The line of following the leadership of our husbands and sinning

If you are not aware Abraham was first called Abram and his brother was Lot, the Lot of Sodom and Gamorrah. The first time we really hear of Abram was when hear of his father diying at the age of 205. Next we see him being called by God to be the father of great nations. So doing as God told him he took his wife Sarai and his brother Lot and left to go to Canaan like he was instructed to do. They were traveling to the land where God promised to make Abram the father of "a great nation and make his name great" (Genesis Ch. 12:2). Chapter 12 is where we start to hear Abraham's story. For our purposes in this post, we will be skipping vs. 1-9, we will come back to them soon. We are starting in Genesis Ch. 12:10-20. While traveling where God told them to go they experience a famine in the land. So they need to go to Egypt to survive. As Abram and Sarai were entering Eygpt Abram told his wife that while they were there,they were going to say that she was to be his sister, and not his wife (vs. 10-13) This was because he was afraid that they would see how beautiful she was and want her as his wife and kill him to get her. He even says to do this so "and that my life may be spared for your sake". Okay ladies, he just said, so I don't have to die, I want to deny who you are to me and how specail you are in my life. How many times have we endured this? Maybe our husbands don't wear their rings, or maybe they don't talk about us to other people, or maybe not even introduce us to others. How many times have they maybe not answered our phone calls when they are visiting with their friends. Think of things like this so we can understand what Sarai was feeling at the moment. Now granted, no our husband's lives won't be in risk, but he was still denying what God had put together, instead of trust Him.

So, next they go into Egypt and they are saying she is his sister. Well, the Pharaoh hears about her from his princes (vs. 15). Because the Pharaoh thought she was just a sister, and not a wife, he took her as his wife. When she goes into the Pharaoh's palace to be taken as his wife, it the same as Esther, she hadn't lied with him yet, she was just in the progress of becoming his wife and to be taken to the Pharaoh's bed. Not only did this happen, but ABRAM RECIEVED GIFTS FROM THE PHARAOH FOR SARAI. The Pharaoh wanted to make sure that he treated, who he thought, would be his brother-in-law. Can you imagine Sarai? She followed what her husband said to do. She didn't question him, she didnt' complain, she did as he said, and was now about to become a wife to a man, even though she was married. This would have been sin. She would have commited adultry. She followed her husband. He had asked her to lie and now to go into a marriage with another man. Was this right of Sarai? Should she have stepped out and told her husband No. That this was wrong and she cannot sin, or was she to simply follow as she did? Here is what we can take hope in. God protected Sarai. The Lord placed plagues on the house of the Pharaoh. Egypt will continue to have plagues as we will see later in this book. God revealed to Pharaoh that there was an issue with Sarai and found out that that was not Abram's sister, but his wife. (vs. 19)

After the truth was revealed Abram and his wife were told to leave. God delievered Sarai from having to sin, because of her husband's decisions. We are told to follow our husband's leadership. Whether Sarai was right or not, we do see that she follows her husband, regardless of the consequences to her. Because she was faithful in how God told her to respond to her husband, she was protect and blessed by the Lord. Let me pose some challenges to the women:

If you are single, I would challenge you to follow your fathers. Whether the father in your life is your biological father, your step-father, or an assingment parent, practice following thier leadership, so you can be prepard for following your future husbands.

If you are married, I would challenge you, as well as myself, the follow our husbands, unless he is asking us to sin. I cannot say that Sarai was totally right. I can say that she followed. If your husband is asking you to tell his boss that your he is sick, when in fact he is going fishing, you cannot do that. Your obedience lies with your God. Next is your willingness to follow your husband. This is regardless of our husband's salvation, or their level of intimacy between God or yourselves. Follow him, even if you don't want to or don't agree. Follow him, you will both be blessed from it.

I will be praying for all that read this blog that you may hear what God would have you hear, and not Ashley, and that you will follow His will in your life. Peace be with you.