Foolishness, Faithfulness, and Forgiveness
Genesis 20:1-18
Introduction
The New Year brought new challenges for many. Many have decided to read through the Bible this year. I have loved to hear the different comments from people about the experience of their new challenge. The most memorable comment I have heard was about the men and women whose lives are recorded in the Old Testament. The person commenting said, “I have really always been a New Testament person, but I am enjoying the Old Testament because I realize that many of the great men of the faith struggled to trust in the Lord. They are by no means perfect.”
One cannot truly read through the pages of the Bible without getting the sense that God’s people are by no means perfect. In the Scriptures we have men who are called “pillars of faith” and “men after God’s own heart” who at times act as if they have never come to know God. What we see of the men of God in the scriptures is true of all who start the journey of faith. The Journey of faith is an upward journey, but at times along the way the upward journey seems to be going the wrong way. One of my professors at Criswell described it well when he drew a line on the grease board as an illustration of our journey of faith. there were some high points on this line, but there were also some low points on this line. The high points represented the godly times of our lives. The low points represented the times that we strayed away from the Lord.
We have already noticed this truth in chapter nineteen of the book of Genesis with the life of Lot. Lot was a righteous man who started off well, but did not finish well. He wanted the benefits of heaven, at the same time he wanted to enjoy the desires of the heathen. This would bring his life crashing down to a destructive demise. When compared to Abraham’s life, Lot’s life seemed to be more represented by the low points of the line rather than the high points. But don’t think for a moment that Abraham was a perfect saint.
One only has to turn back to chapter twelve to find Abraham, a great pillar of faith, failing in his journey of faith. In this beginning chapter of the life of Abraham we find his faith faltering in the midst of trying circumstances. A famine struck the land of promise and instead of trusting the Lord to take care of him, Abraham takes things into his own hands and sojourns to Egypt, a sojourn that would have been disastrous had it not been for the faithfulness of God.
After his rescue from his faltering faith, Abraham seemed to learn to trust in the Lord in every circumstance. We find Abraham trusting the Lord when he separated from his nephew Lot. We find Abraham trusting the Lord when he went to fight the four kings who attacked the city of Sodom. For the most part Abraham was maturing in his faith and trust in the Lord. There was a brief mistrust in the Lord in chapter sixteen, but it was not a mistrust based on fear as much as it was a mistrust based on the lack of patience. Thus, from chapter twelve up to chapter nineteen of the book of Genesis, a twenty-five year period, we see Abraham making that upward journey of faith, maturing along the way.
Unfortunately, chapter twenty is going to show us that though Abraham was maturing in his faith, becoming a great pillar of faith; he was also imperfect and capable of falling to the low points of life. I almost think that the Lord gave us Genesis chapter twenty to keep us all humble before the Lord. Remember what the apostle Paul said? The moment we thing we have it together is the moment we become vulnerable to moral lapses. Abraham’s life will reveal this truth once again in chapter twenty.
Some scholars argue that chapter twenty is a repeat of chapter twelve, therefore the discredit chapter twenty as authentic. But one should not see these two chapters as duplicate chapters; instead, one should see these chapters as a true revelation of our humanity. Just because Abraham is doing the same mistake that he did in chapter twelve in chapter twenty does not mean that it is authentic. What it means is that we has humans, even redeemed humans, have a tendency to repeat the same mistakes. That is exactly what is happening in chapter twenty, a repeat mistake on the part of Abraham. Though chapters twelve and twenty are similar, they also have many differences as well.
In chapter twelve Abraham makes his way to Egypt, which is outside the land of promise, on account of a famine in the land. In chapter twenty Abraham makes his way to Gerar for not other reason except by choice. Furthermore, Gerar is still in the boundaries of the Promised Land. When Abraham put his wife Sarah in danger in chapter twelve she was barren. When Abraham puts his wife in danger chapter twenty she was fertile.
Back in chapter eighteen the Lord told Abraham and Sarah that she would give birth within a year. Therefore, Sarah is not pregnant in chapter twenty, but she is able to have children. This is a very significant point in understanding exactly what is taking place in this chapter. It helps us to put into perspective the foolish actions of God’s people in this twentieth chapter.
