We are living in times that make us unsure of our future. With all the unrest throughout our world and with the pandemic everywhere, it’s no wonder people are living in fear. Fear can paralyze us and keep us in our misery. The Bible is very clear. The world will become more dangerous and frightening as the end times approach. The Bible is also clear that we are to “fear not” because God is always with us and will never leave. To enjoy a peaceful life we need to be free from fear, worry, and anxiety. We need to have faith and trust God.
Genesis 20:1-21 – Living in Fear
Abraham moved south to live just outside Canaan. We don’t know why. Maybe the ash from the burning of Sodom and Gomarrah affected the land where his animals grazed. Maybe he finally sensed it was time to go releasing Lot to the Lord. Abraham stayed in Gerar and again he lied and told the Abimelech king that Sarah was his sister. Sound familiar? She was a beauty at 90 years old and she was married to one of the richest and most influential men of the region. Also being in Abimelech’s harem was probably a political statement. Abraham was afraid and had weak faith in God. He thought if Abimelech knew she was his wife, he would be killed. So Abraham lied again as he did when he was in Egypt. What was he thinking? Fear can make us irrational. This shows us that we as well as Abraham can slip back into old sinful habits.
The king took her to be his wife, but God spoke to the king in a dream and told him she was a married woman and if he touched her he would be as good as dead. He was to return Sarah to Abraham. God told Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet and that Abraham would pray for him and his people. Abimelech didn’t argue with God. He gave Sarah back to Abraham. Abimelech asked Abraham why he had done this to him. Abraham said Sarah was actually his half-sister as well as his wife. (Gen. 20:11-12) He tried to justify his lie by telling a half-truth, which is always a whole lie. He indirectly blamed God for the problem by saying, “When God called me to wander from my father’s house…” – Gen. 20:13. It is sad to see a pagan king in the right and a man of God in the wrong. Abraham was still a man of powerful prayer and God’s mercy didn’t leave him even though he didn’t trust God the way he should have.
Abimelech was kind to Abraham even though he was deceived. He gave Abraham sheep, cattle and money to show he was sorry for his actions. Abraham took the gifts to show he didn’t blame Abimelech. Abraham did suffer though. He suffered shame and the loss of respect among the people and lost the opportunity to be a witness for God.
God will protect anyone and anything that gets in the way of His plans. No mistake of ours will stop God. It’s clear in Gen 20:17-18 that the women in Gerar could not have children. God sometimes causes women not to have children and at other times he gives children to women. Why does He do this? Maybe it’s in His plan even though we cannot always know His plan, but we can know it’s the plan that is best for us. Maybe when at last a child is born, God is given the credit. It shows how wonderful God is. He wants to show His power. God answered Abraham’s prayers and Abimelech’s people could have children again.
Principle: God's grace allows repeat offenders to confess and be restored.
Genesis 21:1-21 – Living by Faith
At last Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac just as God had promised and at the time He had promised. It had been 25 years and God was faithful all along the way. They were very happy, but Abraham’s other son, Ishmael was not. Remember, Ishmael was the son of a slave mother, Hagar. Ishmael knew he would never be as important as Isaac. He became cruel to Isaac and mocked him. Sarah knew there was jealousy and that there were would be many problems between them to come. She also didn’t want Ishmael to oppose Isaac’s right to lead the family.
So she took matters into her own hands again. She told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away. Abraham was distressed and concerned for his son so this time he consulted God for guidance. This time she was right and God told Abraham to listen to her. Even though he loved Ishmael, Abraham obeyed God and sent them away with food and water. He sent them away without any protection, probably because he must have believed God would protect and provide for them because that is what God had promised.
Abraham lived near Beersheba near the desert. Hagar and Ishmael wandered into the desert, which was very hot and dry. When the water was gone, the child became weak. He was sure to die. She felt hopeless and put him under a bush. He began to cry, but God heard his cry. An angel from heaven repeated God’s promise to her that He would bless Ishmael and for the second time God provided for them by showing them a well. Why did God promise to bless Ishmael? It was because as a descendant of Abraham, he was included in God’s covenant. They continued to live in the desert. Ishmael married and had 12 sons that became great nations just as God promised. These are the nations of the Arab world.
Principle: A life of faith in God yields ultimate joy, but can involve great pain.
Genesis 21:22-34 – Living a Testimony
Abraham was living his life was a witness and all the people knew that God was blessing him. He had become very wealthy and had many servants. There was a dispute between Abraham and Abimelech over a well that Abraham had dug and Abimelech’s servants had seized. Abimelech didn’t want to battle Abraham so he asked for a peace agreement. He knew how big Abraham’s God was and to fight with Abraham would be to attack his God. Abraham also wanted peace so he gave gifts of sheep and cattle to Abimelech and there they made a treaty. Because they had sworn an oath there, they called it Beersheba. Then Abraham planted a tree and called upon the name of the Lord. He lived in the land for a long time. This was the first time that Abraham claimed the land. The planting of the tree showed that he would stay in the region. (Gen 21:22-34)
Principle: God faithfully provides so we can fulfill His purposes.
We all live a testimony to something. Abraham was a man who didn’t do everything right, but God loved him and was faithful to him. God is still faithful to us and still loves us, too even though we make mistakes.
The world is watching how believers live their lives. We don’t have to be perfect for the world to see God in our lives. We may think we have to be perfect for God to use us as a witness. When we try to be perfect, people can see that isn’t true. They just call us hypocrites.
Join me here next week for the next chapter in Genesis. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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