Abraham and Abimelech
Notes
Transcript
Abraham, Sarah & Abimelech 20:1-18
The Journeyings of Abraham - It's hard following the travels of Abraham. He was in Mamre and now he travels south to Negev country to a land called Gerar a city of the Philistines. Gerar was a land under the rule of Abimelech. Now that may have been his name but it sounds more like a title. Similar to pharoah. Speaking of Egypt this feels like a repeat of chapter 12:10-20. Sometimes we just don't learn our lessons do we.
Now you have to remember Sarah was already pregnant. She probably wasn't showing yet but would have been pregnant. And Abraham lets her go to Abimelech's harem for HIS PROTECTION. I knew of a couple Bro. & Sis. Tucker she was tall and largely built not fat but a big woman, he was skinny and short. He used to tell when he was still alive that the place they used to live was somewhat scary and he would unlock the door, push her in real quick to make sure no one was in their home and then he would jump in behind her and lock the door. One Commentator writes, "here is the very Promise put in jeopardy, traded away for personal safety. If it is ever to be fulfilled, it will owe very little to man. Morally as well as physically, it will clearly have to be achieved by the grace of God" (Kidner, 137).Kenneth O. Gangel and Stephen J. Bramer, Holman Old Testament Commentary – Genesis, ed. Max Anders, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Holman, 2003), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 181. Another thing Sarah isn't a young lady anymore. Around 90 and yet she was obviously still attractive, although that is not mentioned in this chapter. As Abimelech takes her into his harem to cohabit with her. God confronts Abimelech for his near adultery as "a sin against me" (v6) Not against Abraham, Sarah or himself but against God. I think because there was a child of promise involved.??? We also get a new revelation of Abraham. Not only he is a Patriarch but according to verse 7 he is a prophet. (A lying prophet at that. ok it was a half truth.)
But a prophet who prays for Abimelech and the nation for the Lord had "fast closed up their wombs." making them barren v18 I want us to see the reason why Abraham did what he did v.11 he thought there was no fear of God in this place. This is a sad testimony of his day and age. After what just happened to Sodom and Gomorrah Abraham didn't figure there was much godliness around at all. The Birth of the Child of Promise 21:1-8
Sarah must have had quite the sense of humor I love the short little talk she gives
Genesis 21:6-7 (KJV)
6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
Sibling Rivalry -Hagar & Ishmael Expelled 21:9-21
A mocking - 9-13 Isaac would have been about 3 yrs Ishmael around 16 yrs. A Miracle - 14-21 An Allegory -
This conflict between Sarah and Hagar, between Isaac and Ishmael, has been appropriated in the New Testament as an illustration (Paul calls it an allegory) of the continuing conflict between law and grace, between the flesh and the spirit. In Galatians 4:22-31, the apostle Paul develops this contrast at considerable length. Those who are born after the flesh, he says, are the spiritual descendants of Hagar, great in number but nevertheless under the Law, and they seek salvation through the impossible task of making sinful flesh keep the Law of God. The Law speaks of the Mosaic covenant, a conditional covenant, given on Mount Sinai in Arabia (where Ishmael dwelt), and centered in the earthly Jerusalem.
Those who are to share in God's heavenly promises, however, centered in the heavenly Jerusalem (now being prepared by Christ and destined some day to come down out of heaven to the new earth), are the children of faith, like Isaac. The Law can never give life; but God's promise, received by faith, does give eternal life. These children of faith are not in bondage to the Mosaic covenant, whose terms are impossible to obey, but are under the Abrahamic covenant, given unconditionally and appropriated solely by faith in the promises. Though those after the flesh ridicule and persecute those after the spirit, it is the latter who will ultimately receive the blessing. They are free, not in bondage, as Sarah was a freewoman and Hagar a bondwoman. There must be a separation between those who are in bondage and those who are free in Christ.
Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1976), WORDsearchCROSS e-book, 369-370.
A Conflict and a contract With Abimelech 21:22-34
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