By Faith: How the Life of Faith Deals with Conflict

HOW THE LIFE
OF FAITH DEALS WITH CONFLICT

Genesis 13:1–18

Introduction

Through experience I have learned that a great deal of conflict that occurs within the family of faith is often among church staff members. There’s the story about the friction between one pastor and his music director—conflict that was so great it spilled out into the worship service.

One Sunday the pastor preached on total commitment to the Lord, and the music minister followed with the congregation singing “I Shall Not Be Moved.” The next Sunday the pastor preached on giving and how God’s people should give generously to the Lord. The disgruntled music director led the congregation in “Jesus Paid it All.” The following Sunday the pastor preached on gossip and the need to control the tongue, and the music leader followed with “I Love to Tell the Story.”

At this point the pastor was frustrated and he told the church that he was considering resigning on the next Sunday. The music leader then led the song “Oh, Why Not Tonight.” The following Sunday the pastor stood in the pulpit and said, “Jesus led me to this church and it is Jesus who is leading me away.” The song leader’s selection that day was “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

Our study of the life of Abram will teach God’s people how to deal with conflict when it comes our way. The lessons we will learn in this chapter of Abram’s journey of faith are in stark contrast to those we learned in the previous chapter when Abram failed to trust the Lord. Now we are going to learn from Abram’s ability to trust in the Lord in the midst of friction and conflict. Why such a stark contrast between the two narratives? What was the source of Abram’s previous failure and his upcoming success?

Both Abram’s success and his failure in the life of faith hinged on one crucial ingredient: fellowship with the Lord. As we noticed in the verses we’ve studied so far, the key ingredient missing in Abram’s failure was the altar of the Lord. Worship, fellowship, and communication with the Lord were non-existent in Genesis 12:10–20. But not so in Genesis 13.

The Lord, faithful to discipline Abram’s faltering faith and deliver him from the situation, was also faithful to direct him back to where he needed to be. “He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 13:3–4).

God brought Abram back to where he needed to be in the first place: the altar of the Lord. If Abram were going to have success and keep his faith from faltering, he would need to maintain constant worship of and fellowship and communication with the Lord. Let’s see it in practice now.

Genesis 13 begins with Abram at the altar and ends with him at the altar. “He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD” (Genesis 13:3–4, emphasis added). Also, “Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord” (Genesis 13:18, emphasis added). The key to success in the life of faith is constant communion with the Lord. This steadfast fellowship with the Lord will give Abram success as he faces friction within the family. His success in dealing with this strife can teach us how to deal with conflict. But before we learn how to deal with conflict, we must come to grips with the fact that conflict is inevitable, even within the family of faith.

Conflict Will Be Experienced
within the Family of Faith

The following verses set the scene, as we understand the nature of the conflict that is experienced between uncle and nephew. Verses 5 and 6 reveal the source of the conflict.

Now Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsman of Lot’s livestock. Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the Land. (Genesis 13:5–7)

The Source of the Conflict

We are told in verse 5 that Lot was with Abram when he went into Egypt. Some have argued that the phrase, “who went with Abram” is artificial and was placed there only to make it appear that Lot was in Egypt. They argue this on the basis that Lot is not mentioned in verses 10 through 20. However, the absence of Lot in the previous narrative was because he was not a central figure of the situation. The main characters in those verses were Abram, Sarai, and Pharaoh.

While Lot was in Egypt with his uncle, he was able to observe first hand his uncle’s faltering faith. He saw his uncle put his own interest before his wife’s. Lot watched as his uncle took things into his own hands, walking by sight rather than by faith. What Lot witnessed of his uncle’s faltering faith would have an effect on the choices he would make.

Our text not only implicitly declares that Lot was able to witness Abram’s faltering faith, but it also explicitly states that the blessings given to Abram were conferred upon Lot as well. Verse 5 reveals that Lot also had “flocks and herds and tents.” Lot profited by the illegitimate blessings gained by his uncle.

The blessings Abram and Lot enjoyed came about by Abram not trusting in God, taking things into his own hands, and lying and scheming to save his own life, while forgetting about the danger that he put his wife in, and even the danger he put his nephew in. These illegitimate blessings that Abram and Lot received would become a source of conflict within the family.

The reason for contention within the family is revealed in verse 6, “And the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together.” Abram and Lot were so prosperous that the land of promise given by the Lord would not supply all they needed. For all their livestock, Abram and Lot had an inadequate supply of pasturage and water.[1] Because Abram and Lot were not the only ones dwelling in the land (they shared the land with the Canaanites and Perizzites, v. 7), the availability of pastureland and water was limited. The result of limited natural resources caused problems, “And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram and the herdsmen of Lot” (v. 7). Prosperity did not bring comfort to the family, instead it brought conflict, which began between Abram and Lot’s herdsmen.

