Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Beautiful Countenance

In a bygone day, Abram is told to pack up the house and move. After a few adventures along the way, the mob of future Israelites arrives somewhere around the Sinai where Abram pays his wife a compliment. "And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, 'Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.' " (Gen 12:11) Sounds almost romantic and Abram was only 75 or so when he got around to saying it too! Why don't men say that more often today? Of course, the verse misses a bit without the context of the story.

In this passage, we find that Abram is afraid and hatches a plot to lie to his host in Egypt. After the princes of the land take note of Sarai's lovely countenance and make her a celebrity, God sends plagues to, well, plague the land and people. Abram's host is angered for several good reasons, not the least of which is being lied to and led into sin. It's always for the worst when God's people do the work of the enemy.

Have a truthful and trusting day in Christ Jesus!

Bucky

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