Genesis 20 ~ And Abraham said of Sarah

Genesis 20

From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. ² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” ⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 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.” ⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

⁸ So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. ⁹ 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 my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” ¹¹ Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ ¹² Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

¹⁴ Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” ¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” ¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Abraham and Sarah, the parents of today's Middle East trauma. Abraham could hear the LORD speaking with him and Still was self-centered. My inner nature tells me - this is good work if you can get it. And then the real sorrow we do not do better for the LORD. In the wellsprings of our heart. Jesus deserves that LOVE.  The incredible patience He has for us. 

Abraham judged Abimelech to be his enemy. Abimelech had a lot of grace. Our movies would tell us Abimelech would take a woman immediately. Instead, Abimelech has spoken with Sarah but has not known her. In our world, we would be suspicious of That set of circumstances. The movie "The Kingdom" is a spectacular movie of the freedoms we enjoy as Christians and the devotions of being Muslim.  The plot, according to IMDb; A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East. There are a lot of rabbit holes and the investigator learns of a profound Muslim holiness dwelling in the Muslim family,  with a willingness to honor the evil of murder for those having different ideas. 

The movie relates to me biblically, Aaron was invited to come into God's sanctuary seeking forgiveness and splashes blood around the Holy of Holies. It is God -  knowing we are not His holiness but giving us JESUS to say,  please stay with me eternally. 

Instead of judging one another so harshly, we need to remember how unique we are to God. GOD knows us just as we are. God, who says come as you are. Grow. Rest. Lay down your burden.

Matthew 13:32
It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

We know Abraham entertained angels and recognized them as angels. Surely we can recognize, in this passage, even the righteous need a Savior. Abraham prays for Abimelech, when it is Abimelech who had clean hands and asked for mercy. God loves the prayer of a righteous person.

James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.


Father God, each day let us remember in humility we can do nothing Good apart from You. In Your Son, Jesus Christ, alone is our great hope, faith and Love. In Jesus Christ alone is our mercy. We pray to you and hope to availeth much.  You have always appreciated the huge prayers and rejoice with us when we rejoice in Your smallest mercies. In the name of Jesus. Amen.




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