Wednesday Bible Study: Lying to myself part V

 

This is a story that turns on a question or two.  I knew the three stories I wanted to look at, I even realized the differences in them, how they fit the "Lust of eyes/lust of flesh/pride of life" mold I established earlier.  What I didn't know was God's angle.  I asked this morning, and the answer was- as it always should be in these posts- "How does it apply to you?"

Then I knew where we were going.

The first chronologically of the three was Laban lying to Jacob.  The 5 cent version:  Jacob meets Rachel, falls in love.  Promises Laban, her brother and head of the family now, to work for him for 7 years in return for her.  Seven years are up, wedding ceremony occurs, Jacob wakes up the next morning and finds he's consummated the wedding with older sister Leah.

Gen 29:25  And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 

Gen 29:26  Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 

Gen 29:27  Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 

"It is not done so in our country."  Laban told the lie because he wanted to stay in step with what society "dictates".  This is the very same lie that churches throughout the South used to justify slavery;  churches today use it to justify LGBTQ.  Maybe you and I have done it on our taxes, saying, "Everybody does it."  Does it apply to me?  In places.  This can be a real subtle, nickel-and-dimey thing, and a slight stretching of the definition can have you accusing your every motive.  For me, this is a "Keep one eye open" deal- and I have worked hard on the stereotyping that can lead to it.

Second, and last chronologically, the lie of Potipher's Wife:  Again, the 5 cent version.  Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potipher, who swiftly promoted him based on his talent and integrity.  Potipher's bored and indulged wife decided to use him for some Afternoon Delight, but Joseph resisted, even leaving his garment behind as he fled her.  But, her story:

Gen 39:13  And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 

Gen 39:14  That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: 

Gen 39:15  And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. 

Gen 39:16  Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, 

Gen 39:17  and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. 

Gen 39:18  But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.” 

Her lie was malicious, revengeful, and self-preservation- motivated.  The sort of lie I used to tell (mainly to myself) when I messed up at a previous job.  That kind of thing eats away your soul until you repent of it, stop thinking of yourself as "royalty", and just admit when you screw up.  My conscience is fine tuned against this lie; though I get tempted, I can usually give it to God and get away from it.

Ah, but the middle story- how Joseph GOT to Egypt.  You know this one: Favored son, brothers are jealous, talk themselves out of killing him in order to derive a profit- but then lie to dear old dad about it:

Gen 37:31  And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 

Gen 37:32  And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 

Gen 37:33  And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 

Key words that I never noticed before a recent sermon: "And they SENT...  whether this be thy son's coat or no..."  These cowards didn't even have the courage to tell the lies themselves; they stayed with the sheep and let hired men tell the lie for them!   Here's the one I condemn myself for over and over:

- Starts with listening to pride: Puffing myself up so that I can abide those greater than myself;

- Committing the lie and after acting as if nothing happened;

- "I don't need to confess, God already knows"= "Just sent the coat to Dad, he'll make the guess";

- Grieving my Father in Heaven, the consequences echoing on for a long time while I pretend not to notice.

Since last time, where I kind of gave Rebekah and Jacob an out for their lie, I have been hit by several messages not so forgiving of the pair.  And here is the truth of that: that first lie led to the lying back and forth between Laban and Jacob, even as the brothers were children and grew up around it; and learning how to lie, they end up with those rolling consequences: three brothers disinherited for their lies, a city full of people destroyed, the rape of the father's wife, years as a prisoner for the sold brother, a father's heart broken for his son not once but twice*, and ultimately, the Liars' Club bowing at the feet of a 'foreign Lord', begging a mercy they didn't deserve.

*I starred this because it brings up an important point.  Every time we sin, we lie, we ALSO break the Father's heart twice.  Jacob had his heart broken first for the apparent death of Joseph, and again for the potential death of Benjamin in going to Egypt.  Our Father has His heart broken twice as well, once for our sin against Him, and the second for the Son He sent to die for those sins.

I confess this is my biggest lie- the lie I don't tell.  This is where I need to go in this series.  This broken family became the nation from which Our Savior sprang.  God will make good things from me, as well, that is the sure hope.  That said, I have one more lesson on lies to look at next time- and it is the most foreboding of all.