Genesis 20:1-18. Abraham's Sojourn In Gerar.
Expedient, vv 1,2-.
Consequences, v.-2.
3-6. Dream, &c.
7-. Restoration commanded.
-7. Prayer.
8-13. Dream &c.
14-16. Restoration effected.
17, 18. Prayer.
(Now that God has made an unconditional covenant with Abraham and Sarah, we will see from here on how Satan will try to destroy the covenant that God gave, and also destroy the blood line that our Lord Jesus Christ would come through. There will be a continual genealogy, or bloodline from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then through Judah, and generations later, David; and continuing to the Birth of Christ. Now with this thought in mind, let's continue on. Abraham journeys on after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.)
1897 B.C.
Genesis 20:1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country (the Negev), and dwelled between Kadesh (= holy) and Shur (= a wall), and sojourned in Gerar (= a lodging place).
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister:"
(= half-sister. Abraham's expedient = the next assault on Abraham in the Great Conflict for the destruction of the promised Seed of the woman [Gen. 3:15]. God had to intervene, for man could know nothing of it. Abraham's fear shown in v. 11. This is the second time Abraham felt that the king's would kill him to get his wife Sarah, and like years before in Egypt, Satan used the fear in Abraham's heart, to destroy the likelihood of a son being born to Sarah.)
and Abimelech king of Gerar sent,
(Abimelech = father-king. The official tittle of the king of Gerar, like Pharaoh in Egypt.)
and took Sarah.
(See 21:7. In Sarah's conception God must have renewed her youth, for she nursed Isaac.)
3 But God (Elohim) came to Abimelech in a dream by night (20 recorded in Scripture), and said to him, "Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife."
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, "LORD (YHVH),
(Keep in mind that Abimelech, this heathen king, calls our Heavenly Father YHVH, and recognizes God's Supreme Deity within his dream. Though the Kenite scribes try to hidE the sacred name, it is obvious that it is known even to the heathen kings, in this ancient time.)
wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?
(I.e. as Sodom and Gomorrah. Abimelech evidently expected God to slay the whole nation.)
5 Said he not unto me, 'She is my sister?' and she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother:' in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this."
6 And God said unto him in a dream, "Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me:
(Divine intervention needed. Note the emphatic pronouns.)
therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet,
(First occ., showing that prediction is only a small part of its meaning, God's spokesman. Here it is prayer, and prayer is associated with prophesying, i.e. witnessing [1 Cor.11:5].)
and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine."
(God is saying that you will do it now, or I will destroy your entire nation. God doesn't mess around, and they had Sodom as an example of what would happen to them. Anytime someone is going to interfere with God's Divine plan, we will see God's Divine intervention. Anytime a heathen king of this earth declares his god more powerful the the God Abraham, stand by and watch the calamity fall upon him and his nation.
Even the strength and power of Russia is no power for our God, and just as prophesied, that nation fell apart. All things will come about just as God's Word says it will. And as a student of God's Word, we are to pay attention to the warnings and events He has given to our generation, when they are stated in God Word [the Bible], for they will come to pass.)
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, "What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done."
(Showing some righteous indignation. You certainly cannot blame him for doing so. Abimelech called for Abraham and confronted him face to face. Abimelech wanted to know why Abraham had treated him so, and lied to him.)
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, "What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?"
11 And Abraham said, "Because I thought, Surely the fear (or, reverence) of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake.
(Showing how his fears were worked upon by the Enemy.)
12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
(She was the daughter of Terah by another wife [than Abraham's mother: therefore Abraham's half-sister. The fact that Abraham married his half sister was accepted in this period of time, for God had ordered the families to repopulate the earth, and the spouses came right out of their immediate families.)
13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; 'at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.' ' "
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.
(When you are in God's will and favor, even today, it seems that you will be blessed, and things that are bad, will be turned for the good.
In the mind of Abimelech, Abraham is not just a man, but as we read in verse seven, God told him that Abraham is a prophet of God.)
15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
(Abimelech has just given Abraham the deed to the entire land.)
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother (Irony) a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes,
(Figure of Speech, when a wish is expressed to pass by a subject, which is, notwithstanding, briefly alluded to subsequently. Abimelech revealed to Sarah all that had been done that she had not known, thus Sarah was reproved. Everything was in the open. Abimelech bought Sarah under threat to Abraham, and now that Abimelech knew the nature of both Abraham and Sarah, he did not want any shameful reproach to fall on either himself or them. Things are now made right, and in the Hebrew idiom, "a covering of the eyes", means "lets forget what has happened".)
unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved (by Irony).
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
(This is the first record of a healing in the Bible; Abimelech requested the prayer of healing for his wife, and his maidservants, and they were healed, and bare children. This physical restraint was removed from them.)
18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
(What message is this for us today? Satan will always attempt to mess up the lives and character of those that God intends to use. As we study the entire Bible we see this continually, and it will happen even today as it did then. If you love God, and study His Word, and try to plant the seeds of faith; Satan will attempt to foul you up also, if you allow him to. However, God has given us the power and authority of Satan, and all of Satan's forces, if we will but use that power. You must be strong spiritually, and act in the power and name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have the instruction and direction given by the Holy Spirit of God, and we must learn to listen and lean on the strengths that God has given to us.
Luke 10:18-20 we are given the power; "And He said unto them, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. [18] Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. [19] Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
This is written to our generation, for this is in reference to Revelation 9, when Satan will fall from heaven to the earth, to reign a short five months as the Antichrist. The serpents are the Kenites that prepare the way for the Antichrist, while the scorpions are the fallen angels of Satan that will assist in deceiving the entire earth. However, in this time we will have power and authority over them, and the protection of God. We are seeing this all come together in our modern times.)