Stupidity and God

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

 STUPIDITY AND GOD

Gen 12:10-20

10 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. 11 As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you." 14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman. 15 And when Pharaoh's officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. 17 But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. 18 So Pharaoh summoned Abram. "What have you done to me?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me she was your wife? 19 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!" 20 Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

NIV

Here is a man who God called and who answered that call and followed God’s instructions and has been enshrined in the hall of faith by the writer of Hebrews and here he does this stupid act, this movement of human weakness. Interestingly, we know Abram was seventy-five when he left Haran to set out for the land of Canaan. We do not know if years had passed or just months after he pitched his tent east of Bethel. Still, at this age, Sarai wasn’t that much younger because we know both were old and she was passed the age of being able to conceive. Yet, she was a beautiful woman who may have been in her seventies as well. But this was one of the worst moments in the life of Abram to put his wife in that situation where the Egyptians would think she was his sister and as we see Pharaoh thought she was free game and took her as his wife. However, God was not going to let the stupidity of Abram get in the way of His plan for him. However, God did allow Abram to amass more sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants, maidservants, and camels. Maybe, this was God’s plan all along so that Abram would become a very wealthy man, wealthier than he had ever been. We cannot imagine that God’s plan for Abram was to put Sarai in that position. We believe this was simply a dumb decision, and God had to get involved to straighten it all out, even at the cost of making a man violently sick. It appears that is our lesson for today. Even when we make poor choices, dumb decisions, or just being stupid, God is still there ordering our footsteps, watching over those he loves and has plans for. God not only moves mountains so we go in the direction he planned for us, but he moves people in and out of our lives so that we take those right steps he ordered. God is actively involved in our lives, making sure we get to the right place, even when we have those moments of stupidity, and think of our own well-being, as Abram did. God had and still has a plan for us, and He is the one who started the work in us, just as he did with Abram, and God is the one who will finish his work in us, just as he did with Abram. Although it is too late for us to make the hall of faith, let us live with faith because God will accomplish his plan in our lives, just as he did with Abram.