There is something very interesting in these verses that I want to point out. It was back in Genesis 12:10 that Abram, who was exactly where God wanted him to be, experienced famine in the land. Back in Genesis 12:16 Abram was in Egypt where God did not want him, yet everything went well for him there. And here in verses 5 and 6 of Genesis 13, Abram is exactly where God wants him, but now he is facing conflict within the family. Even when we do exactly what God wants, he allows trials. This passage of Scripture shows the Lord sending another challenging circumstance Abram’s way to test his faith. This time, Abram will pass the test.[2]

Just as conflict was experienced in the family of Abram, we will also experience contention in the church. The sources of conflict are many, but the need to deal with them in a way consistent with the life of faith is paramount. The family of faith suffers serious implications when we do not deal with conflict in a biblical manner.

The Seriousness of the Conflict

The seriousness of conflict is implied in verse 7, “Now the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land.” This verse not only declares the reason for the land’s inability to sustain Abram and Lot’s livestock, but it also reveals the dangers that take place when there is strife within the family. The first serious consequence of conflict is that the family of faith will become ineffective and vulnerable.[3]

When the Lord called Abram to leave his country, he called him to leave a peaceful country and go to a land that would be filled with hostility. There would be people in the land who would be enemies of Abram and his descendants; the Canaanites and the Perizzites were those enemies.

Internal conflict among Abram’s relatives would weaken the family and leave them ineffective and vulnerable in fighting the true enemy at hand. The battle that God’s people are to be fighting is not on the inside, but on the outside. When conflict abounds within the family of faith it weakens the family’s effectiveness in fulfilling God’s purpose and plan, which is to bless all the families of the earth with the good news of salvation found in Christ.

A father asked his young son to break a bundle of sticks. The boy raised the bundle off the ground and smashed it with his knee leaving the bundle unbroken and his knee bruised. He then took the bundle and set it against the wall and stomped on it with his foot, but the bundle still did not break. He came back to his father frustrated from the chore that his father had given him. The father, seeing the boy’s frustration, took the bundle of sticks and untied it. He then took the sticks and broke them easily, one at a time. When the family of faith is united they are strong and effective, but a divided family of faith is weak and ineffective for the work of the Lord.[4]

Another serious implication of conflict is that it makes the family of faith repulsive. Abram was to be a blessing bearer to the world. He was to carry the light of the one true God to the pagan nations. Conflict within his family could hinder the testimony of God’s people. Conflict over material possessions was a poor testimony to the ungodly Canaanites in the land. Likewise, when conflict abounds in the church, it gives an appalling testimony to the ungodly outside the church.[5] Nobody in his or her right mind would want to be a part of such a situation.

The world is looking for a safe haven, a place where peace and love abounds, and that place must be the family of faith, that place must be the church of Jesus Christ. People should come and experience the love and acceptance of Christ when they come to the family of faith, not the constant bickering and conflict. And while conflict is inevitably experienced within the church family, believers must resolve the conflict in a manner consistent with the life of faith.

Resolve Conflict in a
Manner Consistent with a Life of Faith

Abram’s conflict would put his faith to the test once again, but this time his faith would flourish, not falter. Abram would trust the Lord to take care of him in the midst of this test, rather than to take things into his own hands. His response to the conflict is consistent with those who trust in the Lord to take care of them. The first quality we see in the life of Abram that is consistent with the life of faith is the desire of a peaceful resolution.

The Life of Faith Desires a Peaceful Resolution

So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers.” (Genesis 13:8)

Abram’s desire in the midst of this conflict is a peaceful resolution. Though the previous verse (v. 7) spoke of the strife only being between the herdsmen, Abram understood that this conflict would spill over into the family. Therefore, Abram pleaded with Lot for a peaceful solution, knowing there could be serious repercussions if the conflict was not dealt with properly. He knew that it could weaken the family, make them vulnerable to their real enemies, and that the testimony of the Lord could be hindered. These are great reasons for dealing with conflict, but Abram gave the paramount reason at the end of verse 8.

The most significant reason that Abram sought a peaceful settlement is stated in the prepositional phrase “for we are brothers.” Abram did not say that he and Lot were brothers in the literal sense, for we know that Abram was Lot’s uncle. Abram used the word “brother” to declare their close relationship to one another. That Abram and Lot were family was reason to seek a peaceful resolution. Yes, it is valuable to pursue peace for the sake effectiveness, and it is worthy to seek peace for the sake of testimony, but more importantly, it is necessary to seek a peace to maintain the family bond.

