Genesis chapter 20 Star Chart: Clockwise from 1852 B.C. -- the year before Isaac was born in chapter 21 in 1851 B.C. -- we add 275° days pregnancy. Recall that "Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him" (Gen. 21:5). The correct rendering probably is, “And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother (a gift worth) a thousand (pieces) of silver: behold, it shall be to thee for a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee (so large a compensation for the wrong done thee in taking thee from thy husband, will be a proof to all thy friends and family that thou hast not been disgraced, but treated with honour); and in respect of all that has happened thou art thus righted.”
|
|---|
Abraham Lied About Sarah To Protect His Life
20:1 And Abraham journeyed (Ophiuchus walked) from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham (Ophiuchus) (red radius) said of Sarah (Virgo) his wife, She is my (Gemini) sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar (Cepheus) sent, and (red radius) took Sarah (Virgo).
3 But God (Argo) (red radius) came to Abimelech (Cepheus) in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a (red radius) dead man (Ophiuchus), for the woman (Virgo) which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
for taking her without her free and full consent -- by force.
4 But Abimelech (Ophiuchus) had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
5 Said he not unto me, (red radius) She is my (Gemini) sister? and she (Pollux), even she herself (red radius) said, He is my (Gemini) brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
6 And God (Argo) (red radius) said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore (red radius) restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
"Beware of all whoredom, my son, and chiefly take a wife of the seed of thy fathers, and take not a strange woman to wife, which is not of thy father's tribe: for we are the children of the prophets, Noe, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: remember, my son, that our fathers from the beginning, even that they all married wives of their own kindred, and were blessed in their children, and their seed shall inherit the land.'' (Tobit 4:12)
8 Therefore Abimelech (Ophiuchus) rose early in the (red radius horizon sunrise) morning, and called all his (Gemini) servants, and told all these things in their (lunar ear) ears: and the (Gemini) men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech (Ophiuchus) (red radius) called Abraham (Pollux), and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
10 And Abimelech (Ophiuchus)(red radius) said unto Abraham, What sawest thou (in the starchart), that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham (Ophiuchus) said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will (red radius) slay me (Pollux) for my (Castor) wife's sake.
Abraham was looking at a star chart and saw the red radius line through his Pollux head or Ophiuchus head.
12 And yet indeed she is my (Gemini) sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my (Gemini) wife.
The marriage with a half-sister was evidently permitted in David’s time (cf. 2 Samuel 13:13); and it was practised in the days of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 22:11), though forbidden by the laws of Leviticus 18:9; Leviticus 18:9; Leviticus 18:11; Leviticus 20:17; Deuteronomy 27:22. It is said to have been permitted in Phoenicia and Egypt.
Abraham’s excuse is based upon a half truth. Sarah may have been truly his sister; but this statement was no moral justification for his suppression of the fact that she was his wife.
And yet indeed she is my sister,.... In the same sense as Lot was his brother; for she was sister to Lot, and both were the children of Haran, the brother of Abraham:
she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; she was the daughter of his father, being his granddaughter, grandchildren are sometimes called children, but not the daughter or granddaughter of Abraham's mother; Terah having had two wives, by the one he had Haran, the father of Sarah, and by the other Abraham. According to the Arabic writers (f), Abraham and Sarah were the immediate children of Terah, but by two mothers:"the mother of Abraham (they say) died, whose name was Juna, and Terah married another wife, whose name was Lahazib, some say Tahuitha, who bore him Sarah, afterwards married to Abraham; hence Abraham said, she is my sister on my father's side, but not on my mother's side:"
and she became my wife; as in those times it was judged lawful, and so it has been accounted lawful in many nations to marry sisters on the father's side, when those on the mother's were prohibited (g).
(f) Elmacinus, p. 51. Patricides, p. 17. apud Hottinger. Smegma Oriental. p. 281. (g) Vid. Philo. de Special. Leg. p. 779. Clement. Alex. Stromat. l. 2. p. 421.
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander (Ophiuchus walking) from my (red radius) father's house, that I (red radius) said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, (red radius) say of me, He is my (Gemini) brother.
"he is my brother"; and so he hoped, instead of being ill used, he should meet with favour and friendship on her account, being thus nearly related to her: this he observes to Abimelech, to show that this was an old agreement, near thirty years ago, when they first set out on their travels, and was no new device and scheme which they pursued on account of him and his people in particular; but what they had formerly agreed upon should be said in all places wherever they came, and therefore there was no intention to affront Abimelech; only it supposed they might come into places where wicked men dwelt.
