Lilac Ministries

Bible Study Lessons

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Scripture: Genesis 12:9-20

Topic: God's defense of Sarai

Last week, we watched as Sarai followed Abram in his journey with God. We mentioned that it’s very good for a husband and wife to discuss God’s leading and thought that this was probably the case with Sarai and Abram, despite a culture that dismissed women’s opinions.

This week, we read how Abram directed Sarai to lie to the Egyptians in telling them that she was his sister, rather than his wife, in order to protect his life. We asked how Sarai might’ve felt about such a direction from her husband. Some of the answers were: She accepted it because the culture was for a wife to obey her husband - period. She accepted it because Abram was the breadwinner, and if he died, she’d be out of luck, too. She believed that somehow this “God” whose ways they were learning would honor His promise of Abram’s being the “Father of Nations,” and this might be the means He was choosing for her to protect him.

An interesting facet of this story is that God became the defender of Sarai - He was her “Perfect Husband.” Pharaoh and his house were struck by plagues until he discovered that Sarai was married to Abram and returned her to him. God was able to protect her honor in ways Abram could not.

Not all circumstances in life include such a prompt divine intervention, but God is aware and active in every life situation. When we are “in the middle of the story,” we can’t know for certain how it will end. What we CAN know is that God is very much aware of us. “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. You are more valuable than many sparrows.”

When our lives are directed by circumstances beyond our control, let us remember to watch carefully for God’s protection and blessing of us. We may not know how He will “deliver us from evil,” but we can be assured that such is His plan and intention.