We who are a part of the family of God are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are in a relationship with one another that will last throughout eternity. Therefore, since we are bound together by the blood of Christ, we must seek a peaceful outcome when conflict arises. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

One story has it that during the Civil War, the North and the South were camped on opposite sides of the Potomac River. The Union soldiers would play a patriotic tune that was dear to their hearts. In response, the Confederate soldiers would play a patriotic tune precious to southerners. Then one of the bands started to play the tune “Home, Sweet, Home.” The other side stopped its musical composition and joined in. Soon after that you could hear voices from both sides singing, “There is no place like home.”[6]

Though division existed between the Union and Confederate soldiers, the song reminded them that their home and their destiny were the same. Likewise, members of God’s family must remember that as brothers and sister we have the same eternal home; therefore, we must desire a peaceful resolution when conflict arises.

The Life of Faith Initiates a Peaceful Resolution

Abram not only desired a peaceful resolution to the situation, but he also took the initiative to bring it about. How did Abram take the initiative? He put his total trust in the Lord to take care of his needs as implied in Genesis 13:9, “Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right, or if to the right, then I will go to the left.”

Abram could have demanded his rights regarding who goes where. After all, he was the uncle, the elder, and God had given him the land. Abram could have told Lot exactly what to do, but he didn’t. This time, Abram put God first in his life. He had learned a great lesson in Egypt: trust the Lord in all situations. Because Abram put God first and trusted in the Lord to take care of him, he was able to put others second and still take care of their needs.[7]

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, became very sick in his latter years—so sick that he was unable to attend the annual Salvation Army conferences. Each year Booth would send a message to be read to the delegates. One time he sent a simple message that read, “Others.” The philosophy of the Salvation Army was to look out for the interest of others.[8] All Christians need the same attitude. Paul told the Philippians to “not merely look out for [their] own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4).

When God’s people put God first and trust him to take care of their needs, it is revealed in selfless living. The Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest example of one who demonstrated total trust in the Lord and unselfish living. He was entitled to demand his rights, but instead he suffered at the hands of sinful men for the sake of others. He emptied himself of his glory, became a servant, and was obedient unto death. Christ trusted in the Father to take care of him, he put others first, and the Father exalted him. And now every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:5–11).

Abram’s total reliance on the Lord and his self-sacrificing living is contrasted with Lot’s distrust in the Lord and his selfish ways. Lot’s choice in verses 10–11 resemble the choice that his uncle made when he went into Egypt. Like his uncle, Lot would choose based on sight instead of faith.

When Abram gave Lot the choice, the proper godly response would be to defer to his elder uncle. “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan.” Instead of deferring to the true warranted rights of his uncle, Lot looked out only for himself instead of putting God first and others second.

What did Lot see when he lifted up his eyes and gazed upon the valley of the Jordan? The text says that Lot saw that “it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar” (v. 10). At a glance, what Lot saw looked profitable and appealing, but we’ll soon see that it would not be beneficial at all.

Verse 10 forewarns the readers that Lot’s self-gratifying and self-seeking response would bring blessings, but those blessings would be temporal.[9] Nestled within the description of what Lot saw is the statement, “this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.” Lot was seeking to take care of himself without the Lord’s help, and his self-centered choice would bring disaster. “So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward” (v. 11). Lot’s choice was all about himself; he exhibited no concern for his uncle. One scholar commented, “Lot selfishly intends to advantage himself by disadvantaging his uncle.”[10]

It is significant to notice that when Lot made his choice he “journeyed eastward.” Since the banishment of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden the “east” came to symbolize distance and exile from the presence of God. Lot would soon find out that being distanced from the divine presence would not lead to divine blessing.

Fortunately, Abram’s response to the conflict did not mirror Lot’s response. For had Abram responded in selfishness as Lot did, the conflict would not have be dealt with in a peaceful manner, and the effectiveness and the testimony of God’s people would have been hindered. Because Abram dealt with the conflict in a manner consistent with the life of faith, he gained a peaceful resolution.

The Life of Faith Gains a Peaceful Resolution

So, Abram and Lot went their separate ways in peace. “So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord” (Genesis 13:11–13).

Can you imagine what the outcome would have been if Abram responded to the conflict in the same manner that Lot did? It would have been disastrous. Had Abram responded with selfish motives, with self-gratification in mind, there might have been a civil war. But Abram trusted the Lord to look out for him, enabling him to look out for Lot and stay at peace.

