ABRAHAM

57
ABRAHAM: FRIEND OF GOD AND FATHER OF FAITH
CHAPTER 11 - A RETURN TO THE OLD WAYS
GENESIS 20
We witness in this chapter in Abraham’s walk with God a testimony to the fact that even tried and
true servants of the Lord can have times that they return to their old ways. Because they are still men
of flesh and blood there will be times (hopefully they will be few) when they backslide from the
Word of God and the godliness that should characterize the life of a child of God. Abraham had
walked twenty-five years with the Lord at this point and yet we find him stumbling and falling back
to one of his old ways.
There are some valuable lessons here for us to take heed to which exhort us to faithfulness with the
Lord. We also find in this passage the encouragement that when we do sin and wander from God
we can find forgiveness and restoration with the Lord we love.
I. THE DEPARTURE OF GOD’S MAN. Verses 1-2.
A. THE PHYSICAL DEPARTURE FROM GOD’S PRESENCE. Verse 1.
Abraham leaves the plain of Mamre, a place where he has had God’s blessing and fellowship. No
reason is given for the move, maybe he did not want to be where he could see the ruins of Sodom
and Gomorrah. The smoke and stench from the destroyed cities of the plain must have been
horrific. In any case Abraham moves South down the same road he traveled once before when he
got in trouble in Egypt. Abraham moves and sets up camp in Gerar.
B. THE SPIRITUAL DEPARTURE FROM GOD’S PRESENCE. Verse two.
Abraham had experienced a wonderful time of growth and blessing from the Lord while he had
camped on the highlands of Mamre. But now the wandering spirit had again raised its head in
Abraham. Maybe he was in despair over what had just happened in the wicked cites of the plain.
Maybe, he found himself questioning the sovereignty of God’s wisdom in that outpouring of wrath
upon the infamous sin of Sodom. Whatever his reasoning, Abraham’s spiritual vision is blurred and
he makes some bad decisions for himself and for his family.
C. THE DECEITFUL MOVE
Abraham dug up the old lie he had once used on Pharaoh down in Egypt. If you remember it did not
work there and it is not going to work here in Gerar either. He told everyone that Sarah was his
sister. Take note that the biblical record does not try to play down this action. The Bible tells the
truth about its heros, good and bad. Abraham’s deceitful words are preceded in the biblical record
by, “Abraham said of Sarah his wife.” Regardless of what Abraham says next, the fact is, Sarah
is his wife. We can try and rationalize or justify our sin, but sin is still sin.
This whole situation is compounded by the fact that this is the second time Abraham has traveled
down this same road of deception.
II.
GOD’S MERCIFUL DEALING WITH THE ABIMELECH. Verses 2b-8.