Genesis Chapter 20

I will continue to do my personal Bible reading, (despite my bad habit of getting off track sometimes). My goal is to post my Bible reading once a week. We will see how that works out. But for now......

We continue on in Chapter 20 of Genesis, following Abraham and Sarah as they reside as alien residents in the land of the Philistines. They have moved their camp near the city of Gerar. We are now introduced to Abimelech the king of Gerar. (Abimelech could be a personal name, or an official title of several Philistine kings, similar to the title Pharoah among the Egyptians or Caesar among the Romans.)

Abimelech, thinking that beautiful Sarah is Abraham's sister, takes her to his camp with the intention of making Sarah his wife. -Genesis 20:1,2.

How is Sarah protected? What is Jehovah's viewpoint in this matter? The answer lies in your copy of Genesis 20. After meditating on these verses what did you learn about our Creator?

God's primary interest is in the inner person -who we are at heart. (Ps 19:14; 26:2) Lovingly he does not dwell on minor failings. Jehovah examines the heart, he has even shown consideration toward unbelievers, like Abimelech. Did you notice how Jehovah deals with this situation? Before Abimelech takes Sarah as his wife, Jehovah said to him in a dream: "I too have known that in the honesty of your heart you have done this, and I was also holding you back from sinning against me. That is why I did not allow you to touch her. But now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will make supplication for you. So keep living." - Gen 20:1-7

Jehovah could have dealt harshly with Abimelech, after all Abimelech was a worshiper of false deities. But God saw that the man acted honestly on this occasion. Graciously acknowledging this, Jehovah told the king how to gain forgiveness and "keep living". Abimelech listened and acted on this kind provision from God. What a loving Heavenly Father, Jehovah is! As his children we need to imitate his kind and loving ways.

Abimelech returns Sarah to Abraham along with livestock and slaves and a thousand pieces of silver, which serve as a guarantee of Sarah's chasity.

We do well to ask ourselves, what Jehovah sees in our hearts. Are we striving to know and imitate our Heavenly Father when dealing with others? May we continue to "take in knowledge of the only true God and of the one, he sent forth, Jesus Christ" -John 17:3