Genesis 20:14-16

2007.Nov.07 02:03

Sacrifice by numbers

Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.
(Genesis 20:14-16, NKJV)

Yay. Abimelech obeys. Took longer than I thought it should, but he obeys! It is one thing to make a moral commitment. It is altogether another thing to pay a price with that commitment. As Jesus says in Matthew:

You cannot be my disciple unless you carry your own cross and come with me. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won’t you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. They will say, “You started building, but could not finish the job.”
(Luke 14:27-30, CEV)

And Abimelech does pay a price, in addition to releasing Sarah. He gives Abraham a thousand pieces of silver and invites the family to stay wherever they’d like in his lands. This was not specifically required by Jehovah in the dreams in which he instructed Abimelech; the king might have saved his life without this gesture, but it would have been dishonoring to Sarah and Abraham, because Abimelech had sinned against them.

Abimelech also does not give an insulting gift, but rather something of value. A small half-hearted sacrifice when seeking forgiveness, either from other humans or from Yahweh, is insulting. Better to just ask forgiveness and not offer anything. Remember that when offering something to a friend you have hurt that whatever you give symbolizes the value you place on that relationship. Abimelech is showing to Abraham and Sarah that he values their forgiveness, if “only” for the sake of his life and kingdom.

I suppose I’ll have plenty of opportunity to discuss sacrifices later, but when Jehovah dictates specifics in what a sacrifice should be, as in "Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats" (Exodus 12:5, NASB) , I don’t believe its an implication of what he values but rather that we must give something we value. Even when accepting Christ’s sacrifice, we implicitly sacrifice at least a portion of our pride. Getting off point, a bit. Actually, I think I’ve made my point, so I’ll foray into another tangent and then finish without repeating my thesis (it’s like a treasure hunt; see if you can find it).

As it happens, I picked the NKJV to quote, which includes this fascinating line: “Thus she was rebuked.” It’s “reproved” in the King James (and 21st Century KJV) and largely absent from my random checks of other version; Young’s Literal goes, “and by all this she is reasoned with.” Anyway, I have no particular point to make about this line, but it was very unexpected. If I knew the history behind why this passage is included in some and not other versions, I might start in on some critical analyses.

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.

Genesis 20:8-10

2007.Oct.29 00:58

Frustration with Another

Read Genesis 20:8-10 | Full Chapter

So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”
(Genesis 20:8-10, NKJV)

Emotions.

Are a funny thing. I know. We all know. I don’t know of any person who doesn’t think that emotions can be deceptive and fickle, can lead us into deep trouble if allowed. I do think I’ve met a few people who don’t also realize how wonderful emotions can be, when we experience them but don’t give them control. But I’m getting off track. Even though most of us understand the dangers of emotions, it’s so (somehow surprisingly) simple to let them start dictating in any of a thousand situations.

King Abimelech is understandably emotional this morning. Yahweh showed up last night and told him a woman he had enslaved (more or less) and probably intended to have sex with–regardless of her opinions–was married. To a prophet, to boot. And Yahweh wasn’t happy about this. Well, maybe “wasn’t happy” is inaccurate. The “exact” words were, "You will die. The woman you took is married" (Genesis 20:3, CEV) (where “exact” means something like: orally passed down for a while, then written down, then copied several times, then translated, and then I picked a translation that I happen to think makes my point well). Hopefully his emotions include guilt. But they also include some anger with Abraham for deceiving him.

Abimelech’s handling of this situation seems to be rather wise, though. Or, at least, diplomatic. He first consults others, confessing at least his sin of taking a married woman. Again, whether he has realized that there may be other issues here is not addressed. “Through insolence”, notes Proverbs, "comes nothing but strife, \ But wisdom is with those who receive counsel" (Proverbs 13:10, NASB) . So, I think talking it over was a good move. Better than going out tracking down Abraham to blame and attack him.

