. "Well, I want to be a social media influencer." or "I want to be married." Are you sure? Have you asked God? Or are you hoping you are doing the right things so that God will bless you.

I know God gives us new hearts and new desires. But we don't go our own ways to fulfill those desires. We take them to God and let him worry about the details.

He already determined when and where you are living. Now he will determine what you get to do.

¹¹ When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, I know what a beautiful woman you are.

¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.

¹³ Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”

Preserved by God: He has not led you into temptation and sin and death and chaos and despair

You might be tempted to read this passage and think, "It kinda sorta looks like God told him 'live here' and 'go here' and 'do this', but it put Abram in a place where he sinned against his wife?"

Yet

James 1:13-14 (CSB) No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.

And Christ teaches us to pray:

Matthew 6:13 (CSB) And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

James will go on to say:

James 1:15–18 (CSB) Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Where we live and where we go and our lives are good gifts from God. God does not tempt us into sin. God never tells us to sin.

I cannot imagine what Abram was thinking in his mind. I get that he and Sarai were in the midst of a famine. "But what is your endgame, Abram? Your plan has too many holes Abram!"

Oh, if you are curious of the specific sin that Abram commited against his wife? The street slang is "don't pimp your wife as your sister just to save your own neck." The biblical way of saying:

1 Peter 3:7 (CSB) Husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

(You would think and hope, reading this, that this would be the first and last time Abram would do something like this. But how many of us committed a sin just once? That is exactly how you think it is going to go for Abram and Sarai.)

¹⁴ When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

¹⁵ Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s household.

¹⁶ He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

Preserved by God: He will provide for you

We know, by all accounts, that Abram was a wealthy man. We can assume that Abram received some wealth from his father. But we see here, in the midst of Abram's folly, God provides more wealth for Abram.

Does that mean we should go and do foolish things in order for God to bless us? There is a whole book of the Bible called Proverbs that preaches against that sort of nonsense. What we must see in this passage is that God alone is our provision.

Christ said himself:

Matthew 6:30-31 (CSB) If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you — you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? ’ or ‘What will we drink? ’ or ‘What will we wear? ’

And

Matthew 5:45b (CSB) For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

God alone is our provision. And I know we make mistakes or we don't make a mistake and we lose our job or a pandemic hits or we can't catch a break. But God always provides for his kids. More often than not, it doesn't always look like the way you want it to but he does.

¹⁷ But the LORD struck Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife, Sarai.

¹⁸ So Pharaoh sent for Abram and said, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?

¹⁹ Why did you say, ‘She’s my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave his men orders about him, and they sent him away with his wife and all he had.

Preserved by God: He will make all things right standing with himself

Romans 12:19-21 (CSB) Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

As foolish and sinful as Abram was in response to getting a promise from God, Abram did not tried to make his way right. Whatever is really wrong with this world, God will make all things right with himself. He starts with us. And he started and finished because he sent his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gospel

Preserved by God: Here is where God lives

Numbers 14:21 (CSB) Yet as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the LORD’s glory,

Exodus 40:34 (CSB) The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (CSB) When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests were not able to enter the LORD’s temple because the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD. All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the LORD came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the LORD:
For he is good,
for his faithful love endures forever.

And yet, because of Christ:

Ephesians 3:17 (CSB) and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love,

and

John 14:23 (CSB) Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Titus 3:4-6 (CSB) But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us —not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior

My friends, the Bible is crystal clear. You have the Triune God who has made His home in you. God lives in you. The whole earth is filled with his glory. And at one time, temples were built so that his glory could rest there. For:

1 Corinthians 3:16 (CSB) Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

And

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (CSB) Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

Because God has sent his Son to die so we might live. But did you know that God sent his Son to live the perfect life so that we can trust and obey his Son. Do you think that Jesus Christ did this on his own by his lonesome?

John 3:34-35 (CSB) For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.

And

John 5:19-21 (CSB) Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him greater works than these so that you will be amazed. And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants.

If Jesus Christ, Son of God, who is fully God, did not live his life on his own by himself, do you think he would expect you to do the same? The same God who remembers we are from dust? (Psalm 103)

If Christ did only what the Father did by the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, how can we, his own brothers and sisters, do it less than? We need all the help we can get. Fortunately, we worship the Almighty God who will never leave us nor forsake us.

Preserved by God: Here is where God is with us

It stands to reason: if God determines where we live, when we live, and what we will do, gives us his Son and his Spirit to so that we can love him, love others and minister to others to glorify and worship his name, then that means that God is with us!

Matthew 1:21–23 (CSB) She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”

Preserved by God: Here is where God was tempted in every way

Hebrews 4:15 (CSB) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Whatever God has called you to do, you do not have to give into sin in order to do his will. He does not give temptation. He gives grace. He gave us his Son who was tempted in every way as we are. He was without sin. Now, we get to be without sin. Don't give in. You don't have to. God is with you.

But you know what is the really good news? You and I will mess up, fail, and be tempted and sin. And God does not lessen his love towards us--he gave us his Son who is from everlasting to everlasting love. He does not give us less grace but instead gives us grace upon grace. He does not withhold his mercies--they are new every morning.

God alone is faithful. God alone is faithful toward us. The very father of our faith, Abraham, started off in his Christian walk by sinning against his wife and ultimately, the God of the Universe.

But how did Christ speak of Abraham?

John 8:56 (CSB) Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.

Abraham messed up like any son of Adam--like all of us. But because of Christ, because Abraham was a son of God like you and me, he "rejoiced to see the day of Christ--he saw it and was glad". We join together with every person of faith in this Bible and throughout the history of mankind because we have seen the day of Christ--we get to rejoice and be glad in it.

When God saved you to himself, he gave himself to you and in turn, you have received everything: life, provision, heart, Spirit, Son, Father, the world. You have it all.

One last thing he did: he paved way so that you can come all the way home to him.

Preserved by God: Here is where God has already made everything right with himself

Colossians 2:13-15 (CSB) And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (CSB) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

He has paved the road of righteousness. Christ has made all things new--starting with Christ in you and the Spirit bringing you all the way home to him.

Our Response

Dearly beloved, you and I are going to sin. You and I are going to fail. When you do, do not despair or question your salvation. "I thought I was saved--why do I still struggle with sin?"

Because Christ is at work in you. You know who doesn't struggle with sin? Unbelievers. They are not at war within themselves because they do not have God in him.

Paul said it best in Romans 7:

Romans 7:21–24 (CSB) So I discover this law: When I want to do what is good, evil is present with me. For in my inner self I delight in God’s law,but I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Do you delight in the word of God and the promises of God? Then you are with God and God dwells in you. You are in Christ! You are in Christ!

But having God in you wages war against your mind and your flesh. And if you and I are completely honest, it is torment and anguish and begs your soul to cry out to God, "Who is going to save me from this body of death!

What is the answer? Jesus Christ is his name!

And because Jesus is the Christ and he has done it everything to save you from your sin, guess what? There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.

I tell you these things so that you joy may be full.