Genesis 26 6:12

[Jseitz81]

Hey guys

So ive been getting into Genesis lately:
Ok we heres my thing we all know Lieing is wrong and against God's commandments but it clearly stated that Isaac Lied because He was afraid he would be killed because of his wife. Thing is God blessed him in end maybe not for the fact of lieing but He never was rebuked for sinning. So if it comes down to keeping ones life is it ok to lie? even tho its against our will? I donno maybe im interpetating it wrong i always thought a lie was a lie and you shouldnt do it..period.

(If you read before Abraham has done it as well, told people that his wife was his sister) i dont get it

Any thoughts? I copied the scripture so you didnt have to look it up


6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.


Any thoughts??

God Bless!

 

[CShephard53]

Thought: perhaps the rebuke wasn't recorded for the sake of room?

 

[HypnoToad]

I've sinned (probably more than once), yet I don't recall God ever once directly speaking to me to yell at me for it; as is likely the experience of most people.

Direct rebukes from God are the exception, not the usual. So there's nothing surprising that there isn't one written in this case.

 

[Idea]

letter of the law or spirit of the law?

Here is another little Gen account..
It is against the law to murder too...

1 AND it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of dMoriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
(Old Testament | Genesis 22:1 - 2)

As for your example - He was telling the truth

She is my sister

We are all brothers and sisters are we not? So it was not a lie.

 

[Daral]

There's a multitude of sins in Genesis and other parts of the bible (Judges for example) that never receive a direct rebuke. Some of them receive implicit rebukes, but nothing direct. I could probably list about 10 of them off the top of my head, and I'm sure there's dozens more. Just 2-3 good examples:

1 Sam 1
5But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"

1 Sam 3
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple [a] of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

This is absolutely grievous; the lamp of God was never supposed to go out according to the book of Moses.

Judges 14
8 Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion's carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, 9 which he scooped out with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion's carcass.

Another careless violation of the Law, by a Nazirite no less. Detestable, but no explicit rebuke.

 

[rshanen]

Rom 4:7-8 "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are forgiven. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

 

[BrotherDave]

I think what we learn from these events is how difficult it is to live the way God tells us to and to trust in Him completely. Even for Isaac. Regarding God’s instruction to Abraham to kill his only son here God is showing that He tests His people. Will they listen to Him alone or do what they think is right? Abraham was going to do exactly what God instructed him to even though it was his only son. I can’t even imagine how difficult that was for him. He passed the test. Most do not. Even Adam who was surrounded by everything good failed God’s test when he ate the apple. Christ on the other hand passed the tests of being tempted by Satan not to mention the constant attacks by the Pharisees.

We also can see how God as a loving father forgives and rewards His people. He uses the trials to strengthen our faith, to correct us and bring us closer to him. Some tests are simple and some very difficult. These examples help us to understand that there are nonrightoeous (Rom 3:10, Ecc 7:20), that all fall short of the glory of God we are all sinners (Gal 3:22) and cannot choose to be good in God’s eyes.

We can also learn the importance of knowing what God expects of us verses what someone else say’s we should or should not do. I bet if Abraham told anyone else what he was going to do most everyone would have tried to stop him because it was wrong or just couldn’t really be what God wanted. I think this is a great example for us today. Are we humbly listening to God through the bible alone and pray or are we listening to someone else and putting the doctrines of a church before the Bible, the entire bible. This is so important now with the explosion of false gospels (2 Tim 4:3, Eph 4:14, Gal 1: 9, Mat 15:8). We have to constantly be on guard and make sure our beliefs align with Bible (Gal 6:4, I Thess 5: 17).

 

[tqpix]

Hey guys

So ive been getting into Genesis lately:
Ok we heres my thing we all know Lieing is wrong and against God's commandments but it clearly stated that Isaac Lied because He was afraid he would be killed because of his wife. Thing is God blessed him in end maybe not for the fact of lieing but He never was rebuked for sinning. So if it comes down to keeping ones life is it ok to lie? even tho its against our will? I donno maybe im interpetating it wrong i always thought a lie was a lie and you shouldnt do it..period.

(If you read before Abraham has done it as well, told people that his wife was his sister) i dont get it

Any thoughts? I copied the scripture so you didnt have to look it up


6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.


Any thoughts??

God Bless!

Don't forget, there was also a prostitute in the New Testament that lied and God blessed her.

 

[BeforeTheFoundation]

We are all brothers and sisters are we not? So it was not a lie.

I think that it is dangerous to try to claim that he was not lying on account of us all being brothers and sisters in faith. The idea of us being siblings is more of a later Christian idea not an early Jewish idea. I think that the story is rather destroyed if we posit that he wasn't lying and honestly I think that it does a disservice to the text.

I think that it is important to remember that there are many things that the Patriarchs did that certainly seem to be horrible actions but they are rarely if ever reprimanded for it. That does not mean that they are condoned and certainly does not mean that when they are rewarded their rewards are because of these actions.

