#exampleoflove

What did Abram Gain from self Demotion? Did God require this from him?

1. His Life

2. Prosperity and blessing (peace)

3. His Wife or what he demoted himself from

4. most importantly the proof and evidence of God's loving hand moving for his favor, further shaping his faith and giving a comfortable, familiar stance towards future obedience/ trust situations with God.

Fear vs Trust

Does fear Play a role in  YOUR story?

Abraham and pharaoh's roles were absolutely opposites in the story.

Men we should ask ourselves Who's Example are we following?

Love is not Demanded - Cannot be demanded and it cannot be received by one who is obligated.

I have a 3 yr old niece with a tough character. every time i see her i ask her for  a hug  happily and she runs away and screams. she says ; "I can't! I cant Love you ! GET AWAY! " and she makes a  fearful face.

everytime i see her it is a similar struggle. I tell myself that she is a baby and she doesnt know what she is saying and i cant wait for her to grow out of this so she can enjoy my company. perhaps later she wont see me as a monster and catch a glimpse of how much i love her and want to protect her and teach her.

sometimes its because she wants to be chased. sometimes she is so uncomfortable because she needs a diaper change.....i can understand that! who wants to be close to anybody when they need a diaper change.

lets let a "diaper change" Represent sin in our lives.

but there was this one occasion when she was watching one of my favorite non bible Biblical movies "Toy Story 3" :) and i just sat next to her. she proceeded to snuggle up next to me to make herself more comfortable to watch the movie. i was so happy but i didn't want to startle her out of what she was doing. She was showing me unmerited affection, i didn't ask for it or demand it.  My heart Melted at that moment and i was fighting back a tear. i didn't want people to see how happy i was to finally just sit with my baby niece in peace watching a movie.

in the same way I imagine we melt the Lords heart  when we snuggle up to him in a way that is not demanded, not an obligation.....naturally unpredictable . expression of the true reason of our free will.

Pharaoh Taking-  Marriage meant nothing to pharaoh in his idea of love, he had many wives. it didn't even hurt him to separate from Sarai. His attitude was austere and victimized for being lied to when his crime was Huge before God. it was literally disrespectful to Love. 

God goes up against Pharaoh and abuses and dominates pharaoh's authority showing providence deliverance and evidence by exercising and establishing His promise in Abram's life.

I Love you enough not to say it

I Love you enough not to display it 

keep it all in so i don't betray it

because expression of love before its time 

honestly, is me just faking it.

expression of love before its time

is me just up and taking it

expression of love before its time 

is me mistaking it

its me pulling my own heart out

and breaking it.

sympathetic examination of the role of pharaoh 

1. Pharaoh Had stature- even in a famine he had it all.

2. he had a reputation to uphold among his officials

3.He was convinced of how special he was

4. He was unaware of God's Bigger picture.

5. He was unaware of his offense towards God.

6. His household was affected, Plagued, diseased and not prosperous. 

7.It was better for  him to have never met or seen Sarai.

8. He was publicly Humiliated by God.

9. His heart was hardened. 

We must really examine these points because we must honestly see if we fall into these categories of feelings or emotions. we must forgive ourselves and not allow our hearts to harden,but accept correction learn and grow more. LESSON- Pick up humility in love  before we receive humiliation from above.

Proverbs 19:20-21 NIV

Abram - Beauty of Love = Title of Brother= life and Blessing

Pharaoh + taking beauty=loose title of Husband= inflict serious diseases                                                                                and curse from God

Abram gives up, sacrifices His own title as husband. His deed to absolute physical beauty(< becomes less than) for a demotion to title of brother and sisterhood, this equals life and blessing for Abram AS God is pleased  and blesses him and returns his companion to him officially to keep her involved in the Promise.

Abram in Egypt

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.

Gen 12:13

I don't Believe Abram was asking her to lie, it was not in his character.i believe he was giving her the freedom for a better position in life and not have to endure the famine with him.

Guys we must embrace our roles as brothers, we must protect our sisters in christ and seek their highest beneficial direction even if it hurts us or seperates us from their affection. this sacrifice is crucial to truly trusting God and immediately correlates to blessing, it is also similar to the sacrifice Abram will see later on with Isaac, Giving up what is most important to him. 

After a difficult personal sacrifice is when we see Gods Promises and blessing burst into manifestation for abram.

God returns to life better "things" than we put into the ground.

this was not a lesson obedience.

self sacrificial love is not demanded from God, but it is the direct imitation of the love of Jesus. We Are not forced to do this but we are blessed if we do, it is going beyond what is required of us, it is going beyond the law.

what did abram give up ?

Her Beauty, Her comfort, Her intimacy, Her Partnership, Her Time, Her Embrace, Her voice, Her tenderness, Her touch, Her Eyes, Her Lips, Her character, her Bond, Her smile, Her laugh and Her attention.

Abram traded all this for her well being, security and safety.

Sometimes as men, Like Pharaoh  we can fall under the misconception that we have exclusive rights to these attributes as friends, but we don't. we must follow Abram's example to love from a distance and for her greatest benefit until God intervenes......if He intervenes.

We see that the lord Blessed and prospered Abram and secured him during a severe famine and at the right time God stepped in and intervened for Sarai and firmly established her and Abram's marriage.