Episode 3b: Sarah lies for Abraham

(Genesis 12-14)

Abraham travels to Canaan

12 ¹ God said to Abraham,

Leave your country for a land that I'll show you. ² I'll bless you and make your name great. ³ I'll bless those that bless you, and curse those that curse you.

^4-5 So when Abraham was seventy-five years old, he left Haran and traveled with Sarah and Lot to Canaan. ⁷ When they arrived, God appeared to Abraham, and said, "I give all this land to your descendants."

Sarah lies for Abraham (the first time)

¹⁰ There was a famine in the land of Canaan, So Abraham and Sarah went to Egypt. ¹¹ As they approached Egypt, Abraham said to Sarah,

You are a beautiful woman. ¹² Therefore the Egyptians will say, "This is his wife" and they'll kill me but keep you alive. ¹³ So tell them you are my sister, so things will go well for me.

^14-15 When they arrived in Egypt, Pharaoh saw the good-looking Sarah and took her into his house. ¹⁶ Because of Sarah, the Pharaoh gave Abraham sheep, oxen, male and female asses, slaves, and camels.

God sends plagues on the Pharaoh and his household

¹⁷ But God sent plagues on the Pharaoh and his household because of Sarah.

¹⁸ Pharaoh called Abraham and said,

Why didn't you tell me Sarah was your wife?

¹⁹ Why did you say, "She's my sister" so I would take her as my wife?

Now Go. Take your wife and leave.

²⁰ So Abraham and Sarah left, with all the valuable things Pharaoh had given him.

Abraham and Lot split up

13 ² Abraham became very rich in livestock, silver, and gold. ^3-5 And Lot also had many possessions, with flocks, herds, and tents. ^6-9 So when they arrived back in Canaan, they split up, since they had too many things to live together.

Abraham said to Lot,

Why don't you go to the left and I'll go to the right?

Or if you go to the right, I'll go to the left.

Lot chooses Sodom for his new home

^10-12 So Lot went to Sodom, and Abraham went to land of Canaan.

¹³ The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked sinners.

God promises to give Abraham everything else

¹⁴ After Lot left, God said to Abraham,

¹⁵ Look around you. Everything you see I give to you and your descendants forever. ¹⁶ And I'll make your descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth.

The Battle of Sodom and Gomorrah

14 ^1-9 Soon after Lot moved to Sodom, a war broke out between the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and some of the other local kingdoms. ^10-12 The Sodomites were defeated, and Lot was taken prisoner.

¹⁴ Abraham sent an army of 318 servants to pursue and smite Lot's captors. ¹⁶ The anti-Sodomites were defeated and Abraham brought back Lot and his belongings.

Melchizedek gets one-tenth of the booty

¹⁸ After the battle, Melchizedek, who was a priest and king of Salem, praised God for delivering Abraham's enemies into his hand. ²⁰ Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the spoils.