Do you believe that Abraham lied about Sarah being his sister?

[4afaithfulone]

And if so, why do you believe he would do this?
And why would God reward him with the kings wealth and riches for lying?
Does our Holy God condone lies and deceptions in His children?

 

[TOG]

He didn't lie.

Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. (Gen. 20:11-12)
​

Sarah was his half-sister.

The TOG​

 

[4afaithfulone]

He didn't lie.

Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. (Gen. 20:11-12)
​

Sarah was his half-sister.

The TOG​

Correct, Now do you remember what the answer to my other questions were?

 

[WIP]

I was reading from Genesis 24 this morning and came to the passages describing how Rebekah and Isaac met. Rebekah was the daughter of Abraham's nephew if I followed the genealogy correctly. Later, in chapter 26 we read about how Isaac did the same thing when he visited Abimelech, king of the Philistines telling anyone that inquired of Rebekah that she was his sister. In this case, wasn't Isaac lying?

 

[TOG]

Correct, Now do you remember what the answer to my other questions were?

Your second question is dependent on the answer to the first being "yes", which it isn't. As for the third, no, God does not condone lying.

I was reading from Genesis 24 this morning and came to the passages describing how Rebekah and Isaac met. Rebekah was the daughter of Abraham's nephew if I followed the genealogy correctly. Later, in chapter 26 we read about how Isaac did the same thing when he visited Abimelech, king of the Philistines telling anyone that inquired of Rebekah that she was his sister. In this case, wasn't Isaac lying?

Yes, that was a lie.

The TOG​

 

[WIP]

Then, maybe this example would be more appropriate to the thread title. As I read further in Genesis 26, after the lie was exposed, Isaac became very wealthy. So much so, that the Philistines became envious and resorted to sabotage of his wells.

So in similar manner,
Why would God reward him with wealth and riches for lying?
Does our Holy God condone lies and deceptions in His children?

 

[TOG]

Then, maybe this example would be more appropriate to the thread title. As I read further in Genesis 26, after the lie was exposed, Isaac became very wealthy. So much so, that the Philistines became envious and resorted to sabotage of his wells.

So in similar manner,
Why would God reward him with wealth and riches for lying?
Does our Holy God condone lies and deceptions in His children?

Did God reward him for lying, or did He reward him in spite of his lying?

The TOG​

 

[Deborah13]

I'm not sure if Issac was lying. In the eastern world close relatives are referred to as sisters and brothers, much the same as we are in Christ spiritually.
My grandson who is half Chinese refers to all his cousins with the term in Chinese for brother or sister,
gaga and meme.
We could say it was a deception but like with Abraham what were the circumstances. I used to think Abraham just asked Sarah to lie to protect himself. But on closer reading Abraham says,
Gen 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. "for thy sake"
Maybe he thought he could buy himself some time in order to rescue her before any damage was done.

 

[4afaithfulone]

I was reading from Genesis 24 this morning and came to the passages describing how Rebekah and Isaac met. Rebekah was the daughter of Abraham's nephew if I followed the genealogy correctly. Later, in chapter 26 we read about how Isaac did the same thing when he visited Abimelech, king of the Philistines telling anyone that inquired of Rebekah that she was his sister. In this case, wasn't Isaac lying?

True, none of them lied. Aren't we too brother's and sister's in Christ? The Israelites are also rather it is by a natural birth or not, they are considered brothers and sister's. Yet we know that it was naturally because Abraham revealed that he did not lie.

Gen 20:11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
KJV

I have heard minister's teach that it is ok to lie if it is for a good reason because Abraham did. In fact I have heard(not sure) that Muslims believe it is fine to lie to infidels because God allowed Abraham. But that is not so as we can see from scripture and is taught in error just as Christians do too.

But Abraham just did not tell the whole truth, for verse 11 tells us why in partial, that because there was no fear of God in this place. For he knew that if he said she was his wife, that carnal man(king) would murder for his lusts, causing him to not only kill Abraham, who did not want to die and leave Sarah his wife with out a godly "head"covering(him), but also so Abimelech would not sin towards God with murder, like his brother Cain who is of the devil's offspring. So by him self sacrificing himself by making himself the smaller one and not raging to harm anyone, he really, in God's eyes was the bigger of the two(him over the king) because he did not put a stumbling block in front of Abimelech to fall over which would be a charge against him come judgment day.
But, Abraham did not go out empty for his GOOD WORKS, God gave Abraham favor and Abimelech sent him out(actually it was by the hand of God) with wealth for Abrahams righteousness. For God owns it all and can give to whom He sees fit!

 

[4afaithfulone]

Did God reward him for lying, or did He reward him in spite of his lying?

The TOG​

I just answered that, but I see that Deborah beat me to the brother and sister thing as I was typing

 

[Sinthesis]

And if so, why do you believe he would do this?
And why would God reward him with the kings wealth and riches for lying?
Does our Holy God condone lies and deceptions in His children?

Abraham was being deceptive to protect his own skin. It was sinful and jeaprodised the honor of Sarah and Abimelech, but fortunately God can forgive sin. Abraham was not rewarded for lying, but because of his relationship with God. Our Holy God can count as righteous lies and deceptions in His children at His discretion.

 

[4afaithfulone]

Then, maybe this example would be more appropriate to the thread title. As I read further in Genesis 26, after the lie was exposed, Isaac became very wealthy. So much so, that the Philistines became envious and resorted to sabotage of his wells.

