Read with Me
Genesis 20:8-18 (HCSB)
Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things, and the men were terrified.
Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” Abimelech also said to Abraham, “What did you intend when you did this thing?”
Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me: ‘He’s my brother.’ ”
Then Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you want.” And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother 1,000 pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, for the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Listen with Me
When morning came, Abimelek called all the servants in his household together and shared with them what God had told him in the dream. He wanted to make sure that none of them accosted Sarah, and that she was made ready to depart as quickly as possible.
When the summons came to Abraham to appear before the king, he wasn’t sure what was going on. But he no sooner stepped into the room than Abimelek unloaded on him.
Abimelek’s point was that he had been nothing but gracious to Abraham, receiving him into his city without any problems. And in return, Abraham had lied to him and allowed him to take Sarah into his harem, thus putting himself, his household, even his whole city in jeopardy.
Abraham had no good excuse. The only two things he could offer in his defense was that he had deceived the people of Gerar out of fear for his life, and that what he had said wasn’t an out and out lie, but more of half-truth. Sarah was his wife, but she was also his half-sister, since they shared a father.
The fact that the almighty God was watching over this man, and that God had told Abimelech that he needed Abraham to pray for him and his household moved of him to react differently than he normally would have. Under normal circumstances, he would have imprisoned or executed Abraham on the spot and kept Sarah for himself.
But Abemelek was intelligent and could see that the only way forward was to work with Abraham. He let him off with the scolding, and gave him many gifts of atonement, as well as returning Sarah. He did this not to please Abraham, but to make sure that God was not angered.
Abimelek couldn’t resist taking one last shot at Abraham before requesting that he pray for him. That came when he told Sarah that his offense against her had been atoned for by a lavish gift given to her “brother”.
Finally, Abraham prayed for Abimelek, and Moses reveals that the punishment God had inflicted on him and his household was sterility. His wives and servants had been unable to conceive as long as Sarah was held in his harem.
Pray with Me
Father, contrary to what Abraham had believed (verse 11), there actually was fear of God in that place, and at the highest level. The ruse was not only unnecessary, but it had also caused big problems for Abraham and Sarah, and even for those he had deceived. It often works out that way. The solutions we devise often turn out to be addressing a problem that doesn’t exist, and they often cause problems for us and others, something that Your guidance doesn’t do. Help me, Lord, to not try to be clever, but to simply follow Your lead, wherever that guidance takes me. Amen.