From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my 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.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid
Comment: Stupid Abraham! No doubt his wife was beautiful and he thought that somehow letting others see her as his sister, and not his wife, would protect his own life but what was he thinking of God’s promise to bless him through their son as yet to be born. Gracious God! Before things could get into a really messy moral mix-up, God very graciously came to Abimelech in a dream and they had a mature conversation in which the king was able to explain himself and in which God rescued Abraham from his self-made mess. Honourable Abimelech. Heard God well and began to sort things out.
Prayer: We don’t always see Your actions through the time/space veil, behind which You live. But thank You that You do love us and act for us.
As I read it! 