God Speaks
20 Abraham moved south to the Negev and lived for a while between Kadesh and Shur, and then he moved on to Gerar. While living there as a foreigner, 2 Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.
3 But that night God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are a dead man, for that woman you have taken is already married!”
4 But Abimelech had not slept with her yet, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘Yes, he is my brother.’ I acted in complete innocence! My hands are clean.”
6 In the dream God responded, “Yes, I know you are innocent. That’s why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her. 7 Now return the woman to her husband, and he will pray for you, for he is a prophet. Then you will live. But if you don’t return her to him, you can be sure that you and all your people will die.”
8 Abimelech got up early the next morning and quickly called all his servants together. When he told them what had happened, his men were terrified. 9 Then Abimelech called for Abraham. “What have you done to us?” he demanded. “What crime have I committed that deserves treatment like this, making me and my kingdom guilty of this great sin? No one should ever do what you have done! 10 Whatever possessed you to do such a thing?”
11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ 12 And she really is my sister, for we both have the same father, but different mothers. And I married her. 13 When God called me to leave my father’s home and to travel from place to place, I told her, ‘Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.’”
14 Then Abimelech took some of his sheep and goats, cattle, and male and female servants, and he presented them to Abraham. He also returned his wife, Sarah, to him. 15 Then Abimelech said, “Look over my land and choose any place where you would like to live.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children. 18 For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham’s wife, Sarah.
21 The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!”
8 When Isaac grew up and was about to be weaned, Abraham prepared a huge feast to celebrate the occasion. 9 But Sarah saw Ishmael—the son of Abraham and her Egyptian servant Hagar—making fun of her son, Isaac. 10 So she turned to Abraham and demanded, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!”
11 This upset Abraham very much because Ishmael was his son. 12 But God told Abraham, “Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. 13 But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.”
14 So Abraham got up early the next morning, prepared food and a container of water, and strapped them on Hagar’s shoulders. Then he sent her away with their son, and she wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 When the water was gone, she put the boy in the shade of a bush. 16 Then she went and sat down by herself about a hundred yards away. “I don’t want to watch the boy die,” she said, as she burst into tears.
17 But God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”
19 Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.
20 And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, 21 and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.
22 About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. “God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do,” Abimelech said. 23 “Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”
24 Abraham replied, “Yes, I swear to it!” 25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelech about a well that Abimelech’s servants had taken by force from Abraham’s servants.
26 “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Abimelech answered. “I have no idea who is responsible. You have never complained about this before.”
27 Abraham then gave some of his sheep, goats, and cattle to Abimelech, and they made a treaty. 28 But Abraham also took seven additional female lambs and set them off by themselves. 29 Abimelech asked, “Why have you set these seven apart from the others?”
30 Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.” 31 Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath.
32 After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. 33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: As a bit of a review of God’s dealing with Abram (aka Abraham): He received God’s initial promise of progeny, territory, and blessing, and God rescued his wife Sarai from Pharaoh’s harem (chapter 12). After he gave Lot first choice of where to settle, God showed him the promised land and told him that his descendants would be innumerable (chapter 13). God gave him victory over King Kedorlaomer with his army and allied kings to rescue Lot and then blessed him through Melchizedek, to whom he had given a tithe (chapter 14). God again made a one-sided covenant to give him an heir and descendants and told him what would happen to them hundreds of years in the future (chapter 15). Abram tried to “help God out” by siring a child through Sarai’s servant Hagar (chapter 16). God verified His original covenant with him through changing their names from Abram to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah and by instituting circumcision (chapter 17). God renewed His specific promise of a son by Sarah, and Abraham bargained with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah based on God’s commitment to deal justly with the righteous. Then came the destruction of that wicked people and place (chapter 19). After all this, it seems that Abraham still did not fully understand or trust God because he continued to say that Sarah was his sister. This led to King Abimelech of Gerar taking her as his wife; however, God stepped in and prevented all the women in Abimelech’s household from bearing children. God also appeared to Abimelech in a dream exposing the truth of the situation. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household, and God healed them (chapter 20). Even when God fulfilled His promise to give Abraham and Sarah a son, it meant sorrow for Abraham because he had to (at God’s direction) give up Ishmael and his mother. Abraham also paid a ransom and signed a non-aggression treaty with Abimelech even though he was the one who had been wronged. He (or his men) had dug the disputed well that Abimelech’s men had taken by force (chapter 21).
Prayer: Dear Father God, thank You for always keeping Your promises as You guide us through life just as You did Abram (aka Abraham). You made promises to him far in advance, not at all based on his decisions and behavior, good or bad. You worked through Abraham even when he did not fully understand or trust You because he was leaning on his own perceptions and understanding. You do the same for me and others of Your followers. LORD God, more times than we will ever know here on earth, You step in and prevent our mistakes from messing up Your ultimate plan. Please continue exposing the truth of various situations. Please help me to pray for those I have wronged or who have wronged me. Heal them and heal me. Fulfill Your promises, plans, and purposes though Your Son and Holy Spirit. Even in our sorrow, may we trust, obey, and glorify You. This is possible only because Jesus paid the ransom and signed the certificate of victory over Satan and evil with His own blood even though He had never done anything wrong. Jesus, Your sacrifice settles all disputes. Your resurrection is the Father’s seal of victory, mission completion, and approval. All in Heaven and Earth wait in breathless anticipation for the culmination of Your plan of redemption and transformation. For the celebration of Your glory and grace. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will act in faith on at least one promise God shows me in the Bible this week.
- I will thank God for keeping His word exactly as He has promised in scripture.
- I will discuss the situation with God when someone is upset with me so I will know what He wants me to do about it.
- I will obey God and do whatever He directs even if it means giving up someone I love or humbly cooperating with someone with whom I disagree.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.