Oh God, Bless My Mess

Question: Does God lead us into situations that end up being a mess? Or that end up leaving us hurt and disadvantaged for a time? Would God do that to His children? I think so. Why? Perhaps there are no simple or even clear answers. Maybe we need to go on a biblical quest to see what insights we can find.

Abram left Ur in faith. He left everything he had known. Genesis 12:1 reads, The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. This "leave" and "go" would be a slow 900 mile journey with great potential danger and much hardship. Abram arrives. He has done what God asked. God confirms his obedience upon his arrival to the Promise Land. "The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspringa I will give this land.” (Genesis 12:7) Great! There is no better feeling than setting out on a risk taking quest to obey God and then having His confirmation on what you have done.

Abram, now, begins to settle and verse 10 tells us, "Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe." (Genesis 12:10) Abram has experienced several tests: He was called to leave his hometown (11:31-32); his wife was barren (11:30); and the land that God promised to him is occupied (12:6). Now there is a severe famine! If you were Abram, what might you say? “I came all the way out here for this! I thought Canaan was to be a land of blessings! God, I deserve better than this. I’ve tried to serve you and live for you and this is the thanks I get for my efforts? Thanks a lot!” Of course, we do not know what Abram said. But you'd have to imagine those kind of thoughts ran through his head or were spoken from his lips.

The result is that Abram runs down to live in Egypt, because that is where the food is. Did he do the right thing in leaving the land God called him? Some would say yes. Some would say Abram simply followed the necessary direction which his circumstances required. After all, Jacob's sons went to Egypt when there was a famine in Canaan and this was in the will of God. So did many others in that part of the world. This is simply what people did.


Others would say he did not. Why? There is no report that Abram consulted God. Nor is there a report that God spoke to him to go down to Egypt. Further, there are passages which tell the Israelites that they were not to depend on the strength of the Egyptians. (Isaiah 31:1) Add to this the the consequences of Abraham's actions. He lied to Pharaoh to save his own skin. (vv.12-13) He picks up Hagar the Egyptian, through whom he has Ishmael, which ultimately will lead to the conflicts between the Jews and the Arabs.


It seems good points can be made on both sides of the debate. But if Abram was disobedient, what is very odd is that God protects and blesses Abram. Look at how Genesis records the events that follow...

He [Pharaoh] treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had. So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. (Genesis 12:16-13:2)

What is very odd is that if Abram was disobedient in going to Egypt then his disobedience brought prosperity, but his obedience in going to Canaan brought famine.

I don't know what all to think about this story. I may not have the most accurately interpretative read. But here are some lessons I derive...

1) God may allow us or even bring us into choices which will be very challenging or disadvantageous. This sould be in the very center of His will.

2) We may not handle these situations or testings in the most faithful way even though we may be people of great faith, as Abram was.

3) When we do not handle these situations in the most faithful way, God shows himself to be faithful. As Paul simply states,"...if we are faithless, he will remain faithful..." (2 Timothy 2:13)

4) When God shows Himself to be faithful when we are not, we grow in faith and in love and in obedience to God. These situations where we feel forced to go down to Egypt, in fact, are often desgned to increase our faith.

This story is recorded about this man of faith to show that faith grows through what we do not understand. Like Job we see God in a brighter and bigger light when we go through the tunnel of our doubt, confusion, and failure.