January 19, 2025 • 12 mins
In this Bible Story, Abraham again lies about his wife to protect his own life from King Abimelech. Abimelech then takes her but God warns him in a dream and he restores Sarah to Abraham. This story is inspired by Genesis 20. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is Genesis 20:1 from the King James Version.
Episode 14: Once again, Abraham’s fear for his life causes him to place his wife in harm's way. This time it’s in the kingdom of Abimelech that he tells the men she is his sister. And as in Egypt, the king takes Sarah to be with him. This time, however, Abimelech does not touch her, and God comes to him in a dream, warning him of the situation he is in.
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Producer: Ben Gammon
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Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the
South country and dwelled between Kadesh and Surer, and sojourned
in Gerar Genesis twenty one. Dear God, in the midst
of my new season, when I am afraid that I
might not survive it, I will not sacrifice the things
(00:24):
close to me by giving them up to try to
preserve my position and life. I declare that the same
faith that brought me to believe in You will be
the same faith I use to believe that you will
protect me and deliver me from any future threats. Thank
you Jesus that because of your sacrifice, I can be
(00:47):
forgiven of my mistakes and still have my future restored.
When I come to you with a pure and clean heart,
holy spirit, like Abraham, if there is any half truth
my life, reveal it to me, then I will correct it.
Give me the strength to stand in integrity when it's
(01:09):
easier to do the opposite. I am blessed and secured
in your presence. Therefore I am free to be me
and dwell in the place You've given me with peace
and prosperity. In Jesus name, Amen, Thank you for praying
(01:32):
with me today, continue listening for an incredible Bible story
brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Abraham and Abimelech. Before this story, we learned about how
God brought justice to Sodom Angomorah and delivered Lot and
his family out of that city. But Lot's wife turned
back and became a pillar of salt. Now we will
learn about Abraham again saying Sarah is my sister to
(02:08):
protect his own life from King Abimelech. Inspired by the
Book of Genesis.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous passage, we
focused on Lot and his daughters and the results of
fear in their lives. Today we turn again to Abraham
and Sarah. Lest we imagine that Abraham has now fully
matured in his faith and has become immune to fear
(02:36):
and faithlessness. Today's story reminds us that often our journey
is one of highs and loves, of zigs and zags.
At times we trust and obey, at other times we
turn back to our sin and disobedience. That's where we
find Abraham today, once again encountering a powerful king whom
he appears to fear more than he fears God, the
(02:58):
God who has promised to be with him and bless him.
Not only that, but again Abraham will show a lack
of regard for his wife. He is meant to lead
and protect his wife, but now he uses her as
a way to secure his own safety, to save his
own neck. As you listen, notice how Abimelek is spared
(03:20):
from committing a sin that would have cost him dearly.
And notice how Abraham responds when confronted with his deceitfulness.
Does he repent of his wrongdoing and fully own up
to his mistake, or does he try to twist his
way out of it justifying his actions. Finally, watch how
God works through this situation to restore Abraham and Sarah,
(03:42):
as well as King Abimelek and his household. Consider how
God has guarded you from sins you may have committed
in times of temptation had he not intervened. It is
a reminder of God's faithfulness to us always, even when
we fail to be faithful to him. Now, let's listen
(04:03):
to today's passage.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Abraham and his wife Sarah ventured to a new land
where Abimelech was the king and ruled over the people.
When they had entered the land, Abraham had once again
claimed that Sarah was his sister, so nobody would harm
him to take her. Abimelech, being curious about Sarah, had
her brought to his home since he believed that she
(04:30):
was Abraham's sister, Yet he did not touch or harm her.
One night, while Abimelech was asleep, God came to him
in a dream, saying, you are a dead man because
of the woman you have taken, for she is a
man's wife. Abemelech cried out in anguish, knowing he had
(04:51):
not touched Sarah. He cried, Lord, do not kill an
innocent man. Did he not himself say to me that
she is his 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. The Lord
knew this and was the one who had kept Abimelecht
(05:13):
from touching her. He knew the integrity of his heart
and commanded him to approach Abraham for prayer and returned
Sarah to him. Yet God warned, if you do not
return her, you shall surely die. You and all those
who are yours. A Bimelech and all those under him
(05:34):
became afraid. The wombs of the women in his household
were shut and became barren. Terror filled a Bimelech's kingdom. Therefore,
he wasted no time trying to find Abraham. He sought
out Abraham, and when he had arrived, demanded answers, what
have you done to us? You made me sin against you,
(05:56):
and now my kingdom is to be punished for it.
