Abraham's Narrative In The Relationship Between Abram And Sarai

Thesis Statement Abraham’s narrative in the relationship between Abram and Sarai focuses on God’s righteousness and fidelity rather than Abram’s righteousness as the paragon of faith through J view.

Abram’s commitment to hurt Sarai
When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account.” (Gen 12:11-13, NRSV) According to God’s covenant, Abram went to Canaan with Sarai as his wife, but the reason Sarai followed Abram was only for Abram, who is her husband, not for God, because God said only Abram his covenant. Therefore, Sarai was only able to feel God’s image and to understand his covenant through Abram’s saying and life. As soon as Abram and Sarai followed God’s commandment from Haran, they suffered famine in Canaan and moved to Egypt. And then Abram said in Egypt that she is his sister, not his wife to keep his life from Egyptians, so Pharaoh believed his mention and took Sarai into his house. In this situation, how could Sarai feel God’s righteous and fidelity from Abram’s treating her? According to Marvin Sweeney, the author of
Theodore Hiebert, the author of “Genesis” in Theological Bible Commentary, asserts, “J stories put Abraham in ambiguous position and want to emphasize God’s action over human efforts in the wellbeing and success of the ancestors and their descendant.” Although Abram’s weakness made his family fall into hardship not to get faith for God, God had continuously met him and his family and touched them and console them and ultimately accomplish his