ABRAHAM SERIES: PROMISE PUT IN JEOPARDY

About twenty-four years ago, Abraham took his family down into Egypt due to a famine in Canaan. At that time, he told Sarah to say she was his sister to prevent him from being killed. Sarah, being a beautiful woman, was taken into Pharaoh’s harem. Nevertheless, before Pharaoh could defile her, God intervened and allowed the truth of Abraham and Sarah’s marital relationship to be revealed.

Now, twenty-four years later, and even after God told Abraham that Sarah would conceive a son by him within a year, he takes the family down to Gerar and, for a second time, exposes Sarah to being defiled. Once again, Abraham tells the people that the still beautiful Sarah is his sister, and consequently, King Abimelech of Gerar takes Sarah into his harem.

God intervenes for Sarah by causing the king to have a dream in which God reveals to him that Sarah was married and if he touched her, he would die. Abimelech declared his innocence and the integrity of his heart, to which God acknowledged and revealed, because of his purity, He prevented him from touching Sarah. God also instructed Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham, that Abraham would pray for him, and that his life and all that was his would be preserved and not die.

Early in the morning, the king arose and gathered his servants. He shared his dream with them, which frightened them. Next, King Abimelech summoned Abraham and questioned him about his actions. Abraham shared how he was afraid for his life, and that Sarah was his half-sister; therefore, he told her, “This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.”

In response, the king returned Sarah to Abraham, gave him sheep, oxen, men-servants, and women-servants. Plus, God granted Abraham the opportunity to settle wherever he chose in the land. Furthermore, Abimelech told Sarah, “Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other. Chapter twenty ends with Abraham praying for Abimelech, his wife, and maidservants, and God healed them of barrenness.  

The actions of Abraham in this chapter were disturbing to me. Abraham had resided in Hebron for approximately twenty years before moving to Gerar, which is a city in the Philistine territory. The scriptures revealed that Abraham knew if you were an unmarried female and the king wanted you for his harem, you had no choice but to comply with his wishes. Apparently, as recorded in Genesis chapter twelve, Abraham did not learn the lesson from his time in Egypt. Though he felt his life was in danger, rather than trust God to be his protector, he allowed his fear and cowardice once again to manifest, and he placed the life of his wife, Sarah, the one who was to bear the promise within a year, in jeopardy.  

Here are the nuggets I gathered from Genesis 20:

Abraham’s personal safety was more important to him than Sarah’s well-being.

When faced with challenges, seek God for direction.

As we experience life, sometimes our faith wavers, and we make wrong decisions.

Learn the lesson the first time.

Some lessons are not easily learned.

If not corrected, old failing patterns will continue to create new problems.

Do not repeat mistakes.

God is merciful.

God reveals and gives men a choice.

God recognized and rewarded Abimelech’s integrity and honesty.

Words do not always justify actions

Persuading others to lie for you is wrong

Expose truth.

A half-truth is a whole lie.

God would not allow another man to inseminate Sarah.

God is present to prevent us from sinning

As needed, God will use the heathen to chasten you.

Your actions can jeopardize the fruitfulness of a nation

When the promises of God are forgotten, human reasoning takes place.

Even when you have done wrong, God will cause you to be blessed and to bless.