You should have ever done this. Abraham, embarrassed and ashamed,
spoke a half truth, saying, Sarah and I share the
same father, but not the same mother, so she is
my sister. He continued, explaining, I did not take you
(06:17):
for god fearing people. I was afraid that you would
kill me to take her. Then Abmelech, both enraged and afraid,
took sheep, oxen, and servants and gave them to Abraham,
then returned Sarah to him. This is my land, he said,
dwell wherever you please. Then he turned to Sarah and said,
(06:40):
take a thousand pieces of silver for your brother. This
is proof that my hands are clean and you are free.
After another failure of character, Abraham was faced with his faithlessness.
Not only did he betray his wife to protect himself,
but he put an entire kingdom in a place of sin.
(07:02):
Abraham prayed to God, and God healed a bimelech, and
also healed his wife and servants so they could bear
children once again. Even after another failure, God's promise to
Abraham would not be made void. He would still be
faithful and continue to bless him.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Abraham and Lot, whose stories we've heard in the previous chapters,
are in many ways contrasting characters. Abraham is often an
example of wisdom and faith and obedience to God's direction. Lot,
on the other hand, is rarely any of those things.
As we have seen, he acts with worldly wisdom and compromise,
(07:47):
and reacts based on fear not faith. They are indeed
very different men. This does not mean, however, that Abraham
always moves in the right direction, trusting God and acting wisely.
Today we've heard one such example. Fear has taken over
Abraham once again, just as he had done when they
(08:08):
entered Egypt many years before. Abraham is in a new land,
the land of a king whom he does not know
and who he fears greatly. King of Bimelek. We're not
told what the basis of the fear is, only that
Abraham hatches another crazy scheme of deceit to protect himself.
He tells everyone that Sarah is his sister, not his wife.
(08:29):
In other words, she's available, So King of Bimelek sends
for her, and she's brought to him. Before we get
to what happens next, I want you to think for
a moment about what this is saying about Abraham that
he would put forward his wife to save his own skin.
Year after year, Abraham has seen God's strength and faithfulness
(08:49):
to keep Abraham and Sarah together and strong and safe.
Not only that, but God has repeatedly reaffirmed his promises
to grant Abraham a descendant through Sarah. If Abraham were
to be killed as he fears, that would mean God
did not or could not keep his promise. So think
about it. What Abraham is saying here with his action
(09:11):
is that he really doesn't trust God to deliver on
his word now less we judge him too quickly. How
often do we buy our own actions say the same
kind of things. God has given us so much, and
we have such a wonderful promise of life, abundant life
in him. And yet so often with our actions we're
(09:32):
willing to say to show that we really don't trust
God to give us what we need, that God is
not enough, that his promises may not be true. So
that's what Abraham does here. But fortunately a Bimelek is
spared from sin by God himself, and because he appears
to be a man of some integrity before he touched Sarah.
(09:54):
God appears to a Bimelek in a dream and tells
him the true story. This terrifies a Bimelek, and he
asks if God is going to destroy him for something
he has not done. God assures him that he knows
the king's heart and reveals that it was him who
kept the king from sinning. Look what he says to
the king in Genesis twenty verse six. Then God said
(10:17):
to him in the dream, Yes, I know that in
the integrity of your heart you have done this, and
I also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I
did not let you touch her. You see, God is
not only active in the lives of those who have
received a special calling and blessing. Like Abraham. Here we
(10:37):
see that God is watching over this king Abimelek, searching
his heart and keeping him from sin, God says he
will spare him if he will return Sarah immediately. A
Bimelek promptly does so, confronting Abraham for having a lie
to him, and rather than owning up to his dishonesty
(10:58):
and deceit and fully admitting that he was wrong, Abraham
tries to soften it by telling another lie. Sarah is
in no way his sister, but he is still trying
to save face with the king. We'll see many times
in scripture how someone is confronted with their sin, and
rather than openly admitting their fault and repenting, they try
(11:19):
to justify or explain their actions. This isn't true repentance,
and it's not what God wants. But once more, as
we've seen so many times already, and as we can
see vividly in our lives today, God is faithful to
Abraham in spite of his lack of faith. God restores
Sarah to Abraham and heals king of Bimelek and his household.
(11:44):
Dear God, thank you for this story and what it
teaches us about your faithfulness, even when we take backward
steps in our walk with you. Thank you also for
what Abimelek's example shows us about your hand of protection
in times that we're not even aware of our danger.
