Abraham and Abimelech

Genesis 20

Immanuel – 3/26/23

Last week we took a break from Abraham’s journey of faith to consider 2 Timothy 4:1-5, where Paul charges Timothy to preach the word. If you missed that sermon, I strongly encourage you to check out our website or YouTube page and listen to it. Paul’s words are so important for the life of the church and for your life.

But today we meander back into Abraham’s story; so let’s take a brief moment to recap.

We spent four weeks studying the events surrounding the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Yahweh, Jehovah-Magen, Adonai, the preincarnate Christ, appeared to Abraham in the form of a man. With Him were two angels also appearing like men. After demonstrating tremendous hospitality towards his heavenly visitors, Abraham learns that they have come to assess the injustice and wickedness abounding in the Valley of Siddim, the very valley where his own nephew, Lot, has made a home.

Abraham then intercedes for Sodom, pleading that God would spare the city if there are 50 righteous people within it. Through a demonstration of covenantal relationship, a dialogue between God and His friend, God allows that if 10 righteous are found, He will spare Sodom. The wicked would receive mercy on behalf of the righteous.

But when the two angels enter Sodom and are greeted by Lot, they quickly witness a depravity unhinged and unleashed. They are the two witnesses that validate Sodom’s judgment; and by their declaration fire falls from heaven and consumes the cities of the valley. But this only after they drag Lot, his wife, and their two daughters out of the city and save them.

Instead of escaping the Valley of Siddim as he was told, Lot brashly asks to flee to one of the valley’s cities: Zoar. He is granted his request. Then, as the family stands in Zoar and watches the valley burn, Lot’s wife weeps over the Sodom she lost. God then gives her the fate of Sodom and she is turned to salt.

In time, Lot eventually flees Zoar, choosing to live in one of the many caves that surround the valley. Though – purely by grace – Lot is righteous, he fears God’s judgment will come for him. Though he has been saved, he is afraid of destruction.

Because of Lot’s many compromises and worldly desires, and because of his Sodomite daughters, his line is only able to continue through shameful incest. The Moabites and Ammonites are born in that cave, two of Israel’s perennial enemies. And in that cave the story of Lot ends. But even there we saw God’s greater plan of redemption; a redemption that stands as an enduring hope for the nations, a hope for those that have been lost, and a hope for all of us: A redemption in Christ.

Today, as we leave Lot behind and return to Abraham, a thread of that hope continues. But so also does a thread of Sodom, as we watch Abraham act out of fear rather than faith. For the second time he lies about his relationship to his wife.

Purpose

1. As we unfold the events of chapter 20, I want you to see some profound spiritual truths shimmering beneath the surface.

2. I want to show you the ordinary, awesome, reality of God’s prophets.

Read Genesis 20

Context

As we dive in, there is a single detail we must remember. Just before Sodom was destroyed, twice God had promised Abraham that in about a year’s time Sarah would give birth to a son (Genesis 18:10,14). Therefore, being that gestation is nine months, after Sodom’s destruction we are left with a three-month window before Sarah conceives.

With such a timeline, and all the events of chapter 20, this can only mean that Abraham leaves Hebron almost immediately after Sodom burns.

Abraham’s reputation was significant. Not only was his wealth obvious for anyone to observe, but he led the army that defeated the rampaging overlords from the east (Genesis 14). All of Canaan’s kings – whether Amorite or Amalekite or Philistine or whomever – would have heard about Abraham and Abraham’s God. It would seem that Yahweh, and the man who served Him, were very likely linked to the burning Valley of Siddim.

For immediately after Sodom’s destruction, Abraham leaves Hebron where he had been camped out for about 13 years and he wanders into the middle of nowhere: between the oasis at Kadesh and the walls of Shur. Shur was the walled boundary of Egypt. You might think that Abraham took his prodigious household and abounding animals into the middle of nowhere to hide out – let things cool off.

Who knows how long he stayed down there (a month or two?), because relatively quickly he ends up traveling to Gerar and setting up camp. Gerar was the capital city of the Philistines, and Abimelech was the Philistine king. And in short order, jeopardizing the mother of promise and the origins of conception, verse two informs us that this Philistine king used his position and power to take Sarah, being deceived into thinking that she was merely Abraham’s sister.