So in similar manner,
Why would God reward him with wealth and riches for lying?
Does our Holy God condone lies and deceptions in His children?

No, our God says that the devil, IS a liar(who ever they are). I explained in my other response about the wealth.
When we act righteously in our dealings in life, we may not get to keep the illgotten gains that was there for the taking and no one the wiser, but God sees us resist the devil's attempts to defile us, andrewards us even better for not being unfaithful to Christ/The Word to gain them.

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Will we bow to sin to get gain, will we buckle under persecution? We must remain faithful to Christ no matter what situation we are tested in.
Rom 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
KJV

God will not walk away from us, but we can allow ourselves to be separated from God! Can any of these separate us? We are tested daily so be on your guard~

 

[4afaithfulone]

Abraham was being deceptive to protect his own skin. It was sinful and jeaprodised the honor of Sarah and Abimelech, but fortunately God can forgive sin. Abraham was not rewarded for lying, but because of his relationship with God. Our Holy God can count as righteous lies and deceptions in His children at His discretion.

Can you show me where Abraham felt the need to repent? You are in error here, for Abraham clearly says he did not lie. Please read my other responses, Abraham was a righteous man and would never tempt the LORD thy God for his own skin. He was not carnally minded, but sought the things of God.
We must always rightly divide the Word for there is a natural and a spiritual meaning and a Christian will be desiring to understand the spiritual first, then will come the natural as blessings in our life.
Such as this one:
Ps 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
KJV

The carnal eye sees it to say, if you delight yourself in the LORD, He will give you everything you desire!
But God wants us to understand with the spiritual eye first, to see that it is saying, if you delight yourself in the LORD, then HE is going to give you the desires of the heart that you should have..... then guess what? The carnal provison will manifest to us in our life, Just as Solomon learned.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His way of doing things, and all other things shall be added unto you as well.

 

[Sinthesis]

Abraham was righteous, but he was also a sinner. Did he feel justified in his own mind? Perhaps. But that does not make what he did, surrendering his wife Sarah to Abimelech, any less deceptive. Fortunately for all, Abimelech feared God, and tragedy was averted. There are parallels to this event that do not work out as well. Consider Lot's willingness to surrender his two daughters to the men of Sodom, for the protection of the two angels.

 

[4afaithfulone]

Abraham was righteous, but he was also a sinner. Did he feel justified in his own mind? Perhaps. But that does not make what he did, surrendering his wife Sarah to Abimelech, any less deceptive. Fortunately for all, Abimelech feared God, and tragedy was averted. There are parallels to this event that do not work out as well. Consider Lot's willingness to surrender his two daughters to the men of Sodom, for the protection of the two angels.

Yes, because you should protect anyone who comes into your home from harm, especially when they are of God.

My point is that he did not lie, he just left out the part about her being his wife as well as his sister:
Gen 20:12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
KJV
It is obvious that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, or else Jesus came for nothing, but he did not lie about her being his sister.

 

[WIP]

True, none of them lied. Aren't we too brother's and sister's in Christ? The Israelites are also rather it is by a natural birth or not, they are considered brothers and sister's. Yet we know that it was naturally because Abraham revealed that he did not lie.

Gen 20:11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
KJV

I have heard minister's teach that it is ok to lie if it is for a good reason because Abraham did. In fact I have heard(not sure) that Muslims believe it is fine to lie to infidels because God allowed Abraham. But that is not so as we can see from scripture and is taught in error just as Christians do too.

But Abraham just did not tell the whole truth, for verse 11 tells us why in partial, that because there was no fear of God in this place. For he knew that if he said she was his wife, that carnal man(king) would murder for his lusts, causing him to not only kill Abraham, who did not want to die and leave Sarah his wife with out a godly "head"covering(him), but also so Abimelech would not sin towards God with murder, like his brother Cain who is of the devil's offspring. So by him self sacrificing himself by making himself the smaller one and not raging to harm anyone, he really, in God's eyes was the bigger of the two(him over the king) because he did not put a stumbling block in front of Abimelech to fall over which would be a charge against him come judgment day.
But, Abraham did not go out empty for his GOOD WORKS, God gave Abraham favor and Abimelech sent him out(actually it was by the hand of God) with wealth for Abrahams righteousness. For God owns it all and can give to whom He sees fit!

I'm not quite sure I see it this way. In Abraham's case, he was in fact married to his paternal half sister. Isaac and Rebekah however were not blood brother or sister. If we are to take Abraham's explanation as the basis for truth, should we not also use the same explanation with regard to Isaac? Or, do we change the meaning of text to make things work to our understanding? The brother/sister relationship by race or nationality sounds more like a convenient excuse for what Isaac did.

 

[Sinthesis]

Yes, because you should protect anyone who comes into your home from harm, especially when they are of God.

My point is that he did not lie, he just left out the part about her being his wife as well as his sister:
Gen 20:12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
KJV
It is obvious that all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, or else Jesus came for nothing, but he did not lie about her being his sister.

Those angels didn't need Lot's protection. When he offered up his daughters, Lot proved he didn't trust God for the protection of those angels.

Abraham admits to a lie of omission. Did Abraham tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, with the help of God? No, Abraham didn't trust God to save him from Abimelech.

 

[poetofparables]

And if so, why do you believe he would do this?
And why would God reward him with the kings wealth and riches for lying?
Does our Holy God condone lies and deceptions in His children?

I think I get what you mean 4faithful, you're pretty on the ball. I think your OP is trying to explain a paradox, I think, maybe.