Curse-Bringers: Genesis 12:17-20

Fear frequently leads us away from God.  Isn’t that the point of faith, hope, and trust?  We have many things to fear in life, but our faith, hope, and trust in God allows us to overcome fear.  Fear does not need to control us.  With God, we can control our fear.

God curses Pharoah’s house when he takes Sarai for a wife.  Moments like this are meant to evoke questions.  Is it fair Abram’s wealth grows from a lie while Pharoah’s house is cursed from the same lie?  Why does the sinful man seem blessed, but the man affected by the sin seem cursed?

These are phenomenal questions to ponder.  God creates these moments to give opportunity to think.  They expose our inner being.  God wants us to wrestle with the fairness of this story.  He wants to evoke a reaction.

Our reaction demonstrates we care.  Our reaction motivates us to find answers.  Our reaction brings us to truth.

This story has a simple lesson.  When Abram followed God, people around him were blessed.  His father, Terah, was blessed because he journeyed with Abram.  Lot was blessed by travelling with Abram as Abram travelled with God.  When we walk with God, we carry God’s blessing with us.  When we walk with God, we give God an opportunity to extend His blessing through us.  We don’t give God an opportunity to bless others; God can bless whomever He wants with or without us.  Walking with God gives God the opportunity to use us as His vehicle for bringing His blessing.  Walking with God allows us to partake in God’s blessing.

The converse is also true.  When we don’t walk with God, we help put people into the path of God’s curse.  Abram left Canaan because he feared the famine.  Abram gave his wife to Pharoah because he feared the Egyptians.  Abram stopped walking with God because his fear was larger than his faith.  As a result, he gives God an opportunity to make him the vehicle of God’s curse.  Pharoah’s house is afflicted, not blessed, because they interact with Abram.

Let that sink in.  It’s a deep point to ponder.  When we choose to walk in sin and not walk with God, we become the vehicles of the curse instead of the blessing.

In the end, Pharoah – or more likely his priests – discern the curse is rooted with Abram.  There’s no surprise there.  God could easily disclose this information to Pharoah, his priests, or whomever.  What is a surprise is the grace Pharoah displays.  Rather than destroy Abram for his deceit, Pharoah releases Abram and lets him retain the wealth he’s gained.  That sounds like a good thing, but hold off on that conclusion for a few more chapters.

Abram walks away from the encounter with Pharoah with a sullied reputation.  Pharoah sees him as a curse-bringer, not a blessing-bearer.  Abram’s fear led him away from God and His blessing.  Fear frequently leads us away from God.