The story of a Philistine King behaving better than a man chosen by God.

Back to Abraham – Trust and Obey

Genesis 20 (NLT)
Abraham Deceives Abimelech
¹ Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, ² Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.
³ But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
⁴ But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? ⁵ Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”
⁶ In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”
⁸ Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. ⁹ Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! ¹⁰ Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”
¹¹ Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ ¹² And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.¹³ When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”
¹⁴ Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. ¹⁵ Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.” ¹⁶ And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”
¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.

 Examine the Scriptures

Trust and Obey

Genesis 20 (NLT)
Abraham Deceives Abimelech
¹ Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar.

Back to Abraham’s travels.  (see map)

Gerar: A Philistine city on the border between the Promised Land and Egypt.??

While living there as a foreigner, 

 ² Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.

 Sinfulness and lack of faith

God had promised Abraham a son through Sarah.

Same sin in chapter 12 (Pharaoh in Egypt)

Isaac will do the same thing in chapter 26

• In this lesson, Abraham demonstrated a lifestyle of sinfulness and a lack of faith. (a lack of trust)

Our challenge:

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NLT)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

 Not only was Abraham sinning, but he was also setting Abimelech up for failure.  He was setting the stage for Abimelech to commit a “great sin” (see verse 9).

Matthew 18:7 (NIV)
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

• Abraham was setting the stage for Abimelech to commit a “great sin”.
• Our sins may be setting others up for failure.

³ But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him,

 In Genesis, dreams often bring divine revelation.

God intervened.

“You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”

Exodus 20:14 (NLT)
“You must not commit adultery.

Leviticus 20:10 (NLT)
“If a man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, both the man and the woman who have committed adultery must be put to death.

• God intervened in Abraham’s life to preserve the promise he had previously made to Abraham.

Genesis 17:19 (NLT)
But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

⁴ But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 

 In chapter 18 Abraham had prayed for the righteous to be spared.

Abimelech’s pray is much the same.

⁵ Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”

 Abimelech respectfully presented his case to God.

• There are times when it is appropriate to respectfully present our case to God.

 ⁶ In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. 

•  God is in control.

God protected Sarah.

⁷ Now return the woman to her husband,

 Repent

Change your behavior.

Turn from wrong.

 and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet.

A prophet – One who is divinely inspired to communicate God’s will to others.

God’s spokesman

One who intercedes for others.

Spoke to God on behalf of Abimelech.

• God used a sinful man to minister to others.

 Then you will live.

 Forgiveness

 But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

Abraham is a prophet.

If / then

Abraham spoke to God on behalf of Abimelech and Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham.

⁸ Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. 

Abimelech’s men feared God.

 ⁹ Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! ¹⁰ Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”

 Abimelech rebukes Abraham.

• A heathen king rightly rebuked a prophet of God.

“Great sin.”

“No one should ever do what you have done!”

Abimelech understood immorality.

 ¹¹ Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ 

             Abraham’s response

“I thought”

I thought this is a godless place.

I thought I would be killed.

I thought since Sarah was my half-sister, it was O.K. to lie.

Abraham did not fear God.

Abraham did not trust God.

Abraham misjudged the people Gerar. (They did fear God.)

¹² And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her.¹³ When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”

A partial truth.

Premeditated

Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

•  Our thoughts are nothing like God’s thoughts, which makes it dangerous for us to act on our thoughts rather than trust God’s ways.

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. ¹⁵ Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.” ¹⁶ And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”

Abimelech was both repentant and generous while

Abraham was deceptive.

Abimelech felt a need to make restitution for his actions.

 ¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.

Far-reaching consequences for sin.  (literally death)

Verse 7 …But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”

Again, this is an example of how God was clearly in control.

• The sins of one or two individuals can impact the lives of many other people.

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NLT)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.