Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Bible study on Genesis 20 – Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech. According to Bible scholars, the events of the Genesis 20 took place approximately in 2067 B.C.
I encourage you to turn to Genesis 20 in your Bible. Kindly invite the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read and study Genesis 20 with me. I mention this in all the Bible Studies because it is through the Holy Spirit that we get fresh revelation and knowledge to understand the word of God. I am using the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, just in case you want to know. All the scriptures that you find highlighted in purple in this post are from the NKJV.
In the Bible Study on Genesis 19, we read about how Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed and how Lot and his daughters were the only ones who escaped alive. Well, in this Bible study on Genesis 20, we will read about what took place between Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech.
Without any further delay, let us study together Genesis Chapter 20, shall we?
Abraham, Sarah And Abimelech
1 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
Verse 1 of Genesis 20 describes Abraham’s journey south from where he used to live (by the terebinth trees of Mamre). He, now, dwelt in a Philistine town and district called Gerar which was situated between Kadesh and Shur. The present day location of Gerar is in south central Israel.
From Verse 2 of Genesis 20, we understand that Gerar had a king named Abimelech and Abraham told Abimelech that Sarah, his wife, was his sister. Not knowing that Sarah was indeed Abraham’s wife, Abimelech sent for Sarah and took her in his harem.
God Warns Abimelech In A Dream
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
Verse 3 of Genesis 20 explains how God visited Abimelech in a dream while he was sleeping at night and warned him that he would be dead on account of Sarah for she was Abraham’s wife.
Abimelech Pleads Innocence
4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
In Verse 4 of Genesis 20, Abimelech pleads his innocence before the Lord. He told the Lord that he had not touched Sarah and asked the Lord if He would condemn an entire nation because of Sarah. He explained how Abraham had told him that Sarah was his sister and also Sarah had told Abimelech that Abraham was her brother. Therefore, Abimelech pleaded innocence that he was deceived and believed what they had told him and therefore had taken Sarah into his Harem.
God Withheld Abimelech From Sinning
6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
In Verse 6 of Genesis 20, God visited Abimelech in a dream again and confirmed to him that He knew that Abimelech had taken Sarah into his harem in the integrity of his heart. God explained how He Himself had withheld Abimelech from sinning against God by not letting him touch Sarah. In Verse 7, He commanded Abimelech to restore Sarah to Abraham. He told that Abraham is a prophet and that he would pray for Abimelech and he shall live. However, God warned Abimelech that if he did not restore Sarah to Abraham, he and all those who are his would surely die.
Observation
God did not tell Abimelech that he sinned against Abraham or Sarah. But, He said that Abimelech had sinned against God Himself when he had taken Sarah in. This only means one thing. God is very serious when it comes to His annointed. Anything done against His annointed is counted as sin against God Himself.
Abimelech Questions Abraham
8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid. 9 And Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” 10 Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”
Verse 8 of Genesis 20, explains how Abimelech rose early in the morning after having dreamt the previous night. He called all his servants and explained the dream to them and all those who heard it were afraid of dying for they had committed a great sin against God. In Verse 9 of Genesis 20, Abimelech called Abraham and questioned him. He asked Abraham in what way he had offended him (Abraham) that he had made him and his entire kingdom sin. Abimelech was displeased with Abraham that he lied and said that Abraham had done that which ought not to have been done. He questioned Abraham about his intentions behind lying to Abimelech about Sarah.
Sarah Is Abraham’s Wife And Half-Sister
11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife. 12 But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”
In Verse 11 of Genesis 20, Abraham replied to Abimelech saying that he had thought (assumed) that surely no one in Gerar and the king’s palace feared God. Therefore, he explained that he was afraid of losing his life on account of Sarah because Sarah was extremely beautiful. In Verse 12 of Genesis 20, he explains that Sarah is his half-sister whom he had married.
Verse13 of Genesis 20: Abraham asked Sarah for a favour
Because Sarah was so beautiful, Abraham feared that men would kill him so that they can take Sarah for themselves. Therefore, when God had called him out of his family, Abraham had told Sarah to do him a favour and to show him kindness in every place that they went to tell of him that he was his brother. Now, we understand that Abraham and Sarah did not lie when they called each other as brother and sister. They were half-brother and half-sister.
Abimelech Blesses Abraham And Vindicates Sarah
14 Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.
Verses 14-16 of Genesis 20, shows how Abimelech gave sheep, oxen, make and female servants to Abraham while he restored Sarah to Abraham. Abimelech also invited Abraham to stay wherever he wanted in Gerar. Then the king turned to Sarah and said in front of the whole assembly that he had given her brother (who is her husband Abraham) a thousand pieces of silver. The king proclaimed that this act of giving Abraham 1000 shekels of silver was for her vindication to make amends for any wrong that was done on his part towards Sarah. Thus, she was vindicated, proclaimed innocent and her honour was restored publicly.
Abimelech did what was right in the sight of God. He obeyed God because the fear of the Lord was on him.
Abimelech’ Wife And Female Servants Were Healed Of Barreness
17 So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; 18 for the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Verses 17-18 of Genesis 20, tells us that Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech and his household. The women who were made barren by God because of Sarah’s sake, were now able to bear children.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the bible study lesson on Genesis 20. The lesson learnt here is: ” Do not touch God’s annointed and do not even think of sinning against God’s annointed for it sinning against God“. I hope you learnt something from this free bible study and found it helpful in your Bible study journey. If you have any comments or questions for me, kindly leave them in the comments box below. I highly appreciate it. I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Until Next Time!