Devotional Thoughts about Genesis 12:10-20 and Chapter 20
The main emphasis of these twin stories seems to be God showing egotistical kings that He is God, and they’d better keep their hands off of Abraham and Sarah. When their kingdoms suffered from plagues and infertility, those rulers clearly got the message and were anxious to back off, loading Abraham up with gifts to win his good favor.
But the elephant in the room is Abraham’s lie at the outset of each encounter. Even the man who was called the friend of God (James 2:23) succumbed to hedging the truth, as we all often do. The unflattering honesty of the Bible mirrors people’s true condition. The narrative doesn’t comment directly on the lies but records justified reproaches from both Pharaoh and Abimelech.
These examples of a white lie show that even before the middle of Genesis, the first Bible book, people had already begun refining sin, making it seem more reputable. The English term “white lie” implies purity of motive. "Notlüge", the German expression for the same thing, indicates a situational justification, which is what Abraham claimed.
I sometimes catch myself rehearsing phrasing that I hope will put my actions in the best possible light. But God already knows my slightest thoughts and motives, and I need to remember that He’s the one to whom we’ll all answer (Hebrews 4:12,13). Lord, when I’ve lied or am tempted to lie, help me to notice, turn away from it and tell the truth for Your glory.
Downloading lesson files
If you're interested in the lesson file, simply click on the appropriate link above to download it in the desired language. See the Informational Pages in the right column for more about the lesson series. The next two blogs will continue the Honesty series.
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