NOTE: There are always people who will give all their treasure, teeth, tonsils and toenails to find a discrepancy and fault in God’s scripture so that needs to be addressed first. (Gen 11:26) Terah was 70 years old when Abram was born. (Gen. 12:4) Abram was 75 when he left Haran, SO 70 + 75 = 145. Thus Terah was 145 years old when Abram left Haran. (Gen. 11:32) Terah lived 205 years, 205 – 145 = 60 so Terah lived 60 years after Abram left Haran. BUT (Acts 7:4) states Abram/Abraham left Haran after Terah was dead.
The very obvious answer is given in (Josh. 24:2). When Terah served the “other side of the flood gods” brought across the flood by Ham and his wife he was still under the spiritual influence of Adam’s son Cain who had lived “on the other side of the flood” (Parts 4, 5 & 6)!
SO: When God engineered the “family split” that happened at Haran Terah was still physically alive (Jude 11) BUT he was spiritually just as dead as the people on the “other side of the flood” (Cain) as far as Abram, and maybe even God, were concerned. The narrowing (Part 15) had become a separation! (2Cor. 6:17) God expects his people to separate themselves from the world and to be loyal to Him first. God will not take back seat, second best, or what’s left and God is not a spare tire you carry in the trunk to jerk out and use when you hit a bump in your road of life and have a “flat”! BECAUSE:
(Deut. 6:5) “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy might.“ (Mark12:30) “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all mind, and with all thy strength:” God was going to teach Abram to be loyal to Him first!
(Gen. 12:1) Now the Lord had said unto Abram; “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
(Ex. 20:1-7 & Mark 12:29-30) Thou shalt have no other God before Me!
(Mal. 3:6) “For I am the Lord, I change not.”
(2Cor. 6:17) “come ye out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord,”
(Matt. 10:36-39) “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”
The last four scriptures written above had not yet been written but, to suit His purpose, God was going to teach their concept to Abram.
(Eccl. 1:9) “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.” END OF NOTE.
Nomad – a wanderer in search of water, food and pasture.
Pilgrim – one who has a destination.
As you will see Abram was both Nomad and Pilgrim as he wandered south trying to find and obey God’s will and to physically go to where God spiritually wanted him to be. God was initiating His plan that would eventually include you and me!
Abram did not know God had permitted Satan to attack him with the horrible nightmare based on his own love, fear and jealousy for Sarai that had helped cause him to leave Haran. Abram did not know God had caused the memory to gnaw at the far edge of his thoughts that their original commandment (Gen. 11:27-30) had been that they go to Canaan. (Gen. 11:31) Abram did not know his misplaced loyalty to his baby brother and Satan’s constant reminding of that loyalty resulted in his disobedience to God (Gen. 12:5) when he took Lot with him when he left with all their substance and all the souls that they had gotten in Haran to go to Canaan. Abram did not know Satan traveled with him on his trek south to Canaan and Satan did not know God also traveled right along with them.
In Part 16 Abram had moved south from Haran to Canaan: (Gen. 12:8) The next camp he made was where they would rest awhile and it was between Bethel on the west and Hai on the east. When he made that camp Abram did not know he was camped about 12 miles north of the city that would become Jerusalem and his camp was just barely on the south side of the border between what would become the tribal allotments of Ephraim in the north and Benjamin in the south when the nation of Israel finally claimed Canaan and divided it into 12 parts that would make up their “Promised Land”.
These 12 parts did not go to the 12 tribes of Israel as is commonly believed. (Deut. 10:9 & Josh. 13:14 then V.33) The tribe of Levi, the Levites, could not own land. (Gen. 41:50-53) Joseph had 2 sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. (Gen. 48:1-22 esp. V.22) Israel the patriarch adopted Joseph’s sons into the tribes of Israel the nation and gave his son Joseph one extra part of the Promised Land. For effect one of Joseph’s sons received Joseph’s inheritance and the other received the Levites inheritance and that made up the 12 tribes of Israel the nation.
According to Jewish history, at that time the country around Bethel and Hai was a place of long green pastures well known for its pure, clear, flowing springs. Bethel defined means the house of God. It is obvious Shem or some of his Godly progeny had come there and started a One God Only town while Abram was suffering in Haran. It had to be Godly Shem, there was no other source!
