Genesis 20:1-7 (ESV)
Abraham and Abimelech
From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
This is a most fascinating story about God’s sovereign power over man’s foolish wills. Abraham, even though in the previous chapters he has been promised a child by this wife, Sarah, has a crisis of faith. Having traveled into the territory of Ahimelech, king of Gerar, Abraham now feared for his life. This man, Abraham, will eventually show us the greatest act of faith by taking the son he will receive (Isaac) and be willing to offer him on an alter before God. Yet, at this moment and time we read that he will fall before his fear and worry about his own skin. He tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister (she was his half sister ... see verse 13) because he feared that Abimelech would kill him to have his wife. Apparently, that was a normal practice in those days. Despite Sarah’s age (almost 90), Abraham was fearful the king would desire her and kill him. His lack of faith in God’s promises shows that Abraham is just like us. We maneuver and connive and swindle to make sure all things go the way we want. God, thankfully, intervenes on Sarah and Abraham’s situation. God prevents an ungodly king from even touching Sarah. Had he had relationships with Sarah, that might have caused an issue with the future birth of Isaac. The great truth here is that even when we mess up and lack faith, God remain faithful to His promises and keeps His divine plan for our lives on track.
2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV)
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
God intervenes on our behalf to make sure we accomplish the plans He has for us. Though we may fail, He will not. Though we might falter, He will not.
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