Sarah Is Misrepresented By Abraham

ABRAHAM MISREPRESENTS SARAH

Abraham repeats the same sin which he committed when he went down into the land of Egypt and lied concerning Sarah, saying, “She is my sister.” It is the same sordid story, but this chapter is put here for a very important reason.

Abraham and Sarah are going to have to deal with this sin before they can have Isaac, before they can have the blessing.

May I say to you, until you and I are willing to deal with the sin in our lives, there is no blessing for us.

Genesis 20:1-18 KJV

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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 KJV

And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

Abraham is getting quite far south in the land.
He has gone beyond Kadesh-Barnea where the children of Israel later came up from Egypt and refused to enter the land. Abraham has gone down to Gerar.

Genesis 20:2 KJV

And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

This is quite interesting. Do you think that Sarah was beautiful? Well, at this time she is almost ninety years old, and she’s beautiful.
Not many senior citizens can qualify in this particular department.
Abraham lies about Sarah again.
I want you notice Abraham’s confession because this is the thing which makes this chapter important and reveals the fact that Abraham and Sarah cannot have Isaac until they deal with this sin that is in their lives—and it goes way back.

Genesis 20:3 KJV

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.

God gives Abimelech notice of his danger of sin, and his danger of death for his sin.

Genesis 20:4 KJV

But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

Every willful sinner is a dead man, but Abimelech pleads ignorance.

Genesis 20:5 KJV

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.

If our consciences witness, that, however we may have been cheated into a snare, we have not knowingly sinned against God, it will be our rejoicing in the day of evil.

Genesis 20:6 KJV

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.

It is matter of comfort to those who are honest, that God knows their honesty, and will acknowledge it.
It is a great mercy to be hindered from committing sin; of this God must have the glory.

Genesis 20:7 KJV

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.

But if we have ignorantly done wrong, that will not excuse us, if we knowingly persist in it.

Genesis 20:8 KJV

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.

He that does wrong, whoever he is, prince or peasant, shall certainly receive for the wrong which he has done, unless he repent, and, if possible, make restitution.

Genesis 20:9 KJV

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.

See here much to blame, even in the father of the faithful.
Mark his distrust of God, his undue care about life, his intent to deceive.

Genesis 20:10 KJV

And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?

Abraham is now talking to Abimelech who is greatly disturbed that Abraham would do a thing like lying about his wife.
He also threw temptation in the way of others, caused affliction to them, exposed himself and Sarah to just rebukes, and yet attempted an excuse.
These things are written for our warning, not for us to imitate.

Genesis 20:11 KJV

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.

Again, Abraham was not trusting God.
He felt that he was moving down into a godless place, but he finds out that Abimelech has a high sense of what is right and wrong.
Abimelech puts a tremendous value upon character and apparently is a man who knows God.
Poor Abraham doesn’t look good by the side of Abimelech here.

Genesis 20:12 KJV

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.

Abraham lets it all out now. He says, “To tell the truth, it’s half a lie. Sarah is my half sister, and she is my wife.”
Even Abraham hath not whereof to glory.
He cannot be justified by his works, but must be indebted for justification, to that righteousness which is upon all and unto all them that believe.

Genesis 20:13 KJV

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.

Abraham did not have complete confidence and trust in God, and so when they started out, he and Sarah made a pact that anywhere they went where it looked as if Abraham might be killed because of his wife, Sarah would say that Abraham was her brother.
Abraham and Sarah thought that that would keep Abraham from being killed.
They made that little agreement, and they had used it down in Egypt, and here they have used it again.
This sin must be dealt with before God is going to hear and answer Abraham’s prayer in sending a son.
Isaac will not be born until this is dealt with.

Self Examination

How many Christians are there who will not judge sin in their lives, and as a result, there is no blessing in their lives?

If those who are in places of leadership in our fundamental churches would confess their sins and deal with the sins that are in their lives, I frankly believe that we could have revival.

I do not believe there will be any blessing until sin is dealt with.

Listen to Paul in 1 Corinthians: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:28–32).

Blessing is being withheld from the church and from the lives of many believers because we will not deal with the sin in our lives.

This is a tremendous spiritual lesson here in the twentieth chapter of the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 20:14 KJV

And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.

Abimelech, being warned of God, takes the warning; and being truly afraid of sin and its consequences, he rose early to pursue the directions given him.

Genesis 20:15 KJV

And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.

We often trouble ourselves, and even are led into temptation and sin, by groundless suspicions; and find the fear of God where we expected it not.

Genesis 20:16 KJV

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.

We must not condemn all as hypocrites who fall into sin, if they do not continue in it.
But let the unhumbled and impenitent take heed that they do not sin on, thinking that grace may abound.

Genesis 20:17 KJV

So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

Agreements to deceive generally end in shame and sorrow; and restraints from sin, though by suffering, should be thankfully acknowledged.

Genesis 20:18 KJV

For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife.

Though the Lord rebuke, yet he will pardon and deliver his people, and he will give them favour in the sight of those with whom they sojourn; and overrule their infirmities, when they are humbled for them, so that they shall prove useful to themselves and others.

I hope that you have really enjoyed this post,