Genesis 68: The Incident at Gerar

God's Word: Genesis 20:1-7

“From there Abraham moved on to the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a time he stayed in Gerar, and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. But God came to Abimelek in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not tell me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she herself say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”

 

Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all who belong to you will die.” Amen.

 

The Second Repeated Mistake: Abraham's Character

The biblical text we read today is not an unfamiliar story. Abraham already experienced a similar event once in Genesis 12. At that time, his name was Abram, and he went down to Egypt to escape a famine and lied that his wife, Sarah, was his sister. He could only return to Canaan after experiencing great difficulty. Because this story seems to repeat almost verbatim, we naturally have questions.

 

"What kind of person is Abraham? How can he repeat the same mistake? 25 years have passed, has nothing changed?"

 

As the saying goes, '10 years can change mountains and rivers,' but after 25 years, Abraham seems completely unchanged. Of course, when we look at ourselves, it's not entirely unfamiliar, as our hearts can sometimes become more wicked or stubborn after 25 years. But the questions remain. The two stories are so surprisingly similar that some Bible scholars even argue that they are a single event recorded twice.

 

A Changed Context, a Serious Threat

However, a closer look reveals that the two events have completely different contexts, meanings, and directions. The story in Genesis 12 was set against the backdrop of a famine that led him to go down to Egypt. But in today's passage, Abraham did not move due to a famine or any other problem. The Bible simply says, "Abraham moved from there to the land of the Negev, and lived between Kadesh and Shur, and he stayed in Gerar." Although the journey, passing through the Negev on the way to Egypt, may seem similar to the one in chapter 12, the context of this journey is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

In this context, Abraham's move to the Negev and Gerar was because he had personally witnessed the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot lost everything in that event, but what was the impact on Abraham? What we often miss when reading this story is that Isaac is born one year after the Sodom and Gomorrah incident. God had already told him about Isaac's birth. So, while Abraham was staying in Gerar, it is possible that Sarah was already pregnant. Even if she wasn't, Abraham still lied that his wife was his sister. This wasn't merely an act of handing over his wife to save his own life; it was a move to hand over the very woman through whom God had promised to bring forth Isaac.

 

If Abraham wasn't a wicked person, then he must have been feeling a far more serious threat and problem than we can imagine. It shows that he was not just lying about his wife to survive, but was facing a critical, life-threatening situation.

 

Fear, Insecurity, and the Collapse of Abraham's Self-Esteem

As the text shows, Abraham's situation was very precarious. Twenty-five years had passed since he left Ur of the Chaldeans, but he still didn't have a single piece of land to his name. He was rich, but God kept him from owning land and made him wander constantly. When he saw Lot lose everything in an instant in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, what must have been going through Abraham's mind? He must have felt a deep, painful realization that wealth alone could never guarantee safety.

 

When King Abimelek asks him why he lied about Sarah being his sister, Abraham replies, "I did it because I thought, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'" While this reveals the ungodliness of the land of Canaan, it also highlights Abraham's contradictory behavior. When Lot chose the well-watered city of Sodom, Abraham stayed in Canaan by faith. But now, Abraham is trying to live in Gerar, a place he himself calls a land that "does not fear God." He wasn't just passing through; he intended to live there. This shows that he was making the same choice as Lot to protect his life and property.

 

Fear and Distrust: The Path to Sin

Abraham was in such a dire situation that he entered an ungodly land he knew. He felt there was no other place for him to be protected, and like when he was in Sodom, he was seized by fear and didn't know what to do. The Bible says that when humans make judgments based on fear, they inevitably end up in sin. This is because fear is deeply connected to a lack of complete reliance on God. Abraham didn't go to Gerar with joy and confidence in God's guidance; he went out of fear, and as a result, he sinned by lying about his wife. He was so consumed by fear that he did not fully trust God.

 

Insecurity and Shaken Faith

When a person sees God as small and their possessions as great, insecurity sets in. This insecurity that one cannot protect their own belongings causes the heart to tremble with terror and fear. That's why we unknowingly want to know about the future, and a fondness for prophetic prayer can also stem from this insecurity.

 

But even if you have received prophetic prayer for a business or personal matter and acted on it, do not worry too much. It was merely a moment where you did not fully rely on God within His great plan.

 

Though I am not a prophet who predicts the future, I know for certain what the Bible prophesies and promises to you.

