DISSECTING DECEPTION (36)
Scripture: Genesis 27:1-46
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Dissecting Deception (36)
Series: Genesis
Robert Dawson
Genesis 27
Before we wade into the Scripture, I want to tell you what one surprised student discovered on his visit to the local zoo at the Cairo International Garden Municipal Park. As he studied the zebras, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out of place. After closer observation he realized what was wrong, what was missing...zebras.
The two zebras in the enclosure were not really zebras at all. They were nothing more than donkeys with black stripes painted on. Mahmoud Sarhan posted his discovery, along with pictures on Facebook. People started weighing in on the photos.
A local news team contacted a veterinarian who claimed that zebra snouts were usually black (these were more brownish in color) and their stripes more consistent and uniform while the animals in the photo appeared to sport some smudging around the face.
While the zoo’s director insisted the zebras were real there will many who believed a deceptive plot was afoot. It would not have been the first time this happened. Similar accusations of donkey-painting were proven to be true at a zoo in Gaza back in 2009. [‘‘Zoo accused of painting donkeys to look like zebras,’’ CBS News (7-27-18)]
Can you imagine a zoo trying to pass off a painted donkey as a zebra to the public? How shameful? How deceitful?
What about a mother trying to pass off her younger son as his older brother to his own father? How shameful? How deceitful?
Yet, that is exactly what we find in this messy chapter in the life of a rather dysfunctional family who set out to deceive one another in the hopes of obtaining God’s blessing.
Deception is defined this way, ‘‘Deception is an act or statement which misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage.’’
That definition fits our story perfectly. All the deceivers in this story, and yes, there is more than ...
Series: Genesis
Robert Dawson
Genesis 27
Before we wade into the Scripture, I want to tell you what one surprised student discovered on his visit to the local zoo at the Cairo International Garden Municipal Park. As he studied the zebras, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out of place. After closer observation he realized what was wrong, what was missing...zebras.
The two zebras in the enclosure were not really zebras at all. They were nothing more than donkeys with black stripes painted on. Mahmoud Sarhan posted his discovery, along with pictures on Facebook. People started weighing in on the photos.
A local news team contacted a veterinarian who claimed that zebra snouts were usually black (these were more brownish in color) and their stripes more consistent and uniform while the animals in the photo appeared to sport some smudging around the face.
While the zoo’s director insisted the zebras were real there will many who believed a deceptive plot was afoot. It would not have been the first time this happened. Similar accusations of donkey-painting were proven to be true at a zoo in Gaza back in 2009. [‘‘Zoo accused of painting donkeys to look like zebras,’’ CBS News (7-27-18)]
Can you imagine a zoo trying to pass off a painted donkey as a zebra to the public? How shameful? How deceitful?
What about a mother trying to pass off her younger son as his older brother to his own father? How shameful? How deceitful?
Yet, that is exactly what we find in this messy chapter in the life of a rather dysfunctional family who set out to deceive one another in the hopes of obtaining God’s blessing.
Deception is defined this way, ‘‘Deception is an act or statement which misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage.’’
That definition fits our story perfectly. All the deceivers in this story, and yes, there is more than ...
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