But withholding the truth from those who don’t know it, is something God does all the time,
Heya bud
God withholding truth is a completely different matter, it has nothing to do with this account, its a whole other subject and does not at all pertain to this situation.
Just because Abram was being deceiving with Pharaoh doesnt mean God was also doing this. its important to keep a distinction between Gods actions and mans.
You need to separate Gods actions from Abrams, all this starts back at verse 10
Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
What did God say to Abram?
Verse 1. The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
Verse 4. So Abram went, as the Lord had told him
Verse 5. ……..and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
Verse 7. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”
Now does it then say "The famine was severe in the land, So Abram called on the name of the Lord" and God said to Abram "Go to Egypt, because the famine is severe in this land"
...no it doesnt right?
So if Abrams not acting on Gods instructions, whose instructions is Abram following?
It was Abrams decision to go in to Egypt God did not instruct Abram to go there.
Just because God bales him out that situation doesnt mean God made it happen, but once again comes to the rescue of His people as He will do throughout all OT history with these people.
It says in verse 4 that God went with Abram to Canaan, why? because that is the land God promises to Abram and his decedents.
If Abram had faith in the Lords promises he could have stayed in the land and by faith drove out the inhabitants of that land and the famine would not effect him or his household,
How? because God would have made provision for them just as he did for the Israelite's in the dessert.
Leaving the land God promises and getting in to a fix in Egypt is all Abrams doing, Yes you are right that there is a pattern here, in fact its the same pattern repeated by the Israelite's throughout OT history. These people will never learn their lesson and except the Lord as king, instead they are stubborn and are influenced by other nations and will finally be ruled by them.
What does this mean, God does it all on His own, nobody helps Him, no one can boast that they saved themselves its all glory to God who delivers a people from disaster every-time they cry out to Him regardless of how severely and arrogantly they treat God. God shows us His mighty capability for grace, forgiveness and leadership despite the ignorant way of the people he choose, the ways of these stubborn people is exactly like the way we still treat God today.