CHAPTER 20, ABRAHAM SLIPS AND COMMITS THE SIN OF LYING TO ABIMELECH
20:1 AND ABRAHAM JOURNEYED FROM THENCE TOWARD THE SOUTH COUNTRY, AND DWELLED BETWEEN KADESH AND SHUR, AND SOJOURNED IN GERAR.
**Abraham now moves from Mamre (Hebron) about 40 miles back toward the Negeb (the dry southern area of Palestine) and toward the coast.
20:2 AND ABRAHAM SAID OF SARAH HIS WIFE, SHE [IS] MY SISTER: AND ABIMELECH KING OF GERAR SENT, AND TOOK SARAH.
A.In Chap. 12, when Sarah was 65, Abraham went down into Egypt and went through the "she is my sister" routine; now she is about 89-90, and he does it again.
B.Sarah, an aged woman, must have been extremely beautiful.
20:3 BUT GOD CAME TO ABIMELECH IN A DREAM BY NIGHT, AND SAID TO HIM, BEHOLD, THOU [ART BUT] A DEAD MAN, FOR THE WOMAN WHICH THOU HAST TAKEN; FOR SHE [IS] A MAN'S WIFE.
A.Any relations with her would have been the sin of adultery.
B.Note that it would have been true even though Abimelech did not know SHE IS A MAN'S WIFE (ignorance does not excuse).
20:4 BUT ABIMELECH HAD NOT COME NEAR HER: AND HE SAID, LORD, WILT THOU SLAY ALSO A RIGHTEOUS NATION?
20:5 SAID HE NOT UNTO ME, SHE [IS] MY SISTER? AND SHE, EVEN SHE HERSELF SAID, HE [IS] MY BROTHER: IN THE INTEGRITY OF MY HEART AND INNOCENCY OF MY HANDS HAVE I DONE THIS.
20:6 AND GOD SAID UNTO HIM IN A DREAM, YEA, I KNOW THAT THOU DIDST THIS IN THE INTEGRITY OF THY HEART; FOR I ALSO WITHHELD THEE FROM SINNING AGAINST ME: THEREFORE SUFFERED I THEE NOT TO TOUCH HER.
A.Abimelech's INTEGRITY (honesty, honor) would not have kept it from being sin.
B.It would have been sinning against himself, against Sarah, and against Abraham; but primarily it would have been SINNING AGAINST ME (GOD). All sin is against God.
20:7 NOW THEREFORE RESTORE THE MAN [HIS] WIFE; FOR HE [IS] A PROPHET, AND HE SHALL PRAY FOR THEE, AND THOU SHALT LIVE: AND IF THOU RESTORE [HER] NOT, KNOW THOU THAT THOU SHALT SURELY DIE, THOU, AND ALL THAT [ARE] THINE.
**This is the first time the Bible uses the word PROPHET (mouth for another, a spokesman).
20:8 THEREFORE ABIMELECH ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND CALLED ALL HIS SERVANTS, AND TOLD ALL THESE THINGS IN THEIR EARS: AND THE MEN WERE SORE AFRAID.
20:9 THEN ABIMELECH CALLED ABRAHAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHAT HAST THOU DONE UNTO US? AND WHAT HAVE I OFFENDED THEE, THAT THOU HAST BROUGHT ON ME AND ON MY KINGDOM A GREAT SIN? THOU HAST DONE DEEDS UNTO ME THAT OUGHT NOT TO BE DONE.
20:10 AND ABIMELECH SAID UNTO ABRAHAM, WHAT SAWEST THOU, THAT THOU HAST DONE THIS THING?
20:11 AND ABRAHAM SAID, BECAUSE I THOUGHT, SURELY THE FEAR OF GOD [IS] NOT IN THIS PLACE; AND THEY WILL SLAY ME FOR MY WIFE'S SAKE.
20:12 AND YET INDEED [SHE IS] MY SISTER; SHE [IS] THE DAUGHTER OF MY FATHER, BUT NOT THE DAUGHTER OF MY MOTHER; AND SHE BECAME MY WIFE.
**Sarah was the daughter of Terah; we do not know her mother.
20:13 AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN GOD CAUSED ME TO WANDER FROM MY FATHER'S HOUSE, THAT I SAID UNTO 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.
A.So the plot was devised way back in Ur of the Chaldees.
B.Perhaps some have made too much of the thought that Abraham was not concerned to save Sarah, but rather to save himself.
20:14 AND ABIMELECH TOOK SHEEP, AND OXEN, AND MENSERVANTS, AND WOMENSERVANTS, AND GAVE [THEM] UNTO ABRAHAM, AND RESTORED HIM SARAH HIS WIFE.
20:15 AND ABIMELECH SAID, BEHOLD, MY LAND [IS] BEFORE THEE: DWELL WHERE IT PLEASETH THEE.
**So, although Abimelech rebuked both Abraham and Sarah for their deceit, still he allowed Abraham to remain in the ter-ritory and to live where he chose.
20:16 AND UNTO SARAH HE SAID, 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]: THUS SHE WAS REPROVED.
20:17 SO ABRAHAM PRAYED UNTO GOD: AND GOD HEALED ABIMELECH, AND HIS WIFE, AND HIS MAIDSERVANTS; AND THEY BARE [CHILDREN].
20:18 FOR THE LORD HAD FAST CLOSED UP ALL THE WOMBS OF THE HOUSE OF ABIMELECH, BECAUSE OF SARAH ABRAHAM'S WIFE.
A.Abraham's prayer was answered (Verse 17); remember Jas 5:16b.
B.Perhaps this gives us courage as we see that one can will-fully deceive, and yet still be heard by God. We are not marked out of the Book of Life because of our weakness, and barred from ever again being there.
C.Of course we note that Abraham had no intention to hurt some-one else, but only to protect himself; he was not malicious.
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