How did they gain a peaceful resolution? Through separation. There are times when, for the sake of peace, the family of faith needs to separate. If there are disagreements about methods, then separate peacefully and reach people for the cause of Christ. Separation should take place to prevent the church from feuding and warring against one another. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that separation takes place only after feuding and fighting has permeated the family of faith. (Note that I do not use the term “separate” to condone separation between husband and wife—the context here is about unmarried believers within the body of Christ who are not married to each other and who are at odds.)

Abram saw the potential of prolonged conflict; therefore, he took the initiative to bring about a peaceful resolution, and he gained it because he dealt with the conflict in a manner worthy of a life of faith. Abram’s trust in the Lord during conflict would not go unnoticed. For the Lord would affirm his approval of Abram’s faith and trust by showering divine confirmation. “The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered’ ” (Genesis 13:14–18).

The Confirmation upon the Life of Faith (14–16)

Genesis 13:14–18 is set apart by the words, “The Lord said to Abram.” These are words of comfort as well as cause. They are comforting because God is reaffirming his promise to Abram and he is telling us that when we trust in him, even in the midst of conflict, he will take care of his own.

These words of the Lord were also the cause of Abram’s faith. Abram took the Lord at his word; therefore, Abram could give Lot first choice because he had learned what the Lord has said to him when he called him to the life of faith—that God would take care of his needs. Abram could look out for the interests of others because he knew that the Lord would be faithful to fulfill his promises, even when Abram was unfaithful.[11] At this point Abram knew that God meant what he had said, and that it did not matter what choice Lot made because God had enough room in his plan for every man, and God would take care of Abram.[12]

In these verses the Lord reaffirmed his promises to Abram, which he initially gave in Genesis 12:2–3. In reaffirming his promises, notice the stark contrast between Abram and the narrative of Lot in the previous verses.

The Lord said to Abram, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.” Here, the Lord commanded Abram to lift up his eyes, whereas in the previous verses Lot lifted up his eyes. In this passage, the Lord told Abram to look, whereas in the preceding passage, Lot was the one who saw. Now we read that the Lord gave all the land to Abram, whereas before, Lot chose all the land of the valley. Abram waited for God to take the initiative, Lot simply took his own initiative. Abram waited for God to give him the land, Lot simply took for himself.[13]

It is hard to believe that this is the same Abram who went into Egypt. It is safe to say that this stage of Abram’s journey of faith was successful. It was a period when Abram was tested by inward strife, but instead of his faith faltering it flourished, and the Lord took care of him.

The Communion of the Life of Faith (17–18)

The key to Abram’s flourishing faith is found once again in his communion with the Lord. When Abram walked with and worshipped the Lord, his faith was strong. But when he turned from the Lord and forsook sweet fellowship with the Lord, his faith faltered. Observe Abram’s acts of communion and worship in verses 17 and 18 after God spoke to Abram.

“ ‘Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.’ Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.”

In verse 17 the Lord commanded Abram to “arise” and “walk about.” God’s purpose in this command was to remind Abram that he would give Abram and his descendants the land. We also see Abram maintain communion with God through his worship. Verse 18 declares that Abram built an altar to the Lord, a sign of Abram’s devotion and gratitude toward the Lord. It was Abram’s maintained daily communion with the Lord that enabled him to respond to the conflict in a manner consistent with the life of faith. Abram’s daily walk with and worship of the Lord made it possible for him to respond correctly to the conflict with Lot and allowed him to put God first, then others, and finally himself.

A 1970s poet once wrote, “All I ask of life is a constant and exaggerated sense of my own importance.” Obviously ego was in charge of this person’s life. But for one who lives in daily communion with the Lord, our motto should be, “All I ask of life is a constant and exaggerated sense of the importance of trusting the Lord and putting others before myself.” Only one who fully trusts in the Lord can claim this motto.

A father was in his study reading when he overheard his daughter and her friend outside. What began as harmless play suddenly sound like an argument. The conversation between the two girls became heated and argumentative. The father decided it was time to step in, so he opened the window and said, “Stop it. Honey, what’s wrong?” His daughter quickly responded, “But, Daddy, we were just playing church.”[14]

There is no doubt that the family of faith will experience conflict. It takes humility to deal with conflict in a manner consistent with the life of faith. We can cultivate humility only if we individually foster our daily walk with the Lord and reverently worship him. We can also put others before ourselves knowing that the Lord will take care of our every need.

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[1]Walton and Matthews 38.

