But the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. And 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’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way." (Gen 12,17-19)

In addition to faith, Abram is also known as a man of prayer, but we do not know if he already knew its secret at this moment. Did God intervene here sovereignly or did he hear Abram's prayers after losing his beloved wife? We can only assume, but we have little indication to understand. Because people of all eras and races have certain traits in common, it is almost certain that this particular crisis has taught him more about God than when he experienced peace and prosperity - that's just the way it is in life. Difficult stages transform us, they bring a change to our habits and values. Abram most likely became a man of prayer through difficult situations like this because they forced him to humble himself (he had to admit that he had gone to Egypt on his own, without God) and to call on God for help. At that time he did not have much experience with answered prayers. And he wasn't even sure if God would be willing to hear him when he had to admit that he had failed somewhere. But he had no choice but to ask for help from above, no one else could help here.

Therefore, even this experience became the cornerstone out of which the building of his faith was built from the very beginning. God suddenly entered the situation and saved Abram. Sarah was even returned to him without having to ask Pharaoh for her. At the same time, it was his first great experience of disobedience, leaving God's way. He still had no idea if this God was willing to have mercy on man´s failures and shortcomings and accept him again. Accept - and not blame?

No, God did not blame.

However, Abram did not come out of the whole situation just so easily. He had to experience bitterly one of the most important spiritual principles: a man reaps what he sows. God did not blame, but others did: Pharaoh, the whole court and the whole city. The public disgrace was so great that it was completely impossible to stay here, Abram was literally expelled. How tragic it is when Egypt rebukes a man of God for immorality that would not be possible even between them...

And how uplifting is the knowledge that when Abram is later mentioned in Scripture or by Jesus himself, it is all about different things than his disgrace in Egypt.