The Difference Between Servants And Sons

This is the account in Genesis 12 of an incident in Abram's life.  It demonstrates perfectly how God deals with us who are made righteous by faith; not as servants, but as SONS.  The two are 180° opposite.

Let's follow the story.

Genesis 12:
"10 Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land."

Abram took his wife, Sarai, and all his possessions and went down to Egypt to get away from the famine.  Egypt in the Bible is a typology of the world.  

Whenever you go to Egypt you go down.  At that time, there was a great famine in the land, which is why he sought to leave.  Let's continue the story:

"11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you."

Abram, the father of FAITH mind you, asks Sarai LIE to Pharaoh and say she's his sister that it may be well with HIM, that "HE might not die."  What did he say?!  "Lie so that I won't die." Never mind what might happen to Sarai or what Pharaoh might do to her!  What self-respecting woman would put up with that? 

Bear in mind, now, this is Genesis 12 where God first called Abram.  He told him that He would become a great nation (the Jewish people) and that through his Seed all the nations of the world would be blessed.  The blessings spoken over him that passed on to his descendants that are still in effect today!

Technically speaking, Sarai was Abram's half sister so it wasn't a total lie.  If I were Sarai, I'd be insulted.  But not her.  She simply did as Abram asked.  Look what happened next...

"14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male
donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels."

Pharaoh did indeed do as Abram feared.  He saw Sarai, she was indeed very beautiful.  So he took her into his household. Now you would think God would be VERY DISPLEASED with Abram and Sarai for lying, right?  Oh, contraré!  Who got punished?  

17 But the LORD PLAGUED PHARAOH(?!) and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. (Huh?) 18 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? 19 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.” 20 So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, WITH HIS WIFE AND ALL THAT HE HAD!!! {Emphasis mine}"

WHAT???!!  Why did God plague Pharaoh, not Abram? That isn't fair! He didn't know! Sarai lied and Abram swore to it. Pharoah is innocent!  Don't you think God should have punished Abram for lying?  

As if that isn't surprising enough, God had Abram, "the liar," pray for Pharoah so that the plagues would stop and he sent Abram on his way with everything he had given him so that he was "VERY RICH."

Oh brother!  If I were Pharoah, I'd have been really angry sent him packing.  I'd have said, "Go on, you ol' liar!  Get outta here.......and give me back all the stuff I gave you!"  What is going on here?

Well, you see, God doesn't think the way we do. He sided with the one who was righteous by faith: ABRAM.  No question, he and Sarai did wrong:. YES.  But they were His CHILDREN, and God always blesses His children back onto the right path until they "get it."  But He will NEVER punish them.

Let me draw you a picture:  Say you have some kind of domestic help. If you gave them explicit instructions time and again only to have them fail in their tasks, more than likely you would let the person go and hire someone else who would do the job right.

Your son or daughter, on the other hand, if you instructed him or her and he or she failed in what you told them, even many times, a good parent or teacher would patiently attempt to help the child understand.  You would explain it this way or that way, until he or she understood.

This is a perfect portrayal of the verse in Romans 5:20 which says "where sin abounds, grace abounds MUCH MORE."

You may discharge your domestic worker but you will NEVER GET RID OF YOUR SON; and that's what you and I are:  Sons and daughters, NOT SERVANTS!

Lest you think this was an isolated incident and Abraham learned from his mistake, THINK AGAIN.  He pulled the exact same thing twenty years later with Abimielech in Genesis 20. What happened? Same thing; God blessed him, punished Abimelech and all his household and would not relent until Abraham, the liar, prayed for him.  Amazing!  

Just as in Abram's day, there is famine all over our world today; a financial one. There is a great move to ban the word of God, the Bread of LIFE, everywhere you look.  The ONLY ONE on Whom you can depend with absolute certainty is God and His eternal word.  He is our Supply and Protection.

You and I, Church, don't have to be worried or afraid of the famine.  We have a Good Daddy Who loves and cares for us!  We're not His servants, even though we love to serve Him.  We're His Sons and Daughters.

Oh yeah:  THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.  Sons are NOT servants!