Bad not

Saturday April 3, 2021

Bad not

The Lord is a God of grace and of compassion, slow to anger, rich in goodness and in truth... he forgives sin. Exodus 34: 6.7

Under the pressure of famine, Abram and his family descend into Egypt (Genesis 12:10). The beauty of Sarai does not go unnoticed ; Abram knows that he can be killed to steal his beautiful wife. He conceives a plan : Say, please, that you are my sister (Genesis 12:13).

The Egyptians see his wife : she is very beautiful! Sarai is taken to the house of Pharaoh, who treats Abram well because of her : his flocks are multiplying (Genesis 12: 15,16). What are all these goods in comparison with his wife ? She is now in the Pharaoh's house instead of being with her husband.

We can understand Abram's feelings in this seemingly hopeless situation. A feeling of guilt grips him. By his fault, his wife is in the hands of the pharaoh. How many thoughts must be stirring in him ! This descent into Egypt, far from the promised land, and this lie : Abram can only pray while waiting for God to intervene.

What touches us deeply at this point in the story is that the Lord, become his God, did not treat Abram as he deserved. He will intervene in grace and in power to pull him out of this bad situation.

The LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife (Genesis 12:17). When Pharaoh understands the reason for his misfortunes, he returns Sarai to Abram and sends them both back.

Like Abram, let us rely on the grace of God our God in recognizing our shortcomings. He is always there to answer our prayers and help us in our bad times. However, do not think that this mercy allows us to embark on a neglected and reckless walk. Quite the contrary ! For there can be unfortunate consequences : Abram brings back Hagar, the Egyptian, who will give birth to him Ishmael (see Genesis 16), the ancestor of a people who will oppose Israel.

Let us remember from this episode of Genesis 12 that God, despite our faults, does not forsake us (Psalm 130: 3,4).

Source (Pleasing the Lord)