Today's Reading:

Genesis 20
Genesis 21
Genesis 22
Genesis 23

 

God worked with a quiet gentleness in the heart of Abimelek, a pagan king who had unknowingly taken Sarah after Abraham’s deception. That night, instead of striking him dead, God sliped into Abimelech’s sleep with a dream and warned him that he would be a “dead man” if he touched Sarah. God revealed himself by restraining Abimelek: “I have kept you from sinning against me”. Unknown to Abimelek, God had been holding back and protecting his life and the covenant line to Jesus. Abimelek’s swift obedience and his fear of God came from the dream, a whisper of preventative grace in the heart. How deeply do you honor and obey the voice of God when He speaks to you in a dream?

 

In Genesis 20, we have a second account of Abraham telling Sarah to pretend to be his sister, did he not learn his lesson the first go around with the Pharaoh in Egypt? While this was partially the truth as she was his half-sister but was also his wife. God warned Abimelek in a dream that he would die if he touched Sarah, sparing her as the future mother of the chosen offspring. God secretly made all the women in the palace unable to conceive children as a warning and punishment for Abimelek almost sleeping with another man’s wife. Abimelek begged forgiveness, claiming his innocence and giving Abraham livestock and silver. After the repentance, God healed all the women in the palace to be able to bear children again. This infertility was proof of God’s power and put pressure on Abimelek to rectify the situation quickly.

Isaac was weaned from his mother around the age of 2 or 3 which put Ishmael about the age of 14. At the feast, Sarah, possibly bitter from the past, noticed Ishmael mocking her own son. Ishmael, being a threat to Isaac’s inheritance, was cast out with his mother, Hagar. God promised Abraham that He would take care of Hagar and Ishmael giving Ishmael a promise of many descendants. In broad terms, Ishmael was regarded as the ancestor of the Arab Muslims of today, while Isaac was regarded as the ancestor of the Israelites/Jews.

Abraham had become a wealthy and powerful man, the water well incident showed he was not a weak man. The 7 lambs were like a third-party public proof or witness between Abimelek and Abraham’s peace treaty. Abimelek, fearing how God had been with Abraham, decided it was better to be friends than enemies. Due to Abrahams rise in power, God decided to test his faith in Him. Does Abraham really understand that all he has and has been given over the years comes from God alone? Here Abraham waited years for the promise of a son and now is asked to sacrifice him. This is such an intense moment, Abraham led his son to the altar and obeyed God without argument. Isaac was old enough to understand what was happening, yet he did not overpower his elderly father but instead showed his willingness in participation by allowing Abraham to bind him. Abraham had so much love for his child and yet his faith in God when the outcome was unclear was greater. The torment Abraham must have had in his heart to be obedient to God and to love his son is unfathomable. Just as Abraham raised the knife, The Angel of the Lord (remember Christophany) called out from heaven. Because Abraham passed Gods test- God provided the sacrificial lamb as a substitute for Isaac, just as He provided Jesus the Lamb of God and ultimate scape goat- who takes away the sins of the world, bearing our guilt and dying in our place so that we, like Isaac, might live.

When Sarah passed away, a pivotal moment in the future line of Abraham happened. Remember, God promised Abraham land- now he buys the first plot of land in order to bury his wife. This land is the future guarantee, the start of the Promise Land, and the first legal possession of Canaanite land. Up to this point, Abraham had been a sojourner, a foreigner passing through the land. The land was bought with an indisputable, witness paid for title- it was a symbolic act of the first installment of land for future generations. For thousands of years, when Jews were accused of being “foreigners” with no historical claim, this Biblical reference was cited as Abraham, the father, bought the land with documented money, they were not conquerors, but were returning home. Abraham finally owned one small patch of the Promise Land, but only because Sarah died. So, here’s the hard question: When God’s promise of land finally lands in Abraham’s hands, but only because Sarah died and he is buying her grave, does he (do you) still look to heaven and say, “Thank You Lord”?

Today's Discussion question: 
After decades of waiting for the promised land, Abraham finally owns a tiny piece—only because Sarah has died and he needs a burial place. My closing question was: when a long-awaited promise arrives wrapped in deep grief, can we still lift our eyes and say “Thank You, Lord”? Have you ever experienced a bittersweet answer to prayer like that, and how did it shape your gratitude?

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