Pretty Lies, Big Consequences
True confession, I love telenovelas and always have! Soap operas from the Spanish-speaking world are jam-packed with drama. When I was in High School, I used to watch a novela on Univision called “A Todo Corazon,” a Venezuelan drama following the life and problems of young high school students. In my late twenties and early thirties, I would tune in weekly to watch “Soy Tu Duena,” the story of Valentina Villalba Rangel, a beautiful young lady who inherited her parent’s fortune and ranch. Valentina is left at the altar and swears never to let another man hurt her again. As William Congreave wrote in his 1697 play, The Mourning Bride, “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.”
Apart from being the inerrant, infallible word of the Living God, the Bible is a wonderfully scandalous novela containing vivid accounts of love, lies, deception, betrayal, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and redemption. In this week’s reflection, we look to an unlikely figure to understand how a lie and a deception become a generational curse.
Abraham, the patriarch of our faith, is most often thought of and regarded for his faithfulness. He is one of the few bible figures highlighted in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews in what has come to be known as the roll call of faith. In the twelfth chapter of Genesis, we find Abraham, at that point named Abram, with his wife Sarah, who at that point was called Sarai, in the land of Egypt. Upon arrival, Abram devises a scheme, telling his wife that he will introduce her as his sister out of fear for his life.
“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.’ 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 our sake.” Genesis 12: 10-13 ESV
Now there is so much wrong with this scene. Abram has not only committed a premeditated act of deception, but he has also disrespected his wife and made her an accomplice in his sinful act. Ironically, all of this comes on the heel of Abram having received a blessing from the Lord in Chapter 12.
“3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3 ESV
Abram, it seems, acted out of fear despite having received the promise of God’s protection. Abram’s actions bring forth consequences that will affect Sarai, his wife, whom Pharoah unwittingly takes into his home, and Pharoah’s entire house, who are afflicted by the Lord, suffering great plagues for having taken in another man’s wife. The consequences of Abram’s deception don’t stop with Pharoah; in fact, the sin of deception is passed down three generations to his own son Isaac, who commits nearly the identical sin in Genesis 26:6-11.
Having received a similar promise and blessing from the Lord, Isaac later deceives Abimelech, king of the Philistines, by presenting Rebekah, his wife, as his sister. Jacob, Isaac’s son, goes on to deceive Isaac in the twenty-seventh chapter of Genesis, exploiting his elderly father’s poor vision by posing as his older brother Esau to receive the blessing reserved for the firstborn son. The curse of deception appears once again, this time committed by Jacob’s sons who, out of jealousy, strip their brother Joseph, Jacob’s favourite child, of his prized colourful robe and sell him for a profit to passing Ishmaelites, telling their father Jacob that a fierce animal had devoured Joseph. Genesis 37:18-36.
Now how is that for some drama? It rivals any primetime mini-series I have seen.
So what can we learn from Abram’s error?
We are all imperfect and vulnerable to fear. Abram and Isaac act out of fear despite God’s blessing and promise of protection. If God is who He says He is, we can trust He will do what He says He will do.
The impact of sin, whether big or small, is far-reaching. At the time, Abram’s ruse may have seemed like a small white lie or half-truth. Sarah was, in fact, his half-sister. Nonetheless, it was an act of deception rooted in his apparent lack of trust in God’s promise. Amazingly, Isaac committed nearly the exact same sin as Abram. It is often the case that we see our flaws manifest in our own children.
God is patient and faithful. What is remarkable about this whole account is that despite their imperfections, the Lord is patient and faithful to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, honouring His promises and extending to them His favour. There are numerous accounts in the Bible where the Lord introduces Himself as the God of Abram (later Abraham), Isaac, and Jacob.
In next week’s reflection, we will explore how the generational impact of Abraham’s sin is broken and how the Lord fulfills his plans despite our imperfections.
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Prayer
Lord, thank you for your patience, grace, and mercy. You are faithful to us despite our imperfections. Please give us strength to believe you are who you say you are and the faith to believe you will do what you say you will do. Let your Holy Spirit reveal to us any sin in our lives that we might confess and turn away from it.
In Christ,
Amen