The author wants us to remember Egypt. When Abraham left Egypt, he passed through the Negeb as he returned to the Promised Land. Chapter 20 begins with Abraham wandering back towards the Negeb and the exact same lie of Egypt. For the second time, Sarah is taken into the harem of a foreign king.

Back in Egypt, we were told Sarah was taken because of her beauty (Genesis 12:14). That was some 25 years earlier. Now, Sarah is almost 90. It’s unlikely Abimelech takes Sarah out of lust. But because of Abraham’s impressive, and potentially ominous, reputation; it’s likely Abimelech is attempting to force peace with Abraham. For if Abraham’s sister is in his harem, then it’s unlikely God will destroy Gerar.

But Abimelech is in for a rude awakening – literally.

Read vs 3

A Dream

Notice that God’s charge against Abimelech is not one of adultery, but of kidnapping. He had taken Sarah. Not only is this theft, this is stealing a human. Not only is this stealing a human, this human is one flesh with another – she is a married woman.

But for a death sentence it’s immaterial that Sarah is married, kidnapping was wicked enough. Centuries later, when God delivers His law to the Israelites, kidnapping will become a capital offense, punishable by death (Exodus 21:16), which is exactly what God threatens Abimelech with. Though, as we see, God’s warning is an opportunity for repentance.

It looks like Abimelech has found no escape from the God who leveled the Valley of Siddim. The eyes of Yahweh see the accumulated injustices of nations and the particular offenses of individuals alike.

Read vs 4-5

The text makes it abundantly clear: Abimelech did not violate Sarah. The text is leaving no room to question the patrimony of Sarah's forthcoming son.

It’s important to see that Abimelech does not use a term for God; like the Hebrew “Adonai,” which is often translated to capital L Lord. Instead, he uses a general term of respect: lower-case l lord. It’s a literary sign that Abimelech possessed a knowledge of God, but had no love for Him. He was a typical polytheistic pagan of the ancient near east.

Even still, how interesting that Abimelech appeals to the justice of God. His expectation is that a good God does not kill innocent people. Abimelech is appealing to an objective moral code.

None-the-less, you can see that moral code contains corrupted files; thus God appears to him in a vision. But even within the vision, Abimelech doesn’t seem to register that God’s accusation primarily deals with kidnapping. Likely, he and his people find little problem with stealing people.

Adultery though, of which he thinks he is being accused, that is an egregious sin. But since he has not committed this wickedness, his conscience is clear. He is innocent. His hands are clean. His moral code is intact in some ways and corrupted in others.

Look how he links his fate with the fate of his people in verse 4. To kill Abimelech is to kill the Philistines. Likely, he is remembering the judgments of Sodom.

Read vs 6-7

Abimelech’s argument implies an act of conscience. He knew adultery was wrong. Yet, whether by desire or disease, it was God who prevented the adultery. Amazing that God’s sovereign choice governs and guides the will of man. Humans have agency, but God rules even the will of man.

Yes, Abimelech was responsible for his actions, just as we are, and Abimelech’s actions were wrong even though he wasn’t fully aware.

Wouldn’t it have made sense to respond to Abimelech like this:

“Look, I know you did not commit adultery with Sarah. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about kidnapping. You kidnapped her. What’s wrong with you that you don’t see that kidnapping is wrong?”

But praise God that His grace and kindness far exceeds that of man. God knows that Abimelech’s conscience did not steer him away from kidnapping Sarah; and though He could have, God does not immediately condemn Abimelech. Instead, He is gracious with Abimelech and commends him for acting with integrity: integrity meaning that Abimelech has not violated his conscience. This is not integrity according to God’s moral code.

See what’s right under the surface here. Until Abimelech had this vision, and received the word of the Lord, he was innocent, because his unsanctified conscience was clear. It isn’t until God tells him to give back Sarah – until God reveals His will to Abimelech – that Abimelech’s guilt is revealed, as well as the consequence of death.

We stumble upon a fundamental element of reality. For all who do not have the revealed word of God, who have not received His law, God judges them according to their conscience. Or, you might say, according to their words.

Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” -Matthew 12:36-37

The Conscience

This is judgment based on a person’s conscience. The conscience is like a spiritual sensor God had implanted into every person for detection of His moral code. Of course, sin corrupts the conscience and distorts its abilities of detection. But even still, nearly every conscience is able to detect some measure of God’s righteous morality.

Let me give you some examples. If you say, “I hate it when people gossip,” and then you go and gossip, you prove your guilt. Your conscience knows it's wrong and you go against it. You will be condemned by your own words. If you say you hate liars, and then lie; or say you hate racism, and then are racist; or say arrogance is wrong, and then self-righteously act like your plans are more important; then your conscience and your words will stand as two witnesses against you on Judgment Day. This is true for all humanity.

When a person encounters the law of God, and learns of His revealed will, they then are held accountable for violations against it. But here’s the thing, the closer God draws you into Himself, the more His will is revealed. The closer you come to He who is holy, your conscience is necessarily sanctified/refined. In other words, the more you have, the more will be required.

You see it happen in Abimelech’s dream. God reveals Himself, and immediately moves Abimelech from his incomplete convictions to a fuller picture. This happens when God effectively says in verse 7, “Kidnapping is evil, and if you do not repent and give her back, you will die – you and all your people. You will become like Sodom. The only way you will live is to return Sarah and have Abraham pray for you.”

Here in verse 7 we see two firsts. The first time the word prophet is used and the first time the word pray is used in the whole Bible. This is important. God wants us to see the critical link between prophets and prayer; something I’ll circle back on in a little bit.

Read vs 8

Fall Out

Abimelech calls together his royal council – advisors and nobles – tells them of his vision, and they all tremble together. They are afraid of the God of Abraham. In the context of Sodom, it makes a lot more sense why they were so frightened.

They are all still pagans, but knowledge of the true and living God has begun.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. -Proverbs 9:10

As I said when I preached from Proverbs, fear is just the beginning of wisdom, it is not meant to be the end. Think of this progression: fear (of God’s judgment) › awe and respect (of God) › love › obedience › wisdom. Fear of God is found in Gerar, a direct and ironic contradiction to what Abraham says a few verses later.

Read vs 9-10

For the second time, Abraham bears the reproach of a pagan king; and for the second time, God uses a pagan king to reprove his chosen man.

Abraham’s lie rightly offends Abimelech and he’s clearly incensed. But it is just a little ironic. Abimelech played the victim – and he was lied to – but he is the one who has taken a person.

Read vs 11-13

Here again we see that Abraham dwelt in a world that is very different from our own. Powerful men were able to take whatever they wanted. Abraham feared that to avoid committing adultery, if one of these powerful men wanted his wife he would be murdered. Just like King David would eventually murder Uriah in order to take and marry his wife, Bathsheba.

So they continue the lie they have been telling for decades. At this point, helping keep the lie alive all these years, Sarah is just as guilty as Abraham. But the ruse had some success before, so might as well keep it going.

And as we saw back in chapter 12, they really are brother and sister, they just didn’t share a mother. Such things were not uncommon in the pagan world, the world in which Abraham and Sarah were called out of. It wouldn’t be until the Mosaic Law that God would officially condemn incest of this sort.

Regardless, a lie of omission is just as much a lie.

Abraham thought there was no fear of God in Gerar. But it would seem that in this story, Abimelech fears God more than Abraham does. Abraham fears men: so he lies, jeopardizes his wife, and jeopardizes God’s promises. Abimelech is the one who hears from God, fears God, and follows with obedience.

But sadly for Abimelech, it appears his repentance is only temporary. He is not interested in knowing God, only saving his own skin.

Read vs 14-16

Just like Pharoah, Abimelech lavishes Abraham with livestock and servants. Conversely, while Pharoah expelled Abraham from his land, Abimelech offers the best of his land to Abraham. I think we again see God guiding the choices of Abimelech; for Abimelech temporarily owned a portion of the Promised Land.

Then, turning to Sarah, and with a twinge of sarcasm in his voice, Abimelech promises to give her brother 1,000 pieces of silver. The convention of the day was to offer gifts through the head of the household. This money is a gift for Sarah.