[2]Steward Briscoe, Mastering the Old Testament: Genesis (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1987) 132.

[3]The NET Bible 54.

[4]Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989) 66.

[5]John Phillips, Exploring Genesis (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1980) 122.

[6]Green 68.

[7]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Obedient (Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishers, 1991), 28.

[8]Wiersbe 28.

[9]Ross 289.

[10]Waltke 222.

[11]Ross 288.

[12]Ross 288.

[13]Ross 288.

[14]Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998) 95.

By Faith: How to Keep Your Faith from Faltering

HOW TO KEEP YOUR
FAITH FROM FALTERING

Genesis 12:10–13:4

Introduction

One of my favorite hymn writers is Fanny Crosby. Though she was blind, Fanny Crosby wrote over eight thousand hymns. I love the story of how she came to write the hymn All the Way My Savior Leads Me. Apparently, Fanny was worried because she needed five dollars to pay her bills. She had no idea where she would get the money. Fear consumed her. One day, while stressing over her predicament, she heard a knock at the door. Whoever it was had no idea of her need, but felt led to give Fanny exactly five dollars. Fanny, considered this experience a rebuke to her lack of trust, and she wrote these lyrics of her loving Guide:

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living bread.

Though my weary steps may falter,

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! a spring of joy I see,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! a spring of joy I see.

Fanny Crosby’s faith faltered, we’ll soon see that Abram’s faith faltered, and inevitably in our own journey of faith we too will live through periods when our weary steps may falter.

As we study Abraham to learn lessons for the life of faith, we want to recognize the attitudes and choices that can encumber our journey. The journey is a process—with steps that lead to maturity—those of grand success and others of vast defeat. But our faithful God uses both successes and failures to mature us in our faith.

We already noted that though Abram started his journey of faith in Ur, he was sidetracked, and he and his father Terah settled in Haran. There Abram heard the summons to renew—the summons of a second chance—and he responded in faith and continued on his journey until he made it to Canaan.

As we study the next passages in Genesis, we find Abram in Canaan, the place where God wanted him to go. You could say that Abram is now in the center of God’s will, but as we will see, trying circumstances will test Abram’s faith. His faith will falter and he’ll crash. But the collision will not be terminal, for God, in his faithfulness, will use Abram’s failure to bless him and grow him in his life of faith. From Abram’s example in this passage, we can learn how to keep our own faith from faltering when we face difficulties, and remember that our faith matures through challenging circumstances.

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. So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD. (Genesis 12:10–13:4)

The Challenging Circumstance

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. (Genesis 12:10)

Abram’s challenging circumstance involved hunger. Verse 10 indicates that the famine in Canaan was severe. The Hebrew word translated “severe” means “burdensome” or “difficult.” Remember that when Abram first heard the call of God, he was in his birthplace, Ur of the Chaldeans—a port city of luxurious comfort, fed by two great rivers, resulting in rich soil and plentiful harvests. Canaan, on the other hand, had an exceedingly fragile ecology, making it subject to famine at any time. If rains did not come at the needed time, or if it rained too much or too little, planting and harvesting were adversely affected.[1]

Can you imagine what Abram thought as he realized the land the Lord promised him would not be able to feed his family? He probably started questioning the will of God for his life. How many times have you stepped out in faith, and when you arrived and were faced with difficulty thought, “I made a mistake.”

That’s our tendency as humans. Often the challenge we face when hurdles come our way is that we doubt the will of God. Somehow we get the notion that being in the center of God’s will means everything will run smoothly. Quite the contrary! God will often send us through demanding circumstances to mature us. We must meet the challenge, trust the will of God, and recognize that trials come from the hand of a sovereign Lord.

It’s not surprising that Abram doubted God when we remember the promises the Lord gave to him in Genesis 12:2–3. God told Abram that he would take care of him and bless him as he set out on his journey, yet here was Abram faced with hunger and fear—a fear that undermined his ability to trust God.

We live in a sinful environment that is spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging to the life of faith. Because sin consumes our environment, we may be faced daily with circumstances that will test and try our faith. If we respond with a wholehearted trust in God, our faith will not falter, but if fear overcomes faith, faith will falter.[2]

Abram did not pass God’s test of faith. His lack of trust caused him to take matters into his own hands. Fear overcame faith, and Abram faltered as he used his wife and lied to attempt to override the sovereignty of God. How can we keep our faith from faltering? We must realize that fear is the greatest enemy to the life of faith.