Archaeologists have found lots of artifacts in their excavation of Bethel and they even found the remains of a protective wall, 11 feet thick at its base that surrounded the town. (Deut. 14:2 & Titus 2:14 keyword: peculiar) Obviously the idolatrous Canaanites did not approve of the weird (peculiar) people who believed in only one invisible God and God’s people had to be ready to fight for their belief. Things have not changed much have they?
Remember how languages change? Hai is the earlier name of Ai. (Josh. 7:1-26 keyword: Achan: defined: trouble, troublesome) Later after Joshua and Israel invaded Canaan to claim their “Promised Land” Joshua would find Ai to be a fortified Canaanite city which the Israelites could not conquer. Achan was a Hebrew soldier in Joshua’s Hebrew army. When the Israelites (by God’s power) had destroyed Jericho, God told them not to take any of the Canaanite wealth.
Achan took it anyway. He was a disobedient thief and liar who thought he could hide his sin of greed from his fellow Hebrews. He also thought he could hide it from God! He presented himself as good but he was evil and disobedient. He was a hypocrite, a liar and a thief!
At Ai God would not fight for Israel because of Aiken’s sin and they were defeated, 36 Israelite soldiers were killed and when God pointed out Aiken’s sin he and his family were stoned to death. A hypocrite can terribly hinder a church’s mission and his hypocrite poison will destroy his family!
(Gen. 12:8) Spiritually Abram was camped squarely between God in Bethel and Satan in Hai. He built an altar unto the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. That altar was a physical prophesy. It was set squarely between the city of God (representing the forerunners of Israel- Jews) and Hai (representing the gentiles- non-Jews) (Luke3:34) and that altar was a physical prophesy that Jesus would come through the seed of Abram, (Acts 4:8-12 esp. V.12 keywords: there is none other name given under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved) and, just like Abram’s altar, Jesus would be in the center where both Jews and Gentiles would have to go if they desired salvation!
(Gen. 12:1-5) “they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.” God told Abram to go to Canaan and he went. (Gen. 12:9-10) A grievous famine was in Canaan, Abram did not have the faith to trust God’s promise that He’d take care of Abram and Abram kept right on going. “Good grief, this land is parched, I’ve got to find water and pasture someplace or I’m ruined!” Of course Satan chimed in; “You’ll lose everything you’ve got! There’s plenty of water and grazing land in Egypt! Hurry! Hurry! HURRY!”
(Gen. 12:11-14) Nearing the border Abram was filled with great relief when he espied the far off stain of green that meant there were green pastures lighted by the late afternoon sun. Green grass meant there was plentiful water in Egypt. Satan bored right in on Abram’s sorest, weakest spot.
As they pushed on toward Egypt hateful thoughts came unbidden; “You’ve been so worried about water and you are so used to Sarai that you’ve forgotten she’s a real beauty. She may be 65 years old but look how beautiful she is. Men would gladly give all they own and their eyeteeth too if they could have her!”
That “thought” shocked Abram, he looked at Sarai with calculating eyes and thought; “Oh, my beautiful Lovely, you show no signs of our exhausting trek, you look like you’ve simply taken a stroll through our garden back in Haran.” Satan was delighted; “Abram’s such a fool!”
At last Abram shouted; “Alright, it’ll be dark in an hour, make camp and we’ll go on in the morning. We’ll be there well before midday.” The herders looked startled, the thirsty livestock would be hard to hold this close to water but they stopped and started making camp. “She’s so beautiful the Egyptians will kill you and take her for their own! You’ll be cold and dead in the ground, you’ll have nothing, the Egyptians will make babies with Sarai and they’ll laugh at you! Other men already mock you behind your back and you’re the world’s biggest failure because you can’t father a son!” “Oh my soul, I can’t even father a son!”
Sarai could not help but notice Abram was more tender, thoughtful and gentle when they made love that night. When it was done they lay snuggled together in their tent on their soft bed of skins and blankets. (Gen. 12:13) Abram looked shamefaced and wouldn’t meet her eyes when he muttered; “You are the most beautiful woman in the world. The Egyptians will kill me to get you.”
Abram could not meet her eyes when he asked her to say she was his sister and not his wife so they would not kill him. “Abram, we could go back north.” “God told me to go to Canaan.” “Then why are we leaving Canaan, Abram?” Abram did not know whether to cry, scream, curse or pray; and he silently kept his gaze on his feet.
