God asked a lot of Abram, that's for sure. It's hard for me to imagine changing schools, let alone leaving my country, family, and father's home. That being said, I think the promise would help. Abram must have looked with anticipation to the day that he could lead a great nation! However, the part that I love even more than that is the promise that "thou shalt be a blessing."
The promise works two ways, though. Abram had to uphold his end for God to honor the promise. That in itself was a work of faith; what if God didn't pull through? Then Abram would have abandoned everything for nothing. However, it wasn't even a logical concern in Abram's mind, because God never fails. And though I forget this so much more often than I should, Abram fortunately didn't, and he picked up and moved with reckless abandon - first to Canaan, then to Bethel, and ultimately to Egypt.
I must admit, though. I'm unimpressed with how Abram dealt with the "Sarai-in-Egypt" situation. I feel like he almost used her - not in the way men would typically use women, but used her as his protection. And to get all that stuff.
And then, to top it all off, God punishes Pharaoh with plagues. I don't get it at all; is he really being punished for polygamy? And why, if anyone is to be punished, why isn't Abram being punished for lying, or for purposefully deceiving Pharaoh? (Not that I even think punishment is what God's about. It's love, people.)
If I were to go out on a limb to attempt to answer the questions invented by my own mind, the response would look like this:
1. Pharaoh's real mistake is having more than one wife in the first place.
2. Abram got a "get-out-of-jail-free" card because he's following God's plan.
And God always protects those that are striving to know him.
Genesis 13
Sometimes we have to take a few steps back, whether physically or mentally. Abram did, when he returned to Bethel. When he called on God, I imagine it was a prayer asking for a bit of guidance. He didn't have a home to return to, or a roadmap to happiness. Rather, he had a quarreling nephew that had as much stuff as he did. They weren't getting along, making the whole "where do we go?" question even more difficult.
"...And God, if you could maybe just... Tell me how to handle this... That would be fab."
(That's my prayer for guidance, about 90% of the time.)
With God's grace, Abram made a plan that solved not only the "quarrelsome Lot" problem, but also the dilemma of where to settle: he would give the choice to his nephew.
Lot opted to take the easy route; in looking at the rich, lush land of Jordan, he picked that area. Abram, then, was left with what God had promised all along: the land of Canaan. And over time, the beauty and wonder Canaan holds is revealed, as is the destruction in Sodom.
This simply goes to show that God has a plan for us. And even if some paths may look easier today than the roads God has for us, His plan will be the best plan in the end. We will never regret following his instruction.
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