OUT KICKING
YOUR
COVERAGE
Genesis 12:10-20

The Big Idea
Be strong and courageous. Do not
be frightened, and do not be
dismayed, for the LORD your God
is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9b (ESV) 2

Kicked too far
Clip
3

OUT KICKING
YOUR
COVERAGE
Genesis 12:10-20

Dating/marring someone much better than
yourself
Punter kicks the ball too far for his coverage team
5
Outkicking
your
coverage

Our Text
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. 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
Genesis 12:10–20 6

Our Text
me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister,
that it may go well with me because of you, and that
my life may be spared for your sake.” When Abram
entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman
was very beautiful. And when the princes of
Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And
the woman was taken into
Genesis 12:10–20 7

Our Text
Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with
Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male
servants, female servants, female donkeys, and
camels. But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and his
house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s
wife. So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is
this you have done to
Genesis 12:10–20 8

Our Text
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.” And Pharaoh gave men orders
concerning him, and they sent him away with his
wife and all that he had.
Genesis 12:10–20 9

Hard times in the Promised Land!
Genesis 12:10…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.
10

Why trials?
1. Perseverance
2. Mistakes
3. Character
4. Maturity
5. I don’t know!
11

Bound for Egypt
Symbol of sin
Reliance on man
12

Uh, a good idea?
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. Say you are
my sister, that it may go well with me because of
you, and that my life may be spared for your
sake.”
Genesis 12:11–13 13

Abram’s Dilemma
False Evidence Appearing Real
Forgot God’s promise
Doubt or unbelief
14

Bingo!
When Abram entered Egypt, the
Egyptians saw that the woman was
very beautiful. And when the
princes of Pharaoh saw her, they
praised her to Pharaoh. And the
woman was taken into Pharaoh’s
house.
Genesis 12:14–15 15

Bride payment!
Genesis 12:16 And for her sake he dealt well with
Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys,
male servants, female servants, female donkeys,
and camels.
16

This is for you
Your teeth are like a
flock of ewes that
have come up from
the washing; not one
among them is lost…
Song of Solomon 6:6 17

God steps in
But the LORD afflicted Pharaoh and
his house with great plagues
because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.
Genesis 12:17 18

God will not leave you
Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, but the LORD delivers
him out of them all.
Psalm 34:19 19

God will rescue us!
You, however, have followed my teaching, my
conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience,
my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions
and sufferings that happened to me…which
2 Timothy 3:10–13 20

God will rescue us!
persecutions I endured; yet from them all the
Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live
a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
while evil people and impostors will go on from
bad to worse…
2 Timothy 3:10–13 21

Even from Satan
But the Lord is faithful, and He will
strengthen and protect you from
the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 22

God’s plans
We can’t thwart them
Satan can’t thwart them
Your mean old boss…
23

Royal summons
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.”
Genesis 12:18–19 24

Expelled
And Pharaoh gave men
orders concerning him,
and they sent him
away with his wife and
all that he had.
25

Take-away
1. The call for absolute confidence in God.
2. Profession of faith must be tested.
3. Beware of going down to Egypt.
4. Abram’s failures show the long-suffering of God.
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Glad
he
learned
his
lesson
Genesis 20
27

Not living up to his call
From there Abraham journeyed toward the
territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh
and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And
Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.”
And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
Genesis 20:1–2 28

Feel Free to Make New Mistakes!
NO,
NO,
NO,
NO,
NO,
NO!
29

God steps in again!
But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night
and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man
because of the woman whom you have taken, for
she is a man’s wife.”
Genesis 20:3 30

A conversation with God
Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’?
And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the
integrity of my heart and the innocence of my
hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in
the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this
in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who
kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did
not let you touch her.
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Instructions
and
follow
through
Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a
prophet, so that he will pray for you, and
you shall live. But if you do not return her,
know that you shall surely die, you and all
who are yours.” So Abimelech rose early in
the morning and called all his servants and
told them all these things. And the men
were very much afraid.
32

Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him,
“What have you done to us? And how have I
sinned against you, that you have brought on me
and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to
me things that ought not to be done.” And
Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see,
that you did this thing?”
Confrontation
Genesis 20:9–10 33

Don’t think Abe!
I did it because I
thought, ‘There is no
fear of God at all in this
place, and they will kill
me because of my
wife.
Genesis 20:11 34

Besides, she is indeed my sister, the
daughter of my father though not the
daughter of my mother, and she became my
wife. And when God caused me to wander
from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is
the kindness you must do me: at every place
to which we come, say of me, “He is my
brother.” ’ ”
Excuses,
Excuses,
Excuses
Genesis 20:12-13 35

Did you get that?
Technically and Actually!
It’s God’s fault!
We do this all the time!
36

And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before
you; dwell where it pleases you.” To Sarah he said,
“Behold, I have given your brother a thousand
pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in
the eyes of all who are with you, and before
everyone you are vindicated.”
Magnanimous Abimelech
Genesis 20:15–16 37

Abraham makes it right
Then Abraham prayed to God, and
God healed Abimelech, and also
healed his wife and female slaves so
that they bore children.
Genesis 20:17 38

F.E.A.R.
Doubt your doubts
Believe your faith
Trust in God
39

Practical
1. Never put your spouse at risk
2. Your marriage is supernatural
3. Don’t default to old ways
4. God provides great instructions
40

OUT KICKING
YOUR
COVERAGE
Genesis 12:10-20