Thank you for always watching over us and always always
(12:06):
delivering on your promises in Christ's name. Amen, Thank you
for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com
app and make prayer a priority in your life. If
you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love.
(12:27):
By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in
someone's life. And if you want more resources as to
how you can know God and experience Him in your life,
be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.
Let us pray. And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the
South country and dwelled between Kadesh and Surer, and sojourned
in Gerar Genesis twenty one. Dear God, in the midst
of my new season, when I am afraid that I
might not survive it, I will not sacrifice the things
(00:24):
close to me by giving them up to try to
preserve my position and life. I declare that the same
faith that brought me to believe in You will be
the same faith I use to believe that you will
protect me and deliver me from any future threats. Thank
you Jesus that because of your sacrifice, I can be
(00:47):
forgiven of my mistakes and still have my future restored.
When I come to you with a pure and clean heart,
holy spirit, like Abraham, if there is any half truth
my life, reveal it to me, then I will correct it.
Give me the strength to stand in integrity when it's
(01:09):
easier to do the opposite. I am blessed and secured
in your presence. Therefore I am free to be me
and dwell in the place You've given me with peace
and prosperity. In Jesus name, Amen, Thank you for praying
(01:32):
with me today, continue listening for an incredible Bible story
brought to you by Bible in a Year dot com.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Abraham and Abimelech. Before this story, we learned about how
God brought justice to Sodom Angomorah and delivered Lot and
his family out of that city. But Lot's wife turned
back and became a pillar of salt. Now we will
learn about Abraham again saying Sarah is my sister to
(02:08):
protect his own life from King Abimelech. Inspired by the
Book of Genesis.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the
Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous passage, we
focused on Lot and his daughters and the results of
fear in their lives. Today we turn again to Abraham
and Sarah. Lest we imagine that Abraham has now fully
matured in his faith and has become immune to fear
(02:36):
and faithlessness. Today's story reminds us that often our journey
is one of highs and loves, of zigs and zags.
At times we trust and obey, at other times we
turn back to our sin and disobedience. That's where we
find Abraham today, once again encountering a powerful king whom
he appears to fear more than he fears God, the
(02:58):
God who has promised to be with him and bless him.
Not only that, but again Abraham will show a lack
of regard for his wife. He is meant to lead
and protect his wife, but now he uses her as
a way to secure his own safety, to save his
own neck. As you listen, notice how Abimelek is spared
(03:20):
from committing a sin that would have cost him dearly.
And notice how Abraham responds when confronted with his deceitfulness.
Does he repent of his wrongdoing and fully own up
to his mistake, or does he try to twist his
way out of it justifying his actions. Finally, watch how
God works through this situation to restore Abraham and Sarah,
(03:42):
as well as King Abimelek and his household. Consider how
God has guarded you from sins you may have committed
in times of temptation had he not intervened. It is
a reminder of God's faithfulness to us always, even when
we fail to be faithful to him. Now, let's listen
(04:03):
to today's passage.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Abraham and his wife Sarah ventured to a new land
where Abimelech was the king and ruled over the people.
When they had entered the land, Abraham had once again
claimed that Sarah was his sister, so nobody would harm
him to take her. Abimelech, being curious about Sarah, had
her brought to his home since he believed that she
(04:30):
was Abraham's sister, Yet he did not touch or harm her.
One night, while Abimelech was asleep, God came to him
in a dream, saying, you are a dead man because
of the woman you have taken, for she is a
man's wife. Abemelech cried out in anguish, knowing he had
(04:51):
not touched Sarah. He cried, Lord, do not kill an
innocent man. Did he not himself say to me that
she is his 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. The Lord
knew this and was the one who had kept Abimelecht
(05:13):
from touching her. He knew the integrity of his heart
and commanded him to approach Abraham for prayer and returned
Sarah to him. Yet God warned, if you do not
return her, you shall surely die. You and all those
who are yours. A Bimelech and all those under him
(05:34):
became afraid. The wombs of the women in his household
were shut and became barren. Terror filled a Bimelech's kingdom. Therefore,
he wasted no time trying to find Abraham. He sought
out Abraham, and when he had arrived, demanded answers, what
have you done to us? You made me sin against you,
(05:56):
and now my kingdom is to be punished for it.
