Genesis 12:10-19
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.”
Twice Abraham and Sarah lied about their relationship (Genesis 12:10-19 and 20:1-18), and then Abraham's pattern of lying was passed down to his son Isaac who made the same mistake (Genesis 26:6-11). In each case they acted out of fear, fear that they would be killed if they told the truth. They were living in an ungodly culture, and felt they needed to twist the truth in order to "fit in" and survive. We may be tempted to likewise twist the truth to be accepted in our culture. Or we may be tempted to deny or modify certain relationships in order to accommodate to the dominant culture. How often have we lied about our sexual experiences in order to be accepted? We are called to a counter-cultural lifestyle, and we need to be willing to accept the repercussions of that, trusting in God's protection.
Lord, you are ruler over all, yet too easily I live in fear that you
will not protect me. Too often I try to "fit in" to be accepted. But what I really need is Your acceptance, not the world's acceptance. Help me to trust Your protection, and do what is right, even if that means taking a risk or standing against the culture.
10 Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, 12 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” 14 When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. 15 And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.16 And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
17 But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife. 18 So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife; take her, and go.”
Twice Abraham and Sarah lied about their relationship (Genesis 12:10-19 and 20:1-18), and then Abraham's pattern of lying was passed down to his son Isaac who made the same mistake (Genesis 26:6-11). In each case they acted out of fear, fear that they would be killed if they told the truth. They were living in an ungodly culture, and felt they needed to twist the truth in order to "fit in" and survive. We may be tempted to likewise twist the truth to be accepted in our culture. Or we may be tempted to deny or modify certain relationships in order to accommodate to the dominant culture. How often have we lied about our sexual experiences in order to be accepted? We are called to a counter-cultural lifestyle, and we need to be willing to accept the repercussions of that, trusting in God's protection.
Lord, you are ruler over all, yet too easily I live in fear that you
will not protect me. Too often I try to "fit in" to be accepted. But what I really need is Your acceptance, not the world's acceptance. Help me to trust Your protection, and do what is right, even if that means taking a risk or standing against the culture.