 

In 100 years, none of the people sitting here will be here. I am certain of this. And I believe that the lives of those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ will be far more beautiful than they are now. What more certainty could you need?

 

Your business may do well or it may not. You may have money or you may not. This is a fact that everyone in the world knows, whether they are a Christian or not. So why should we, who believe, be so afraid and insecure? There is no reason for it.

 

If you pray, "God, please show me the way for my life," that prayer should not come from fear, but from the confession, "God, I want to obey your will." How could insecurity and fear take hold of our hearts?

 

The reality is that we are so weak that even Abraham was shaken. This is the reality we all face; it is not just Abraham's story, but all of ours.

 

Misunderstanding God and a Distorted View

Abraham is now entering a city without a single righteous person, a place like Sodom and Gomorrah that does not fear God. Think about what Abraham's heart must have been like. Beyond simple fear and insecurity, what did Sodom and Gomorrah mean to him?

 

First, Sodom and Gomorrah was the town his nephew Lot had chosen. When Lot left for that well-watered land, Abraham did not criticize or question him. He simply thought, 'That's where Lot is going to live.'

 

Second, Sodom and Gomorrah had an even more special meaning for Abraham. When the northern coalition attacked and devastated five cities, including Sodom and Gomorrah, taking all their possessions and people captive, Abraham led his household army and defeated them, bringing back all the captives and property. Abraham was the benefactor who saved the five cities.

 

But the strange thing is that the city God saved through Abraham was destroyed by fire. Of course, it was to save one person, Lot, but if you were in Abraham's shoes, how would you feel?

 

It's like this: God told you to "clean and prepare the bowls in your house." So, you wake up at dawn and meticulously polish them until they shine. But then God suddenly and without reason smashes them. Wouldn't you feel a sense of futility, wondering, 'Why did He tell me to clean them in the first place?'

 

Abraham watched with his own eyes as the city he had saved was destroyed by fire from beneath the oaks of Mamre. Wouldn't it be natural for him to feel a sense of futility? 'What on earth is God's will? Why does He work this way?' His mind must have been filled with these questions. The fact that Abraham was in such severe spiritual confusion is clearly revealed through his subsequent actions. He was not only afraid and insecure, but also flustered, frustrated, and completely shaken by God's will.

 

Exposing a Lifelong Hidden Wound

In the midst of this confusion, we encounter another problem that we cannot expect and would be baffled by if we don't understand the intention behind the biblical record of this event. In Genesis 20:12, Abraham says:

 

“Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.”

 

If you read the original text with emotion, you can see how difficult this confession is. He says, "She is my sister, the daughter of my father but not of my mother." This means they are half-siblings, not cousins. When we compare this to the story of Lot we examined last week, how different can this issue really be?

 

Some might ask, 'Wasn't incest allowed in ancient times?' But Deuteronomy clearly states, "Cursed is anyone who sleeps with his sister, whether his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter." According to the law, this is a clear sin.

 

Of course, one could argue that the law was given to Moses 400 years later, so it was acceptable in Abraham's time. But what about the homosexuality and violence in Sodom? The law forbidding homosexuality is also recorded in Leviticus, so can we say it wasn't a problem back then? We know in our conscience that's not true.

 

We should not try to defend Abraham, but instead face how painful and shocking this confession is. This was a secret Abraham had hidden his entire life. He did not reveal this fact with a comfortable heart. This story has never appeared anywhere in the Bible before. He was in a life-threatening situation and had no choice but to bring up his darkest and most difficult family history—a painful and shameful wound he never wanted to show anyone—in order to make an excuse. What must Abraham's heart have felt like, having to expose his own weakness?

 

The Mental Breakdown of a Hero

In our terms, Abraham is currently having a 'mental breakdown.' It must have been a huge shock to himself, as well as to those around him. If a camera had been on him, we would have seen his unfocused, trembling eyes and quivering lips. He was telling the story of his life's deepest wound and pain, a story that completely shattered his self-esteem.

 

This scene is closest to the moment when the great Elijah, who had defeated 850 false prophets, fled from Jezebel's threat and cried out to God to take his life. Abraham, the hero who had pursued the coalition of powerful nations and recovered everything, is now in a state of shock, revealing his own weakness, and collapsing.

 

Distorted Resentment Towards God

His excuse becomes even more explicit in verse 13.

