Three Lies

Someone recently asked if lying is explicitly forbidden in Torah. We started talking about instances in Scripture where someone lied and it appears to be a good thing. Of course, the story of Abraham claiming Sarah as his sister came up. Abraham lied but was extremely blessed in the end! How is this possible?

 

This story is actually one of three accounts of a man claiming his wife as his sister. When read individually, it is easy to focus on the lies. But, when read as a whole, we see these stories are connected to tell a single story of covenant, blessing, and grace.