Read with Me
Genesis 26:7-11 (HCSB)
When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say “my wife,” thinking, “The men of the place will kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is a beautiful woman.” When Isaac had been there for some time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from the window and was surprised to see Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.
Abimelech sent for Isaac and said, “So she is really your wife! How could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might die on account of her.”
Then Abimelech said, “What is this you’ve done to us? One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” So Abimelech warned all the people with these words: “Whoever harms this man or his wife will certainly die.”
Listen with Me
Isaac had learned this evasive technique from his father, who had used the “she is my sister” ruse twice (Genesis 12:11-20; 20:1-18), both times with embarrassing consequences. And he may have used it on other occasions which Moses did not document. But in Abraham’s case, there was at least some truth to the assertion, since Sarah was his half-sister as well as his wife (Genesis 12:13). But in Isaac’s case, the assertion was a complete lie, designed to protect primarily himself.
But like all lies, the truth is eventually discovered. In this case no one took Rebekah away from Isaac so that God had to intervene supernaturally as he had in Abraham’s case. Instead, Abimelech looked out of his upper window to see Isaac caressing Rebekah in a way that no brother would reasonably caress a sister.
Abimelech had probably heard stories of how his father or grandfather had been duped by Abraham, and how it had almost caused God Almighty to wipe out the entire royal family. When he saw that the same trap had been laid for him, he was understandably angry. Even though he had not fallen into the trap himself, he or one of his men could easily have done so, and Abimelech could see that the consequences could have been utterly disastrous. Abimelech had treated Isaac well, allowing him to stay in the his territory during the famine, and he called Isaac to him and upbraided him severely over the unearned deceit.
Now that the truth was out in the open, Abimelech sent the word out that no one was to molest Isaac or his wife under pain of death. So, Isaac was safe. But in the process, he had earned a bad reputation among the Philistines as a dishonest man.
Pray with Me
Father, someone once implied that our children will not only take up our faults for themselves but will magnify them in their own lives. This is a case in point. You had already promised to protect Isaac, but he trusted more in his own abilities than in Yours, which led him to scheme instead of to simply trust You. And, of course, You allowed his duplicity to be discovered before someone decided to take Rebekah from him, whether by bargaining or by force. Lord, help me to walk uprightly before You, with no compromise or sin, so that my children and grandchildren have the best possible role model to follow. Amen.
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