Explanation
Abraham's Deceit
(Genesis 20)
Genesis
20 is a chapter in the book of Genesis in the Bible. It tells the story of
Abraham and Sarah's encounter with Abimelech, the king of Gerar.
The
chapter begins with Abraham and Sarah, who are still traveling through the land
of Canaan. Abraham introduces Sarah as his sister rather than his wife because
he fears that the people of the land will kill him to take her as a wife due to
her beauty. Abimelech, the king of Gerar, takes Sarah into his household.
However,
before Abimelech has any intimate relations with Sarah, God appears to him in a
dream and warns him that Sarah is Abraham's wife and that he is as good as dead
for taking her. Abimelech pleads his innocence, stating that he did not know she
was married, and God acknowledges this, preventing Abimelech from touching
Sarah. God also threatens Abimelech with death if he does not return Sarah to
Abraham.
Early
in the morning, Abimelech confronts Abraham and asks why he deceived him.
Abraham explains that he believed there was no fear of God in Gerar and that he
and Sarah could be killed if it was known they were married. Nevertheless,
Abimelech restores Sarah to Abraham and offers him land, silver, and livestock
as a gesture of goodwill.
Abraham
prays to God, and God heals Abimelech and his household, who had been struck
with infertility as a result of taking Sarah. Abraham then intercedes on behalf
of Abimelech, and God allows the king and his people to have children again.
Genesis
20 highlights Abraham's lack of trust in God's protection, as he resorts to
deception to save his life. It also emphasizes God's faithfulness in protecting
His chosen ones and His willingness to intervene in the affairs of humanity.
Abraham's Deceit
In
Canaan's land, where Sarah roamed,
A
tale of fear and lies was sown.
Abraham,
fearing deathly blows,
Deceived
the king, his fears arose.
"My
sister," spoke he, not his wife,
To
save his skin, to spare his life.
Abimelech,
a king of grace,
Unknowingly,
took Sarah's place.
Yet
God's swift hand, in dreams did warn,
To
Abimelech, He did inform,
"Return
the woman to her kin,
Or
face the wrath of deadly sin."
Abimelech,
with righteous fear,
Returned
the wife, held Sarah dear.
To
Abraham, he gifts bestows,
In
hope God's mercy overflows.
With
prayers, Abraham did plead,
And
God's compassion took the lead.
Fertility
restored with might,
To
Abimelech's pure delight.
Lessons
learned on this fair day,
In
trust, let fears not lead astray.
God's
hand is swift, His love is true,
In
darkness, light will always break through.
Explanation
Verses
1 to 9 of Genesis 20 recount the events that took place between Abraham, Sarah,
and Abimelech, the king of Gerar.
Verse
1: "Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev and
settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar."
Abraham,
along with his wife Sarah, traveled from their previous location and settled in
the region between Kadesh and Shur, which is located in the southern part of
Canaan. They then temporarily stayed in Gerar, a city ruled by Abimelech.
Verse
2: "Abraham said of Sarah his wife, 'She is my sister.' So Abimelech king
of Gerar sent and took Sarah."
Abraham,
out of fear for his own safety, claimed that Sarah was his sister rather than
his wife. This deception led Abimelech to take Sarah into his household,
presuming she was unmarried.
Verse
3: "But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him,
'Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she
is married.'"
God
intervened by appearing to Abimelech in a dream, warning him that he had taken
a married woman and would face severe consequences, even death.
Verse
4: "Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, 'Lord, will You slay
a nation, even though blameless?'"
Abimelech
pleads his innocence before God, stating that he had not yet engaged in any
intimate relationship with Sarah. He questions whether it is just for God to
punish an entire nation (referring to his people) for an unintentional mistake.
Verse
5: "Did he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself
said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my
hands I have done this."
Abimelech
defends his actions by explaining that both Abraham and Sarah presented
themselves as siblings, indicating that they had conspired in this deception.
He maintains that he acted with integrity and innocence.
Verse
6: "Then God said to him in the dream, 'Yes, I know that in the integrity
of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me;
therefore I did not let you touch her.'"
Explanation:
God responds to Abimelech, acknowledging that He understands the king's
integrity and that He Himself prevented Abimelech from committing any sinful
act with Sarah. God protected both Abimelech and Sarah from any moral
transgression.
Verse
7: "Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he
will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that
you shall surely die, you and all who are yours."
God
instructs Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham, emphasizing that Abraham is a
prophet and will intercede on Abimelech's behalf through prayer. God warns
Abimelech that failure to comply with this command will result in death for him
and his household.
Verse
8-9: "So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants
and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly
frightened. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, 'What have you done
to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my
kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be
done.'"
Abimelech
promptly acted upon God's warning, gathering his servants and informing them of
the situation. Filled with fear, the men recognized the gravity of the matter.
Abimelech confronts Abraham, expressing his dismay and questioning why Abraham
had brought such trouble upon him and his kingdom through his deceitful
actions.