“And when God caused me to wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

 

There are a few key points here. First, the original Hebrew word for "caused me to wander" (תָּעָה, ta'ah, H8582) means more than just 'to wander'; it's closer to 'to wander aimlessly without purpose or intention.' Who does Abraham say is the one who made his life this way? It is "God." He is claiming, "God made me wander like this."

 

This is the same language of shifting blame used by Adam and Eve after eating the forbidden fruit, when they said, "The woman you gave me," and "The snake you created." Do you see how far Abraham's heart has collapsed? He is essentially denying that his entire life's journey after being called from Ur of the Chaldeans had any purpose, as if it was all a waste. It's not a hymn of "Thus far the Lord has helped me," but a complaint of "It's all Your fault that I've wandered this whole time."

 

He doesn't even speak of God's grace anymore. Instead, he says he lived by "Sarah's kindness (hesed)." We see God's guidance in Abraham's life, but the man himself was so exhausted that the God of the promise who had led him this far was fading from his eyes.

Hidden Distrust, 'Gods'

How about you? We all seem to believe in God and worship and praise Him with everything we have. But how clearly do you perceive God in your life? Looking back on your life, especially your immigrant experience and past, can anyone confidently say, "I have been happy and I am satisfied with this life God has given me"?

 

Perhaps in our hearts, we all want to say 'yes.' But the reality is that the answer does not come out easily, and we hesitate. We want to say, "Not just now, but my whole life with the Lord has been a happy and perfectly satisfying one," but our reality is often closer to Abraham's.

 

"Because of God, my life seems to be a journey of aimless wandering. Who will compensate me for the pain, hardship, and failure of my life, and more frighteningly, what will happen to my future?"

 

With such questions, our confidence in God begins to disappear. It seems that the desire to resent Him is greater than the desire to be grateful.

 

But the story doesn't end here. There is one more thing happening in the text that is hard for us to imagine, and it's difficult to find in English or Korean translations. However, it is a crucial point to know and mark in your Bible.

 

In verse 13, the word "God" is used, but the original word, 'Elohim,' is actually plural. The word for God itself is plural. That's why the word 'Elohim' is often used when we talk about the Trinity. However, in Hebrew grammar, this plural form is called the 'plural of majesty.' It is expressed in the plural because He is so great and majestic, but the verb is always singular. Since the subject is God, the verb is supposed to be singular.

 

However, in the phrase, "when God caused me to wander from my father's household," is the verb 'cause to wander' singular or plural? It is a plural verb. If you translate the sentence literally, it would be: "Gods caused me to wander from my father's household."

 

So, does this mean Abraham believed in polytheism? Not at all. The use of the plural here is very intentional. The intention is to express, "I can no longer rely on the God who created and rules this world." While the plural of majesty is used to express the monotheistic belief that 'this God is the creator of heaven and earth and the Father of all things,' Abraham deliberately used a plural verb to express his feeling that 'I find it difficult to fully trust this God like a foreigner.' This is his hidden language.

 

For Abraham, the God who only leads him on a good path has become a being that is difficult to confess. He finds his current reality too difficult to call Him 'my eternal Father.' Since he can't outright deny God, it's like he's saying, "I can't say it, but I want to take a jab at God somehow," and uses a plural verb to refer to God.

 

He no longer seems grateful for having come to Canaan. Instead, he is saying that his pain and hardship are because of God. Right now, Abraham is so consumed by extreme fear and insecurity that his knowledge of God is being distorted. He has begun to be unable to see God as He is.

 

A Misunderstanding of God, and Deepening Despair

Misunderstanding God seems like a very serious problem, but in fact, it happens to us very often. We often try to solve problems while misunderstanding who God is, leaning on that misunderstanding. This is because the difficult events we experience gradually change our thoughts about God. When things are too hard and difficult, we start to think, 'I want God to be with me always, and I want that too, but it seems like He just abandons me when things get really tough.'

 

In that moment when you feel abandoned, when you have nothing to comfort your heart and no one to lean on, you fail to hold on to the knowledge that God is holding and embracing you in His arms. That's exactly what happened to Abraham.

 

'Is God really the one who leads me on a good path?' He could no longer be sure. That knowledge was shaken. Instead, God felt like someone who just watched him or sent him on a journey with no destination. Abraham was truly exhausted, afraid, frustrated, and he resented God. He had a wrong knowledge of God.

