The Consequences of Half Truths or Whole Lies

UV 3467/10000 The Consequences of Half Truths or Whole Lies
Abraham said (again ) of Sarah his wife,” She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah ( into his harem).
Genesis 20 v 2

Abraham though a man of incredible faith succumbed to his fear. He feared for his own life for he thought that powerful men in whose territory he took refuge would kill him in order to take his wife Sarah. He misunderstood Abimelech and his intentions. Abimelech wanted not to be tainted by the sin of taking another man's wife. Abraham was induced by the serpent leader to ask Sarah to lie that she was his sister. It was a half truth for she was actually his step sister, born to his father Terah but of another woman. Often in our lives too we resort to half truths, if not lies to escape the consequences that we fear. We need to have confidence that the Servant Leader Jesus will protect us in all circumstances. In many of our personal and professional relationships, we get used to uttering half truths and allow ourselves to be deceived by the serpent leader.

God acted beyond the faith of Abraham to deal with the situation created by the latter’s fear. He visited the chieftain Abimelech in a dream and warned him of imminent death if he took Sarah as his wife. He did not give Abimelech an opportunity to touch Sarah. He warned Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet and to do so would be visited with severe penalty. Abimelech was sensitive enough to know that taking another man’s wife was a sin. He relented and had Sarah removed from his harem and restored to Abraham. The Servant Leader is One who rescues people even as the serpent leader revels in damning people.
The consequences of not adhering to the truth is often more deadly than the consequences of adhering to it. Abraham had erred in this very same matter once before when he sojourned in Egypt. Even there the Lord had to intervene to prevent Pharaoh from taking Sarah as his wife. Faithfulness to one’s spouse is a moral the Lord Himself has taught us through these examples. Yet, the serpent leader is able to cause many to be deceived through the ages and bring upon themselves the consequences. The Lord had caused the women in Abimelech’s household to be barren till he obeyed the direction given to him in a dream to restore Sarah back to her husband Abraham.