14 And Abimelech took (Aries) sheep, and (Taurus) oxen, and (Gemini) menservants, and (Gemini) womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah (Virgo) his wife.
Abimelech’s gift is intended to compensate Abraham for injury to his honour.
15 And Abimelech (Ophiuchus) (red radius) said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
16 And unto Sarah (Virgo) he (red radius) said, Behold, I have given thy (Gemini) brother a thousand pieces of (lunar) silver: behold, he is to thee a (half-moon blindfold) covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
he tells her that he had given him so much money to buy her a veil with, and to supply her with veils from time to time to cover her eyes, that nobody might be tempted to lust after her, and that it might be known she was a married woman; for in these countries married women wore veils for distinction, Genesis 24:65; and so not to be had by another, nor would any be deceived by her
“A covering of the eyes” is a metaphor for a gift, which will have the effect of appeasing indignation and of causing the offended person to forget, or be blind to, the offence. Cf. Genesis 32:20, “I will appease him,” lit. “cover his face”; 1 Samuel 12:3, “of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind mine eyes therewith”; Job 9:24, “he covereth the faces of the judges.” There is no need to suppose that there is any reference to a woman’s veil (Genesis 24:65), as if the money paid was to be in lieu of lost modesty, symbolized by the veil. Sarah is righted, and her honour saved; but whether the translation should be “and in respect of all that has happened,” or “and in regard to all men, thou art put right,” remains uncertain.
17 So Abraham (Pollux)(red radius) prayed unto God: and God (red radius) healed Abimelech (Ophiuchus), and his (Virgo) wife, and his (Gemini) maidservants; and they bare (Coma) children.
18 For the Lord had fast (red radius) closed up all the (Virgo and Coma) wombs of the (red radius) house of Abimelech, because of (Virgo) Sarah Abraham's (Ophiuchus's) wife.
Is Lying Always Wrong?
Supreme Court Justice James Agler Fee said, "The privilege against self-incrimination, which is basically to ensure your freedom is neither accorded to the passive resistant nor the person who is ignorant of his rights, nor to one indifferent thereto. It is a fighting clause. It's benefits can be retained only by sustained combat. It cannot be retained by attorney or solicitor. It is valid only when insisted upon by a belligerent claimant in person. The one who is persuaded by honeyed words or moral suasion to testify or produce rather than to make a last ditch stand to ensure their own freedom simply loses the protection. He must refuse to answer or produce. And against all odds."
1.) Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 12:22).
2.) "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another" (Leviticus 19:11).
3.) The devil is the father of lies (John 8:44)
4.) One lie to the Holy Spirit was worthy of instant death for Ananias (Acts 5:3–5).
5.)
"The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment" (Proverbs 12:19).
6.) "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family" (Proverbs 6:16–19).
7.) "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).
8.) “So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors” (4:25).
9.) We will “speak the truth to our neighbors” (Ephesians 4:25).
10.) "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth" (Ephesians 6:14).
Does a “Righteous Lie” Really Exist?
The most common illustration of this dilemma comes from the life of Corrie ten Boom in Nazi-occupied Holland. Essentially, the story is this: Corrie ten Boom is hiding Jews in her home to protect them from the Nazis. Nazi soldiers come to her home and ask her if she knows where any Jews are hiding. What is she to do? Should she tell the truth and allow the Nazis to capture the Jews she was trying to protect? Or, should she lie and deny that she knows anything about them? In an instance such as this, where lying may be the only possible way to prevent a horrible evil, perhaps lying would be an acceptable thing to do.
"Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor" (Ex. 20:16 )
The Bible says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy NEIGHBOR" (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20). But who is our "NEIGHBOR"?
Jesus answered, "He that shewed mercy on him" (Luke 10:37) -- not an enemy. Therefore, we should not LIE to anyone who shows KINDNESS to us. But Abraham said "She is my sister" to Abimelech, a powerful stranger, who then took Abraham's wife by force. This was not the act of a FRIEND. Neither were the Nazis friends to the Jews.
What Was "Written For Our Learning" (Rom.15:4)? Who Are Our "Examples" (1 Cor. 10:11)?
