Lies And Deception Align You With The Father of Lies

Genesis 27: 18-20 -  He went to his father and said, “My father.” “Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”  Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” “The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied.

Rebekah joins her beloved son in a deception that cheats Esau out of the traditional blessing of the oldest male. She overheard the directions of Isaac to Esau and talked Jacob into wearing Esau’s clothes. Jacob was worried about his fair complexion…so Rebekah fastened the skins of the goats she had cooked to his hands and neck. The deception wasn’t complete with just the clothes...food and skin coverings.  Jacob had to lie to his father.  He even included God in his deception…using his name in his lie.

Jacob succeeded in being blessed more than he deserved…but the price for his success was high. His brother was so mad…the turmoil that existed between them turned to pure hate…hate so strong that Esau swore he would kill his brother after his father had died…and he had time to mourn his death.

The Bible has over 100 verses that tell us the hatred and consequences God has for those that lie to get their way. John 8:44 speaks one of the strongest reasons not to let yourself fall into the trap that Rebekah and Jacob did.  It says… “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

What a great reminder that lying aligns us with the father of lies…the creator of evil…the one who fell from grace and thinks to this day he can still overcome the one who created him. That thought alone is enough to give us a motive to think twice before we use any form of deception or lie for any reason. I have to admit that I never thought of any lie I told that way. 

Lies keep us from seeing the truth. It is no accident that the Bible also has over 100 verses about telling the truth.   John must have had a great understanding of this concept for he recorded this great words in  chapter 8 verse 33 … “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Lies trap us in a world of deception… Jacob is getting sent away to an uncle to save his life in the next chapter.  He will be there for a while…so God can fix the mess he made and soften Esau’s heart to a stage of forgiveness.

Father…thank you for the reminder that lies and deception are not your way. Forgive me for the times that I have let my circumstances dictate words of deception instead of letting the truth bring light and your love to the situation I was afraid of. Help me to stay aligned to you…so I will see the importance of always using the truth to govern my thoughts and actions. Amen.