Beginnings: A Study In GenesisSample

What does it say?

Canaan suffered a severe drought and famine. Abram temporarily relocated to Egypt, but his fear of being killed caused him to ask Sarai to say she was his sister, not his wife.

What does it mean?

Abram believed only drastic action would save his family and chose to go to Egypt until the famine in Canaan ended. However, Abram gave in to fear and asked his wife to participate in a half-truth. Sarai was his father’s daughter (Gen. 20:12) but not his mother’s. She was both his wife and half-sister. Abram’s uncharacteristic deception left both Sarai and the Egyptians open to sin and taught his family that deceit is acceptable. His actions also demonstrated a lack of trust in God to protect him. God Himself was a defense for Sarai in this situation—He kept her safe. It was only God’s grace that caused this episode to end well.

How should I respond?

Since childhood we’ve all been told that honesty is the best policy. If you’re a parent, you teach and expect honesty in your children. But, like Abram, we all have moments when fear, selfishness, or convenience tempts us to be less than completely honest. A half-truth might technically be correct; but if the objective is to mislead someone, then you’re practicing deception. In what situation do you need to relinquish control and trust God for the outcome? Has your family learned to trust or to doubt God by watching your example? Remember, a half-truth is a whole lie.