 

Right at that moment, God meets Abraham in the land of Gerar. And in the very next chapter, Isaac is born.

 

You see, that's how the flow of the story works. Where is Genesis heading now? Abraham's life is heading toward 'the birth of Isaac.' The birth of Isaac, the son of the promise, is the climax of the story, isn't it? If so, chapter 20, which is right before the climax, is one of the most important moments in Abraham's life.

 

God's Abundance Found in the Lowest Place

When he was at his most despairing, struggling, and even doubting and wavering in his faith in God, God wanted to explain who He is at that very moment. When you feel that everything has fallen apart, when you can't even pray, when the Word doesn't resonate in your heart, when every day is difficult, and you feel frustrated about your future, God answers the question, 'Who is God at this time?' through the meeting in Gerar.

 

While not all of its meaning will be revealed today, first, God speaks to Abraham through Abimelek. "Are you insecure and afraid of losing everything?"

 

Abimelek's actions are completely different from those of Pharaoh in Egypt. Pharaoh gave Abraham livestock and cattle as a dowry to take Sarah as his wife, making him rich. But when he found out the truth, he immediately drove them out. Abimelek, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He gave nothing when he took Sarah. And when he found out the truth, it would have been natural for him to say, "Get out now because you've caused me this trouble!" Instead, he gave Abraham sheep, cattle, and servants.

 

Abraham was consumed by the fear that "I will be robbed and lose everything here." 'Is my life ending here? I left Ur of the Chaldeans relying only on God and came all this way, but if all of that was just wandering, what does my life mean? If I believed in God and all that's left is this pathetic state, what am I?' To Abraham, who was in such despair, God's first answer is very clear.

 

"Losing everything? No, you will gain more."

 

Doesn't this saying of Jesus come to mind? "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

 

Abraham must have felt like he was crying out, "God, I feel like I've been robbed of everything. My youth, my life, all those promises, where have they all gone? I followed You alone, and all that's left is aimless wandering. What do I have left? I don't even have an inch of land!"

 

To such an Abraham, God says, "No, you are not living a life of loss, a life to be lost, but rather a life to gain life 'more abundantly.'"

 

A Life of Abundance with Nothing Lost

Do you feel a lack of emotion? When I was preparing this sermon and got to this part, I was so shocked when I first encountered this structure that my hands trembled. 'What a twist this is!' I'm the same way. If my son says to me, "Dad, Obama became president at your age," I wonder, "What have I done with my life?" Many of you may have done wonderful things and have pride in your lives, but if you ask yourselves, 'Was my life truly satisfying and happy? Did I live a life without regrets?' It's difficult to answer.

 

Even if my son asks me, I can only say, "Son, that's why I'm trying to live hard now. That's why I'm trying to work hard in ministry. That's why I'm trying to do evangelism and missions. That's why I'm trying to serve diligently." But God is now saying, "No. Your life is not like that. You haven't lost anything. You have nothing to lose. Instead, you will gain more abundantly. The life I have prepared for you is a life that cannot be compared to that."

 

Everyone, even if everything in your life disappears, you have a life that remains more abundant. In simple terms, you could say you have eternal life. We are living an amazing life. Furthermore, Abraham was driven out of Egypt, but here, he is not driven out. Abimelek says, "Live wherever you please." Doesn't that sound familiar? It's similar to what Abraham said to Lot and what God said to Abraham. Abraham had completely forgotten that the place where he was, with God, was the blessed land. He forgot that he made the place holy just by being there and thought he had to live in a holy and good land.

 

God's People Become a Blessing to the World

You see, wherever a believer, a person of God, lives, that place is God's dwelling. It is a place of glory and a blessed place. It's not that you are good because you live in a good land; it's because you are a blessing and the most beautiful land that God's blessing is with you. Why should only two people enjoy this truth? All of you should be enjoying this.

 

How much self-loathing must Abraham have felt? His past, his family problems, and his life were all so upsetting. 'What on earth have I done?' But what does God call Abraham when speaking to Abimelek? "Do you know who he is? He is a prophet." This means 'my mouth.' He is a person who knows My will and My heart and conveys them. God says that He reveals what is in His heart to him and lives with him. Do you know how much joy you are missing out on in this world because you don't know who you are?

