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DWDP - Gen 12: 10-20, God is Faithful..Even when Abram is not · More Than Medicine

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  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to More Than Medic, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country.
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  SPEAKER_01: Hosted by author and physician, Dr.
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  SPEAKER_01: Robert Jackson.
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  SPEAKER_02: Papa, can you tell me a story?
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  SPEAKER_02: Do you really want me to tell you a story?
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  SPEAKER_02: Well, you go get your brother and your sisters, and I will tell you a story.
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  SPEAKER_02: Welcome to Devotions with Dr.
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  SPEAKER_02: Papa.
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  SPEAKER_02: Gather round, grab your Bibles, and let us look into the written word which reveals to us the living word, who is our Lord Jesus Christ.
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  SPEAKER_02: Today we're at Genesis chapter twelve verses ten through twenty.
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  SPEAKER_02: 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.
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  SPEAKER_02: It came about when he came near to Egypt that he said to Sarai his wife, see now, I know that you are a beautiful woman, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say this is his wife, and they will kill me, but they will let you live.
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  SPEAKER_02: Please say that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.
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  SPEAKER_02: It came about when Abram came into Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.
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  SPEAKER_02: Pharaoh's officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
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  SPEAKER_02: Therefore he treated Abram well for her sake, and gave him sheep and oxen and donkeys, and male and female servants, and female donkeys and camels.
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  SPEAKER_02: But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
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  SPEAKER_02: Then Pharaoh called Abram and said, What is this you have done to me?
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  SPEAKER_02: Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
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  SPEAKER_02: Why did you say she is my sister?
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  SPEAKER_02: So that I took her for my wife.
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  SPEAKER_02: Now then, here is your wife.
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  SPEAKER_02: Take her and go.
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  SPEAKER_02: Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him, and they escorted him away with his wife and all that belonged to him.
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  SPEAKER_02: May the Lord add his blessing to the reading from God's word.
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  SPEAKER_02: Now let's start back with verse ten.
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  SPEAKER_02: There was a severe famine in the land.
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  SPEAKER_02: There was not enough forage to support Abram's extensive flocks, so he decided to go to Egypt.
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  SPEAKER_02: No doubt there were many voices in his ear, complaining about the heat, complaining about the lack of drinking water, and the condition of the herds.
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  SPEAKER_02: His wife, Lot and his servants, all saying the same thing.
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  SPEAKER_02: Let's go to Egypt.
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  SPEAKER_02: There's water there.
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  SPEAKER_02: Don't let us die here, Abram.
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  SPEAKER_02: Don't let the flocks die here.
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  SPEAKER_02: Now, here's the question.
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  SPEAKER_02: Did he consult with God?
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  SPEAKER_02: Did he build another altar and call on the name of the Lord as he had done twice before?
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  SPEAKER_02: The Bible does not say so.
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  SPEAKER_02: And here's another question.
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  SPEAKER_02: What happened to God's promise to bless him and protect him and give him that land?
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  SPEAKER_02: And how was that going to happen in Egypt?
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  SPEAKER_02: Had Abram already forgotten the promise that God had made to him back in Genesis chapter twelve verses one through four?
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  SPEAKER_02: I suspect this was early in Abram's faith journey.
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  SPEAKER_02: I suspect he was a lot like you and a lot like me.
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  SPEAKER_02: Don't you have times when you sparkle and shine as a believer in your faith journey?
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  SPEAKER_02: And aren't there other times when you crash and burn?
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  SPEAKER_02: And your family and friends think is he really a Christian?
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  SPEAKER_02: I don't believe he said that.
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  SPEAKER_02: I don't believe he did that.
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  SPEAKER_02: Well, we have to extend a little grace to Abram.
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  SPEAKER_02: He was a man of flesh like you and me.
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  SPEAKER_02: He had feet of clay like you and me.
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  SPEAKER_02: And we should extend grace to one another when we mess up royally in our Christian life, just like we should extend grace to Abram.
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  SPEAKER_02: In fact, in Galatians chapter six and verse one there's a very interesting verse.
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  SPEAKER_02: Let me let me read this verse to you in Galatians chapter six and verse one.
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  SPEAKER_02: It says Brethren, if anyone is caught in any trespass, that's a word for sin.
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  SPEAKER_02: You who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
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  SPEAKER_02: Did you catch that verse?
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  SPEAKER_02: Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
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  SPEAKER_02: You see, the scripture assumes that you and I are gonna well step in it, just like Abram did, that we're gonna have days when we perform poorly.
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  SPEAKER_02: And the Bible encourages those of us who consider ourselves to be spiritually mature to extend grace and to reach out to our brothers when they fall, and to restore them with a spirit of gentleness all the while looking to ourselves lest we also be tempted in a similar manner.
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  SPEAKER_02: Now God has made equally serious pledges, promises to you and me as Christians, that we should remember before we go heading down to Egypt, before we consult with God, same way that Abram did.
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  SPEAKER_02: If you remember in Matthew six, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus promised that He would feed, clothe and shelter us as Christians, and he concluded that section full of promises by saying not to be anxious about your physical needs, but to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
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  SPEAKER_02: Our number one priority in life, yours and mine is to concern ourselves with seeking the kingdom of God and personal righteousness, and God promises that He will take care of our physical needs, even when a famine comes or other personal crises.
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  SPEAKER_02: We could spend multiple lessons just discussing the promises that God has made to you and me in the scripture as believers, but let's move on.