As to why people like this are not reprimanded it very well might have simply been out of respect. When the text was written down everyone knew that certain actions (lying in this case) were wrong, however, Isaac is a very respected Patriarch. It seems that perhaps the scribe recording this account would not have wanted to damage the reputation of a respected man for the simply reason of teaching the people an obvious lesson that they already knew.

 

[beamishboy]

Don't forget, there was also a prostitute in the New Testament that lied and God blessed her.

I thought it was in the O.T. The prostitute Rahab lied to save the Israelite spies and Hebrews counts her as faithful. Not just was she not rebuked, she was said to be faithful.

 

[Gareth]

Hey guys

So ive been getting into Genesis lately:
Ok we heres my thing we all know Lieing is wrong and against God's commandments but it clearly stated that Isaac Lied because He was afraid he would be killed because of his wife. Thing is God blessed him in end maybe not for the fact of lieing but He never was rebuked for sinning. So if it comes down to keeping ones life is it ok to lie? even tho its against our will? I donno maybe im interpetating it wrong i always thought a lie was a lie and you shouldnt do it..period.

(If you read before Abraham has done it as well, told people that his wife was his sister) i dont get it

Any thoughts? I copied the scripture so you didnt have to look it up


6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar:
7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to look upon.
8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.
10 And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.
11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.


Any thoughts??

God Bless!

I think you'll find Abraham and Sarah were cousins. She was a strikingly attractive woman and Abraham feared for his life. So they agreed to pretend to be brother and sister. It only came out later what their true relationship was. (Gen. 12:10-20)

The same was true with Isaac and Rebekah. But was it lying? Well it wasn't telling the truth as such. They too were cousins. And in some situations we too might find ourselves in a situation where we may have to be expediant with the truth. For example, under Soviet Russia, Christians would be picked up by the KGB and questioned about their activities. They would demand information that could put fellow Christians at risk. What would you do in that situation? Be expediant with the answer. Just like Isaac and Rebekah were.

 

[zeke37]

I think you'll find Abraham and Sarah were cousins. She was a strikingly attractive woman and Abraham feared for his life. So they agreed to pretend to be brother and sister. It only came out later what their true relationship was. (Gen. 12:10-20)

The same was true with Isaac and Rebekah. But was it lying? Well it wasn't telling the truth as such. They too were cousins. And in some situations we too might find ourselves in a situation where we may have to be expediant with the truth. For example, under Soviet Russia, Christians would be picked up by the KGB and questioned about their activities. They would demand information that could put fellow Christians at risk. What would you do in that situation? Be expediant with the answer. Just like Isaac and Rebekah were.

Gen11:29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.



Gen12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.

6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land.

7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.

11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:

12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

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.


this was not a lie.....



first off, God had made Abram promises of seed exceedingly...so Abram would have to be alive for that to happen....

and they were to be blessed with many things including wealth...which is the result of this so called untruth...(that is repeated again later by them, and told as well through Issac and Rebbecca...same scenario...


and those in the land of Canaan as well as those in Egypt did not live by Abram's standards and morals...they knew NOT the Lord in those land...

and this was part of the way in which God would bless them, as they get paid off (kinda restitution both times)

....tell them we are brother and sister....


that is not a lie....


they are indeed half brother and sister as we learn in Gen 20:12

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

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.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

I hope this helps some.....

in His service
c

 

[zeke37]

they are indeed half brother and sister as we learn in Gen 20:12

10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

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.

13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.

I hope this helps some.....

in His service
c

 

[TimRout]

I think you'll find Abraham and Sarah were cousins. She was a strikingly attractive woman and Abraham feared for his life. So they agreed to pretend to be brother and sister. It only came out later what their true relationship was. (Gen. 12:10-20)

The same was true with Isaac and Rebekah. But was it lying? Well it wasn't telling the truth as such. They too were cousins. And in some situations we too might find ourselves in a situation where we may have to be expediant with the truth. For example, under Soviet Russia, Christians would be picked up by the KGB and questioned about their activities. They would demand information that could put fellow Christians at risk. What would you do in that situation? Be expediant with the answer. Just like Isaac and Rebekah were.

Actually, Abraham and Sarah were half brother and sister [Genesis 20:12] -- same father, different mothers. The issue wasn't genetics; Sarah was Abraham's wife and there is no excusing his lie. One may not lie in self-defense.

On the other hand, the Bible seems to indicate that it may be appropriate to lie out of loyalty to God. As previously mentioned, Rahab lied to protect Israel's spies [Joshua 2:4], but it is important to note that she did this for Yahweh, not the spies [Joshua 2:11]. Similarly, Shiphrah and Puah (two Hebrew midwives) lied to Pharaoh regarding their inability to kill Israelite boys at birth [Exodus 1:15-21], yet they too were blessed for lying.

In our day and age, "truth" is often about being true to the fact. In ancient Bible times, "truth" was about being true to someone. God blesses those who put their loyalty to Him above all else.

I would argue this applies perfectly to those European Christians who, out of loyalty to God, risked their lives and hid Jews during WWII. When the SS came calling, they'd say, "What Jews? We don't have any stinking Jews around here!" And God blessed them for it.