Then Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, to the South. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. (Gen 13,1-2)

As we saw, Abram's spiritual path did not always lead upward. From this point of view, the Egyptian period was a stagnation, even a loss. But what was always increasing was his wealth. Obviously, before he chose God, he was wealthy rather than poor. Then he became rich in his business as he followed God's way - but the time in Egypt was perhaps the most successful for him and that quite effortless, because he sold his wife by means of a lie (Gen 12:16).

There is not always a direct connection between wealth and blessing from above. One can be truly blessed by God because he follows Him and subsequently succeeds economically. But this path does not apply universally to everyone and to all times. One can also go through periods in which he has to learn new things, and he can even be left for a time in a certain need to look for a way out and as a result he will find God in a new way for himself. We do not usually stay in such crushing periods forever. Many people would testify that it was exactly the time of emergency that led them to the best path they would have otherwise never found. In extreme cases, some were grateful that their business had gone bankrupt, for it literally threw them into God's arms and from there they set out for a journey with a liberated heart. Later they found a new way, much better than before, be it in a new business or other. If we are hidden in God, we do not have to worry. Man can never fall lower than into God's hand.

In any case, let us not be mistaken: Abram became rich in Egypt because he disobeyed God. His fortune has grown, so the Scripture speaks of him as "very wealthy." A well-known statement about knowing a person through the book he reads could be paraphrased with the wealth: "Tell me how you think about money, and I'll tell you what you are like." One can utter noble words, but in the end, the way one spends money speaks for itself. Abram has been doing very well economically, keeping his wealth from Haran and Egypt. However, we will see how his attitudes in this matter will be changing.