Abraham keeps on fibbing

Genesis 20

In what feels like another flashback (to Genesis 12) Abraham again lies to the resident king (earlier to Pharaoh in Egypt, now to Abimelek king of Gerar) and tells Abimelek that Sarah is his sister.


Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

Sarah is over 90 years old, and still quite the hot babe - given Abraham's attitude and the king's actions.

It's been 20 years since Abraham exercised that lie on Pharaoh.  Has the sting of that rebuke been smothed-over by the years?  And what about God's recent pledge to Abraham and Sarah - is Abraham willing to cloud the paternity issue by pretty-much offering Sarah into the king's household?

And if Abraham does remember what Pharaoh said to him, perhaps he's relying on God to maintain the purity of his wife.  But that seems like tempting God in a way that Jesus told us not to.  Is Abraham the reason why God added Deuteronomy 6:16 to the list of rules?

But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”

That will focus the attention - even in a dream.

Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn't she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.”

Abimilech protests that he had been snared into sin by Abraham. God's grace prevented the king from sinning.

FYI: This is also the first occurrence of the Hebrew word: nabi meaning "to declare, to proclaim, to speak as an intermediary." 

Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

"You have done things that should never be done."  I wonder if Abraham will remember this rebuke?

Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

Arguing technicalities in the face of major guilt.  Echoes of Cain.

Then Abimelek brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelek said, “My land is before you; live wherever you like.”

That king is kinder than I would have been.  I would have shown ol Abe and his crew the Pony Express trail and told them to not let the screen door hit you on the way out.

To Sarah he said, “I am giving your brother 25 pounds of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated.”

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelek, his wife and his female slaves so they could have children again, for the Lord had kept all the women in Abimelek’s household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah.

Abraham's lineage is preserved, and he won't have to wonder if Isaac is how own son, or the son of Abimilech.  

This passage, again, does not contain prayer the way we speak of prayer in the modern church - but Abimilech and God were speaking, and, for the king, it was a matter of life and death.  And, for a lot of people, they postpone prayer until just that stage.  

I have always enjoyed the character sketch that Diana gives of her son Bryan.  He doesn't lie to her about things he does or had done - he just blasted out the truth; no embarrassment, no fear.  And if he had a choice of doing something that would embarrass him before others, he just didn't do it.