The examples of obedience by ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JOSHUA, RAHAB, SAMUEL and DAVID to biblical laws were "written for our learning" (Rom.15:4) and "these things (righteous acts in the OLDER TESTAMENT) were our examples" and "they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor.10:6,11). "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for DOCTRINE, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION in RIGHTEOUSNESS" (2 Tim.3:16) and the only "scripture" known to Timothy at that time was the "Older Testament." And "whatever things were written aforetime (in the Older Testament) were written for our learning" (Rom.15:4).“Now all these things happened unto them for EXAMPLES: and they are written for our ADMONITION, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (1 Cor. 10:11). There are many heroes of the faith who LIED to the wicked. Therefore, we should follow their EXAMPLE. Don't "strengthen the hands of evildoers" (Ez. 13:22; Jer. 23:14). "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you" (Matt. 7:6). Don't give "way before the wicked" (Pr. 25:26). Even our right against self-incrimination specifies that no man is required to testify against himself.
1.) Abraham, to protect his life, LIED to the king of Egypt by saying that Sarah was his sister and not his wife (Gen. 12:11-20, 20:1-12), Sarah was Abraham’s half cousin so he was technically correct. "She is my sister" (Genesis 20:2), was true (v. 12). Likewise, Sarah said, "He is my brother" (v. 5), which was true. Yet it was not "the whole truth." The intention was to MISLEAD. Abraham was our "EXAMPLE" (1 Cor. 10:11).
2.) Later Isaac did the same thing with Rebecca (Gen. 26:7). Isaac LIED.
3.) Midwives LIED to Pharaoh to protect the lives of Hebrew babies: “The Hebrew women ... are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them” (Exodus 1:19). Therefore “God was kind to the midwives" (1:20-21). They are our "EXAMPLES" (1 Cor. 10:11).
4.) Rahab hid Israelite spies and LIED when the king's messengers came to her door. She said,“The men came to me, but I did not know where they came from. And when it was time to close the gate at dark, the men went out. Where the men went I do not know. Pursue them quickly, for you can overtake them” (Joshua 2:4–5). She is celebrated for her faith in Hebrews 11:31 and for her works in James 2:25. She is an "EXAMPLE" for us (1 Cor. 10:11).
5.) In Joshua 8, God, who "cannot LIE " (Titus 1:2), instructed Joshua to "lay an AMBUSH for the city [of Ai] behind it" (v.2). Now, it seems impossible for anyone to try and deny that an AMBUSH, by definition, is DECEPTIVE. An actual reading of Joshua 8:1-8, makes this very clear: "Now the LORD said to Joshua: 'Take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an AMBUSH for the city behind it.' So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night. And he commanded them, saying: 'Behold, you shall lie in AMBUSH against the city, behind the city. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready. Then I and all the people who [are] with me will approach the city; and it will come about, when they come out against us as at the first, that we shall flee before them. For they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city, for they will say, '[They are] fleeing before us as at the first.' Therefore we will flee before them. Then you shall rise from the AMBUSH and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. And it will be, when you have taken the city, [that] you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the LORD you shall do. See, I have commanded you'" (NKJV).
Therefore, if all deception is a lie, then the God who cannot lie commanded Joshua and the Israelites to lie. But since it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18), neither the AMBUSH at Ai nor the SUBTERFUGE by Samuel at Bethlehem (see below) could be considered a LIE, although both clearly involve what most would identify as deception.But if only false witness against NEIGHBORS constitutes a LIE, then these were enemy soldiers and don't qualify.
6.) "And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria" (2 Kings 6:19). He LIED to enemy troops. They were not NEIGHBORS.
7.) Samuel, the prophet, is instructed by Jehovah to go to Bethlehem for the express purpose of anointing another king over Israel. Understandably, the prophet was afraid that King Saul would have him killed to protect his throne. But, in order to allow Samuel's primary purpose to go undetected, Jehovah devised a stratagem. The Lord told Samuel to take a heifer with him and say: "I have come to sacrifice to the Lord" (1 Sam. 16:2). Then we are told:
"Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, 'Do you come peaceably?' And he said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice" (verses 4-5). Samuel did not tell the whole truth. Although what he said was true, it served to conceal his primary purpose, which would not have been considered peaceful by the elders who questioned him. In other words, if Saul had known what was going on, he probably would have tried to kill not just the prophet, but any in the town he thought to be accomplices. Therefore, otherwise critical information was withheld from the elders, lest they realize that the prophet's visit was not peaceful. Not only did Samuel LIE, but God actually instructed him to do so!
8.) "Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place" (1 Sam. 21:1-2).
David LIED.
9.) "And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much. Now, therefore, call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let none be missing; for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whosoever shall be missing, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlety, to the intent that he might destroy the worshippers of Baal" (2 Ki. 10:18-19) .