Next, the king goes to Abraham. Basically, he asks for an explanation. His language does indicate his frustration with Abraham’s deception, but he sticks to getting an answer. Now, I suppose he doesn’t need an explanation. Really, he ought to have preceded these first two steps with releasing Sarah. That’s one of the places emotions can get in the way. We ought to obey first, deal with the emotions later. I suppose that comes mostly from meditation of God’s words (so we know his commands by heart) and learning to control my thoughts.

Anyway, back to our fun conversation between the king and the traveler. Abimelech directly addresses the one who has offended him and offers Abraham a chance for explanation. Granted his other choice is to be struck down by God if he acts in his emotions and attacks Abraham. All in all, this is one of those situations that could have been a lot worse. But Abimelech doesn’t let his frustration or anger turn to rage. And yet, still, he is delaying obedience. Sarah is not yet released. So far, two points for effort, minus ten for execution.

Genesis 20:3-7

2007.Oct.10 01:34

The Unknown Sin

Read Genesis 20:1-7 | Full Chapter

The issue of unknown sin, or sin that is performed in ignorance, can make for interesting theological discussions. What, these crazy debates might begin, happens to a person who follows the spirit of God’s Law, but, having never heard the gospel, dies without saying that Jesus is their Lord and Savior? Probably the only really good that comes out of such doctrinal discussions is an increased desire to tell others about Yahweh/Jesus (although, evangelical fervors have also tended to produce some very bad things, especially when–in my opinion–they’re executed without a grounding in the Bible).

Such discussions, however, can hide another circumstance, when someone who knows God’s Law sins, but for some reason doesn’t realize that sin. And, because I like to invalidate my own points, I’m going to continue looking at Abimelech in light of the second point, and not the first, although the first may be technically more applicable. Moses not yet born and all.

First, a smattering of some verses which I think are relevant, but into which I do not plan to delve:

Now if anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and becomes guilty, if his sin which he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without defect, for his sin which he has committed.
(Leviticus 4:27-28, NASB)

What I note from this passage in Leviticus is that something had to be done to correct an unintentional sin when the sinner realizes it. Jesus discusses this also, noting the significance of the recognition of the sin.

If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
(John 15:22, CEV)

So, is it sin or not? From Paul:

Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die. Sin was in the world before the Law came. But no record of sin was kept, because there was no Law. Yet death still had power over all who lived from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. This happened, though not everyone disobeyed a direct command from God, as Adam did.
(Romans 5:12-14a, CEV)

My impression from these three and other passages is that sin, whether known or unknown leads to physical death. However, one is not “guilty” for unknown sins. Which leaves the question of spiritual death. And I am done for now with this theology. Gimme a story. I like stories.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.”
(Genesis 20:3, NASB)

So, here, Yahweh brings up the death issue. Abimelech will die because of his unknown sin. But God’s is warning him. Now, it is known. I appreciate that God is very specific about what the sin is. But Yahweh doesn’t leave it there. Rather, he also gives specific instructions to Abimelech on what to do.

Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? 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.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
(Genesis 20:4-7, NASB)

I enjoy Abimelech’s ‘integrity of my heart’ bit. As I said in my previous entry, I have doubts about how good he really is. Based on the narrative, I conclude that he may be accustomed to enslaving women who happen to pass through the lands over which he rules. I wonder if God’s reply about his integrity is sarcastic. Then, I may be reading into this my own ideas. Fortunately, this is not the point. I think.

The points I want to make, 80,000-odd paragraphs into the entry, are that Yahweh:

Uses the unknown sin to get Abimelech’s attention (more on that next entry, maybe)
Makes Abimelech aware of his sin, and instructs him on what to do.