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  SPEAKER_02: In verse eleven, Abram has a moment of anxiety for his personal safety due to Sarah's physical beauty.
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  SPEAKER_02: And then in verse twelve he's concerned that the men of Egypt would seize her and kill him.
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  SPEAKER_02: So the solution he comes up with in verse thirteen is to tell a half truth.
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  SPEAKER_02: Now it was a half truth because she was in fact his half sister.
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  SPEAKER_02: So he says to her, Why don't we just tell them that you are my sister?
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  SPEAKER_02: Which is half true, but it's also half a lie.
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  SPEAKER_02: So when the officials see her and perceive her physical beauty, they praise her to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh takes Sarah into his household.
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  SPEAKER_02: Then in first sixteen, he begins to treat Abram, who is obviously a very wealthy man, and he treats him very well on account of Sarah.
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  SPEAKER_02: And Pharaoh begins to give him gifts of flocks and herds and male and female servants.
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  SPEAKER_02: Verse seventeen tells us but the Lord did you see that in verse seventeen?
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  SPEAKER_02: Let me read that to you.
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  SPEAKER_02: But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarah, Abram's wife.
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  SPEAKER_02: Well, who was Abram's divine protector?
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  SPEAKER_02: Who promised to bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him?
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  SPEAKER_02: Who kept Abram as the apple of his eye?
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  SPEAKER_02: Well it was Jehovah.
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  SPEAKER_02: It was Adonai, it was Yahweh, the Lord God almighty.
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  SPEAKER_02: You see, Pharaoh had picked the wrong guy.
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  SPEAKER_02: The Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with plagues plural because of Sarai, Abram's wife.
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  SPEAKER_02: We don't know what plagues it was possibly sickness of some sort, and we don't know how Pharaoh's household made the connection between the plagues and Sarai, but somehow they did.
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  SPEAKER_02: And in verses eighteen to twenty, Abram, I'm sorry, Pharaoh is indignant at Abram's deception.
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  SPEAKER_02: And we say that see that despite Abram's human frailty, his deception, God upholds his end of the unconditional promise that he had made to Abram all the way back in chapter twelve, verses two and three.
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  SPEAKER_02: Let me remind you of what God told him.
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  SPEAKER_02: He said, I will make you a great nation, I will bless you, and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing, and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
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  SPEAKER_02: Now somehow Abram got things confused, and he had forgotten the things that God had promised him, but God is faithful.
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  SPEAKER_02: Even when you and I are unfaithful, God remains faithful.
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  SPEAKER_02: Even when Abram was unfaithful and forgot the promises of God, God remained faithful to his promises.
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  SPEAKER_02: And now Abram is leaving Egypt land with Sarah and even more sheep, more oxen, more donkeys, and more male and female servants who were provided by Pharaoh.
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  SPEAKER_02: Let me read that promise to you once again.
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  SPEAKER_02: And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing, and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
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  SPEAKER_02: So Abram leaves with Sarai and even moves more he leaves with more sheep and more oxen and more donkeys and more male and female servants provided by Pharaoh.
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  SPEAKER_02: His wealth is increased, his family is intact, his life is preserved, and God has kept his promises.
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  SPEAKER_02: All of this despite the fact that Abram abandoned the land that God promised to him.
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  SPEAKER_02: Then he lied about his relationship with Sara just to preserve his flesh, to preserve his life, knowing that God Almighty had promised to protect him.
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  SPEAKER_02: Here's the question.
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  SPEAKER_02: Were they not valid back in Canaan?
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  SPEAKER_02: Now let's don't be so hard on Abram.
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  SPEAKER_02: You and I do the very same thing.
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  SPEAKER_02: When we have a financial reversal or a bad diagnosis from the doctor, or our daughter wants to marry a no good low life, or our son gets arrested with his no good buddies out late at night, or your baby is born with a heart defect, then we fall apart emotionally.
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  SPEAKER_02: Even though God has promised in Isaiah twenty six and verse three, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trust in thee.
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  SPEAKER_02: Do I need to read that again?
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  SPEAKER_02: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trust in thee.
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  SPEAKER_02: Now, lest you think I'm just blowing smoke, every one of those circumstances I just read off to you has happened to me and my sweet wife.
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  SPEAKER_02: But thanks be to God, we didn't fall apart emotionally.
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  SPEAKER_02: Why?
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  SPEAKER_02: Because for umpteen years we have kept our minds stayed on Jehovah.
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  SPEAKER_02: And we've learned to trust Him.
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  SPEAKER_02: That doesn't come easy.
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  SPEAKER_02: That only comes after years of daily seeking God's face in His Word and in prayer, learning to trust Him in the small things of life so that when the big crises of life come, we don't flinch and we don't fall apart emotionally.
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  SPEAKER_02: We're going to see that Abram grows in his faith and learns to trust God in amazing ways.
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  SPEAKER_02: Stick with me through this Bible study.
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  SPEAKER_02: This story will soon become an amazing faith journey.
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  SPEAKER_02: You're listening to devotions with Dr.
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  SPEAKER_02: Papa.
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  SPEAKER_02: Next week we'll be back again, and until then, remember Jesus loves you and your doctor loves you.
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  SPEAKER_02: And until next week, I pray that the Lord will bless you real good.
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  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine.
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  SPEAKER_00: For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, Instagram, or webpage at Jackson Family Ministry.com.
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  SPEAKER_00: Also, don't forget to check out Doctor Doctors.
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  SPEAKER_00: The Family Doctors.