seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 12:10 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 Sarai 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, male and female servants, 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.
14 When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai 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, male and female servants, 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.
I never have understood why Abram thought he should lie about Sarai being his wife. Reading the commentaries I find that Abram was 75 and Sarai was 60. All the little Sunday School stories show Abram as an old gray haired geezer. Sarai was only 5 years younger than I am now, and my hair is almost platinum and I'm quite wrinkled.
The David Guzik commentary explains it a little.
The long life span of Abram and Sarai also explains her beauty. Since Abram lived to be 175 and Sarai to be 127, this was only middle age for her, perhaps corresponding to what we think of as her thirties.
A Jewish legend says when Abram went into Egypt, he tried to hide Sarai in a casket. When Egyptian customs officials asked what he had in the casket, he said, barley. No, they said, it contains wheat. Very well, answered Abram. Ill pay the custom on wheat. Then the officers said it contained pepper. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on pepper. Then the officers said it contained gold. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on gold. Then the officers said it contained precious stones. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on precious stones. By this time, the officers insisted on opening the casket. When they did, all of Egypt shined with the beauty of Sarai. These same legends say that in comparison to Sarai, all other women looked like monkeys. She was even more beautiful than Eve.
A Jewish legend says when Abram went into Egypt, he tried to hide Sarai in a casket. When Egyptian customs officials asked what he had in the casket, he said, barley. No, they said, it contains wheat. Very well, answered Abram. Ill pay the custom on wheat. Then the officers said it contained pepper. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on pepper. Then the officers said it contained gold. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on gold. Then the officers said it contained precious stones. Abram said he would pay the custom charges on precious stones. By this time, the officers insisted on opening the casket. When they did, all of Egypt shined with the beauty of Sarai. These same legends say that in comparison to Sarai, all other women looked like monkeys. She was even more beautiful than Eve.
The idea that Abram would even think of such a thing, sharing Sarai with anyone, is what really bothered me about this chapter. Guzik goes on to explain that as well.
This was in fact a half-truth. Sarai was Abrams half sister (Genesis 20:12). Yet a half-truth is a whole lie. Abrams intent here was clearly to deceive, and he trusted in his deception to protect him instead of trusting in the Lord.
But still.... Abram packed up everything and went to Canaan because God said he was going to become a great nation. We all think he's such a faithful guy. Now he's going to let Sarai go off with someone else? Just how was he to become a great nation if his wife was with other men? The commentary agrees with me.
Understanding the place Abram and Sarai have in Gods redemptive plan, we realize how serious this is. God did not want Sarai's womb to be defiled by a gentile king, because the Messiah will come from her line of descendants.
Abram and Sarai were not so much old and gray as portrayed in the pictures in the Sunday School booklets. They were two middle aged people who were probably raised together since they had the same father, but different mothers. Sarai must have been a real looker because the Egyptians did take her to Pharoah.
I'm also struck by the story that Pharoah was inflicted with disease because of Sarai. We all know what God did to another Pharoah later when Moses wanted to take the Jews and leave. You'd think this Pharoah would have written it down somewhere to warn future Pharoahs about the affect Jewish people had no them.
