Ge. 20: Again With the Wife-Sister Thing

Abraham probably needed a change of pace from living near where Sodom and Gomorrah used to be, so he moved to Gerar. I don't know where that is, other than that it is probably in the Middle East somewhere, and is near Kadesh and Shur, according to Chapter 20.

Abraham pulls the same stunt on Gerar's King Abimelech with his wife/half sister Sarah as he did with Pharaoh back in chapter 12. Abimelech sees that Sarah is pretty hot, even for a ninety-year-old chick.

So, Abimelech sends for her to be added to his wifery, and God appears to him to tell him that he is "as good as dead" because he has taken a married woman. Abimelech maintains his innocence, telling God that Abraham told him she was his sister.

In verse 6, God says that He knew Abimelech had a clear conscience, so He kept him from sinning against God. He did not let Abimelech touch her. I find this very amazing, that God would go out of his way to prevent someone from sinning against Him. This is the first time I can recall in scripture of God explicitly preventing sin. So far, God has set his standard, and sort of allowed people to make their own choices. God intervenes here, protecting Abimelech from a mistake that would have meant death (v. 7).

So Abimelech calls in his officials, and confronts Abraham in front of them...probably so they don't suspect the king of any wrongdoing. Abraham confesses that he made an assumption that there was no fear or respect of God in Gerar, and was paranoid that he would be killed and his wife assimilated into a concubine. Ironically, it was Abraham who's faith was questionable, not depending on God, his deliverer multiple times, even back with the Pharaoh in the same situation. He even tries to defend it by saying she was his half-sister. Half truth is still 100% lie.

So, like Pharaoh, Abimelech gives Abraham a bunch of cattle and money and good stuff. Despite Abraham's deception and his essentially not trusting God with his wife, he makes out like a bandit.

I gotta like Abimelech's sense of humor, because he turns to Sarah, and says, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver." This is the first time I laughed out loud while reading the Bible. He doesn't call Abraham Sarah's husband...he calls him her brother. Just as Abraham had claimed. Anyway, this gift is meant to vindicate Sarah, in that she didn't do anything wrong, and probably also show that Abimelech was guilty of no wrongdoing as well.

Then we have a happy ending, in which God heals Abimelech and all the womenfolk of his house, because God had shut up their wombs while Abraham made his home there. Craziness.
I don't know how long Abraham was there, but it was long enough that the women of Abimelech's house could not conceive.

Lets Review:
Chapter one: Creation
Chapter two: Eve
Chapter three: Sin in the garden
Chapter four: Cain kills Abel, genealogy
Chapter five: Adam to Noah genealogy
Chapter six: Nephelim, Noah chosen
Chapter seven: The flood
Chapter eight: The flood recedes
Chapter nine: God's covenant: The Rainbow; Ham cursed
Chapter ten: Table of nations
Chapter eleven: Tower of Babel; Sons of Shem
Chapter twelve: Abram is called; Egypt
Chapter thirteen: Abram and Lot separate
Chapter fourteen: Abram goes to war
Chapter fifteen: God promises a covenant with Abram
Chapter sixteen: Ishmael the stopgap
Chapter seventeen: God's covenant of circumcision
Chapter eighteen: Three visitors, Abraham wants to protect Sodom
Chapter nineteen: Destruction of S & G, Lot's daughters
Chapter twenty: Abraham and Abimelech

Ge. 18: Abraham the Negotiator

Wow, man....chapter 18 is fascinating all the way through. I've read some amazing stuff through the course of this study, but this is pretty cool.

So, one day, Abraham is just chilling under a tree when the LORD appears to him. Abraham saw three men standing there, and must have connected them as messengers from God. He hurries over to them, and starts getting lots of water, cheese, milk, the fatted calf and a whole lot of bread.

While these guys were eating the food, Abraham stood by like a nice waiter, and watched.

"Where's your wife?" One of them asked?
"There, in the tent," Abe replied.

The LORD then promises that this time next year, Sarah will bear him a son. Now I imagine what would happen if my Grandma Gamble was told that she was going to have a son, she'd crack up. Sarah does the same thing. Old ladies would laugh if they were told they would have a kid, especially at their advanced age. Sarah even comments how old Abraham is.

Still, she would be given the pleasure of having a kid. And she laughed. And God heard her laugh. He asked Abraham why she all the sudden had a sense of humor.

Abraham probably threw up his hands as if to say, "Don't ask me."

So God asks Sarah why she laughed. Out of fear, she denies it. God isn't one to be lied to. "Yes you did," He replies.