He felt like a fool, coward and traitor as he thought; “Its the only hope I have of saving myself! After all she is my half-sister!” God looked at Abram with tender, sympathetic, spiritual eyes; “Service to Me does have its price.” Abram had not yet learned a half-truth is a whole lie because it misdirects. Satan gloated that Abram hadn’t believed God’s promises; “I wish God was here to see what a wreckage I’ve made of Abram’s big time faith!” Right beside him, unseen, God thought to Himself; “Watch this Satan, (Rom. 14:4) I can make stand whom I will. Abram will make it because he is trying to follow what I told him to do.”
It was a terrible night as, over and over, he saw handsome Egyptian men ravishing beautiful, beautiful Sarai. He writhed and gasped as he felt Egyptian arrows and swords pierce his intestines like hot, shrieking streaks of fire. In the morning Abram was almost ready to turn around and go back to Canaan but Satan spoke; “You’ll lose everything you’ve got, maybe even your lives!” The beautiful God of glory had not lifted a finger all night nor did He lift one now. He knew how much Abram could stand, the problem for Abram was that he did not know how much he could stand and he had to learn!
(Gen. 12:14) The lieutenant and his squad of Egyptian soldiers who patrolled their segment of the Egyptian border saw the caravan and flocks coming. He met them where the trail crossed into Egypt and asked them their business. He looked at Sarai and his breath caught; “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen! She is far above me.” For some reason he thought; “I must let my captain decide what to do.”
After a brief consultation with Abram; “I will take you to my captain because this is his decision. Let your servants tend your herds in yonder pasture beside the river. You and the woman come with me.” Abram’s heart sank and his intestines writhed within him; “It’s happening, I’ve lost Sarai.” It was a long trip because he was ashamed to look into the eyes of his beautiful wife; “Why didn’t I just go down fighting for her. I despise myself. COWARD!” But he kept his thoughts to himself.
For some reason Abram and Sarai were handed right on up the chain of command with each level of command thinking; “This beautiful, beautiful woman is far above me. My commander will have my head on a platter if I so much as touch her before he sees her. Let him decide.” Finally they stood before the commanding general. His dark eyes widened when he saw Sarai and he immediately sent a message to Pharaoh’s oldest son while he bade Abram and Sarai to rest and refresh themselves in his headquarters.
For some reason Pharaoh’s 19 and 18 year old sons, the royal princes of Egypt, were passing right by the general’s headquarters sitting comfortably in their richly decorated, golden cloth shaded, royal litters carried on the shoulders of slaves while they were guarded by a contingent of fierce soldiers. The messenger bowed before the captain of the guard and made known his request. He was trembling because the royal sons of Pharaoh could take his head with a snap of their fingers and nobody would say a word.
But for some reason the message fascinated them, they commanded their litters be grounded and they went into the general’s headquarters with alacrity. The speed with which they went defied the protocol of languid, dignified, unhurried royalty and their unseemly hurry was the cause of many rumors concerning the general’s power.
For some reason their rush to enter was nothing compared to their rush of exit after taking one look at Sarai. Wonder and rumors abounded when they scrambled into their litters and harshly commanded the slaves to carry them at a run back to the palace. Intrigued by his son’s excited descriptions of a woman who made the sun look dull Pharaoh sent for the visitors; “I have a harem of 200 of the most beautiful women in the world. Surely there is none who can match their beauty.” But he had not met Sarai the wife of a simple nomadic pilgrim!
NOTE: Ancient Egyptians worshiped at least 30 gods with Ra the sun god being the chief god. Ra would die every evening, go to the underworld for a visit and return to life in the morning. The Pharaoh’s had become living gods through the imaginations of the priests; Osiris was a wise king who was married to his sister Isis. When he was murdered by their evil brother Seth, Isis used magic to bring Osiris back to life to conceive a son, Horus. Horus revenged his father’s (Osiris) death and killed his uncle (Seth– a name held over from the beginning, Adam’s 3rd son?).
Horus became the king of Egypt, while Osiris became the king of the dead and the judge of the underworld. Egyptians thus saw Horus as triumphant over death; every pharaoh was the embodiment of Horus when alive and would be Osiris after death. Osiris was also the god of vegetation and was often painted with green skin, symbolizing new growth and renewal. Even then through their religions mankind sought a way to have eternal life. END OF NOTE.
