Scripture: Genesis
20
Background: Following the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah , Abraham wandered to the south and
the east, eventually coming to the land
of Gerar
Observations:
On the surface, this account of Abraham and Abimelech resembles Abraham’s visit
to Egypt
Yet, despite the external parallels, God handled each
situation differently. In Egypt God simply struck Pharaoh and his household
with a plague, and somehow from that the Egyptians discerned the truth. Here,
God approaches Abimelech in a dream, warning him of impending destruction if he
held onto Sarah.
This passage is also significant because we find our first
reference to a prophet here. First references are significant because they
create the baseline definition or perception of what a term means. In this
case, we read, “‘[Abraham] is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will
live.’” (20:7)
We often think of prophets as those who predict the future,
usually with much gloom and doom. But Genesis 20 paints a vastly different
portrait of the prophet’s role. Here Abraham was to pray for Abimelech; he was to intercede
on behalf of the king in order that he might live.
So a prophet’s first job is not to foretell what will be,
but to pray over what is. Nor is a prophet’s primary motive condemnation and
destruction. Rather, he is to bring life and restoration. And if he does utter the
dire, it is out of the hope that the listener will turn from wrong and do what
is right so that he may live. In short, the job of a prophet is the job of
interceding mediator between God and man.
Significance: God is so
gracious.
Abimelech had unknowingly committed a great wrong in taking
Sarah. One which could have had long-term implications now that the birth of
Isaac was less than a year away. After all, Isaac was the promised son upon
whom the covenant rested. God, therefore, would brook no ambiguity concerning
the origins of Isaac. So from one point of view, God would have been completely
justified in instantly killing Abimelech so that there could be no dispute.
Moreover, God doesn’t ignore sin just because it is a sin
committed out of ignorance. Deal with it more gently, yes, but ignore it—no.
Sin is sin and carries consequences, even when done out of ignorance or
innocence.
But God does not kill Abimelech instantly. Rather, He
approached Abimelech in a dream, and though God’s opening words sound harsh
(“you are a dead man!”), the fact that God bothered to approach at all, clearly laying out Abimelech’s precarious position and the reason why, reveals God’s
gracious nature. God didn’t have to do that or explain what was going on. Yet
He did.
Nor does God stop there. God, being omniscient, knew that
Abimelech acted in the integrity of heart. So God gave Abimelech a chance to
correct the situation before He meted out all the consequences. In fact, God
went so far as to prevent Abimelech
from taking the next irreversible step (20:6) until Abimelech had the chance to
make an informed decision. Moreover, God doesn’t leave Abimelech in the dark
about what to do now. Rather, God makes it clear what he must do as well as the
consequences of failure.
So in Genesis 20 we see how even in the midst of judgment and
harshness, God is gracious. Indeed, the graciousness permeates the story so
thoroughly, that it echoes the Gospel that was to come: Like with Abimelech,
God tells us the truth about our standing before Him (dead and under judgment)
as well as explains why we are in that position (sin). But not wanting any to
perish, God has informed us how to make the situation right through an
interceding mediator (Jesus Christ), even as He warns us of the consequences of
ignoring His instructions (eternal death).
Which leaves only one question: how will we respond?
No comments:
Post a Comment