After that, Abraham, God and the three men are walking toward Sodom. God reveals to Abraham His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God says that Abraham is the chosen one to lead his people and his nation after him to walk in the way of the Lord, so that Abraham's descendants would fulfill their end of the covenant. God's covenant contingent on their obedience? Apparently this was not so in Sodom and Gomorrah. I'm not sure what S & G have to do with Abraham and his house, but I'm guessing that Abraham had a lot of family living there...not just Lot and his wife.

Something I learned about Sodom and Gomorrah was that God heard an outcry for and from Sodom and Gomorrah. There must have been a lot of people crying out to God there, as victims. So God wanted a firsthand look at what was going on, and to see if it was really as bad as the cries reaching His ears. I'm sure God could have seen those grievous sins all right from where he was, but he wanted Abraham on hand with Him to see what He would do.

The three men make their way to Sodom, while Abraham stands in front of God, asking Him if God would sweep away the righteous with the wicked. A really, amazing honest question, that I'm not sure I would have the guts to ask. Abraham goes for it though, and in this chapter shows some amazing intestinal fortitude in pressing God lower and lower on the amount of righteous people who, if found, will stay God's hand of judgement on the city. Abraham keeps going lower and lower, each number not as probable as the next....50...45...40...30...20...10? He could. Go. All. The....Ten? Ten righteous people in two whole cities? No?

Abraham must have either had some satisfaction that there must be at least ten decent people in two cities that size, or he chose not to press God further. He probably was figuring how many people Lot had with him by now, and probably assumed that his own family would at least be righteous. I think this happens to us. "They're with me, they're ok." And we see them through the eyes of family, overlooking

Abraham went home, while God continued on His way to Sodom.

Questions for God:
1. What were the three men like?
2. What was that meal like?
3. Were you kidding around arguing with Sarah over whether or not she laughed? Did that offend you?
4. What set Sodom apart so much than other cities that were probably crying out to you?
5. Were there other cities crying out to you?
6. Was Abraham's line the only one that was trusting you? Thus the importance of Sodom because of Lot?

Gen. 17: Don't be Cut Off

So, chapter 17 takes place about 13 years after chapter 16 comes to a close. By this time, Ishmael is a young boy, and Abram is 99 years old, his wife Sarai is about 90. Abram was already an old fogey when God made the covenant with him all those years ago. By this time, I wonder how Abram's faith was holding up. Even with screwed-up ages compared to modern times, its getting pretty late in the game to father an heir. If God made me a promise, I'd probably give Him less than 13 years before I'd start letting my doubts creep in.

Finally, God appears before Abram and says, "All right, I'm ready to confirm this covenant. You're numbers will start to increase." I don't know if God jumped out of nowhere after 13 years of total silence, or if He had been making appearances here and there...the Bible doesn't say. But Abram falls face down before God...out of fear, awe, reverence...I'd do the same, I suppose.

God announces that this is a covenant of circumcision. Ouch. Every male 8 days and up from here to...forever...will have to have a bit of minor surgery on the most intimate part of his body. Perhaps this cutting is a reminder of the reproductive dedication to the covenant between God and man? This covenant is one of flesh. That it is not the human body that reproduces humans...there is a miracle from God that reproduces humans. Imagine Abram's reaction to God telling him this.

"You want me to what my what?"

Anyway, in order to be identified as a child of God, there must be circumcision. The foreskin must be removed. It is possible the foreskin was symbolic of the unclean? Anyone who doesn't undergo circumcision will be...well, "cut off." Hey, God's words, not mine. This is a covenant that man is capable of breaking in flesh. God says, "I'm good to go" but if man refuses to take this action, he breaks the covenant, and will not be a part of God's promise.

Sarai becomes Sarah, and Abram becomes Abraham. Probably means "father of many nations." This name change comes as a result of the new covenant, I'd assume, as things change drastically in this movement of God. What an amazing thing to be told that Kings of nations would be born in your line. Awesome.

Anyway, Abraham...I'm not sure how he's taking this. God said all this before. Abraham even laughs...."I'm 99 years old, and my wife is about to hit 90. How will we see this? Are you talking about Ishmael?"

Noooooo....God said it would include Sarah...duhhh.

God gets very specific with Abraham, telling him that the covenant will be established through Isaac, who will be born to Sarah. Sure, Ishmael will have it good, be the father of 12 nations and such, but the everlasting covenant will be through Isaac, who will be born by this time NEXT YEAR! Finally! God gives a time frame. Sometimes we just need those.