(Gen. 12:15) Abram and Sarai had never seen anything to compare to Pharaoh Sneferu’s magnificent palace. There were gold gilded furnishings everywhere and the beautiful furnishings, statues, tapestries, colors and tiles were magnificent. They had never seen such opulence, splendor and grandeur. Armed guards stood like motionless statues and servants came and went like silent ghosts. Slaves fanned Pharaoh with ostrich feather fans.
Pharaoh sat on his magnificent throne with indolent ease. They had never seen such pomp, ceremony and deference as they were grandly ushered in and presented to Pharaoh whom the Egyptians considered to be the god Horus. Abram and Sarai, in their ragged, travel stained shepherd’s clothes, looked and felt like beggars at a kings feast. They hadn’t even had time to wash their faces.
Pharaoh’s jaw dropped, his loins tingled and his eyes glinted with lust when his visitors were presented to him and his lustful thoughts ran away with him; “Oh, gods Ra and Isis, I must have her! Satan; “Would you kill to have her?” I’d kill to possess that woman.” Unseen, standing there with them God’s spiritual eyes glittered; “I also will kill for My 2 children, but when I am done with you Pharaoh I will not have to kill you to bring you trembling to my will!
(Job 1:6) Spiritually the angels were summoned to report to God. Satan was gone from the presence of Pharaoh as if he had never been there; “Was God there? Does He know? Pharaoh’s on his own. I’m not strong enough yet!”
One by one the angels gave their report and to Satan it seemed to drag on forever there in that place of timeless. God had arranged that only Satan would feel the passing of time so He could watch Satan squirm and burn with humiliation. As always Satan wondered where the angels had gone who had helped him in the seduction of mankind back before the flood; “They are never at these meetings!” He whispered to those closest to him; “Where are the angels that were on earth with man before the flood?”
Once again nobody knew. Satan burned with humiliation as he waited, and waited, and waited, thinking; (Ezek. 28:17) “Don’t He know I’m the most beautiful and smartest angel? I should have been first to give my report!” Finally his name was called last. Every other angel had been called before him. Truculent and angry he stepped forward but God did not say a word, He just stared. Spiritual chills raced over Satan’s spiritual body and his hot words died in his throat. He seemed to shrink within himself and an awful dread crept through him.
Finally in a silken whisper filled with threat God quietly spoke; “I have discovered you are concerned about the angels who disappeared after the flood. They were traitor angels who helped mankind become immersed ever deeper into sin before the flood.” Satan cringed; “I’m not strong enough yet to challenge God, what’s He going to do to me?”
God quietly continued; (Jude 6) “They kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, I have reserved them in everlasting chains in absolute darkness until I decide when the great Day of Judgment shall take place.” (Prov. 15:3) Satan had not yet realized God saw everything and knew everything he did but still an involuntarily spiritual shiver shook Satan; “How’d He find out about them? Does He know about me?”
Again God stared at Satan for what stretched out for an eternity, thinking; “Ahhh Lucifer, you are becoming more and more evil, cunning and rebellious. You are learning the ways of men very well. You think you are increasing in power but you are merely learning and growing in the evil of yourself. (1Pet. 5:8) You are proud of your name Satan (adversary) because you think you are an adversary to Me but you are only an adversary toward men.”
(Rom. 3:1-2 keyword: oracles) “You have not yet realized I am starting a race of men from which will come My oracles (in the NT the words or utterances of God, the OT contents of the Mosaic Law) through My Holy Spirit. These men will reveal My plan of redemption concerning all people if any of those people want it (Rev. 22:1-6) because I am building a forever family to be with Me right back to a garden like Eden.”
Finally God spoke; (Job 2:1-2) “From whence comest thou?” Satan answered; “Just walking up and down in the earth.” God seemed to accept his answer and spoke quietly; “Go!” As Satan left he couldn’t help but notice several of the angels looked at him with what appeared to be compassion; (Rev. 12:3-4) “Perhaps they will help me (Isa. 14:12-14) when I take God’s throne. Satan did not know God could read every thought generated in Satan’s spiritual brain.
None of the people were aware of the spiritual events in the far yonder of forever when Pharaoh invited his guests to refresh themselves in his lavish palace, where they would be attended to by slaves. They would then be given gorgeous garments and then they would be fit to dine with Pharaoh. During the ensuing banquet and conversation he was delighted when Abram told him; “She is my sister”.
