Beauty-based Love (Genesis 12)

 Beauty-Based Love

There is no denial that outward appearance can cause people to lust after someone. That person may be picked more especially if they already have a reputation.

Scripture shows this trait of human nature too, but it does not seek to justify it. There is a danger that beauty excites the wrong passions.
Abram feared this:


[Gen 12:11-13 NKJV] 11 And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, "Indeed I know that you [are] a woman of beautiful countenance. 12 "Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, 'This [is] his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 "Please say you [are] my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I may live because of you."


And though his fears came from unbelief, the principle itself was not wholly wrong. Sarai was beautiful and she got a reputation in Egypt:


[Gen 12:14-16 NKJV] 14 So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she [was] very beautiful. 15 The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house. 16 He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.


In this way men may too often choose women based on beauty. And though this might be natural, especially for those with fiery passions, it may well cloud our reason.

Beauty may give us a greater reputation and it may even cause people to treat the people surrounding that person better. Pharaoh treated Abram well because of Sarai.

And the main reason given is beauty.

This does not justify such thinking, but it is good to know that this mentality does exist.


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