The Greatest Enemy to the
Life of Faith is Fear (12:10–16)

Franklin Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” In our spiritual life, fear is our greatest enemy. Now, fear can be a friend to faith if we let it strengthen our faith (for example, if we exhibit a reverential fear of God), but more often than not our fear will overcome faith. Genesis 12:10–16 illustrates how Abram gave into fear and how our fright can speak louder than the Father.

Fear Can Speak Louder than the Father

In verse 10 we are told that because of the famine in the land, Abram decided to leave the place where God commanded him to go and make his way into Egypt. At first glance this seems like the wise thing to do, but when you take a closer look at the verse you notice that something is missing.

We know from the previous passages that the Lord brought Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans with his father Terah. We know from Genesis 12:1 that it was the Lord who commanded Abram to leave Haran and go to Canaan. What is missing in this journey? The voice of the Lord telling Abram to go to Egypt. The absence of God speaking to Abram is no coincidence; it reveals that Abram was letting his fear speak louder than the Father.

Abram now placed God’s promises in the background and let his fears speak to him. He probably thought, “Will God really take care of me? Is he really going to bless me as he promised?” These doubts started to chip away at Abram’s trust in the Lord and began to overshadow his knowledge of God’s promises. Abram’s view of reality became distorted, and he lost sight of God.

Let’s not be too hard on Abram. He’s certainly not alone. In Numbers 13 and 14, God’s people let their fears speak louder than the promises of the Father when God commanded Moses to take leaders from the twelve tribes of Israel and send them into the land of Canaan. Twelve men spent forty days spying out the land. When they returned, they declared that the land had much to offer, but ten of them were terrified to go in. They saw that the people were gigantic and incredibly strong; therefore, they thought the Israelites should not go in. However, two of the twelve men, Caleb and Joshua, disagreed. Needless to say, the ten whose fear overtook them influenced the rest of the sons of Israel, and the people cried and rebelled against the Lord. They forgot the Lord’s promise to give them the land. They forgot God’s promise to take care of them. Their fears spoke louder than the Father’s promises.

Much like the Israelites, Abram fell into this pattern of fear and, if we are not careful, so will we. We will take things into our own hands instead of trusting the Lord.

Fear Causes Us to
Take Things into Our Own Hands

Notice that in verse 1, God took the initiative to summons Abram to the journey of faith. However, beginning in verse 10, Abram took the lead. He determined on his own to “[go] down to Egypt.” The reason is simple: his faith had faltered on account of his fears. Abram took things into his own hands and left God out of the equation.[3]

Abram’s sojourn into Egypt was a clear indication that he was operating on his own terms and not on the Father’s. There are a few times in the Bible where we see the Lord commanding or allowing his people to go to Egypt. A subsequent account in Genesis informs us that “God told Jacob to go to Egypt” (Genesis 46:3). In the New Testament, an angel of the Lord told Joseph to take Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt to keep the baby from harm (Matthew 2:13). But for the most part, when Egypt is mentioned in the Bible, it usually refers to that which is of the world. To go to and to rely on Egypt is symbolic of relying on human resources rather than trusting in the Lord.[4] Typically, when God’s people find themselves in Egypt, it is because their faith has faltered, they have taken things into their own hands, and they are trusting in human instead of divine resources, which usually results in a downward effect. That is, the lack of faith often leads to more sin. And that is exactly what happened to Abram; he continued on this downhill spiral of sin. When faith falters it can cause God’s people to do things in the flesh.

Fear Causes Us to Do Things in the Flesh

When you see the actions of Abram in verses 11 through 13 you begin to think that Abram never responded to God’s summons to the life of faith. Abram’s actions in this passage were no different than an unbeliever’s actions. Abram acted totally apart from God. Like an unbeliever who has no faith, Abram feared famine and doubted God’s ability to provide him with daily sustenance, and he feared the Egyptians and doubted God’s ability to protect him from danger. Therefore, Abram resorted to scheming and deception for the purpose of protecting his own life. Notice the conversation that took place between Abram and Sarai just before they entered Egypt. “And 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 it will come about when the Egyptians see you, that 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” (Genesis 12:11–13).

Abram knew that the Egyptians would kill him on account of Sarai. If he told the Egyptians he was Sarai’s brother, it would buy them time to escape because the Egyptians would negotiate with Abram for the right to marry his sister. But if they knew Abram was Sarai’s husband, then they would just kill him.[5]

Therefore, Abram took things into his own hands. There is some truth that Abram is Sarai’s brother. Genesis 20:12 says that Sarai is Abram’s half sister, but why would Abram resort to deception and half-truths? Because at this point it was all about him. He didn’t want to die, so he did things in the flesh. He made a plan to protect himself and to “help” the Lord keep his promise.