I. The Foolish Actions of God’s People
The narrative reveals the foolish actions of God’s people, Abraham and Sarah, in the first two verses, “Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur: then he sojourned in Gerar. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.”
Abraham decides to leave his place in the oaks of Mamre and journey to a place called Gerar. The reason for the journey is not given in these verses, but it would seem that Abraham made the journey by choice, not circumstances. It was the famine that caused him to leave the land of promise and go to Egypt back in chapter twelve. It would be his own choice that was set Abraham on his Journey from Mamre to Gerar.
Though Gerar is still in the boundaries of the Promised Land, the Philistines inhabited it. In fact, most likely Gerar was a royal city for the Philistines. As Abraham makes his way to Gerar we are told in very few words that Abraham would have an encounter with the Kind of Gerar, Abimelech. It is interesting that the narrative does not give us any detail concerning the matter. What the narrative does tell us is that Abimelech wanted to take Sarah into his harem, “Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.”
There are two understandings of why Abimelech would want to take Sarah into his harem. One understanding believes that the Lord restored her beauty in Sarah’s latter years. Remember that Sarah is about ninety years old at this moment in her life. And if Abimelech is anything like Pharaoh in chapter twelve, then most likely he is sees that Sarah is beautiful and want to add her to his harem.
Another understanding, and probably to most feasible is that Abimelech saw how prosperous Abraham was and in an effort to ally himself with Abraham he would take his sister into his harem. This seems to fit the text better than the previous understanding.
The foolish action on the part of Abraham and Sarah is found in their deception concerning their marriage. What made it foolish is that by deceiving Abimelech they would put in jeopardy God’s plan of redemption. When God called Abraham he promised him that he would be a blessing to all the nations. The way in which Abraham would become a blessing is found in the fact that the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, would come from his offspring. The foolish action of deception in these verses would jeopardize God’s eternal plan of salvation.
One reason that we see God’s plan of redemption being jeopardized in this chapter is Satan. Satan does not want God’s plan of redemption to come about because if it does, it would mean that the power of sin and death would be conquered. Therefore, Satan is going to do all he cane to foil the plan of God’s redemption. How would he do that? He would do so by appealing to weaknesses in the blessing bearer’s life.
The text reveals three areas of weakness in Abraham’s life that would bring about the foolish actions that we see in this chapter. There are three things in the text that reveal to us the source of the foolish actions of God’s people.
A. The Fear of Man
The three reasons come from Abraham himself after Abimelech rebukes him for his foolish actions. The first reason for such foolish actions is found in verse eleven, “Abraham said, ‘because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.” The first reason for the foolish act of deception is the fear of man instead of the fear of God. The irony of this verse is the fact that Abraham is guilty of what he judged Abimelech to be. Abraham feared Abimelech instead of fearing the Lord. Abraham was more concerned about what Abimelech could do to him instead of what the Lord could do to him. Fear has a way of causing God’s people to do foolish actions.
B. The Rationalization of Sin
Verse twelve gives us the second reason for such a foolish act, “Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.” What Abraham is saying to Abimelech is that he only told him a half-lie, not a whole lie. What Abraham is doing is rationalizing his sin. Though Sarah is Abraham’s half sister, his first responsibility to Sarah is husband, not brother.
By rationalizing his foolish act of deception, Abraham put in jeopardy the purity of the marriage relationship. Listen to verse three, “But God came to Abimelech in a dream at night, and said to him, Behold your are a dead man because of the woman you have taken, for she is married.” Had it not been for divine intervention Abimelech would have committed adultery with Sarah. God would intervene to keep the purity of the marriage.
C. The Lingering of Flesh
The third reason for Abraham’s foolish action is found in verse thirteen, “and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you will show to me: everywhere we go, so of me, ‘He is my brother.’” Here we have the lingering of the flesh. Abraham some twenty-five years before made a pact with his wife Sarah soon after he journeyed from his father’s house, either Ur or Haran, and the pact was to lie about their relationship. This was done for the protection of Abraham’s life. This explains why Abraham and Sarah would make the same mistake again; they would hold on to the lingering flesh of distrust. They had not learned to fully trust in the Lord to take care of them.
