Faith in the Flesh

My title summarizing Genesis 12:10-20 has a double-meaning. The faith that Abraham had was real and lasting. We know this in part because the New Testament tells us so:

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:20-21).

So the first meaning of “faith in the flesh” is that Abraham, while having more than flesh, didn’t have less. Sometimes a person will be introduced or their appearance will be a surprise, and they will say of themselves “in the flesh!” In other words, the real flesh and blood person standing before you, believe it or not. We have seen that Abraham was the embodiment of a believer—going before us in stumbling in many ways, but ultimately on a spiritual trajectory. The life he lived in the flesh, he lived by faith in the Son of God (cf. Gal. 2:20)—but that faith was still subject to all of the weaknesses of the flesh.1 The argument that the flight to Egypt had an element of faith in it is strengthened by the words of Hebrews 11:15-16.

“If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.”

So the fact that Abraham went to Egypt rather than back to Chaldea said something at least. At any rate, the second meaning of “faith in the flesh” calls attention to what unfortunately became the object of Abraham’s faith—at least for a very un-shining moment. And that too touches us all. So we have to examine the flesh, so to speak, to get to know our enemy within.

• The flesh in flight mode

• The flesh in manipulation mode

Doctrine. God graciously delivers us out of our seasons of the flesh to strengthen our faith.          

The Flesh in Flight Mode

There’s a simple pattern here—danger; fear; reaction—‘Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land’ (v. 10). Note that God told Abram to leave Ur for Canaan. In that case, there was obedience rooted in God’s promise. But God did not tell Abram to leave Canaan for Egypt. That was on him. At least momentarily, he left behind the promise out of fear. The very next words reveal a pattern for Abram. A new fear emerges once in Egypt,

“When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, ‘I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live’” (vv. 11-12).

The two instances of fear in this passage teach us four things about this kind of fear.

First, there is an ungodly fear that even the godly fall into—as when Judah dreaded the Assyrian armies, and the LORD told them to stop fixating on their conspiracies against the godly, but instead “Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isa. 8:13).

Second, ungodly fear flees a territory that God has given into our hands. In Canaan, Israel is a spiritual giant in the world. In Egypt, Israel is a slave in the world’s chains. 

“Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (Num. 14:2-3)

Third, ungodly fear makes worldly dangers greater than God’s promise—as when the spies of Israel brought back their report of giants in the land: “the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there” (Num. 13:28).

Fourth, ungodly fear is not addressed by simply removing the occasion. Abram moved from fear of starvation to fear of strangers, but he could not simply run from his fear. 

The Flesh in Manipulation Mode

As we saw Babylon as a type of the devil’s seat of power, so Egypt in the Bible is a type of the devil’s house of bondage. Take for example, in the prophet:

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD!” (Isa. 31:1).

This is a very informative passage to interpret the account here in Genesis 12. To “go to” Egypt in this sense is to appeal to its power—the resources of the flesh—to fulfill the promise. In a word, it is the MANIPULATE, or to get done for God what we perversely reason that God is not getting done Himself. How important, then, for Moses to communicate this to new national Israel right after their leaving Egypt. Surely they would never want to go back there!

The flesh has to lie to itself (we lie to ourselves) before we ever get around to lying to others. There are few things that we are shown here about this:

(i.) Lies of the flesh justify themselves under the cover of half-truths, so that they can claim to be truths from a certain angle. So the second time that Abraham does this (Yes, he does it again later), he explains to Abimelech, “Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife” (Gen. 20:12).

(ii.) Lies of the flesh do have an obvious, immediate payoff. It says, ‘And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels’ (v. 16).

(iii.) Lies of the flesh are most deceptive when they attempt to do God’s work for Him. Jesus spoke of those in the Jewish leadership who “will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (Jn. 16:2). Was not Abraham safeguarding the promise? Surely then he must guard his own life by any means necessary! But the Lord who promises is the Keeper of our lives (Ps. 121:7-8).

Francis Schaeffer used to say, “The Lord’s work must be done the Lord’s way.”

In fact, we charge God with being a false guide when we feel cornered with the options He gives us. Calvin makes the application here: “for so it often happens to us, that even while we are tending towards God, yet, by our thoughtlessness in catching at unlawful means, we swerve from his word … Wherefore, by this example, we are admonished, that, in involved and doubtful matters, we must seek the spirit of counsel and of prudence from the Lord; and must also cultivate sobriety, that we may not attempt anything rashly without the authority of his word.”2

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).

Now this would not be the last time that Abraham (or, together with Sarah) would try to get God over the finish line by resorting to their own efforts. However, it would represent a marker and a lesson for all those in his line.

As a final point here, God acts—not perhaps in the same way that He will for each of us. First, God sets down a type here that might be easily missed: ‘But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife’ (v. 17). It would not be the last time that God would strike the house of Pharaoh with plagues on account of its potential harm to God’s people. Second, God makes it known in some way to this Pharaoh the reason for his affliction. In the latter episode of Abimelech, the text speaks of a dream (20:6). Here we are not told; but Hughes makes sense in commenting: “We surmise that because Sarai suffered no affliction, Pharaoh’s servants questioned her and learned of the deception and reported it to Pharaoh.”3 So we read,

“So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go” (vv. 18-19).

This is already one fulfillment of the promises in that covenant of grace. Remember the words? “and him who dishonors you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3).

So the Psalmist would say,

“When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it, wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, saying, ‘Touch not my anointed ones, do my prophets no harm!” (Ps. 105:12-15)

Practical Use of the Doctrine

Use 1. Correction. God’s mercy often works behind the scenes and sustains us when we don’t deserve it. Perhaps no one would doubt that God used Abraham’s folly in Egypt, or David’s adultery and murder, or Peter’s denial of the Lord before the cross and of the gospel in Antioch, or Paul’s persecution of the church. These are all at a safe distance. It becomes more difficult and embarrassing to think of redeeming sins so near. But it is not the sin itself which is redeemable: not the inherent qualities of sin that come with us into glory. In his book All Things for Good, Thomas Watson addresses how God uses even our sin. He compares the “contrary wind” of Acts 27:4, which would keep Paul from his destination, to the temptations that seek to blow us off course. The wind of God’s Spirit “makes use of this cross-wind, to blow the saints to heaven.”4 He does this in several ways—in,

• Giving occasion to pray for, and do good to, sinners;

• Cultivating a deeper thanksgiving and appreciation for grace;

• Increasing hatred toward sin’s nature; and

• Turning back inward to war against one’s own sin.

“But let none ABUSE this doctrine,”5 he says. This is Watson’s explanation of the qualified promise contained in Romans 8:28, namely, “for those who love God … for ithose who are called according to his purpose.” The difference lies in those who now look for good in God out of sin as opposed to those who will go looking for the good in the sin. The promise is for those of the former description, not for the latter.

Use 2. Admonition. What is our Egypt and what resources tempt us to go to it?

It is any snare of the devil that holds itself out as a fortress for our protection, or a storehouse for our provision—but which comes with Satan’s strings attached.

As one commentator says, “faith is regularly followed by famine, even severe trial. That is God’s way. Faith is always tested.”6

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:12-13).

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1. Calvin takes a view in full defense of Abraham, allowing that the deception regarding Sarah involved a sin, but in virtually every other respect, the Abraham of Romans 4:20-21 holds the ground — Commentaries, I:361-62

2. Calvin, Commentaries, I:360.

3. Hughes, Genesis, 193.

4. Thomas Watson, All Things for Good (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1998), 39.

5. Watson, All Things for Good, 51.

6. Hughes, Genesis, 190.