False Hope

Author: Joseph

Date: March 4, 2018

Abram, descendant from Shem (Noah’s son), was chosen by God to become a great nation and a blessing to the earth. He was told by God to leave his country and travel to the place God would show him. So he traveled and when he reached the land of Canaan, God revealed to him that the land of Canaan would become his inheritance. Abram was promised not only the land, but also that his descendants would dwell in the land and so the land was good for living.

"God would provide for him and his family."

A famine, however, was over the land, and so Abram made the decision to go to Egypt in order to provide for his family and livestock the food that they needed. Before Abram made his decision, he had to consider the consequences of his actions. Was he to remain in the land of Canaan? The land had been promised to him, and God’s promise clearly stated that his descendants would dwell in the land of Canaan. God would provide for him and his family. However, Abram did not remain in the land, and he looked to Egypt for provision.

Egypt was a land filled with food. Abram must have known this was true because it’s the first place he thought to go when he encountered the famine in Canaan. However, Egypt was also known for its violence. Abram feared that an Egyptian would kill him in order to make Sarai, Abram’s wife, their own. With these two ideas battling in Abram’s mind, he decided it would be better to lie about his wife, Sarai, in order to gain the provision of the land of Egypt. His success in doing so, however, was short-lived.

God struck Pharaoh’s household with disastrous plagues after Pharaoh had taken Sarai as his wife. Infuriated Pharaoh returns Sarai to Abram and forcefully sends them out of Egypt. After enjoying a short-lived success, Abram suffers the loss of security that he had in Egypt. His reliance would have to turn elsewhere – back to the land of promise.

Abram, seemingly disappointed in his journey to Egypt returns to the exact location where God had revealed to him that he would dwell in the land of Canaan. Abram had made a complete turnaround and had to trust in God’s provision instead of turning to Egypt, which was no longer open to him.

Have you been led astray from God’s will for your life by a false hope? Don’t allow your circumstances to sway your obedience to God. When God establishes something in your life – a promise, a calling, a direction to go – trust that His words are true and hope in His faithfulness.

Bible Passage: Genesis 11:10 – 13:4

Photo Credit: David McEachan from Pexels.com.