Blowing a Second Chance

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Blowing a Second Chance ------------------- Date: 11/1/2002
Keywords: "Abraham" "temptation" "victory"
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Passages: Genesis 12:10-13, 20:1-2*

Genesis 12:10-13

10. Now there was a famine in the land; so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land.

11. And it came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman;

12. and it will come about when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live.

13. "Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you."

Genesis 20:1-2

1. Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar.

2. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Questions

1. What did Abraham do to try to ensure that things went well for him down in Egypt? (Genesis 12)

 

2. What did he tell the King of Gerar (Genesis 20) about his wife, Sarah?

 

Practical help

Usually, we think of Abraham in the loftiest terms. The father of the three great mono-theistic religions, Abraham is usually considered first string on the godly team.

But in these two passages, Abraham blew it! First, he got his wife Sarah to lie to Pharaoh, telling him that she was his sister. That way, the Egyptians wouldn’t try to kill Abraham to get to the attractive Sarah.

OK — everybody makes mistakes. Unfortunately, Abraham wasn’t finished with this one.

Many years later, while traveling through the country south of Canaan, Abraham told Abimelech, the King of Gerar that Sarah was his sister!

Those who struggle with a besetting sin like involvement with porn will wish that Abraham had told the truth to Abimelech, proving that chronic sins can be overcome. Unfortunately, in this case, Abraham serves as a negative model. This is how to NOT triumph, how to NOT learn from your mistakes, how to NOT become mighty for God.

There is good news, of course. The New Testament teaches that every time we face a temptation to sin, God provides a way of escape so that sin is never inevitable (1 Corinthians 10:13). Who knows, maybe if Abraham had been tempted a third time, he would have triumphed. By trusting God, the next time you are tempted, YOU can triumph! Look for God’s escape hatch — and take it.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."