Pharaoh was so engrossed with Sarai he did not notice the shame in Abram’s eyes and he could not hear the words in Abram’s heart; “I’m a dirty, lowdown, %&#$ coward! Why didn’t I stay in Canaan like the Lord God told me? He said He’d take care of me. Pharaoh couldn’t have killed me! Now look what I’ve done!”
Pharaoh insisted Abram’s “sister Sarai” be his guest for an undetermined length of time. It was obvious to all that Pharaoh was immensely enamored by Sarai’s astonishing beauty and he wished to woo and win her for his own. Pharaoh knew a woman won was a much better lover than a woman forced. With a lavish hand and glad smile Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts; “That should start this courtship out on the right foot, she’ll be glad I’m so kind to her dear ‘brother’!”
With downcast eyes and a heavy, broken heart Abram accepted Pharaoh’s gifts of many herds of various animals and many slaves of both sexes, one of them was a male Hittite named Pitassa. He mumbled a weak thank you and slouched away, shoulders slumped. Pharaoh looked thoughtfully after Abram but Pharaoh’s pride attributed Abram’s posture to Abram’s great humility to have received such a rich gift from god Horus!
Satan was grinning from ear to ear when he whispered; “You are royalty”. And Pharaoh thought; “The poor bumpkin doesn’t have courtly manners. I’m so far above him, so much more important than him, I am royalty!” Spiritually God cocked a spiritual eyebrow at Pharaoh; “If you only knew what’s coming!”
NOTE: Egyptian women of high rank used makeup. The bluish-green eye shadow was made from malachite (copper ore), a carbonate mineral crushed to powder and mixed with water to form a paste. The black eyebrow and eyelash makeup was made from a mixture of soot and crushed, powdered galena, a natural mineral form of lead sulfide. When mixed with water it formed a paste. The red used to crimson their lips and cheeks was made from red ochre clay mined from the ground, dried then crushed to a powder and mixed with expensive balanos oil or the more common castor oil.
The scarlet nails of their hands and feet were stained with the dye from crushed henna leaves. The perfumed oil they used to perfume and protect their skin came from various fragrances derived from flowers, plants, seeds, myrrh, frankincense, cardamom and cinnamon which were mixed together in various combinations then mixed with balanos oil or the much less expensive castor oil. The dry makeup was stored dry in leather bags and the oil was stored in sealed earthen jars until the need arose to mix them for use. END OF NOTE.
The new slaves drove Abram’s gift of livestock to Abram’s camp beside the river. (Gen. 15:2) Eliezer, a slave taken from the town of Damascus that would someday be the capital city of a nation called Syria and now the overseer-steward of Abram’s house, heard their story, introduced them to the others of Abram’s servants and kinfolks, welcomed them “home” and fed them. One of them was Pharaoh’s wife’s own 18 year old female palace servant named Hagar.
She was a beauty with her eyelids painted bluish-green, her eyebrows and lashes darkened, her cheeks crimsoned to a blush and her crimson lips likened to some red, sweet, ripe fruit ready to be tasted. Her fragrant, perfumed smell caused the overseer to tingle and sweat broke out on him here and there. She did her work about the camp quickly and gracefully but with a full bodied, hip rolling, languid, sensuousness that was almost an invitation.
She had an air of female pride that was almost a dare and the overseer could not help but wonder what it would be like to take her! He came to his senses when he thought what his wife would say and do to him if she had even a hint of his thoughts! He realized a woman like this would cause continuous trouble among the servants and herdsmen. “What’s somebody like her doing here? She’s two sources of trouble for me!” Satan went to work in the overseer’s thoughts.
Eliezer was tickled pink when he had a brilliant inspiration how to rid himself of his burden; “I’ll assign her as Sarai’s personal servant.” He assigned 2 of the maid servants to help her set up her tent beside that of Abram and Sarai. She would need all the help she could get with all those cases of clothing and cases of leather bags and mysterious sealed jars. Hagar’s former mistress had supplied her with many years supply of makeup. After all, the pride of Pharaoh went with his gifts!
