It Ain't Me Babe!......Abraham's Indecent Proposal

Go away from my window, Leave at your own chosen speed I'm not the one you want, babe I'm not the one you need You say you're lookin' for someone Who's never weak but always strong To protect you an' defend you Whether you are right or wrong Someone to open each and every door But it ain't me, babe No, no, no, it ain't me, babe It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe. Bob Dylan One of the very worst of the many distressing stories in Scripture is the sojourn of Abraham and Sarah in Egypt (Gen. 12). Sarah is so beautiful that Abraham is sure the Pharoh will kill him to have her. So he proposes: Let's pretend you are my sister so they don't kill me, although they will surely take you. Sarah goes along with it and she finds herself as a concubine in Pharoh's harem. This is pretty disgusting: a husband who pimps his wife out to save his own skin! But even worse: this is Abraham we are talking about! Abraham, the prime and greatest of the patriarchs! Abraham the father in faith of many nations! Abraham whose faith was tested by the sacrifice of his son Issac in which he passed stupendously! Abraham...no combination of prophets or priests or kings or judges equal him in greatness. Moses alone, the great lawgiver, is in his league. How could the great Abraham do this? Pragmatically his calculation is reasonable: if they know she is his wife, they kill him and get her. If they think she is his sister, they get her but spare him. By a practical calculus his decision is sensible. But it is still vile! It isn't clear in Scripture that she slept with the Pharoh but that seems likely given what happens next. God punishes Pharoh, not Abraham, for taking this married woman. He punishes Pharoh! Pharoh is subjectively innocent since he thought she was single. If anyone deserves punishment it should be Abraham for the deceit and for intentionally sending his wife into adultery. It gets more crazy: not only is Abraham not punished, but Pharoh sends him off with his wife and with many possessions as well. Wow! This is crazy stuff! And inspired Scripture at that! The story bothered me. But then it hit me! Abraham is paradigmatic for all us husbands: at the end of the day, in one way or another, we disappoint and betray our beautiful wives. We fail to protect and provide, to tender and reverence them as they deserve. But the good news: God comes to the rescue. He delivers Sarah from concubinage; He saves the marriage; he protects the family, the legacy, and the patriarchy of Abraham even though he doesn't deserve it! The takeaway: as a bridegroom and husband, I (and all of us) am fundamentally flawed, inadequate and unfaithful in the care and protection of my bride and wife. In one way or another, I fail her. I betray her. If she looks to me to fulfill her deepest longings, to unfailingly provide and protect her, to fondly attend to her...she will will be heartbroken, in one way or another. There is One, however, who fondly, faithfully, powerfully attends to her...that is God and specifially Jesus Christ the Great Bridegroom Himself. As Sarah was rescued by God, so is my own wife...and by analogy all women I befriend. I lack within myself the resources...emotional, spiritual...to fulfill the desires of any woman. What I can do is humble myself before the Great Bridegroom, ask for His mercy for the woman I love, and surrender myself to Him in a mimetic reenactment of his extravagant, virile, sensitive, attentive generosity.