Genesis 20:8-18 – Being honest can help us avoid needless troubles

God would never allow His plan to be ruined. He will remove the obstacle to get us there. This is clearly seen in how He dealt with the problem caused by Abraham. He again tried to give a deceptive account about his relationship with Sarah. He only disclosed to Abimelech, the King of Gerar, that Sarah was his sister and not the fact that she was also his wife.  Being deceived, Abimelech almost head into trouble for acquiring Sarah for his harem. God intervened because His plan through Abraham was about to be brought to pass. He had promised that Sarah would bear Abraham a son. So he was not about to let Abimelech destroy His plan. So He warned him in a dream. God did that also because He knew that this king of Gerar had integrity and would not have done what he did, had he known about Sarah’s status. Our God is just and will never deal with a person unfairly.

One of the avenues God speaks to us is through dreams. Here He revealed to Abimelech through a dream. Abimelech could have dismissed it had he been less sensitive to God. But because he was a God fearer, he could recognize God’s message from his dream. Having ascertained the warning by God, Ahimelech took action early the next morning. He assembled his officials together and told them all that had happened, including the revelation by God. And great fear came upon his people. He then summoned Abraham and blasted him. He wanted to know why Abraham did not tell the truth about Sarah’s status as his wife. For Abimelech to acknowledge publicly that he was deceived, was unusual. If not for God’s intervention, he would have punished Abraham and drove him out of Gerar.

Here in is the contrast. Abraham, the man of faith, should have been the honest one. But instead we see that Abimelech, a pagan king who should have been more cunning, was more honest than him. When Abraham became self-serving, he acted with fear and caused a great deal of misunderstanding. Here he leaves us with a lesson. We should trust God at all times, so that we do not create needless troubles that could sabotage God’s plan for our life. He almost put the plan of God for Isaac into jeopardy. Abraham’s lack of trust in God made him less discerning. King Abimelech and his people were more honorable that he thought. Any believer could also do what Abraham had done when connection with God had weakened. The loss of discernment is an evidence of a faith that has weakened.

Had Abraham been more truthful about his relationship with Sarah, he would have been spared the embarrassment, and his wife’s needless trepidation would have been avoided. On top of that, Abimelech would have been spared the guilt and fear. Here we see what one wrong move could cause many bystanders to suffer. It teaches us to decide and act rightly in our walk with God. Our own move may not just affect ourselves, but others also. Here, despite his embarrassment, Abimelech compensated Abraham. He gave to the patriarch sheep, cattle and slaves. He even told Sarah, sarcastically, that he was giving Abraham, her brother, a thousand pieces of silver. He also offered them the right to live wherever they chose with his land. So thorough was this king that he would not want to be caught in any wrong, so he asked Abraham to pray for him. He also declared that in this matter Sarah was not guilty. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household, and God reversed the curse and restored their fertility.  

One of the avenues God speaks to us is through dreams. Here He revealed to Abimelech through a dream. Abimelech could have dismissed it had he been less sensitive to God. But because he was a God fearer, he could recognize God’s message from his dream. Having ascertained the warning by God, Ahimelech took action early the next morning. He assembled his officials together and told them all that had happened, including the revelation by God. And great fear came upon his people. He then summoned Abraham and blasted him. He wanted to know why Abraham did not tell the truth about Sarah’s status as his wife. For Abimelech to acknowledge publicly that he was deceived, was unusual. If not for God’s intervention, he would have punished Abraham and drove him out of Gerar.

Here in is the contrast. Abraham, the man of faith, should have been the honest one. But instead we see that Abimelech, a pagan king who should have been more cunning, was more honest than him. When Abraham became self-serving, he acted with fear and caused a great deal of misunderstanding. Here he leaves us with a lesson. We should trust God at all times, so that we do not create needless troubles that could sabotage God’s plan for our life. He almost put the plan of God for Isaac into jeopardy. Abraham’s lack of trust in God made him less discerning. King Abimelech and his people were more honorable that he thought. Any believer could also do what Abraham had done when connection with God had weakened. The loss of discernment is an evidence of a faith that has weakened.

Had Abraham been more truthful about his relationship with Sarah, he would have been spared the embarrassment, and his wife’s needless trepidation would have been avoided. On top of that, Abimelech would have been spared the guilt and fear. Here we see what one wrong move could cause many bystanders to suffer. It teaches us to decide and act rightly in our walk with God. Our own move may not just affect ourselves, but others also. Here, despite his embarrassment, Abimelech compensated Abraham. He gave to the patriarch sheep, cattle and slaves. He even told Sarah, sarcastically, that he was giving Abraham, her brother, a thousand pieces of silver. He also offered them the right to live wherever they chose with his land. So thorough was this king that he would not want to be caught in any wrong, so he asked Abraham to pray for him. He also declared that in this matter Sarah was not guilty. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household, and God reversed the curse and restored their fertility.