Abram instructed Sarai, "Say you are my sister"

[tonychanyt]

There was a famine in Canaan in Gen 12. Abram took Sarai to Egypt to escape the famine. He instructed her:

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.”

Did Abram tell his wife to lie?

Sarai was Abram's half-sister. It was a half truth—or half lie. The statement was meant to deceive the Egyptians. It was a lie in heart.

Gill explained:

though it was not putting a direct lie into her mouth, she being his sister in some sense, as appears from Genesis 20:12 yet it was done to conceal truth, and to deceive the Egyptians, and tended to endanger his wife's chastity,

Abram jeopardized his wife's honor.

as well as showed great timorousness in him, and distrust of the divine care and protection of him;

It showed Abram's deficiency of faith in God.

and upon the whole it must be criminal in him, and shows that the best of men are liable to sin, and the strongest believer to fall, and that a saint may fail in the exercise of that grace for which he is most eminent, as Abram was for his faith, and yet fell into unbelief, and through that into other sins; this he said to his wife, and desired her to say on occasion, when she found it necessary: that it may be well with me for thy sake; his life spared, as follows:
and my soul shall live because of thee; his life be safe and secure for her sake, being reckoned her brother, whereas he feared it would be in the utmost danger should it be known she was his wife.

Abram used/manipulated his wife to save his own skin. His scheme worked only because God interceded and worked with sinners like Abram and us.

What was the reason the story of Abram telling Sarai to tell people that she was his sister and not his wife included in the Bible?

It shows that the Bible writers told it like it was. They did not try to cover things up.

Abram would learn to grow in faith in God as he walked with God more and more.

 

[One God and Father of All]

Abraham believed that because his wife was very beautiful that the Egyptians would kill him if they knew she was his wife. The Egyptians took Sarah and treated Abraham well. But when they found out she was his wife they didn’t kill Abraham even though he lied to them. Pharaoh was angry because he might have married a married woman.

Was Abraham correct in thinking the Egyptians would kill him if they knew Sarah was his wife?

 

[One God and Father of All]

Abraham didn’t lie to Sarah, she knew she was Abrahams wife. He wanted her to lie to the Egyptians.

 

[tonychanyt]

Was Abraham correct in thinking the Egyptians would kill him if they knew Sarah was his wife?

Sure. BTW, he was known as Abram at that time. If he had told the whole truth, would he be killed by the Egyptians?

 

[tonychanyt]

Abraham didn’t lie to Sarah

Right. Did I say Abraham lied to Sarah?

 

[One God and Father of All]

Right. Did I say Abraham lied to Sarah?

You said he half lied To her. But he didn’t lie at all to her. He simply wanted her to lie to the Egyptians.

 

[tonychanyt]

You said he half lied To her.

Can you quote my words where I said that?

 

[One God and Father of All]

Sure. BTW, he was known as Abram at that time. If he had had told the whole truth, would he have been killed by the Egyptians?

God would not allowed him to be killed by the Egyptians because He had plans for Abraham. But Abraham didn’t know it yet.

 

[One God and Father of All]

Right. Did I say Abraham lied to Sarah?

my apologies. After rereading, you did not say he lied to Sarah. My mistake.

 

[tonychanyt]

God would not allowed him to be killed by the Egyptians because He had plans for Abraham. But Abraham didn’t know it yet.

Abram should have known if he had enough faith.