These
verses illustrate the consequences of Abraham's decision to deceive Abimelech
regarding Sarah's marital status, as well as God's intervention to protect
Sarah and rectify the situation. They also showcase Abimelech's integrity and
fear of God, as he responds obediently to God's warning.
Verses
10 to 18 of Genesis 20 continue the narrative of Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech.
Verse
10: "And Abimelech said to Abraham, 'What have you encountered, that you
have done this thing?'"
Abimelech
questions Abraham, seeking an explanation for his deceptive actions and the
resulting consequences. He wants to understand the situation and the reason
behind Abraham's behavior.
Verse
11: "Abraham said, 'Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in
this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'"
Abraham
offers his rationale for deceiving Abimelech. He explains that he believed the
people of Gerar lacked the fear of God and that, given Sarah's beauty, they
might kill him to take her as a wife.
Verse
12: "Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but
not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife."
Abraham
clarifies his statement by revealing that Sarah is, in fact, his half-sister.
They share the same father but have different mothers. He acknowledges that
Sarah is both his sister and his wife, justifying his earlier claim.
Verse
13: "And it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s
house, that I said to her, 'This is the kindness which you will show to me:
everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother."'"
Abraham
recalls a conversation with Sarah where he asked her to present him as her
brother wherever they traveled. This was a request he made due to his fear for
their safety and to ensure his own well-being.
Verse
14-15: "Abimelech then took flocks and herds and male and female servants,
and gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. Abimelech said,
'Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.'"
Abimelech
takes action to rectify the situation. He presents Abraham with various gifts,
including livestock and servants, as a gesture of goodwill. Additionally, he
returns Sarah to Abraham. Abimelech offers Abraham the freedom to settle
anywhere in his land as an act of reconciliation.
Verse
16: "To Sarah he said, 'Behold, I have given your brother a thousand
pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you,
and before all men you are cleared.'"
Abimelech
addresses Sarah and informs her that he has given Abraham a thousand pieces of
silver as a form of compensation. This act serves as a vindication for Sarah
and demonstrates her innocence and righteousness to everyone.
Verse
17-18: "Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and
his maids, so that they bore children. For the LORD had closed fast all the
wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife."
Abraham
turns to God in prayer on behalf of Abimelech and his household. In response to
Abraham's intercession, God restores fertility to Abimelech's wife and female
servants, as their wombs had been closed. This restoration allows them to
conceive and bear children once again. It highlights God's mercy and
intervention in resolving the consequences brought upon Abimelech's household
due to Sarah's temporary presence.
These
verses further demonstrate the consequences of Abraham's deception, the
restoration of Sarah to Abraham, the reconciliation between Abimelech and
Abraham, and the healing of Abimelech's household through Abraham's prayer.
They showcase the resolution of the conflict and the faithfulness of God in
protecting His chosen ones.
Important Points
Abraham's
deception: Abraham, out of fear for his own safety, claimed that
Sarah was his sister rather than his wife, which led to complications.
God's
intervention: God appeared to Abimelech in a dream,
warning him not to touch Sarah, as she was Abraham's wife. God protected Sarah
and prevented Abimelech from committing a sinful act.
Abimelech's
innocence: Abimelech pleaded his innocence, explaining that he took
Sarah believing she was unmarried. He questioned the justice of punishing an
innocent nation.
Abraham's
lack of trust: Abraham's deception revealed his lack of
trust in God's protection. He resorted to dishonesty to save his own life
instead of relying on God's faithfulness.
Restitution
and reconciliation: Abimelech promptly returned Sarah to Abraham
and offered gifts as a gesture of goodwill. He acknowledged his wrong and sought
to reconcile with Abraham.
Abraham's
intercession: Abraham prayed to God on behalf of Abimelech
and his household. As a result, God healed Abimelech's household, restoring
fertility to his wife and female servants.
Lessons
on trust and fear of God: The chapter highlights the importance
of trusting in God's protection rather than resorting to deceit and fear. It
emphasizes the fear of God and the consequences of straying from His ways.
God's
faithfulness: Throughout the chapter, God remains faithful
to His promises and intervenes to protect His chosen ones. He corrects the
situation and brings restoration to those affected.
These
points shed light on the human fallibility, God's intervention, and the themes
of trust, fear of God, and reconciliation presented in Genesis 20.
Quotable Quotes
"Behold,
you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is
married." (Genesis 20:3)
-
God's warning to Abimelech, emphasizing the gravity of his actions.
"Now
therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for
you and you will live." (Genesis 20:7)
-
God instructing Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham and highlighting Abraham's
role as a prophet who would intercede on Abimelech's behalf.
"Did
he not himself say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she herself said, 'He is my
brother.' In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have
done this." (Genesis 20:5)
-
Abimelech defending his actions, highlighting Abraham and Sarah's deception.
"Then
Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, 'What have you done to us? And how
have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a
great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.'"
(Genesis 20:9)
-
Abimelech expressing his disappointment and questioning Abraham's actions.
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