Abraham, on account of his fear of man, rationalization of sin, and his lingering flesh, would put into jeopardy God’s plan of redemption and blessings that would come through Abraham. Abraham because of his foolish actions would move from being faithful to unfaithful. Fortunately, God’s eternal plan is not dependant upon man. In fact, the foolish actions of God’s people are always covered by the faithful action of God’s providence. When God’s people are unfaithful, God will always be faithful.
II. The Faithful Action of God’s Providence
We see God’s faithfulness revealed in his intervention within the situation that Abraham had caused by his foolish actions. If you look at verse three again you will see the nature of God’s intervention, “But God said to Abimelech in a dream at night, and said to him, ‘Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” The Lord appears to Abimelech within a dream. As the Lord revealed to Abimelech the dire situation that he was in, he would then begin to defend his integrity in the matter. The defense offered is based upon Abimelech’s ignorance in the situation.
A. The Honest Ignorance
After the Lord reveals the situation to Abimelech in a dream, he would make his case for honest ignorance, but before he makes his case before the Lord, Abimelech is going to appeal the righteous character of God. We read in verse four, “Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, ‘Lord, will you slay a nation, even though blameless?” These words are very similar to the words of Abraham back in chapter eighteen, verse twenty-three, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” Abimelech understood who he was talking to and therefore he appeals to the righteous character of the Lord. After he makes his appeal to the Lord for mercy on account of his righteous character, he then would confess the honest ignorance of the situation he was in.
Verse five tells us, “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 pleads his case of honest ignorance in the situation at hand. Why was Abimelech in such a situation? Abimelech was in this situation on account of the foolish acts of Abraham and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah’s sins not only jeopardized the plan of God through Abraham, but it also would bring disastrous consequences upon those who were brought into the situation in honest ignorance.
What is very important concerning the honest ignorance of Abimelech is that he did not have sexual relations with Sarah. Verse four tells us, “Now Abimelech had not come near her.” This is important to note. Had Abimelech come near Sarah, she possibly would have given birth to Abimelech’s heir and not Abraham’s. You can see how the foolish actions jeopardized the plan of God. But more importantly than the fact that Abimelech did not have sexual relations with Sarah is the fact that the faithful actions of God’s providence intervened in the situation.
B. The Faithful Intervention
We see the faithful intervention of the Lord in this situation revealed in the Lord’s response to Abimelech’s response, “Then God said to him in the dream, ‘Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this.” Let me stop and just point out that God acknowledges that Abimelech’s sin is done out of ignorance and not presumptions sins. After he acknowledges his honest ignorance, he reveals the faithful intervention in the situation, “And I also kept you from sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her.”
This statement on the part of the Lord is a profound statement. Had it not been for the faithful action of the Lord, Abimelech would have slept with Sarah. Yes, in ignorance Abimelech acted, but God’s faithful intervention kept him from truly sinning against God. Have you ever thought about God’s faithfulness in terms of how much sin he keeps you from? Think about how many times, noticed or unnoticed, in your life God faithfully intervened in a situation to keep you from sinning against him. I know of times in my Christian life were I was sure that God faithfully intervened to keep me from going down a path that I would regret latter.
Why would God intervene in the foolish acts of his people in chapter twenty? He would intervene because he had a promise to keep. The Lord promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a child, and from him would come kings and nation, more importantly, from him would come the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. This promise was not dependant upon man, but upon God himself. Therefore, though Abraham and Sarah were unfaithful, God would remain faithful to his character, his promise, and his reputation, by faithfully intervening in the foolish actions of his people’s lives.
When Napoleon was making his march towards the city of Moscow, he decided to share his plans of conquer to a certain lady. As he shared his plans of conquer, he did so with a prideful and arrogant attitude. The Lady quickly rebuked him and said, “Sir, be more reverent. You must remember that man proposes, but God disposes.” Napoleon responded back in his haughtiness, “Madam, not only do I propose, but I also dispose too.” Those words would come back to haunt him. In a matter of months, after retreating from the burned out city, he found himself engaged in a battle with frost and snow, a battle that would wreck his army, his prestige, and eventually sent him as a defeated exile in the prison of St. Helena.