When Abram dragged in from Pharaoh’s palace a while later without Sarai the group gradually went dead silent. None of them had ever seen a more tragic, bedraggled, pain stamped man in their lives. Somehow the bright, beautifully colored Egyptian clothing he wore had the dull essence of a death shroud placed on a dying man and for some reason a chill of dread seeped among them and entered every soul. It was as if death walked among them and clouded the bright afternoon sun!
Eliezer, the overseer, was trembling with dread when he met Abram and quietly asked him about Sarai. Abram stared at Eliezer with pain dulled eyes for several long, painful seconds then, with the hint of a sob in his voice, he gruffly spoke; “You know your job; do it.” and went on into his tent. Far into the night before pure exhaustion claimed them they would hear Abram’s painful moans and cries because:
That night Abram went to hell! We have all been there, there in the hell of our imaginations! For hours Abram rolled, tossed and twisted while Satan painted garishly realistic pictures in his soul. Over and over Abram would “see” his beautiful Sarai screaming, clawing and resisting fiercely as Pharaoh ravished her, OR he would picture Sarai in the throes of wild abandonment enthusiastically returning Pharaoh’s ardor.
OR he would “see” Pharaoh and Sarai, limbs twined languidly together in sexual exhaustion as they slept. OR– A thousand times Abram compared his own plainness to Pharaoh’s extremely handsome countenance, his well-muscled torso and arms and his haughty pride of bearing as the god of his world. For hours Satan was delighted as he rampaged freely through Abram’s thoughts. Over and over endlessly Abram was filled with shame, despair, self hatred, fear, remorse, anger and he wished he could die. Then it would immediately start again, over and over endlessly.
Finally, sometime after daylight when the camp had awakened and were well started the clutter and clatter of their lives, Abram came to his senses, fell on his face before the Lord God, with great shame he made his apologies for his failure to trust God and stay in Canaan, he asked forgiveness for his sins and begged God to return Sarai to him unsullied and unharmed.
Like we all do, almost as an afterthought, Abram finally praised God and worshipped Him, a little bit. Along with Satan the awful thoughts were gone and Abram fell into a fitful, sweaty, exhausted sleep in spite of the noise. God looked at his servant Abram with great affection; “You are learning.” Eliezer bade the camp to be as silent as they could while they did their work, especially around Abram’s tent.
The Lord God of Eden had already been at war all night long but it was nice to be called upon! Have you ever experienced that? (Heb. 13:5-6) I have too and was too spiritually inept and weak of faith to understand God was right there with me. (Gen. 12:17) “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues (to lay the hand upon violently, sore, stricken, stripe, stroke, wound, to inflict, a leprous person) because of Sarai Abraham’s wife.” Pharaoh did not know it but, after Abram left, Pharaoh was about to start having his own problems. He promised a silent, thoughtful Sarai he would tell her all about his kingdom this evening when they dined. He promised Sarai she would like his special, royal wine.
She simply stared at him and quietly left with a servant to go to her own quarters. Pharaoh was smitten by her quiet, unassuming manner and he was challenged by her neutral attitude; “I have known many women. These quiet ones can turn into a summer storm of lust if handled properly.” He handled some affairs of state, realized the hour was growing late and hurried away to have his bath; “This cursed toe is hurting worse, I’ll have it attended to.” “You do not know how bad you will be hurting before this bath is over.”
Pharaoh lay in his bath thinking about Sarai while the servant girl prepared her instruments to clean out the small infection gathering around his ingrown toenail. It was a routine she performed upon him 2 or 3 times a year. Pharaoh’s eyes were glazed and far away with the anticipation when he vaguely felt the servant girl lift his foot into her lap to start her ministrations.
He was unprepared for the pain when she punctured the pocket of infection with a razor sharp knife and he involuntarily kicked which sliced his toe to the bone. The knife flew out her hand up into the air and came down on his tumescence and sliced a deep, very bloody, painful wound upon that organ! He screamed in agony, jumped out of his bath and started toward his servant girl with murder in his eyes. She fainted, then he saw the blood running down his legs and pooling on the floor. He quickly sat down and clutched a towel to himself.
Other servants and his 4 man bodyguard had come running at the sound of his scream. Through gritted teeth he demanded the guards immediately execute the girl, that the servants summon his personal physician and to get the @&$%# out of his presence. They had seen Pharaoh like this before and they were glad to leave as fast as they could and carry out his orders even faster if possible! It was a high honor to be Pharaoh’s servant or personal bodyguard but nobody was above execution in Pharaoh’s house! Nobody!
His physician/prophet/magician, Djedi, was finished and Pharaoh was hobbling down the hall to his quarters when he heard thumping, crashing, cursing, shouting and screaming down toward the kitchen area. A kitchen slave came running up the hall and nearly bowled Pharaoh and Djedi over. When he realized who he had crashed into he fell on his face at Pharaoh’s feet soft and limber as an overcooked noodle.
The only thing that saved his life was that he had information Pharaoh wanted. “What in the $#%&& is going on?” “Master, they are killing each other!” Pharaoh painfully hobbled faster while his physician helped the trembling slave to his feet; “Get out of here and don’t show your face unless summoned.” The trembling slave sped away.
Djedi heard Pharaoh roaring curses and ran toward the kitchen. When the story was unraveled Pharaoh was finally speechless. It was common knowledge around the palace that Pharaoh’s personal cook and his personal butler had both been having a sexual affair with the servant girl whom Pharaoh had just had executed. Everyone knew about it but the 2 men and it was the joke of the servants because both men swore their eternal love for her and each said she loved only him.
They had been together in the kitchen when the word had come that she was dead. Both men howled their grief then looked suspiciously at each other through their tears. There was too much grief from each of them to be normal and they shouted questions at each other, then there were accusations which resulted in an argument that escalated into a violent fight with kitchen knives.
They cut each other to pieces and inflicted mortal damage to each other as they lurched, staggered, struggled and fought through the tables, scattered utensils, spice containers, food and other kitchen paraphernalia. Now one was dead and the other lay dying. These men’s services were valuable to Pharaoh and he cursed loud and long; “What in the *@&#^$%%* is going on? Has everyone around here gone %$#& crazy?”
Pharaoh strained too hard while he was shouting, cursing and giving instructions and his wound had started gushing blood once again, he’d scraped off the tightly wrapped toe bandage and that wound was also gaped open and bleeding again; “I can do without that $%&# toe, I’ve got nine others but I’ve only got one &#%$! The toe wound was a throbbing mess but it was nothing compared to the excruciatingly painful wound upon his private parts!
Between the two wounds Pharaoh was effectively crippled. Djedi took Pharaoh back to Pharaoh’s bed chamber and treated him again. It was with great relief when the alum finally stopped the blood. The physician knew his head was also not above removal! “I’ll treat them with kohl (a disinfectant made from galena) later on tonight.” The physician was old, the day’s strain had been great and he was far too optimistic about the time he had left in this world because he had no prophesy and his magic failed him.
Pharaoh’s lovely wife, Queen Hetephres, had heard about Pharaoh’s new love interest so for some reason she went to see. It did not bother her that Pharaoh had a harem, it was the custom of the time and her position as queen was not threatened. She took one look at Sarai and she did immediately feel threatened. There was just something about Sarai that rubbed her the wrong way. Then she understood; “This woman looks like she could produce a king!” Hetephres was suddenly surrounded with a palatable sense of threat and she was filled with dread; “This woman will produce a king that will take the throne from my own eldest son Khufu!” and she was filled with headlong fury.
Pharaoh Sneferu lay on his bed throbbing with pain and rage when his queen slammed into his bedroom. Even the queen did not intrude on Pharaoh without an invitation and she surely did not scream threats like this! He slowly stood up and approached her with his eyes kindled into pure obsidian fire. He howled curses and flung himself toward her like a charging leopard and her words choked off into silence. She had never felt more threatened in her life. He struck her across the face, his fingers left 4 brilliant red stripes and the blow knocked her down. Pharaoh pointed to the door and his voice was a hoarse snarl; “Go silently or die!” She went.
He stood there until he realized he was standing in his own blood. He screamed for Djedi his physician. When the servant returned he informed Pharaoh his physician had become gravely ill, he was unable to talk, his face was drawn into a grimace and he could not move his right arm or leg, stroke! They heard Pharaoh’s oldest son screaming. When they got there Pharaoh’s heart burst within him. His oldest son was covered with the white rot of leprosy!
His stricken face begged his father to help him. Pharaoh ran to his physician’s room but they had told the truth and the man was dying and his only sound was his dying wheezes and gurgles. He sent for another, younger, lesser known physician; “If he don’t stop this infernal blood flow I’ll have him skinned alive.” The new physician gave Pharaoh a strong opiate, packed his wounds with kohl and sewed the wound shut while he thought; “%#$& him, it works on mummies why not on this #$%&? The young man was a very good physician but his attitude guaranteed his head would not stay connected to his shoulders very long in Pharaoh’s house! The blood had stopped.
Pharaoh awakened just before daybreak, his mouth had a horrible taste, his thoughts were fuzzy and chaotic but he knew something bad had happened. He did not understand it, none of us do, it was simply one of those times when he had a certain knowledge an awful “something” had happened. For the first time in his life he felt real fear as he silently padded down the corridors of his beautiful, ornately splendid, royal palace.
Down the hall a servant saw him and darted into a side hall. Pharaoh’s roar of command brought the servant quivering and wilting back toward him. The servant fell to the floor and reluctantly crawled the last few feet to look up at the now towering figure of Pharaoh. “What has happened!” Tears streamed down the servant’s face and he haltingly told Pharaoh his youngest son had been in a terrible chariot crash.
“What in the @&**%$# was he doing in a chariot in the middle of the night?” “Master, oh Master, so many bad things have happened tonight that he grew angry. He took a chariot and rode out before his bodyguard could catch up. In the darkness his chariot wheel hit a stone and the chariot overturned upon him and the horses ran more than a hundred yards further dragging the chariot on top of your son.” Pharaoh screamed through his tears, cursed his gods and limped away toward his son’s room; “@$#%%&, I’m so sore I can hardly walk.”
When he saw his motionless son’s mangled, broken body it looked as if some great hand had violently crushed him, he knew his son could not live, his eyes were sick as he looked brokenly into Queen Hetephres’ tragically tormented eyes, then he vomited a gush of pure bile because he had not eaten, a great tremor shook him and he went into a cataleptic detachment that was someplace between sleep and wakefulness.
The servants led the uncomprehending, catatonic Pharaoh away, put him into his bed, his physician in a room across the hall and 4 armored, heavily armed, truculent soldiers were stationed to guard his door. Another 4 soldiers of the same mien were on guard just outside his window. Anybody that tried bother their Pharaoh would die in their tracks. BUT: They did not know they were dealing with the Lord God who holds all power in heaven and earth.
Pharaoh dimly became aware of a Presence, a force of Presence, a Being that terrified him. Pharaoh was pinned to his bed by an awful dread and sheer terror. He felt as helpless as a child and he had never been so afraid in his life. The Being remained indistinct but a voice crackling with anger plainly spoke; “Thou, oh Pharaoh, hast taken the wife of My servant into thine house. She is not thine to have. Free them or the plague of My wrath will intensify upon thy house until all thou hast is gone.” The voice stopped, the vision was gone and Pharaoh was mercifully unconscious.
It was nearly noon when Pharaoh awakened. His awakening was not the normal slowly coming awake. He felt as if he had been slapped and he was instantly awake. He instantly remembered his Visitor and the supernatural message He brought. Great dread descended upon him and he was afraid he had waited too late to obey the vision. Pharaoh scrambled from his bed; “#$%&@# with the pain.” he yelled for a servant and the man shot through the door like he had been thrown from where he’d been waiting with the door guards.
(Gen. 12:18) Pharaoh roared for the servant to send a runner to summon Abram and to summon other servants to quickly help Pharaoh prepare himself to meet his visitor. Another servant was dispatched to prepare Sarai and bring her to the throne room.
It was not long before the two haggard, somehow shrunken men faced each other, Pharaoh in his fabulous royal attire on his throne and Abram in his plain shepherd’s garments standing before him. Sarai was radiant, serene, composed and beautiful beyond compare in her own nomadic pilgrim clothing as she stepped from beside the throne to stand beside Abram. They were as they had been when they had first met Pharaoh, except neither man would ever be the same again!
Pharaoh could not resist it, he could not have resisted the impulse if it had meant losing his head. For some reason he just had to vent his anger and frustration upon Abram and tell him he was the cause of all his drastic troubles. He just had to tell Abram he was a liar and Pharaoh was innocent but he was the man paying the price for Abram’s sin. God’s man Abram had to stand there and take it while Satan’s man Pharaoh told the truth when he said God’s man was a liar!
(Gen. 12:18-19) “What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, she is my sister? so I might have her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.” It was one of the few times God and Satan would ever smile at the same time!