Of this amount, one commentator writes, “A Babylonian laborer, usually paid a half shekel per month, would have had to work 167 years to earn such a sum.”1

The king gave such an extravagant amount as a public confirmation that Sarah remained pure. An act that is increasingly important since God will soon cause Sarah to become pregnant.

Read vs 17-18

The prophet prays and the pagan is healed. So also are all the women of his household. Much like in Egypt, God has afflicted them all with some illness related to their sexual organs. A question now comes into focus, is this why Abimelech did not touch Sarah? Is this how God prevented things?

Abraham prays, not as someone who has been wronged, but because God has given him the office of prophet. Sarah leaves still barren, but all the women of Gerar are now fertile. It’s a foreshadowing of what God will soon do within 90 year-old Sarah.

How gracious is God towards His chosen people! Though Abraham and Sarah continue their lie, and once again fail to trust in God’s provision, God abundantly, lavishly, undeservedly, demonstrated His faithfulness to the covenant and the people of the covenant. If Abraham was wealthy before, how much more so now?!

And despite Abraham’s faithlessness, God announces him to be the Bible’s first prophet. Imagine the thoughts of this pagan king. This old guy is your prophet, who is too afraid to tell the truth? How great is God’s faithfulness, even when ours is so faulty.

The Praying Prophets

Now let us consider more deeply this prophet who prays.

Abraham may have been the first prophet. But since we share in his faith through Jesus Christ, we have all received the spirit of prophecy.

For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. -Revelation 19:10

We are a prophethood of all believers, not because of anything we have done, but because – in spite of our sins – Jesus graciously dwells within us. Therefore, because of Him, all of us are prophets of the living God.

So many Christians want to make this about telling the future, or receiving special messages from God, or all kinds of other super spiritual experiences. But Abraham gives us a very unspectacular pattern. He represents and he prays.

Not too unlike the land of Canaan, we live in a pluralistic world; a world that is growing increasingly pagan. Their pagan consciences have wandered so far from God that their moral understanding is crippled by corrupted files. I mean, all of us are still working the corrupted files out of our consciences by the gracious work of the Holy Spirit. How much more so those who haven’t even started!

Let us not confuse them, anger or wound them, by sinning against them. We read Genesis 20 and think, “How stupid of Abraham.” But have you lied to an unbeliever, or lashed out in anger, or got caught in some wrong? Have you misrepresented God as Abraham did? I certainly have. Brothers and sisters, God has called us to be His priestly prophets, let us not treat that lightly. We want to be faithful ambassadors, representing Christ not just in word, but in deed.

The second thing we must do with this prophethood is pray. Pray for the hurting, the deceived, the fearful. Pray that they would be healed. Pray that they would repent of their sins and believe in Christ who died to save us from judgment. God calls His prophets to labor in prayer, in part to intercede for those who are lost.

Surely you can do this for the nameless lost you do not know, and it is good. It is certainly good to pray together as a church for the Muslim word, as we are presently doing during Ramadan. But how much more potent when you pray for specific people? Yes, pray in private for them, but what if you prayed for them, right there in the moment, just as Abraham did?

Consider our passage, God told Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him.

I was running a construction job years ago and built a good relationship with a plumber that was frequently on site. We ended up getting into many spiritual conversations. One day he came up to me and told me had gotten a biopsy and was incredibly nervous about the results. He then just sorta stopped. I knew what he was after. He wanted me to pray with him. Perhaps God was guiding him in a similar manner to how he guided Abimelech.

I prayed for him right in the middle of the job site. Other people were working. There was no miracle or salvation, at least that I’m aware of, but when I saw the tears in his eyes I knew that in that moment he was blessed. And I know that he heard the truth.

There have been other times where I approached unbelievers, friends or strangers, and asked if I could pray for them. Again, no miracles or salvations, but a heartfelt prayer laced with truth.

It’s simple and it takes virtually nothing for you to do. And yet how awesome the privilege to pray for the lost and, if God wills, lead some into the everlasting covenant with an aboundingly faithful God.

Abraham gives us this practice in Genesis 20. If nothing else, let us remember the prophet who represents God and prays for the nations. For through Abraham the nations are blessed and through us – the Church – the nations will be discipled.

1Waltke, B. (2001). Genesis: A Commentary. Pg 287. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic