Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jan 4th, 2025 Full Disclosure

Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalms 16 – 20)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1

Read the 0104 Evening and Morning devotion for today by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read a previous post from this passage – “Finding, Obeying, and Staying in the Place of God’s Will;” “Don’t Move Unless God Moves You;“ “The Beginning of Globalism; ”  “The Land Belongs to Israel;” and “The Earth was Divided.”

“10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. 11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: 12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. 13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. 14 And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. 15 The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. 16 And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. 17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. 18 And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? 19 Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. 20 And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.” (Genesis 12:10-20)

Technical speaking, Abraham was accurate when he said that Sarai was his sister because she was his half-sister, the daughter of her father Terah. However, he was leaving out a big part of his relationship with Sarai, and was not being completely truthful. It is clear that the half truth that Abraham told here and again in Genesis 20, this time to Abimelech, was the cause of many problems for Abraham’s family and also for the people that he was lying to. Really, it represented a lack of faith on the part of Abraham to trust God to deliver his family from difficult situations even when he fully disclosed his relationship with Sarai. 

I have a few thoughts about this passage:

• Abraham was right to be concerned about his family’s welfare in Egypt. Egypt was a dangerous place, and it certainly was a possibility that the Pharaoh would kill Abraham in order to steal his wife.
• Abraham should not have gone to Egypt in the first place. He had just been told by God that Canaan was the land that God was going to give Abraham. When the famine came, however, Abraham’s faith in God’s ability to feed him through the famine was tested, and Abraham followed his own human wisdom instead and went into Egypt where food was more plentiful.
• Abraham premeditated and colluded with Sarai to not disclose to anybody in Egypt that Sarai was his wife. I wonder if Abraham would have allowed other men to sleep with his wife if he felt that was necessary for his own protection?
• Abraham did not have to volunteer any information regarding his relationship with Sarai, but when he was asked, he should have fully disclosed that she was his wife. 
• God would have protected and blessed him anyway. God is more powerful than any earthly king.

“5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

“1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Proverbs 21:1)

It used to be when people were summoned to be a witness in a court of law, they had to swear to “tell the whole truth.” They had to give a full disclosure of whatever they were called upon to be a witness to. It has been my observation that in our society there is a lack of transparency in most people. They are hiding things about themselves because they are afraid of the negative outcome that might be produced if people were to find out. I have discovered that it is best to be completely honest with people; to let them see the real you, even the you with all the flaws and warts.