“We Are Often God’s Biggest Obstacles”

Genesis 20:1-17

 

We are currently reading through the book of Genesis. We are using the Literary Design of Genesis created by Tim Mackey of the Bible Project to assist us as we read through the narrative. You can find a copy of the Literary Design in your church bulletin. As a review, the order of events from 1-7 continue to repeat themselves throughout the book of Genesis. The first time they existed was through chapters 1-9 of Genesis. Since chapter 10 we have gone through the series of events three times. Today we begin the Literary Design again in chapter 20. 

 

Center stage we have Abraham. His character has definitely grown from the first time we met him. He responded to God’s blessing and call, but really didn’t have any idea what it meant to follow Yahweh. 

His faith has increased over time, imperfect but developing. We last left him on top of a mountain discussing plans with God and providing input. Have you noticed how Abraham has amazing faith at one point only to immediately mess up the next?

 

Throughout the narrative so far,  God has promised Abraham two things: seed and land. Neither one has actually appeared………..yet. 

 

As we read through chapters 20-22 we will be focusing on the seed. We will also walk through the cycle one more time. This will take us up to Abraham’s death, which becomes his down payment of him owning a piece of land. That piece of land was actually a cave, called the cave of “Machpelah.” Which in Hebrew means, “the cave of the naked pair.” This should make you scratch your head. Remember? 

We began this whole story with a naked pair, who were exiled to death only to end this story with another “Adam and Eve” being buried in the cave of the naked pair. 

This is good!

 

Here’s a preview of the next four stories that will take us through the literary design. 

 

First story, Abraham and Sarah sojourn and end up in the city of another king. Abram has his bright idea to slide Sarah under the bus and claim she is his sister to “save his life.” Replay, with a twist. 

 

Second, we replay Genesis 16. Sarah will again be mean and abusive to Hagar and her son Ishmael. You guessed it, Abraham again sends them out into the desert this time with a bottle of water. 

Resulting in the near death of Hagar and Ishmael, only to have Yahweh step in to save the day. 

 

Third, the king that Abraham tried to deceive with his story about Sarah being his sister wants to make peace with Abraham, but the king’s man stole the well that Abraham had dug. We encounter another twist. Rather than go to war, the two make peace through a covenant. No flood of violence, just peace.

 

However, there is a climax to the story that we all recognize as the near sacrifice of Isaac. Which has an interesting parallel to the near-death experience of Ishmael in the desert. 

 

These scenes are meant to lead us directly into the themes of the suffering servant in the book of Isaiah. 

Which then leads us to the meaning and significance of the cross and the death of the firstborn. Who knew? This narrative gets more and more intricate as we continue to read. 

 

We begin today in chapter 20 with Abraham and Sarah leaving the hilltop with the sacred oaks and the trees and the tent to go back down to the south desert to the Negev, where they dwelt between Kadesh and between Shur. They stayed in a region named Gerar. As a reminder, Gerar is the region of the Canaanites. Repeat. Abraham finds himself in a region where Canaanite kings have control and he loses it. Again he tries the old, “Sarah is my sister,” story in order to save his life. This time Abimelech the king of Gerar believes Abraham and sent for Sarah and took her.  

 

Before anything bad could happen, Elohim stepped in and came to Abimelech in a dream and said, “Look, buddy, you're as good as dead, because the woman you took is a married woman.” Abimelech responded appropriately with the truth. “Hey, you’re going to wipe out a nation, when I had no idea? I was going by their word, didn’t he say, “She is my sister” and didn’t she say, “He is my brother?” I’m innocent, you’ve got to believe me?”

 

Elohim responds with, “Oh, yeah, I know your conscience is clear. That’s why I have made sure you didn’t touch her.” Then God tells Ebimelek to return Sarah to Abraham. If he does, Abraham, a prophet, will pray for him so that he may live. But if he doesn’t return Sarah, not only will he die, but so will all who belong to him. What a dream!  

Ebimelech has to become his own intercessor. 

 

Once again we have Abraham failing to be what God has called him to be, a source of blessing to the nations. Instead, we see Abraham being cowardice, having fear and lack of trust. You would think Abraham would have learned this lesson the first time? 

 

Check in time. 

 

Before we come down too hard on Abraham, let’s stop and think. How many of you can join me in admitting there have been times when you have failed, learned a lesson, only to fail again, and had to re-learn that same lesson? Abraham is about as human as you can get. 

