Look at Abraham, head down, shuffling out of Egypt, his reputation in tatters. His wife has suffered, he’s been evicted from a place of security, sent packing by a terse command from the enraged Pharaoh. He used just four brief Hebrew words: ‘Here – wife – take – go!’ It might seem surprising that the mighty despot didn’t execute the hapless pair, or at least punish them severely. Perhaps he just wanted rid of them; smitten by the plague, he didn’t want to tangle with them anymore. Or perhaps Pharaoh feared whoever had brought the diseases onto him and his household. What isn’t surprising is that Abraham offered not a single word of defence: he knew he had been utterly wrong, and now there was no defence to be mounted.
But the Psalmist reveals that, in their wanderings and wilfulness, the Patriarchs were protected by the faithful God. And notice that, later in Scripture, Abraham is consistently celebrated as a hero of faith, without any mention of his huge failures and scandals. That says so much about the character of God, who doesn’t forget our sins, but rather chooses to remember them no more, which is much more proactive and deliberate. Our sins don’t slip His mind, but are placed behind His back. If you’re currently flushed with shame, or hugely embarrassed – not only because of a scandal you’ve been involved in, but also because you’ve been caught in the act and your shame is public – then please know this: there can and will be another, better day. The faithfulness of God is not cancelled by our mistakes and sins. Fallen down? Get up, and walk with God into another, better season.