Genesis 12:11-13

"And it came to pass, that when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, Behold, now I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: and it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee."

This was no imaginary danger that Abram confronted; but the patriarch's sinful efforts to protect himself appear here in a very unfavorable light. This has been called the "low-point" in the life of Abraham. And some have registered surprise that this shameful event should have been related in the same chapter that records the glorious promises to "The Father of the Faithful," but there was a lesson in this for the "Chosen People" that would inspire them throughout their history. The Bible, unlike any other book ever written, tells it all, the good and the bad alike, and the sins of its heroes are related in the same unimpassioned words as those that give their deeds of glory and triumph. "We esteem our Bible all the more for its candor in not hiding the faults of its greatest characters."[18] Also, it was necessary that people understand that all people are sinful, even the greatest and the best. Abraham, standing here in a situation closely akin to that of the patriarch Noah, demonstrated quickly enough, as did Noah, that the sinless One who would enter our earth life from above would forever stand infinitely above and beyond all others. Not even Abraham could save people. That would be the mission of the Christ. When rebuked by the Pharaoh, Abram offered no defense, nor can we, for the cowardly, lying manner that disgraced his conduct here.

"Thou art my sister ..." This was a half truth, of course, since Sarai was also the daughter of Terah by a wife who was not Abram's mother; but the allegation, though half true, was nevertheless a whole lie, uttered with an intention to deceive.

"Thou art a fair woman to look upon ..." Some quibble about this, in view of the fact that Sarai was about 67 years of age at the time. However, her life span of 127 years would place this event almost at mid-life, precisely the point at which some women reach their state of greatest beauty and perfection. Josephus mentions many traditions about the remarkable loveliness and beauty of Sarai. And there is nothing here to justify the carping critics who find fault with everything.

In this connection, it appears as a fact that a wife who was also a sister in that ancient culture enjoyed special prerogatives and protection. Kline tells us that, "Sistership was a status that could be secured by a wife, and that such would have afforded superior credentials at a foreign court."[19] It could be that Abraham knew this and thought that he could use it to advantage, but if so, he was still wrong.