Family Business [Day 13]

Scene Selection: On to Abraham

1) Genesis 12:2-3 - Person Specific? - "I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

So there are so many 'inspirational' verses in the bible. There are countless promises and prophecies over the many characters of the past. My question is, how do we know when they are general promises; as in, they pertain to me, or if they were specific to the people such as this verse is to Abra[ha]m. Parts sound like generalizations (v3), and some (v2) sound personal.

2) Genesis 12:13,16 - Abraham's Plan in Egypt - "Please say you're my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.... He treated Abram well because of her and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves and camels."

After thinking about verse 13 for a while, I had come to the conclusion that the Pharaoh and the other Egyptians would be jealous and thus kill him. This is supported (v16) as Abram is treated well when they do not think he is married to Sarai. However...

3) Genesis 12:17,19 - Deception? - "But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house with severe plagues because of Abram's wife Sarai... Why did you say, 'She's my sister,' so that I took her as mywife? Now, here's your wife. Take her and go!"

At first I was confused. Why did the Pharaoh get plagued? Then what appears to have happened, is that because he figured Sarai to be available, he married her. After finding out that she was in fact married, God punished him for sinning. Now, this is where it gets confusing again. Pharaoh drew the (crazily) short straw on this. He didn't know any better. Abram lied about it. Yet Abram is (later in the verse) rewarded with wealth. The deception of Abram and Sarai are ultimately blessed and this doesn't make sense to me. He essentially 'whored' out his wife...

4) Genesis 13:8,9 - Family Business - "Then Abram said to Lot, "Please let's not have quarrelling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives... If you go left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left."

Here's a verse that I guess speaks to me as a somewhat 'family-oriented' person. After arguing with one another (and having their people argue for them also), Abram took the high road, and just decided to part ways. That would be immensely difficult for me; I don't like losing arguments (or quitting on them actually) not parting ways. But it seems that sometimes it is all for 'good'. Quite applicable.

Director's Commentary:

• According to the notes I had written for this day, I did... "nothing, nothing, nothing," then moved some furniture around my brother's garage. Much excitement.

Bonus Footage:

Just because it was the 'titles' of one of the 'scenes'. I guess also because it's an awesome song.