Genesis 20:11-13

2007.Nov.01 02:40

Abraham’s Response

Read Genesis 20:11-13 | Full Chapter

Note: This entry is particularly rambling. I’ve had a number of thoughts and not spent the time to really think them through. Hmph.

Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 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.”’”
(Genesis 20:11-13, NASB)

"The fear of the LORD,” states Proverbs, “is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7, NASB) . It’s not explicit that I’ve noticed, but my assumption is that Abimelech did not fear Yahweh, at least not when Abraham first showed up in his lands. Taking Sarah was a foolish act; it was not, however, a surprisingly foolish decision. While Abraham asking Sarah to lie was a decision not particularly informed by faith, his logic was, well, logical: Abemilech doesn’t fear God => Abemilech is likely to do stupid. (Note that regardless of his logic, I still vote that Abraham is treating his wife terribly in this situation.)

The specifics of Abraham’s explanation also follow a logic, but the details aren’t particularly interesting to me. More generally, I note that his overall response to Abemilech’s complaint is an explanation, not an attack. Recall, Abraham led an army successfully against King Chedorlaomer a few chapters back. Personally, I dislike that he was so active for the sake of his nephew, and so passive for the sake of his wife. But whatever Abraham’s reasoning for the more passive response, I am reminded that Yahweh takes care of those who worship and obey him:

No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.
(Isaiah 54:17, NASB)

I suppose what I find myself thinking is that Abraham shows faith here by not getting in the way of Yahweh sorting this out. However, he ought to have shown faith earlier by being honest that Sarah, in addition to being his half-sister, is also his wife. God could just as surely have protected Abraham and Sarah at that earlier point that at this later. It saddens me to find Christians, including myself at times, praying so desperately for a solution to a problem that shouldn’t be in the first place. Thankfully, while God often lets us receive the negative results of our own foolishness, his grace means that I can act in faith now even when I failed to just five minutes ago.