In our application of Genesis 27, Jacob does not offer any reasons for obeying his mother except out of a sense of duty. She is very insistent and her motive for planning this scheme is out of love for Jacob, her favored son. In the case of the binding of Isaac, the reason Abraham goes…
It is important to emphasize that one of the characteristics of the lies in the Genesis account is that they are not spontaneous but are deliberate, planned acts of deception designed to accomplish a self-centered purpose. They are also distinctive in that they involve more than one person. In addition, most often, the initiator is…
The fact that there are so many lie narratives in Genesis, suggesting that lying is a prominent motif, demonstrates how common human beings lie. It is considered one of the most basic forms of communication. We will explore the types of lies and draw some conclusions from them that show the practice of lying as…
Eve was told just one lie, and the Devil adds a little doubt in her mind. He tells the first lie in the Bible. Some might argue that it wasn’t a lie because they did not really die, at least not physically, on the day they ate from the forbidden tree. In addition, they did…
As already noted elsewhere, the problem of identifying lying starts with the right definition. For example, appealing to two different sources will give two different results. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines a lie as an untrue statement with the intent to deceive.” Baker’s Dictionary of Christian Ethics defines lying as “the intention to deceive when we…
One fact remains that will help us in defining a lie. First, God does not lie (1 Sam 15:29; 1 John 2:21). Second, if God frequently and intentionally withholds the truth or does not tell the whole truth and He does not lie, then, we may better understand it meaning. For example, 1 Samuel 16…
Lying in America is at epidemic proportions. According to a survey in US Today, 91% of Americans lie regularly in one way or another. Just ask yourself. Have you lied this week? What would you do if you scraped the side of a car parked near you as you pulled out? One story that was shared…