 

Do you know why you feel that your life is difficult? It is because you don't know who you are. You don't know what you have, what you were called to, and what God calls you. What does God call you? You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a prophet. He called Abraham that, too. In this chapter 20 alone, Abraham is no match for King Abimelek. Abimelek even argued with God in a dream, saying, "What did I do wrong, God? Abraham said that, and Sarah said that. I just took the woman as my wife. What did I do wrong? Is it Your will to destroy a righteous nation?" What did God say? "Are you out of your mind? You do what I say!" It wasn't like that. What did God say? "Your words are right." He even acknowledged his righteousness.

 

If we talk about wealth, is Abraham a rich man? Or is Abimelek, the king of Gerar, richer? It goes without saying. Who has more power? Obviously. Who has everything and owns all the land? Abimelek, the king of Gerar. But it is Abraham who prays for Abimelek, not the other way around. Do you really know who you are? How much more do I have to shout for you to know? Abraham prays for Abimelek. The value of his life, its meaning, and its precious contents are in Abraham. Isn't it that a superior person blesses an inferior person, a person with things blesses a person without things? Why does Abraham pray? Who knows God better? Who has walked with God more? Who can speak more about the depth and joy of living with God? His life may have been difficult and hard, but the reason why people in the world can never judge him by their standards is because God was in his life. God showed His heart and will to Abraham, and he was a person led by God and in God's embrace.

 

Everyone, this is faith. You are not a person to be prayed for, but a person who prays. The world needs your prayers, not you needing what the world gives. The world needs your sighs and groans, and the world is not worried about you. We are the ones who pray for this world.

 

God's Grace that Covers All Shame

The advantage of this story is that it does not end here. It ends with a thousand shekels of silver. Abimelek gives him a thousand shekels of silver. A thousand shekels is a huge sum that is difficult to calculate in today's money. Jesus also told the parable of the 10,000 talents, which meant an incalculable amount of money. The same goes for the thousand shekels. In Mosaic Law, for a similar event, it says Moses gave the woman 50 shekels to cover her shame. But now, Abimelek gives a thousand shekels. By doing so, he expresses it this way, in verse 16: He said to Sarah, "I have given your brother a thousand shekels of silver. It is to cover your honor in the eyes of all who are with you, and to vindicate you completely."

 

This is called redemption money. This redemption money is a shadow of Jesus Christ. Through this final story, we see how God restores the dark story of Abraham and Sarah and leads them to the birth of Isaac. Is the shame just about lying that she was his sister? Is the shame only about almost becoming another man's wife? No. There is a deep, dark shame in the entire lives of Abraham and Sarah. A pain that cannot be resolved by anything, that can only be hidden from everyone, and that they cannot share with anyone. It was a pain that would not disappear, no matter how many tears they shed and how much they ached at night.

 

How about you? Some have a lifelong illness to carry, some have a child's problem, and some have problems that seem to never be solved, no matter how much they cry and pray. You may also have difficulties due to poverty or other issues. But we all have a pain that we cannot even tell others. But the Bible says this: "I have covered your shame, and all your matters have become new." This is the gospel, isn't it?

 

How many pasts are we bound by? How much do we still suffer because of the past? Someone recommended the drama 'Our Blues' to me, and I wanted to watch it, but I haven't seen all of it yet. If I see it all, I'll let you know. But in the part I did see, which was an omnibus, there was a scene with Lee Byung-hun and Kim Hye-ja as mother and son. They lived hating each other for a long time. Of course, the mother might not have hated him as much, but why? Because they were bound by the past. How terrifying is the past? How tenaciously do the things you've done hold you captive in your life? How many times are we restricted from many things because of the shame and disgrace of our past, and how many times do we live without confidence because we have difficulties that we have to hide? We also have shameful things that we don't want anyone to know about. And there are parts of our lives that still hurt and are unresolved because of them.

 

May I declare to you today? "Your shame is gone, and you have become new." If God's grace covered the shame of Abraham and Sarah for over 70 years, if it was the cross of Christ, what in your life could it not cover and make new?

 

Therefore, remember the Lord's words: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Now that the Lord has covered your life, remember that, and do not let your freedom be restricted. Enjoy the true freedom in Christ.

 

Let's pray.

 

Thank you, Lord. Now that we have heard You, we also want to eat and drink. Please allow us to live through Christ and let Christ be our all. May the voice of the Lord who truly restores us within us shake our hearts. Renew my past and let me see again that my life is not one of failure and despair, but a life lived with God. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.