Genesis 20
Proverbs 29: 25 summarizes nicely what we can learn from today’s reading.
Bible Passage: Genesis 20
The Weakness of Man
Abraham, the father of faith, failed God again. He did it in Egypt (Gen 12), and he did it again in Gerar.
What are your thoughts when you read of these 2 records of Abraham’s little faith?
What are the thoughts and questions that go through our minds?
Have we found a reason in Abraham’s case to justify ourselves after we lied? Because even a prophet of God lied, and his lie caused Abimelech quite a trauma and even nearly caused the king and his household’s lives!
Or do we look at these records and warn ourselves to put absolute trust in God when we are faced with threats rather than to employ ungodly ways? Because even a prophet of God, who had walked and talked with God, could stumble and resort to lying when faced with uncertainties.
So do we realize the need to put more trust in God by being more vigilant in our spiritual nurture to deepen our understanding of God?
The very first time I read of these 2 records, I was wondering why a prophet of God would do that, I thought prophets were holy and perfect. Well, this was my impression when I was very young in my faith, so I asked someone and the answer I got was, “prophets were also humans and humans are weak”
This is very true indeed, prophets were also humans, with the same nature as all of us, so there were times when they could be weak. But do we want to always use this case of Abraham’s weakness to be a reason or an excuse whenever we want to do something wrong?
How did God react to this decision and action of Abraham?
The Grace of God
The kind of love and protection that God had towards Abraham was indeed wonderful, even though Abraham decided to use a lie to protect himself instead of relying and trusting in God.
At a glance it may seemed that God was being unfair towards Abimelech, who knew it was wrong to touch another man’s wife.
But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous
nation also?
Did he not say to me, “She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, “He is my
brother.’ n the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
Genesis 20:4 – 5
But if not for God’s intervention, Abimelech would have really become a dead man. Again we see God’s grace was also being extended to a pagan king.
And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of
your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let
you touch her.
Genesis 20:6
Even though God’s love towards Abraham was like a pampering kind of love, He did not totally turn a blind eye about what Abraham and Sarah did, one lied and the other played along; so God allowed them to be rebuked by a pagan king.
It is really sad to see that a prophet of God being rebuked by a pagan who knew not God.
I believe some of us had ever experienced being rebuked by a non-Christian for doing something wrong, unethical or even shameful.
Therefore it is a very good lesson for us to ponder, when Abimeleck asked Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing? This is a logical question for Ahimelech to ask Abraham, and Abraham certainly did not have the Lord in view when he lied and failed to trust God.
Proverbs 29: 25 says very well of this lesson, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but to trust the LORD means safety.” (NLT)
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him
who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28
So do we choose the fear (reverence and trembling) of the Lord, His way and His word? Let us ponder as we listen to the following gospel song. Shalom!
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In reading today’s passage, I could not help but think of this hymn that has been in my mind for the last 2 weeks…. “Living For Jesus”.
We are almost one quarter through the year and as much as I would like to say I am living more for Jesus this year, it is something that I dare not even start to say I am making some headway.
It certainly does not get easier with age. Despite growing up almost all my life in church, I still find myself stumbling and slipping and having the ordous task of trying to pick myself up again.
In today’s passage, we read about Abraham repeating the same trick and lie he told back in Genesis 12:10-13. He showed that it is all too easy to slip back into sinful habits despite God’s many promises and mercy on him.
We can almost replace Abraham with ourselves. Instead of trusting God to keep his family together, or to preserve him in the midst of strangers, he devised his own plan to do it. And we know the folly of such a plan.
Age does not automatically sanctify us. Unless we yield to the Spirit of God, we will repeat in our old age the sinful patterns of our youth.
During a Bible Study today on this passage, I had remarked that in this case, Abraham had been delivered out of his predicament by God because he was the ‘chosen’ one. This was totally the grace and mercy of God and similarly today, we too can experience such deliverance because we are also the chosen ones of God.
A sister corrected me and said she did not quite agree with my statement that just because we are chosen by God means we will have that deliverance. Besides the fact that Abraham was chosen by God, he also showed that he had the faith, trust and obedience to God in his life – and this was very important.
The sister was absolutely right. Just because we have the grace of God to be called into His church does not mean we will be alright. Like what OurKing’sWatchman and TreasureInEarthernVessel said for yesterday’s passage, there is a need for us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
Indeed there are many areas in my life that needs adjusting and correcting.
That is why this hymn “Living in Jesus” is ringing in my heart and ears this whole time. Although I love the melody, the words of the hymn are words that I hope can be a constant reminder in my life going forward.
Oh Jesus, Lord and Saviour, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me.
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne.
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
Abraham slipped because God was not in the throne of his heart completely. I stumbled also because I have allowed many other things to be the master in my life and God has to compete with other things for the throne in my heart.
May God continue to show us His mercy just as He showed Abraham. And may we learn, like Abraham, how to draw closer to Him and walk with Him.
PS
How long was Sarah kept in the palace of Abimelech?
May be for quite some time, long enough for them to know that they could not bear children.
Sarah was in the palace of Abimelech but he had not come near her.
How long had Abraham been in the land of Canaan? 24+ years. Abraham fought with 4 kings and prevailed. Abraham had so much possession that he and Lot had to go separate ways. Abraham was not a nobody in Canaan.
Does anyone want to marry a 90 year old lady? Not many, not matter how beautiful she might be. How old was Abimelech?
Not unless the person has another reason. Did Abimelech really not know that Sarah was Abraham’s wife? Abimelech might had taken Sarah as political hostage to ensure that Abraham would not do him harm. (Joshua 2:9)
All the above are just my childish thoughts, just for sharing.
Gen 20:7 “Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
These were the words of God.
Gen 20 refers to God as “God” when He spoke, not the LORD.
Why? Bec God is the God of all creations. It does not matter whether the person whom He is speaking to acknowledge Him as the only true God. God is I am who I am.
TreasureInEarthernVessel, yes, we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We also must trust in the faithfulness of Lord Jesus.
u are not alone. i m not alone. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1).
The Holy Spirit understands our weakness (Rom 8:26). He does not stop at understanding only.
He runs with us.
Let us run together.