It took Bruce Kirby, Rudy Ross, and me five days to break down the Lot and Sodom story for our YouTube videos. Then, we covered Abraham in Gerar in just one day. For my blog post, I’ll need to condense remarks on chapter 20.
Here’s a summary of Genesis 20:1-7 in bullet points:
- Abraham moved to the Negeb region and settled in Gerar.
- Abraham claimed his wife Sarah was his sister.
- King Abimelech of Gerar took Sarah into his household.
- God appeared to Abimelech in a dream, warning him he would die because Sarah was married.
- Abimelech protested his innocence, stating Abraham and Sarah both said they were siblings.
- God acknowledged Abimelech’s innocence, confirming that God prevented him from sinning.
- God instructed Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham, who is a prophet, and that Abraham would pray for him.
- God warned Abimelech that he and his household would die if he did not return Sarah.
Abraham’s call to become the father of the faithful is recorded in chapter 12. In this call, he was told that he would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him.
“I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
The first time Abraham lied about Sarah being his sister was in Chapter 12 to the Pharaoh of Egypt. The Pharaoh experienced the cursed aspect of Abraham’s calling through the experience of the plagues.
God prevented Abimelech from experiencing the curses by revealing the situation to him in a dream.
“Abimelech knows, if he is indeed guilty, that not only he but his entire kingdom stands to suffer the consequences of his trespass. The head of his people, the king’s behavior determines the future of his subjects.”
The above sentence by Victor Hamilton is quite appropriate for today. Three years ago, Vladimir Putin and Russia invaded Ukraine.
There are possibly a million casualties, either dead or wounded, soldiers, innocent civilians, and children because this one person decided to inflict his will on a sovereign nation.
Unfortunately, today (February 24, 2025) the United States voted at the United Nations not to condemn Putin or the Russian aggression against Ukraine on the third anniversary of the conflict.
The leader of our nation, Donald Trump, has determined the course of our country’s official position on a horrific war and placed us on the wrong side of history.
Only time will tell if Donald Trump’s “art of the deal” will be positive for the people of Ukraine. If it is positive, I will certainly write a blog article and highlight the wisdom of his actions.
If we ultimately sell out Ukraine to Russia and Putin, I predict that America’s reputation abroad will not recover in my lifetime.
Here is a song by the Marsh Family about Russia’s war of aggression and the proper response. It has received 9.1K likes on YouTube.
Prophets and Intercession
God told Abimelech that Abraham was a prophet and that he would intercede for him.
After Abimelech confronted Abraham about the harm done to him and his people, he asked Abraham to pray for him. Abraham – the prophet and intercessor – prayed and healing occurred.
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children.
For the Lord had closed fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife (Genesis 20:17-18).
While Genesis 20 is a short chapter, the events it describes unfolded over a period long enough to reveal that God had made the Philistine women infertile.
During this time, God protected Abimelech and Sarah and shielded the nation from the consequences of Abraham’s fear and lack of faith.
Even though Abraham displayed fear and a lack of faith, he remained a prophet and intercessor. This demonstrates that God can use flawed individuals. Therefore, when he prayed for Abimelech, his family was restored.
Reflections
While Abraham held a unique position, we can all participate in God’s work. Though you might not see yourself as a prophet or intercessor, you can still engage with God’s activity in the world through prayer.
Pray for what God is doing, and join Him in His work through your prayers.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 