Compromise and Grace: Now there was a severe famine in the land,

and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there (Genesis 12:10). The Bible is brutally honest about its heroes. Abram is fearing for his life because of the beauty of Sarai his wife.  He's worried they might take her and kill him. So he tells her to say she's his sister.  In fact Sarai was taken into Pharaoh’s house,  and Abram was give “sheep, oxen, donkeys, male and female servants  and camels.”  But “the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram and said, 'What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, 'She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had” (verses 12-20).

Sarai of course was Abram's half sister (20:12), so it was only a half lie.  But why was Abram afraid they would kill him, God wasn't going to that happen, He had promised He would make Abram a great nation (12:2)? It's easy for us to sit in judgement on this, but it's one thing to build an altar, and quite another to put your life on the line. But we need to learn something here. When God makes a promise, we can take it to the bank. On the other hand, we will more than likely be tested. Faith acts! In Hebrews 11,  the faith chapter, we read over and over “by faith” so and so did something.  In particular faith trusts God in the difficult times,  and acts accordingly.  And God's exceedingly great and precious promises are there precisely to help us through us through in such times (2 Peter 1:4).  Would we have known what to do in Abram's situation? Well,  what we could have done, is to ask God, who promises to gives wisdom liberally if we admit that we lack it, and  then ask Him for it (James 1:5).  I've claimed this promise over and over, and when I do, I pray “Lord I qualify for this promise, I lack wisdom,  and I'm asking for it.” If Abram has asked,  God would likely have said “Trust me, I will protect you.”

In fact the Lord had protected Abram anyway, and he comes out of Egypt a rich man not just with cattle, but clearly enough servants so that his nephew Lot could be given some too (13:2, 7).  So contrary to the way some see God, He is not just waiting for us to mess up so He can zap us. He knows our frame, He know we are but dust.” He knows how frail we are (Psalm 103:14). And He extends grace to Abram.  Justice is getting what you deserve,  grace is not getting what you deserve. The  wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life (Romans 6:23).

Father, wages are what we  get for what we did, but when we repent and turn to You  we are forgiven, cleansed, justified and adopted into the family of God (John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 6:11).  That's grace! We deserve none of that Lord, and but for Your mercy and grace there would be no hope! Thank You Lord for Your steadfast love and mercy, and I'm forever grateful Lord,  in Jesus Name Amen