 

Back to our story. The first time this happened, Abraham lied to Pharoah. We don't know how Pharoah finds out the truth. The second time around Abimelech finds out the truth from Yahweh Himself. Where’s Abraham, the intercessor? Cowering in a corner, hoping he doesn’t die. Abimelech has to stand up for himself and Yahweh’s like, “Yeah, I know, I was the one who kept you from taking the forbidden fruit. I wouldn’t allow you.” Yahweh and Abimelech were working things out, rather than Abraham interceding for the nations. And yet, Yahweh still has Abraham’s back. Look what transpires. 

 

Even though Abimelech had innocent motives, Yahweh tells him he still did something wrong and had to make it right, otherwise, he would die. Here’s where your ancient Hebrew comes in handy. The phrase for “you will die” in ancient Hebrew is “mot tamut” the exact words Yahweh said to Adam and Eve about the tree. The day you eat of it, “mot tamut,” you will certainly die. Hyperlink, we are taken directly back into the literary design. 

 

At this point the focus is on the very irony of God’s chosen one, being unrighteous, and the non-chosen ones turning out to be the righteous one. 

 

Whoever thought the Bible was a story about good guys versus bad guys had it all wrong. The righteous people who are supposed to be righteous are often found sleeping on the job, only to have a Yahweh keep his plans regardless and we find a bad guy stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing. 

God’s plans never lack God’s supply.

 

Let’s see how this scene ends up. 

 

Abimelech gets up early the next morning. You would too if Yahweh had confronted you in a dream. He called all of his officials and told them what had happened. At this point, everyone was afraid. 

Next, Abimelech calls for Abraham and confronts him with, “What have you done to us?” Hyperlink, this is the exact Hebrew phrase God said to both Adam and Eve and to their son Cain, “What is this you have done?” Abimelech goes on to ask Abraham what on earth had he done, for Abraham to do such a thing? 

 

Check out Abraham’s lame response, verse 11, The Message, 

“I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they’d kill me to get my wife.”

Irony again, who in this story actually fears God? 

Abimelek.

Who in this story actually doesn’t fear God?

Abraham.

 

Abraham was afraid of getting murdered, but showed no fear of God in this story. 

This behavior just about has everyone in the whole city murdered. Not only is Abraham not afraid of God, notice the blame game going on, the game that Adam played in the garden. Abraham claims that technically Sarah was his sister, as they had the same father, but not the same mother, oh yeah, there was a marriage in there somewhere. But then Yahweh made him wander from the house of his father so he had to come up with a plan that wherever they went they would tell people that Abraham was her brother, not exactly a lie?!

 

Just like before, what happens to Abraham, the fibber? Verse 14, 

“Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him.”

Abraham makes out like a bandit! Not only does he get sheep and cattle, male and female slaves, but Abimelech tells him he can live wherever he chooses. Abimelech even offers Sarah an apology and provides her brother (husband) with a thousand shekels of silver! 

 

Abraham finally steps up to intercede for Abimelech and his wife and his female slaves, prays for them, so they could have children again. Turns out Yahweh had kept all the women in Abimelech's household from conceiving because of Abraham’s wife Sarah. 

 

Wow! What does it take to get God’s chosen one to do the right thing? By interceding, Abraham eventually brings Eden to the nations. 

 

We have a theme going on here. 

We read about this theme in the book of Matthew and the upside-down kingdom? Jesus comes to earth and instead of the religious leaders recognizing Him He tells them their judgment would be worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. Instead of spending time with religious people, Jesus hangs out with the sinners and outcasts. 

 

In this story we have Abimelek who, after everything that happens, was generous to Abraham, when Abraham was the one we would expect to be the person of God.

 

Check in time. 

 

Let’s face it. From the beginning of time, all that God has to work with is imperfect covenant partners. We are often God’s biggest obstacles. From Abraham, to Jonah, to today, this is a major theme in the Hebrew Bible. Whether it’s Israel, the Church, or each of us sitting in the pews. 

 

Yet, 

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate,

    slow to anger and rich in love.” (Psalm 145:8)

For those who continue to follow, He will provide. 

 

We will see this happen as we continue to read the story of Abraham. 

 

 Let’s pray.