The second half of Genesis 12
tells a story about how fearful Abram was when he went to Egypt because there was a severe famine in the land of Canaan. Side note - it seems famine hits this region pretty regularly! Do you remember the famine that happened during the days of Joseph? Anyway, when Abram was close to entering Egypt, he said his wife, “I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.” In fear, Abram begged, “Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and I may live because of you.” “So it was.” What Abram asked - Sarai did. Abram was right. “When Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house.” “Pharaoh treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.” Pharaoh really did treat Abram well. But the Lord was not going to let it be so. “But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.” Pharaoh called for 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’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” “So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had.” Genesis 12:10-20 Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, was smart enough to understand that the plagues came from Abram’s God. Somehow Pharaoh knew that he had been manipulated, and he knew he should not have touched what God made sacred. You see, in those days, Pharaohs’ accumulated many wives, they pretty much took whatever they wanted. They remind me of the sons of God described in Genesis 6, in times of old. Scripture says, “the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.” Genesis 6:2 So I have a question. In the ancient of days, before the flood, when the human race was completely evil, did the sons of God possess men, and make their minds and their hearts completely violent? Did that sons of God indwell men, and use humans vessels as their puppets and pawns? This was never a thought I imagined, UNTIL now, while reading this passage. For some reason, Pharaoh knew that he should not “mess with the God of Abram.” Immediately, Pharaoh gave Sarai back and told Abram to go away. I believe this is just an example of how God shows "His manifold wisdom to the rulers and principalities in heavenly places." Ephesians 3:10 The flood wiped out humankind - God showed Satan and the rebellious angels that He can and will do whatever he wants! Can your imagine if the devil did not have a playground? What kind of authority would he have? The Lord has an appointed time, at the end of 70 prophetic weeks, when He will enact the Great Tribulation. The archangel Gabriel said to Daniel, “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.” Daniel 9:24 People with hard hearts will only remain puppets and pawns, otherwise known as “Satan’s army,” UNTIL the great and terrible Day of the Lord. And when that Day comes, the Lord will have a remnant - people who carry God’s promise inside them. They will be just like Sarai and Abram. In this story, at the beginning of Genesis 12, God promised Abram to make him a great nation. God said, “I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3 You see, it’s through God’s promise that the blessing comes. And in Ephesians 3:8-12 Paul preaches on the great mystery of God. Paul says, “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” Ephesians 3:8-12 Yes God loves us - but without Christ, we are just pawns and puppets. But with Christ, who is God’s eternal promise, no ruler in hell can ever touch us! They will just have to find another vessel to live in - UNTIL the great and terrible Day of the Lord.
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