Genesis 12:16-17

He (Pharaoh) treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. But the Lord inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai.

Let me get this straight. Abram, through who all the peoples on the earth will be blessed lies to Pharaoh and tells him Sarai is his sister. Pharaoh, thinking she is free for the taking because of Abram's deceit, takes Sarai as his wife. Abram greatly benefits from this lie and Pharaoh has diseases inflicting on him and his household because of all this. Pharaoh obviously treated Abram well, blessing him and not cursing him, so why wasn't he blessed and became diseased instead? Did God get this one wrong? Is the wrong party here being punished?

What's the lesson here? That God condones deception as a means of blessing those He has chosen? That actions taken when relying upon words spoken by a person of God's choosing are not to be trusted? That lies aren't any big deal to God, or at least weren't yet because the 10 Commandment hadn't been given yet?

This is one of those stories that really doesn't make complete sense to me. Abram hatches this plot to protect himself and sort of protect Sarai. If he really believed God's promise and trusted Him, shouldn't Abram have been severely dealt with for his lack of faith and for taking matters into his own hands by means of deception? Is what I've had drilled into me through my Christian upbringing been wrong? That holding firm to my faith through the tough times, making the right choices may bring about suffering for a season but will build my faith in the long term? That God's grace is not a license to sin? That God may quickly remove His hand of blessing when I transgress because He is a just and holy God who does not reward sin?

As a parent I often seem to make decisions that seem inconsistent or unfair to my children. I'll come down heavy handedly on one kid and seemingly ignore the same infraction by another. A child will seem to get a more severe punishment by reacting to a wrong by another child while the initial instigator of the incident appears to get off with no discipline. When filtered through their experience, level of maturity and understanding, many of my parenting decisions don't seem to make much sense. But one thing they do know is I love them very much and want what is best for them.

Granted, I am extremely imperfect and flawed. But God is not. He is perfect in every way. And His ways are far exceeding anything I can comprehend or understand. But, without a doubt, I know He loves me and desires my best. I can question things when they don't make sense. But the bottom line is He is God and knows what He is doing even when I don't.