"And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee." (Genesis 12:10-13)
Interesting that with all the Canaanite gods of rain and fertility, there was a famine in the land…apparently the crops hadn't been flourishing in spite of all their terrible sacrificing of innocents and sexual rituals. In fact, I think perhaps the God they rejected was getting their attention; although it apparently did not work, for the idol worship apparently did not abate.
So, Abram moves on through the land of Canaan and into the land of Egypt. Eastern kings at that time claimed the privilege of taking into their harem any unmarried woman they liked; whether woman or her immediate family members liked the idea was of no consequence. Sarai's fairness of complexion (or beauty) must have been striking enough that Abram considered it a real possibility that, in order to have her, the Pharaoh would cause him men to kill Abram so that Pharaoh could have Sarai. His concern therefore was most likely a very real concern; but his solution was sin.
Not such a great start for this man of God. Up to this point, Abram has had faith in God's promises, but now, he surely doubts God for God had told him that his "seed" would inherit the land. Yet, Abram wouldn't have any "seed" if the Egyptians were able to succeed in killing him off in order to get to Sarai; which he believes is about to happen. It seems Abram's faith slipped; similar to what ours might have done in the same circumstances.
We are not told whether or not Sarai agreed to "say" that she was Abram's sister; perhaps she did, or perhaps she just let Abram say it and she said nothing. But what has always been remarkable to me is that she allowed herself to be taken into a harem, where the inevitable would happen, in order that her husband would not be killed. Surely, even if she was silent, her heart cried out to God. Yet, she was obedient, even at risk of her own bodily harm, to her husband, who put her at risk to save his own skin. It is not one of Abram's most glorious moments. But I think it might be Sarai's. In fact, I Peter 3:1-6 confirms this for us:
"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." [Continue reading in 1 Peter, chapter 3, to see what the Word of God says the man's treatment of his wife should be.]
Sarai obeyed her husband even when his lack of faith in God put her at risk; the Word of God tells us she was able to do so because she "trusted in God" to take care of her.
Up to this point in the recounting of Abram's life, we have seen him being called by God; we have seen him being moved by God to a foreign soil, without much mention of Sarai, other than that Abram "took Sarai his wife" with him. Yet, if Abram is promised "seed" surely Sarai, his wife, is the vessel through which that "seed" would come; she must have been aware of that as well. Even though we will find her faith stumbling over this promise at a future time, at this point in their history she must also have been moved….to trust in God. And God was faithful to her and rescued her.
"And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? So I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had." (Genesis 12:14-20)
Sure enough, Abram's foreboding came true. The Egyptians did want Sarai. Still, this does not meant that God would have allowed them to kill Abram. In fact, God now steps forward and protects His own, by plaguing the house of Pharaoh in such a way that Pharaoh gets the idea that it was because of Sarai. Even though the bible does not say so, I believe that God revealed to Pharaoh that she was Abram's wife and that the plagues would cease if Pharaoh would return her to her husband; for Pharaoh goes and tells Abram something that Abram had not himself revealed to Pharaoh.
Abram is rebuked by Pharaoh, as he ought to have been; although under the circumstances it was a rather mild rebuke considering it came from the Pharaoh of all Egypt. If Pharaoh could have killed Abram because he wanted Abram's wife, how much easier would it have been for him to kill Abram knowing that he lied and brought these plagues upon his house? Yet, that did not happen; and all because God intervened in the affairs of Abram; remarkably, doing so even though Abram's faith had failed him.
And God intervened on behalf of Sarai as well. He delivered her from the grasp and ruin of Pharaoh. Pharaoh let them go and sent them off with all that they owned.
We will find, however, that Abram did not learn well from this lesson. He will repeat this same error a second time more than twenty years later, as will be seen as our study continues.
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