Our last study finished the extraordinary story of Lot. A couple of observations need reemphasizing.
- Lot was a carnal believer, with his focus on the world, rather than the spiritual, he was saved – but only just!
- Lot was “unequally yoked.” His wife was not a believer. Her judgement demonstrated what will happen to all those who have had ample opportunity to be saved, but still choose the world.
- Lot’s life ends in disgrace. His sons, conceived through drunken incest, become the enemies of Israel, and ultimately – Christians.
- Lot – as the carnal believer – teaches us that if we, as believers, live our lives to please ourselves, and do not judge ourselves, He will judge us while we are yet living on this earth. The following verses cover the carnal believer –
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11: 31-32
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 1 Corinthians 3: 15
We now enter another bizarre incidence of Sarah being kidnapped! Although Abraham was centered in Hebron, he often moved around seeking pasture for his flocks. He winds up in Gerar, a Philistine city, about 40 miles west of Hebron.
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
Abimelech means “my father is king.” It is a title, rather than a name, as Pharaoh was. “Father” of his people.
Once again, Abraham presents Sarah as his sister, another weakness of Abraham’s. The same deception he used with Pharaoh, the same equivocation. He revealed only half the truth, while some would argue that it is not an out and out lie – it is really no better. It is a spiritual relapse.
Sarah is taken, by force, again! She is 90 years old! The Babylonian Talmud and other occult books assert that she was a “seer,” and highly sought after by powerful men. That is a ridiculous notion. If Sarah could see the future – why on earth did she give her handmaid Hagar to her husband? She would have been able to see what terrible trouble that caused! It stands to reason that there was something unusual about her, perhaps her coloring, that made her so attractive. Blue eyes? Possibly.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him,
Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said,
Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
Abimelech fears for all his family, and all of his people after what had famously happened at Sodom.
GOD GIVES ABIMELECH A CHOICE.
6 And God said unto him in a dream,
Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
This is an amazing exchange between the Lord and Abimelech. The Lord knows that Abimelech had honorable intentions towards Sarah, but if he refuses to return her, he and everyone connected to him will die.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done. 10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?
11 And Abraham said,
Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. 12 And yet indeed she is 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 unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
Consider that Abraham is thinking of Sarah’s safety. From the time they left Ur of the Charldees, she had presented herself as his sister, (half true) per his request. A beautiful married woman, could have found herself savagely raped and a widow all at the same time. A woman without protection had very little chance. If she were believed to be a virtuous maiden, it would be less likely that either of them would be harmed in that culture.
Abraham’s perception of the general depravity of the Canaanites is what leads him to deceive Abimelech, who in turn wants to know what Abraham saw in his people that caused him to do this thing. It was also judged to be lawful at that time to marry sisters on the father’s side, but not on the mother’s. Abimelech next returns Sarah, but rebukes her, along with many gifts to Abraham.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. 16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
- Abimelech gives Abraham even more than Pharaoh did.
- He also beseeches Abraham to stay wherever he desires within his lands as opposed to Pharaoh who begged him to leave.
- Abimelech publicly states that Sarah is married, and that she is under the covering of her husband. We can extract from this that Sarah went about unveiled to further the deception that she was Abraham’s sister. All married women were veiled in this era.
- Sarah was redeemed from Abimelech before he touched her, thereby preventing any possible claims of anyone other than 100 year old Abraham as the father of the nation of Israel. Abimelech’s public pronouncement was the last thing required before the son of promise was conceived.
- In return for this, Abraham prayed for Abimelech.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 18 For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife. Genesis 20 1-18
Abraham is an Old Testament type of Christ, who redeemed his bride-sister from the pagan king. Jesus is the Christ, who redeems His bride-sister-brother-mother. . .from the pagan, anti-Christ world.
46 While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood without, desiring to speak with Him.
47 Then one said unto Him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
48 But He answered and said unto him that told him, Who is My mother? and who are My brethren?
49 And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples, and said, Behold My mother and My brethren!
50 For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.
Matthew 12: 46-50
The Vine Vigil 
