Faith in Times of Testing
For the past few months, the news has been abuzz with stories of classified documents. Discussions of who should have access, who has viewed the documents, and what penalties, if any, should be enforced against those who hold the documents have been the source of countless hours of speculation on cable news. Interestingly, the book of Genesis records an occasion where God chose to provide classified information to his servant Abraham about the upcoming attack on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord stated, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” (Genesis 18:17-18). Abraham reacts to this privileged information by taking the role of intercessor; he asks, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (18:23). This is followed by somewhat of a reverse auction in which he seeks a divine pardon for the cities if righteous souls could be found within them. The Lord seems pleased with His servant’s efforts and agrees to spare the wicked if only ten righteous souls are found in their midst. While the cities are destroyed, Abraham demonstrated his love of mercy by speaking on their behalf. However, good men can be inconsistent.
Sometime later, Abraham and Sarah journeyed to Gerar. Fearing for his life, for a second time he requested that Sarah lie to the men of the region by telling them that she is his sister. When the king took Sarah into his harem, the Lord gave him a stern warning, stating, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife” (Genesis 20:3b). Ignorant of this, the king rebuked Abraham for deceiving him. The man who once pleaded for the unrighteous citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah answered him by saying, “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’” (11). He then sought to justify the deception by noting that Sarah was his half-sister as they both shared the same father. It seems purposeful that this account falls so close to the recounting of Abraham’s pleas for the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; the two vignettes from Abraham’s life demonstrate that a man of faith can stumble when his own safety is at stake.
A strong desire for personal safety is inherent within humanity. When threats come along, the protection of one’s life becomes imperative. Sometimes this means that the danger must be faced head-on. The apostle Peter encouraged this type of stalwart faith when facing the devil: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith” (I Peter 5:8-9a). Despite whatever dangers may be present, personal safety must never become more important than faithfulness to God.
Still, the people of God are often tempted to react as Abraham did in Gerar; the great man of faith had a season where he lacked the faith that God would protect him. This led to deception and placed others in danger, not least of which his own wife. Such weakness of faith may occur when one has the opportunity to take a stand for Christ which could lead to reprisal. In such situations, Peter admonishes, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (I Peter 3:15). These times of testing should not be met with fear; they should be faced with bravery.
As the social agendas of the 21st century grow more secular, Christians will increasingly find situations where full honesty will be tested; they will be faced with decisions that could easily mean losing employment for refusal to honor a mandated workplace policy for reasons of faith. In this time of testing, the mettle of one’s faith will be shown.
From these two examples, the people of God learn important lessons. First, every Christian should plead for the salvation of others. This is an attitude that imitates God: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Peter 3:9). Like Abraham, the people of God must seek to intercede for those who are lost. Second, Christians must understand that times of testing should not be met with debilitating fear. Seeking to hide the truth or, as in the case of Abraham, disguising it in the realm of “half-truth” is never acceptable. While short-term negative consequences may occur, God has promised eternal blessing for those who faithfully trust Him.
Abraham was a great man of faith and an example to those who seek to please God. Still, God uses Abraham’s times of weakness to demonstrate that He does not give up on His people. Times of opportunity for intercession will come, along with times of testing. May God provide the strength needed to trust Him on both occasions.