Abraham proposed to wreck God’s plan of redemption through his foolish actions, but God’s still disposes. The fulfillment of God’s plan is not dependent upon man’s faithfulness, but God’s faithfulness. The faithfulness of God is revealed in his providential hand.
It is encouraging to know that even when we give into the foolish actions as God’s people and sin against God; he is still faithful to his covenant. It is encouraging to know that even when we are unfaithful to our Lord his will always remain faithful to us. This we see in God’s faithful intervention in this narrative. But even more encouraging in this text than the faithful actions of God is the forgiving attitude of God’s personality displayed.
III. The Forgiving Attitude of God’s Personality
The forgiving attitude of God’s personality is displayed in how the Lord deals with both Abimelech and Abraham. Though Abimelech sins out of honest ignorance, the Lord would still hold him accountable and responsible for his sin. In fact, the Lord will tell Abimelech that until Sarah is restored to her husband, he and his household are still under the penalty of death. Notice what the Lord says in verse seven, “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.” Abimelech’s first choice to take Sarah was done in honest ignorance, but if he failed to restore Sarah to Abraham, his sin would be a sin of willful disobedience.
Verses eight and following show us that Abimelech took the words of the Lord serious. Abimelech woke the next morning, gathered around his servants and told them al that had happened.
Abimelech then finds Abraham and confronts Abraham with his foolish actions in verse nine, “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 my and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.’” This is not only a direct confrontation of Abraham’s sin from Abimelech; it is also an indirect rebuke for Abraham’s sin from the Lord. After Abraham is confronted he would confess the source of his sins, the fear of man, the rationalization of sin, and the lingering of flesh in verses eleven through thirteen.
Abimelech then makes good on what the Lord told him to do back in verse seven, and he restores Sarah back to Abraham as well as blesses them with material goods, “Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him.” Here is the fruit of Abimelech’s confession before the Lord, the restoration Sarah to Abraham her husband.
And the Lord did exactly what he said he would do if Abimelech confessed and complied with the demands of the Lord, “Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so they bore children. For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.”
We see God’s forgiving attitude demonstrated in how he deals with Abimelech. The Lord could have killed Abimelech from the start, but he didn’t. Instead he gave him an opportunity to confess his sin, he did, and the Lord forgave him.
God’s forgiveness is also revealed him how God dealt with Abraham. We never once see God defend Abraham’s sin, but we do see him defend and protect Abraham on the basis of is faithfulness. The Lord does not appear directly to Abraham, but indirectly through the confrontation of Abimelech, and Abraham comes clean and confesses the reasons for his foolish activities in the first place. Had not Abraham confessed his sin, the prayer that he prayed in verse seventeen would have not been heard, for the Bible tells us that if we cherish sin in our hearts the Lord will not hears us. The Lord heard Abraham and he healed Abimelech.
D.L. Moody, in one of his great evangelistic sermons tells this story of his life growing up. When Moody was only four his father died, leaving him and his other siblings to help their mom. Soon after the death of their father, Moody’s eldest brother decides to run away from home. Moody remembers hearing his mother praying late at night for the safe return of his brother. Everyday his mother would have him walk to the post office to see if any letter or word came from our about his brother. So consumed with the missing brother was Moody’s mom that the other siblings began to question her love for them. One day a knock came at the door and it was the eldest brother. Moody’s mom greeted the son by say, “Is it possible that my son has come home? Come in.” But before the eldest brother went in he said to his mother, “Mom, I can’t come in until you forgive me of what I have done to you!” She rushed and put her arms around the boy and said, “I fogive you.” D.L Moody then told the people he was preaching to after he told them this story, “My friends, this forgiveness is nothing to the sin that your heavenly father wants you confess to him. Oh that you would be wise to come to him now while he is still willing.” This text reveals the condition of all of us. We all are like Abraham and Abimelech and have committed sin against a holy God. Fortunately we cannot sin more than God can forgive. When it comes to a battle between sin and grace, God’s grace wins every time. When we sin we sin as humans, finite creatures, but when God forgives he does so as an infinite creator.