Instead of God just saying “You’re a dead man”, God listens to Abimelech’s side of the story, and gives him an opportunity to correct the wrong. By releasing Sarah, Abimelech corrects for his sin. But that alone does not save him. Just as my actions do not justify me, but Christ in me makes me clean, it is the prayer of the prophet which saves Abimelech. Abimelech’s faith in what Yahweh has told him saves him, but his obedience is first required as evidence of that faith. Hopefully I’m not just stretching this story to fit it so well into New Testament words, because it seems to me that this is such a great example of how Christ’s sacrifice and faith and grace and obedience all work together.

So, when the Holy Spirit (in whatever way) reveals to me a sin I had not recognized, I want to skip the “But…“‘s and instead do what I need to in obedience to correct the issue, have faith in God for his forgiveness, and thank him for correcting me.

Genesis 20:1-2

2007.Oct.09 15:16

Sins that are Known

Read Genesis 20:1-2 | Full Chapter

Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
(Genesis 20:1-2, NASB)

Assuming this chapter falls in order chronologically with the chapters near to it, Sarah is about ninety years old. (Her son, Isaac, is born in chapter 21; in chapter 18, God promised Isaac’s birth in a year’s time. In Genesis 17:17, Abraham states that Sarah is–or is about to be–ninety years old.) Which makes it sort of a surprise that Abraham feels the need to pretend she’s his sister, at least so far as keeping anyone from killing him over her. I mean, guys who kill for other men’s wives tend to go for the under eighty crowd, right? I do realize that there are at least some cultural differences here about which I know nothing.

This is not the first time Abraham and Sarah have gotten themselves into this situation. This story is very repetitious of Genesis 12:11-20, in which Abram and Sarai go to Egypt. One way or another, Jehovah does bring good out of these little ploys. I wonder whether he deliberately led Abram to make these–in my opinion, foolish–decisions in order to enable Abraham and Sarah’s opportunities to share about Jehovah’s power and righteousness.

Abimelech, king of Gerar, “[takes] Sarah,” whatever that means. I assume it means he has forced her to be a concubine. It’s not terribly clear to me from the OT what God thinks about polygamy, but from what I know of Jehovah, anything that amounts to sex slavery is sinful. So, when I title this article “Sins that are Known”, I’m meaning to differentiate Abimelech’s apparent habit of taking foreign women to satisfy his lusts for sex and/or power–a known sin–from the sin in ignorance, being that he doesn’t know that one of these women is also married. While I don’t expect Abimelech to have known the Law given to Moses–Moses being, as it were, not yet born–if he is unaware of the immorality in his taking of Sarah, it can only be because he habitually treats other people–probably particularly women–as property.

The sin that he does not know is that were he to actually have sex with Sarah, he would be additionally committing adultery. Jehovah, in my opinion, does not owe Abimelech the chance to correct this sin in ignorance, due to his many premeditated sins. In fact, the more I think about this guy and his harem whence he immediately sends a woman who catches his fancy, the more I am quite amazed by God’s reaction to this situation. Like me, he concludes that this man deserves death. Of course, in his righteousness, he has a moral right to conclude this, whereas I am just expressing my opinions, and doing so warily, aware of my own disobedience. Unlike my inclination, Jehovah warns Abimelech. Jehovah is always doing this. Basically, his modus operandi in regards to sin often runs:

God: You’re doing vile evil things
Human: Ha ha, indeed I am
God: You deserve to die
Human: Erm
God: But, I’m going to give you a chance to repent
Human: [begins litany of excuses]…wait, what? You mean, I have another chance?
God: Yup.

So, here we have a man who habitually sins, to whom God is going to use the sin he doesn’t know to correct him. My next entry I want to focus on that issue of unknown sins, considering in particular how Yahweh addresses that sin in Abimelech’s case. But I want to make clear, before I look there, that while we probably all have committed sins without realizing it was a sin, I don’t believe that anyone of sound mind over the age of about ten has not committed sins knowingly. I don’t want to hide myself in “I didn’t know” excuses, but rather realize that I am a sinner and that I need the grace of God.

Which, I am glad to say, He is glad to give.

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