You should have ever done this. Abraham, embarrassed and ashamed,
spoke a half truth, saying, Sarah and I share the
same father, but not the same mother, so she is
my sister. He continued, explaining, I did not take you
(06:17):
for god fearing people. I was afraid that you would
kill me to take her. Then Abmelech, both enraged and afraid,
took sheep, oxen, and servants and gave them to Abraham,
then returned Sarah to him. This is my land, he said,
dwell wherever you please. Then he turned to Sarah and said,
(06:40):
take a thousand pieces of silver for your brother. This
is proof that my hands are clean and you are free.
After another failure of character, Abraham was faced with his faithlessness.
Not only did he betray his wife to protect himself,
but he put an entire kingdom in a place of sin.
(07:02):
Abraham prayed to God, and God healed a bimelech, and
also healed his wife and servants so they could bear
children once again. Even after another failure, God's promise to
Abraham would not be made void. He would still be
faithful and continue to bless him.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Abraham and Lot, whose stories we've heard in the previous chapters,
are in many ways contrasting characters. Abraham is often an
example of wisdom and faith and obedience to God's direction. Lot,
on the other hand, is rarely any of those things.
As we have seen, he acts with worldly wisdom and compromise,
(07:47):
and reacts based on fear not faith. They are indeed
very different men. This does not mean, however, that Abraham
always moves in the right direction, trusting God and acting wisely.
Today we've heard one such example. Fear has taken over
Abraham once again, just as he had done when they
(08:08):
entered Egypt many years before. Abraham is in a new land,
the land of a king whom he does not know
and who he fears greatly. King of Bimelek. We're not
told what the basis of the fear is, only that
Abraham hatches another crazy scheme of deceit to protect himself.
He tells everyone that Sarah is his sister, not his wife.
(08:29):
In other words, she's available, So King of Bimelek sends
for her, and she's brought to him. Before we get
to what happens next, I want you to think for
a moment about what this is saying about Abraham that
he would put forward his wife to save his own skin.
Year after year, Abraham has seen God's strength and faithfulness
(08:49):
to keep Abraham and Sarah together and strong and safe.
Not only that, but God has repeatedly reaffirmed his promises
to grant Abraham a descendant through Sarah. If Abraham were
to be killed as he fears, that would mean God
did not or could not keep his promise. So think
about it. What Abraham is saying here with his action
(09:11):
is that he really doesn't trust God to deliver on
his word now less we judge him too quickly. How
often do we buy our own actions say the same
kind of things. God has given us so much, and
we have such a wonderful promise of life, abundant life
in him. And yet so often with our actions we're
(09:32):
willing to say to show that we really don't trust
God to give us what we need, that God is
not enough, that his promises may not be true. So
that's what Abraham does here. But fortunately a Bimelek is
spared from sin by God himself, and because he appears
to be a man of some integrity before he touched Sarah.
(09:54):
God appears to a Bimelek in a dream and tells
him the true story. This terrifies a Bimelek, and he
asks if God is going to destroy him for something
he has not done. God assures him that he knows
the king's heart and reveals that it was him who
kept the king from sinning. Look what he says to
the king in Genesis twenty verse six. Then God said
(10:17):
to him in the dream, Yes, I know that in
the integrity of your heart you have done this, and
I also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I
did not let you touch her. You see, God is
not only active in the lives of those who have
received a special calling and blessing. Like Abraham. Here we
(10:37):
see that God is watching over this king Abimelek, searching
his heart and keeping him from sin, God says he
will spare him if he will return Sarah immediately. A
Bimelek promptly does so, confronting Abraham for having a lie
to him, and rather than owning up to his dishonesty
(10:58):
and deceit and fully admitting that he was wrong, Abraham
tries to soften it by telling another lie. Sarah is
in no way his sister, but he is still trying
to save face with the king. We'll see many times
in scripture how someone is confronted with their sin, and
rather than openly admitting their fault and repenting, they try
(11:19):
to justify or explain their actions. This isn't true repentance,
and it's not what God wants. But once more, as
we've seen so many times already, and as we can
see vividly in our lives today, God is faithful to
Abraham in spite of his lack of faith. God restores
Sarah to Abraham and heals king of Bimelek and his household.
(11:44):
Dear God, thank you for this story and what it
teaches us about your faithfulness, even when we take backward
steps in our walk with you. Thank you also for
what Abimelek's example shows us about your hand of protection
in times that we're not even aware of our danger.
Thank you for always watching over us and always always
(12:06):
delivering on your promises in Christ's name. Amen, Thank you
for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm
pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com
app and make prayer a priority in your life. If
you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you love.
(12:27):
By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in
someone's life. And if you want more resources as to
how you can know God and experience Him in your life,
be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.
Host
Jack Graham
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