What were you thinking to make you do that???
What was your reasoning behind the stupidness of it?
Are you an idiot? Just plain crazy?
I want to know. Explain yourself!
Okay. So those weren't the exact words that scripture used. But seriously, I so found it funny. I had my nose pressed into Genesis and got to one particular verse and burst out in laughter. I thought about it all day! It's so real. It's so what we do. I love the humor that I saw in the reality. I love the visual it gave me!
I've read it lots of times. Already knew it was there. Literally talked about and blogged about it recently. Could have told you what it said. But today, it rose up and slapped me on the cheek and seemed ridiculously funny all over again! Perhaps because of where my mind has been lately, and its closeness to home?
It's found in the 20th chapter. God had just told Abraham two chapters before then that Sarah would, indeed, bear him a son (a son from Sarah's own body)... that the promised son that He had long promised him wasn't Ishmael (his son born through Hagar) but one that would be born through her.
KNOWING that (because he'd just been told) he promptly went to Gerar to live there for a while. As was done before in several chapters prior to this one (chap 12) Abraham white-lied (half-truthed) to the king and said that Sarah was his sister... failing to mention, I might add, that Sarah was also his wife!
God didn't take kindly to Abimelech sending for Sarah and bringing her to his palace so God went and talked to Abimelech in a dream, telling him that he was as good as dead. Why? Because he's got a married woman in his harlem and he's not the man that is married to her!
Abimelech defended himself to God telling Him that he didn't know, he wasn't aware, no one had told him. God knew that he didn't and that it was done with a clear conscience, but warned him to return the woman back to her husband or he and all of his would die.
Early the next morning Abimelech did just what God said. And as he did so he asked Abraham when he saw him why he did what he did? Why did Abraham tell him that Sarah was his sister when he was married to Sarah???
Abraham's answer was this, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'...."
I find it interesting that Abraham could trust God enough to leave his home, to leave his land, to leave his family and all that he knew to go to a land that he didn't...... He could trust God to give him a son even though it had been years since the promise was made and his body (and Sarah's!) was "as good as dead.".... AND YET, he didn't feel he could trust God with his life!?! (Regardless of what he thought he believed, the proof was in his actions.)
Earlier in chapter 12 when they are entering Egypt Abraham had said to Sarah concerning this very thing, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."
BECAUSE OF YOU???
My life will be spared because of you???
BECAUSE OF SARAH???
Does Abram (Abraham) think Sarai (Sarah) is his savior? That Sarah is the one who saved him from death? Is his hope for protection and for safety in his wife's lie?
That's sounds a bit crazy in all of Abraham's faith. I could talk more about it, but won't. Because today, for me, that's not what hit me. That's not the funny part.
Keep reading.
When Abimelech went to question Abraham and take him his wife back he say to him, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that ought not to be done... What is your reasoning for doing this?"
It is the "What is your reasoning for doing this?" that grabbed me. Look at that line verbalized in another version:
What was your reasoning behind the stupidness of it?
Are you an idiot? Just plain crazy?
I want to know. Explain yourself!
Okay. So those weren't the exact words that scripture used. But seriously, I so found it funny. I had my nose pressed into Genesis and got to one particular verse and burst out in laughter. I thought about it all day! It's so real. It's so what we do. I love the humor that I saw in the reality. I love the visual it gave me!
I've read it lots of times. Already knew it was there. Literally talked about and blogged about it recently. Could have told you what it said. But today, it rose up and slapped me on the cheek and seemed ridiculously funny all over again! Perhaps because of where my mind has been lately, and its closeness to home?
It's found in the 20th chapter. God had just told Abraham two chapters before then that Sarah would, indeed, bear him a son (a son from Sarah's own body)... that the promised son that He had long promised him wasn't Ishmael (his son born through Hagar) but one that would be born through her.
KNOWING that (because he'd just been told) he promptly went to Gerar to live there for a while. As was done before in several chapters prior to this one (chap 12) Abraham white-lied (half-truthed) to the king and said that Sarah was his sister... failing to mention, I might add, that Sarah was also his wife!
God didn't take kindly to Abimelech sending for Sarah and bringing her to his palace so God went and talked to Abimelech in a dream, telling him that he was as good as dead. Why? Because he's got a married woman in his harlem and he's not the man that is married to her!
Abimelech defended himself to God telling Him that he didn't know, he wasn't aware, no one had told him. God knew that he didn't and that it was done with a clear conscience, but warned him to return the woman back to her husband or he and all of his would die.
Early the next morning Abimelech did just what God said. And as he did so he asked Abraham when he saw him why he did what he did? Why did Abraham tell him that Sarah was his sister when he was married to Sarah???
Abraham's answer was this, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'...."
I find it interesting that Abraham could trust God enough to leave his home, to leave his land, to leave his family and all that he knew to go to a land that he didn't...... He could trust God to give him a son even though it had been years since the promise was made and his body (and Sarah's!) was "as good as dead.".... AND YET, he didn't feel he could trust God with his life!?! (Regardless of what he thought he believed, the proof was in his actions.)
Earlier in chapter 12 when they are entering Egypt Abraham had said to Sarah concerning this very thing, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."
BECAUSE OF YOU???
My life will be spared because of you???
BECAUSE OF SARAH???
Does Abram (Abraham) think Sarai (Sarah) is his savior? That Sarah is the one who saved him from death? Is his hope for protection and for safety in his wife's lie?
That's sounds a bit crazy in all of Abraham's faith. I could talk more about it, but won't. Because today, for me, that's not what hit me. That's not the funny part.
Keep reading.
When Abimelech went to question Abraham and take him his wife back he say to him, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that ought not to be done... What is your reasoning for doing this?"
It is the "What is your reasoning for doing this?" that grabbed me. Look at that line verbalized in another version:
- NAS - "What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?"
- KJV - "What saweth thou, that thou hast done this thing?"
- MSG - "Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?"
- NLT - "Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?
Did you catch that?
"WHAT SAWEST THOU, that thou hast done this thing?"
"WHAT DID YOU HAVE IN VIEW, that you have done this thing?"
What movie (in your mind) were you watching?????????
"Whatever POSSESSED YOU to do such a thing?"
What did you visualize happening in your head that you did something so stupid????
The Hebrew literally means, "What did you SEE" that you did something so ridiculous?
Like I said, I love it! I love how black-and-white and REAL the words are that have been inscribed in Holy Writ! And, of course, if you'll remember an earlier post, you will have to remember that this reminds me of the imaginary chicken that my friend's two boys were fighting about and the made-up fox that my great-nephew became so afraid of (Imagination.... a made-up-mind).
Hating to longer a blog already too long. I'd be amiss if I failed to show another quick humor alongside this point.
Look again to how Abraham replied to King Abimelech's question. "Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife...'"
"I said to myself"!!!!!!!!
In the Hebrew it reads, "Abraham amar amar....." Meaning, Abraham said [amar] (to Abimelech), I said [amar] to myself..."
That's another part of our problem! We do way too much saying to ourselves when we really don't need to be saying! :)
But then again, I suppose it's normal to talk to yourself after watching make-believe movies in your head. If we're seeing make-believe then I guess our mouths can't help but tell what has just "possessed" our mind's to see. :)
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