Genesis 43:7 (NKJV) But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘[Is] your father still alive? Have you [another] brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
It was a lie. Joseph did NOT ask them about their father or family. He simply asked where they were from and then accused them of being spies. The pressure was on. There, in front of all those Egyptians in a land so foreign and forbidden, they were falsely accused, and they panicked.
Little white lies—they fly to our lips so quickly! We can relate to their reaction. We are caught in a bad situation or a compromising one or we are just in a jam of some sort, and the question is asked… and we lie. Oh, it’s just a little one! It won’t really make much difference.
The twelve sons of Israel come from a long line of liars: Abraham lied about Sarah being his sister (only a half lie if such a critter exists!), Isaac does the same thing with Rebekah (I love this passage: “Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.” Genesis 26:8[KJV]), and of course Jacob is the grand winner of lies!
Every lie has its consequences, some greater than others, and they still do today. We may have no idea how much we will suffer or loved ones will suffer because of our “little white lies.”
Joseph is my favorite Bible character. This part of his life is one of my favorite stories. (In fact, I’ve written a short story about it!) It is full of drama and passion. We may want to disparage his harsh actions against his brothers but he had his reasons. Would his words also be considered a lie? He knows them but pretends that he doesn’t and calls them liars. Is pretending the same as lying? Do we need to consider the situation, the dire consequences? Is lying serious? Well… you may want to consider what God has to say about it:
Proverbs 12:22 (NKJV)
Lying lips [are] an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal truthfully [are] His delight.
Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Interesting, I looked at other translations and many of the other words are changed but the word “liars” is the same in all of them!)
What do you think, and is your thinking based on your conclusions or God’s Word? That may sound harsh but considering the consequences of this story and the two verses above, it’s worth rehashing. For the sons of Israel, everything eventually worked out because they were facing Joseph, a man of integrity, but there were certainly difficult moments for them all!
Best stick with the truth—the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us, God!
Beyond Common Sense 