“It is a dangerous thing to wrong one of the children of the King of heaven.” –Ellen G. White, Patriarchs & Prophets, p.131

What comfort this quote brought me today! Not because someone is, or is even about to wrong me. I feel no imminent threat. I have no knowledge of another’s wrath.

It brought me comfort because Ellen White wrote these words in the context of the story of Abraham lying to Pharaoh about Sarah his wife. Abraham was scared, his wife was too beautiful. So beautiful was Sarah that Abraham thought Pharaoh or another in Egypt would kill him just to have her. He was scared and so he sinned. He sinned big time. He told folk his wife was really his sister…

she was a half-sister, I know weird, but things were different in that day…

but a half-sister that was his whole wife lead to a half-lie, and a half-lie is a whole-sin.

“She’s not my wife; she’s my sister.”

And so Pharaoh took her to be his wife. Abraham was willing to allow his wife to be with another man in order to protect his own life. He sinned. He made a conscious decision to sin…and even after Pharaoh took Sarah to his home, Abraham kept the charade going, he did not intervene, he did not cease his sin.

But God did!

And here is what is so crazy about that, it goes against what I was taught as a kid, what many were taught as kids, and maybe have taught their kids.

God stepping in while Abraham was actively sinning…

I was told, maybe by parents, though probably not; more likely it was grandparents or a Sabbath School teacher or a well intentioned preacher,

…that when I willfully sin God does not step-in.

But here is God doing what I was told He did not do…stepping in; in the midst of active sin.

But not only does God step in to protect Sarah…He simultaneously steps in and protects Abraham. Oh and don’t miss this, while Abraham was in active sin, God was blessing Him, “Should Abraham remain in Egypt, his increasing wealth and honor…” (EGW, ibid.) While in the midst of sin there was an increase in Abe’s wealth & honor.

And though Abraham sinned, putting both his wife and Pharaoh in the position to sin; when the sin came to light and Pharaoh was angry, as I’m sure we all would be…God didn’t allow Pharaoh to punish the man that was living in active sin.

God warned Pharaoh, “Don’t harm my man Abraham!”

Because…

“It is a dangerous thing to wrong one of the children of the King of heaven.”

Abraham…active in sin…still a child of the King.

Not an excuse for us to sin…

But glad to know God doesn’t give-up on me even when I’m walking in sin…

Even when my active sin makes me think I should give-up on me.

“It is a dangerous thing to wrong one of the children of the King of heaven.”

I shouldn’t presume upon the mercies of God…but I’m glad to know they’re there for a struggler like me!

A struggler, but still a child of the King!