Seder 18: Gen 20---Another Challenge to the Promise

God has promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son within a year.  That promise is put to the test in Gen 20, but again God shows his commitment to the promise. 

Chapter 20 begins with Abraham and his clan traveling west to Gerar, which is believed to have been about 9 miles from Gaza.  We are not told why they moved; perhaps they needed to find water and pasture land for their flocks. 

The medieval Jewish commentator Rashi speculated that they moved in order to distance themselves from Lot, whose reputation was not good after he had committed incest with his daughters.  The Bible does not say this, but Rashi's teaching raises an interesting question not addressed in Genesis:  What kind of contact did Abraham and Lot have after the destruction of Sodom?

At Gerar Abraham, fearing for his life, continued the ruse that he and Sarah were just brother and sister, not husband and wife.  This apparently was his custom (v 13), as Gen 12 and Gen 20 indicate.  We do not how many other times the issue might have arisen. 

We do know that Abimelech, the ruler of Gerar, proceeded to "take" Sarah (v 2).  (Was he in the habit of taking women from visitors?) As we will see in chapter 21, Abimelech apparently was interested in having a cooperative relationship with Abraham, presumably for economic benefit.  He may have hoped to solidify such a relationship by marrying Abraham's "sister."  Abraham seems to have felt powerless to stand in his way.

God soon intervened, telling Abimelech in a dream to return Sarah to Abraham right away, or he and his house would die (vv 3-7).  We see here another example of how God would deal with people according to the way they treated Abraham (Gen 12:3). 

Abimelech responded promptly (v 8), showing a willingness to accept correction that the cities of the plain had not exhibited.  Perhaps what happened to the cities of the plain also helped get Abimelech's attention, along with the fact that Abimelech and the other men in his household may have been suffering from a collective case of erectile dysfunction--vv 6,18. 

He sternly reprimanded Abraham for deceiving him and putting him in danger of committing adultery (vv 9-10).  Abraham responded that he did not trust Abimelech, who he thought might well be willing to commit murder in order to avoid the "great sin" of adultery.

This was a low point for Abraham.  His lack of faith had jeopardized the promise, and his example had not hallowed God's name. 

We see, though, that God did not give up on Abraham.  He held up Abraham as a prophet, raising his status before the people of Gerar (v 7).  For Abimelech to be forgiven, Abraham would have to pray for him (vv 7, 17).  It may be that the prayer included repentance on Abraham's part and helped achieve reconciliation with Abimelech.

This was a learning experience for Abraham, who at age 99 still had much to learn and a long way to go in his walk with God.  But God was not giving up on Abraham, and he does not give up on his people today. 

In a sermon on July 18, Kyle Kettering looked at the long journeys of faith traveled by Abraham, Jesus, and God's people today.