Genesis 20:1-18 • Oops!...He Did It Again
- Steve Schott
- Aug 8
- 6 min read
► This is another one of those passages where it's easy to be critical, because we're looking at the events after-the-fact, BUT, really Abe, we've been down this road before. What DIDN'T you learn the last time.
► I know there is a lot going on in Abraham's life right now. He moves 1,600 miles from home. Trying to find a place to live. His and his nephew Lot's ranching operations get so large they have to relocate part of the operation. Then his nephew get's sidelined in a war that Abraham is not involved in. Then he has to kick some butt, and get Lot back. Then God promises him he's gonna have a kid at 100 years old - from his 90 year old wife! Then he has to sit by and watch while God destroys the very places that he just saved from the bad guys from the east. And now he's just waiting for that new kid to show up. It's a lot of motion in his life. And for some reason he's decided to move yet again...
Genesis 20:1-18 → 1Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar.
• We're never told why he moved. Previously, when we saw Abraham's (then Abram) error like this, he had moved south to Egypt because of the famine, but now we're not given any info to help us justify the move.
• It does say that he went "toward the land of the Negev", which literally means "south country".
• Gerar appears to be somewhat south and west of Hebron, where Abraham was previously living.
• Here we go again...
• I keep trying to figure out what it is about this woman. We are told in Gen 12:11 that she was a "beautiful woman", but I mean, come on, SHE'S 90 YEARS OLD! Why would anyone want her, specifically, both Pharoah and now Abimelech wanted to have sex with her. I know that's pretty blunt, but that's what the text will tell us in a little bit. But why???
3But 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.” 4Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? 5Did 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.” 6Then 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. 7Now 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.”
• God intervenes. I think it's pretty cool that God Himself came directly to Abimelech, yes, in a dream, but still. How many of you have had God talk to you in a dream? God let's him know, you've taken a married woman. God says he's a dead man.
• To his credit, Abimelech defends himself, and rightfully so. He was told that she was Abraham's sister. Sarah said Abraham was her brother. No one ever bothered to say that they were married. Oh, and BTW, he never "touched" her, meaning - no sex. So at least we know that this was his plan, but he never got there.
• God responds to that and tells Abimelech that he didn't touch her, because God prevented him from doing so. Abimelech is the wronged party here, and God protected him from letting it get out of hand. God directs him to return Sarah to Abraham, and also warns him again about moving any farther forward with this. God reminds Abimelech again, that he's a dead man, and so will all of his household be, if he doesn't follow God's command in regard to this issue.
8So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened.
• Abimelech let's everyone know what is going on, and they are "greatly frightened". No kidding.
9Then 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.” 10And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?”
• Abimelech gets in Abraham's face and asks "why, why, why?" "What in the world were you thinking?"
11Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. 12Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife; 13and 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.” ’ ”
• Here it is. The adventurer, the explorer, the owner of a large corporation, with a large household of servants waiting on him hand and foot, and he's afraid. Why in the world would he be afraid, when he's got the Creator God leading him at every turn? Abe, stop looking at the size of the giants and look at the size of your God!!!
• This is also the passage where we find out that when Abraham was calling Sarah his wife, his "sister", that we find out that she actually is his sister - his half-sister.
14Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored his wife Sarah to him. 15Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever you please.” 16To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.”
• Abimelech, for whatever reason gives Abraham sheep, oxen, male and female servants, gives him 1,000 pieces of silver, and let's him pick any spot he wants in their domain to settle.
• If it was me, I'd give him a swift kick in the rear on his way out the door.
17Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maids, so that they bore children. 18For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
• At the end of this discourse, Abraham prays for Abimelech and God heals him and all his household. This all happened so fast they may or may not have even known that they had been prevented from having any more children, but that curse has been removed.
► Again, I know it's easy to be critical of Abraham when we aren't there to experience all of the chaos happening all around him at this time in history. But still, if nothing else, we should be reminded to not forget what our failings have been in the past, and to take steps to never repeat them again.
► And I know that we can sometimes get lost in the busyness of our lives, but I think it's important to stop occasionally and reflect on all that God has walked us through in the past. We need to be reminded from time to time that no matter where our lives have gone, no matter what paths He's led us on, He is always there.
Photo • 2025/07/01 - Flying over the Dolores River near Gateway, CO
“Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995
by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org”
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