Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day Twelve

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”
  • Merriam Webster
Day Twelve – “Lord will you really put an innocent nation to death?” – Abimelech (Gen. 20: 4)
We have been talking about weird things happening so often that they become a “normal” pattern.  Today’s question is a good example.  Can we all admit that passing your wife off as your sister is weird…especially for one of the patriarchs of our religion?  If it just happened once, it might not be quite so weird.  Maybe Abraham just had some kind of “lapse” of judgment.  But twice?  Weird!
The first time was in Genesis 12: 10-20.  They were in Egypt, and Abram says to Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.” (Awww! Thanks, Honey!  You are not bad looking yourself!)  “So, if the Egyptians see you and think you are my wife, they will kill me and let you live.  Please say that you are my sister, so that I may be treated well for your sake.” (Abe, you should have quit while you were ahead!)  But Sarai goes along…and the Egyptians take her to Pharaoh.  And Abram was treated well, and received sheep and cattle and donkeys and servants and camels.  But then Pharaoh was afflicted with serious diseases, and somehow he found out that it was connected to the new woman he had added to his harem…that she was, in fact, Abram’s wife.  “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?” Pharaoh asked Abram.  Let’s let that question hang there for a bit.
The second time (Genesis 20), Abraham tells King Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. Abimelech takes Sarah off to his palace. But God comes to Abimelech in a dream and says, “You are as good as dead, because the woman you have taken is a married woman.”  That’s when we get our question for today.  “Lord, will you really put an innocent nation to death?”  The answer is, “No.”  That’s why God was warning Abimelech in a dream before he went too far with Sarah.  God knew Abimelech had a clean conscience.  Abimelech went to Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us?” 
Both Pharaoh and Abimelech have every right to angrily question Abraham.  Abraham lied to them.  Now, we could try to somehow justify what Abraham did…Sarah was evidently his “half” sister, because they had the same father but not the same mother. But come on…we wouldn’t let our kids get away with telling us “half” the truth, would we?  So, let’s not sugar coat what Abraham did, either.  He was afraid, so he lied.  He lied, twice, and both times happened right after God had made a pledge to Abraham to prosper him, keep him safe, and make him a great nation.  Unbecoming behavior for the patriarch of three of the world’s major religions…
Bottom line?  Abraham was a great man of faith, but he was only human…imperfect, but mightily used by God anyway.
Reflection:  What do you think about Abraham being a “liar,” but God using him anyway?
Action: Pray and ask how God wants to use imperfect YOU today!
Posted in
Posted in , , , , , ,

Recent

Archive

 2022
 2021
 March
Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day 13Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day FourteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Day FifteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day 16Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day SeventeenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day EighteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day NineteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day TwentyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Twenty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day ThirtyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-ThreeWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Forty

Categories

Tags

3 Encouraging 40 Days Abraham Acts All Saints' Day Apostle's Creed Ash Wednesday Back to School Baptism Be Bold Bible study Blessings Body Build up Build Burden Busy Celebrate Center Christian Christ Church Commandment Communion Connect Four Connected Connect Core Values Core Covenant Dare Discernent Disciple Don't Stop Dreaming Egypt Faith Father's Day Father\'s Day Fear Gentle Gifts Give up Give Go Wrong Goal God Gospel Grace Growing Grow Hard Hear Holy Spirit In Charge Jacob Jerusalem Jesus Wept Jesus John Wesley Joseph Journal Journey Knowing God Labor Lent Listen Lord Love Man Martha Mary Member Ministry Mission Statement Moses Name Obey One Another Paul Peter Pharaoh Plan A Pop Quiz Prayer Psalm 102 Purpose Quiet Rejoice Renewal Saints Samarian Samaritan Sanctifying Grace Satisfied School Scripture Serving Spirit Sufferings Talking Truths Union Unity Used Why Work Yesterday accomplish actions action act admitting all ambassadors angel anger another answer arrogance ask attention attitude bad news bad beautiful before believe birthright blessed blessing boat body of Christ bold break brothers brother calling call candle care carry catch change chat children child choices choice church family circumstace commandments commitment confession consequence content control conversation courage creation cross crucified crying cry death deceiver deceive deception decisions decision dedication defeat dejected demons depth devote devotional die difficult dinner discipleship dispair divine door doubt dreams each other earth encouragement encourage equipped eternity evil excuses experience extraoridnary fair faithfulness faithful faults favor feeling fellowship financially flaw fly followers follow forgive fortune friends fruitful fruit full future generosity gift glory goal good life goodness good grateful growth grudge guest guide happen happy hard times hardship harmony hearts heart heaven help history homes home honesty honest honor hope hospitality human humble humility hungry hurt image impatient imperfect impossible inheritance inivte inspiring integrity intersect jealous judge justice keep the faith keep kept kindness kind knock lament law liar life light live load lonely long look back look loss lost lunchroom make meaning meditate mercy messed up mess minister missed mission and service mission mistakes moment money more mountain mourning mysterious near needy need new year new next notice obedience offering open oppressed others outsider pain part passionate worship past patience peace people perserverance persistent pigs place plan ponder poor position power pray preach prefer prepare prevenient price pride progress prophet protect provided provision question race reaction reap reason received receives redeem reflection reflect relate relationship remember remorse repay repentance require research respond responsible reveal revenge reward riches right risk-taking risky rivers road roll call rotten rules sacrament sacrifcially sad save secret seek self-examination sermon serve service shelter shortcomings sick sign sinners sin situations slove someone else sorrow sorry sow spiritually spiritual steps step store storm strength struggle suffering survey swine sympathize table talents tears tempted ten commandments thankful thanks theology think thoughts ticket to ride time tomorrow trait travel treasure true trust truth unbelief unclean unfaithfulness unhelpful universal unlikely people unlikely places unlikely violence wait walk on water walk wander want waves weep weird welcome when pigs fly where wholeheartedly who why? willing wisdom wise wonder worked worries worship wrestle write wrong years yesterday thinking