A former classmate of mine had a pastorate in a small town just north of Denton, Texas. One Monday evening he called me to tell me how bad his day went. He had spent the morning at the hospital because one of his deacons had passed away. When he arrived back at the church and the parsonage, he found the fire department there putting out a massive grass fire that had consumed the cemetery and about thirteen acres of a church member’s property behind the church. What made this situation even worse is that my friend knew that the bonfire he and his youth minister started behind the church the night before caused the destructive fire. Then the church member who owned the land behind the church asked my friend if he knew how the fire started. In fear, my friend lied and told him that he didn’t. Of course the Holy Spirit did not let him get away with the lie, and he had to tell the member the truth. My friend, as many of us have done, let his fear overcome his faith for self-preservation.

In the same manner, Abram’s fear caused him to act in the flesh and devise his own plan for preservation, but as we’ll soon see, Abram’s fleshly and ungodly plan would backfire on him. “It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw 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” (Genesis 12:14–16).

Abram was correct in saying they would see that Sarai was very beautiful. Abram was also correct that if they thought he was Sarai’s brother, it would go well with him and his life would be spared. But Abram was wrong about having enough time to negotiate with the Egyptians. His false calculation would put his wife and his marriage in danger.

Though Abram experienced the blessings bestowed upon him from Pharaoh, these blessings were not divine; instead, they came through human initiative. Just because a believer is being blessed materially does not indicate divine favor. Abram prospered materially, but he was spiritually rundown. Furthermore, God’s promise to make Abram a great nation and bless all nations through him was based upon the seed of Abram, a promise that was now in jeopardy because of Abram’s faltering faith.

You could say that Abram left one problem only to find himself with another. He left a physical famine and found himself with a spiritual hunger, one that came upon him on the basis of his faltering faith in the Lord’s ability to take care of him. When our faith falters and we take things into our own hands, we can be assured that our problems will not be solved. We merely exchange one challenging circumstance for another.

The greatest enemy to the life of faith is unhealthy fear. Fear can either draw us close to God or drive us far from him. The latter is the greatest enemy of God. When fear begins to drive us away from God it does so by speaking louder than the promises of God. When fear speaks louder than the Father, we are often tempted to take things in our own hands, that is, to do things “in the flesh” rather than to rely on God. But all is not lost when our faith falters, for when our faith falters we can be assured that our faithful God will not.

When Our Faith Falters, Our Faithful God Will Not (12:17–13:4)

In verse 17 we see the faithful Lord intervene, “But the Lord …” Those three words are a declaration of God’s faithfulness. In fact, this story of Abram’s faltering faith is more about a faithful God than it is about a faithless servant. Though Abram’s faltering faith would jeopardize the promise of God, God’s faithfulness to his word would bring the promise about. In making sure that his promise would be fulfilled, we see God’s faithfulness revealed in three different ways. The first thing we see is God’s faithfulness to intervene and discipline the faltering faith.

Faithful to Discipline

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?’ ” (Genesis 12:17–19)

If we are tempted to think that the Lord approves of Abram’s behavior, then verses 17 through 19 should dispel any such notions. Abram left one challenging circumstance and found himself in another. It would seem that trouble was on the horizon. Abram was helpless to save his wife Sarai, but God was not.[6] God would intervene by first bringing discipline upon Pharaoh and then by using Pharaoh to discipline Abram’s faltering faith.

Verse 17 declares that the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with a plague or disease. Without any question, Pharaoh understood that the disease was the consequence of taking Sarai into his household. In the ancient world the assumption was that when disease or sickness occurred it was always a direct result of a god’s displeasure. The pagan religions saw disease and sickness as a direct result of sin.[7] The Lord revealed to Pharaoh that Sarai was Abram’s wife, and as a result the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with disease.

Pharaoh then called Abram to him and rebuked him for his faltering faith. But don’t think for a minute that the source of the rebuke is Pharaoh. The Lord used a pagan ruler to rebuke his servant. Twice Pharaoh asked Abram why he lied to him. This rebuke is indicative of just how far out of fellowship Abram was with the Lord. Before Abram left for Egypt the Lord spoke to him personally, appeared to him, and Abram worshipped and called upon the name of the Lord. But in Egypt the Lord was silent, Abram’s worship was absent, and the Lord used an ungodly man to rebuke a man of God.

Listen to Pharaoh’s questions once again, but this time hear them as coming from the very mouth of the Lord, “Why did you not tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife?” The Lord confronted Abram on his faltering faith, and if Abram were honest with God he would have to say that he lied because his faith faltered back in Canaan. He lied because he failed to trust God in the Promised Land, and he took things into his own hands to try to take care of himself. Really all Abram had to do was to trust the Lord.

