Genesis Chapter 20: Abraham’s treachery

God is perfect. God’s children are made in HIS image, but are born into sin. This chapter shows God’s consistent grace toward Abraham and the hedge of protection that he places around him and his family. This chapter also explains in more detail on why Abraham would say that he and his wife Sarah were brother and sister (they were married) to save his life from the Egyptian pharaoh, and now Abimelech.

This chapter begins with Abraham settling between Kadesh and Shur. In Chapter 12 we read about Sarah’s (Sarai’s) beauty. Abraham told Sarah to say that they were brother and sister when King Abimelech sent for and took Sarah. God appeared to Abimelech in a dream and was not having any of that! He told the king to not touch her, give her back to Abraham, and Abraham would pray for his Abimelech and he would live. God called Abraham a prophet as well in this chapter.
Abimelech was upset by all this, after all he didn’t know that Abraham and Sarah were married when he sent for her. (This happened in Egypt when the Pharoah received plageues to taking Sarah as his wife) Abimelech, confronted Abraham and asked why he would do this?

Genesis 20:9 “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 on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.”

Abraham responded..
Genesis 20:11 “Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.12 Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife;13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, “This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother”

To make amends, Abimelech gave Abraham riches, Abraham prayed and saved the life of this king as well as healed the people. (The wombs of the women of the kings household were shut because of Sarah being taken).

After reading this, I understand the Chapter title “Abraham’s treachery”. Abraham lied to save his life. God still protected him, and blessed him and his family even though he was not perfect. What I got from this Chapter is that God had mercy on Abimelech and appeared to judge him on his heart. God spoke to Abimelech in a dream before he had a chance to touch Sarah, to save his life. I don’t believe that Abraham wanted to give his wife up at all! Imagine how he must have felt when God told him to travel, knowing that he could lose his wife or his own life? Would we be willing to lose a loved one to follow God’s will? Would we be willing to enter into unpredictable situations where we don’t know the outcome? When God called, Abraham did not seem to even hesitate. He is not a perfect man, none of us are. I pray that God give all of us the strength to be obedient when we are called to walk and the faith to trust him to take care of us no matter what comes our way. Even if we make mistakes, we are children of God and he will take care of us like he took care of Abraham.