The Lord’s rebuke through Pharaoh demonstrates God’s faithfulness to discipline his straying children. God intervened in the life of Abram because his word and his character were at stake. The Lord deals with all of his children the same way he dealt with Abram. He is faithful to discipline and to deliver when his people’s faith falters.

Faithful to Deliver

Verse 20 shows us that not only is the Lord faithful to discipline, but he is also faithful to deliver, “Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they escorted him away, with his wife and all that belonged to him.” Amazingly, Abram put himself and his wife in a predicament, one that could harm both of them, yet the Lord faithfully delivered them both unharmed. But we must be very careful to understand God’s deliverance.

In this case, God delivered Abram from the consequences of his faltering faith, but God does not always do that. We can be assured that the Lord will deliver us spiritually by providing forgiveness and cleansing of our sins, but God often does not deliver us from the consequences of our sins.[8] We see that take place time and again with the people of Israel. We especially see that take place in the life of King David. David committed adultery and murder, the Lord forgave him, but he did not deliver him from the consequences of his sin.

Some time ago a story came out about a pharmacist who was watering down chemo treatments to make money. It turned out that this pharmacist was a Christian man who was trying to pay off taxes and a financial commitment he made to his church. This Christian brother confessed his faltering faith and the Lord has forgiven him, but the Lord did not deliver him from the consequences of his sin—he served time in prison.

Faithful to Direct

The first four verses of Genesis 13 reveals a final observation about God’s faithfulness when Abram’s faith faltered. “So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him. Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and gold. He went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.”

In these passages, God in his faithfulness, directed Abram when his faith faltered. Abram went as far as Bethel, which means “house of God.” He went back to where he started, that is, back to where he was before his faith faltered. Compare this to verse 8 of chapter 12, “Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an alter to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord.” God was faithful to forgive Abram’s faltering faith and direct him into full fellowship once again.

Abram came full circle. His faltering faith led him away from the Lord, away from worshipping him, away from calling upon him and listening to him, but the Lord led Abram back to the place he never should have left, the presence of the Lord.

A pastor visited one of his church members who happened to be a farmer. When he got out of his car he noticed an inscription on the farmer’s windmill: “God is faithful.” The pastor asked the farmer, “Is that to mean that depending on what direction the wind is blowing God is faithful?” The farmer said, “Absolutely not! I put that there to remind me that no matter what direction the wind blows or whether the wind blows, God is always faithful.”

The lesson for keeping our faith from faltering should not be centered on the faithlessness of Abram. If we are truly going to keep our faith from faltering, then we need to focus on the faithfulness of God that is revealed in this passage. When fear comes our way, we don’t need more faith. Instead we need a greater understanding of the object of our faith. We must remember that the Lord is always faithful, in feast or in famine, whether the wind blows or not. Because our God is absolutely faithful, when challenging circumstances come our way, when fear is creeping at our door, we can be assured that the Lord will take care of us.

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[1]Walter and Matthews 36–37.

[2]Gene A. Getz, Abraham: Holding Fast the Will of God (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1996) 41.

[3]Kidner 116.

[4]Boice 472.

[5]Ross 275.

[6]Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1976) 300.

[7]Walton and Matthews 38.

[8]Ross 277.

Everyday God

Recently, I shared with a golf partner that I prayed for my golf game.  He laughed at me, thinking that I was kidding.  I wasn't. He then proceeded to tell me that he would never pray for his golf game because the Lord had more important things to deal with than a golf game. 

Now, I would agree with him about the importance of a golf game in the grand scheme of things.  However, I would disagree with the belief that God doesn't care about our golf game, or other insignificant matters. 

I believe in the providence of God; that is, God is involved in every aspect of our lives.  God didn’t just create the world and then leave us on our own.  No, he created the world and now is intimately involved with the world.  This means that though my golf game improving may not fulfill God’s eternal purposes, he still wants to be involved with the little details of life.  Why? Our God is an everyday God!  And I have a recent experience to illustrate my point.  

Back in February of this year, I was spending the morning hours with the Lord.  I was crying out to him about the struggles I have with my earthly father and how it has tragically influenced my view of my heavenly Father.  During this time of prayer, the Lord had an individual text me this verse, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him”  (Psalm 103:13). Coincidence? No. Providence.  

God is an everyday God involved intimately with the details of our lives.  He will always be faithful to his people, and many times his faithfulness shown to his people comes through his people.