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THROUGH THE BIBLE COMMENTARY
This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears.
Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418
GENESIS
CHAPTER 20
1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
Some people have prevailing sins. Abraham didn't learn his lesson
last time. God has promised protection. Abraham has a tremendous emotional struggle.
In Chapter 19, he lost Lot; and he feels a sense of weakness. Do you ever
have that problem? Notice that God protected just like He promised.
4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? 5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Abimelech's argument is that Abraham lied, therefore Abimelech is innocent.
God corrects that attitude quickly. No person can claim innocence, or lack of knowledge, just because a Christian failed in his/her duties. There shall be many, I fear,
at judgment day, who will claim innocence. They will claim they couldn't SEE
Christ because the Christians were such hypocrites. But that dog won't hunt!
God tells Abimelech, "I withheld the...."
Friends, the world would be a WHOLE lot tougher for Christians today if God wasn't withholding (or restraining) evil!
(See 2Thess. 2:5-10)
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
This is the first mention of a "prophet." The Hebrew word used here is nabi. And
it means "one who speaks, proclaims, and is an intermediary."
Notice that Abraham (even though Abimelech calls him a hypocrite)
would "pray for" Abimelech.
8 Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears: and the men were sore afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? and what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.
Abimelech issues harsh reproof to Abraham.
Sometimes God allows the lost of the world to reprove
His people. ((See Prov. 29:1))
10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing? 11 And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake. 12 And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
The "prophets" position was understood by Abimelech. He wanted to know
why Abraham perceived a need to lie. Abraham said he didn't think
Abimelech and his people held the Lord in reverence.
Christians, take a lesson here. Just because the world doesn't hold
the Lord in reverence is no need for us to assume a need
to display behavior such as theirs.
14 And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
See how a word from God will make a person very generous. Abimelech
obviously believed in God, and treated Abraham and Sarah with
utmost respect.
God can use even the most unseemly conditions to bring a heart
to KNOW Him.
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
Abimelech sends Sarah back with a great price. This 1,000 pieces
of silver would suffice any remarks about her being treated as a
common slave. Also, Abimelech says to Sarah, "he" (Abraham)
is a vindicator. This is important for us to see. Because Abraham is a believer
and is God's man, she is vindicated. Her wrong is taken away
because of Abraham's righteousness.
It was not Abraham's righteous behavior, but the fact
that he is righteous IN God!
Righteousness is not man's, and the only righteousness
we have is that which is imputed to us by Christ Jesus.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. 18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
Abraham fulfilled his obligation and prayed for Abimelech.
May all we who are God's children fulfill our obligation to
pray for the lost and the wayward.
GENESIS 21
1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
God "visited" Sarah just as He had promised.
There's a little note I wish to add here. It seems ironic
that the child should be named "Isaac," which means he laughs.
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
Abraham did as God had instructed; he circumcised Isaac
at 8 days of age.
Look at verse 7; Who would have thought it? But God always
sends His promises in due time.
1)God sent His only son to die for us,
2)God sent His Holy Spirit to fill and guide us,
3)God sends His angels to minister to us,
4)God wrote His Word for our guidance,
5)And one day He's going to RETURN according to His PROMISE.
8 And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac. 11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
Abraham gave a feast in honor of Isaac's birthday. This birthday
was special, for he was now "weaned."
But Ishmael mocked Isaac, and Sarah became very angry. Christians,
anger will cause irrational behavior.
Sarah wanted Hagar and Ishmael banished. ((Our sins make us captive. If Abraham and Sarah had trusted God, there wouldn't have been an Ishamael. The adversity wouldn't
have been there.))
12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called. 13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
Oh! Our God is merciful! He promised to make Ishmael a great nation.
And He promised to make Isaac's nation the nation of promise.
14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. 19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
Abraham did banish Hagar & Ishmael. And they both almost died
in the desert. But God, Who is ALWAYS true to His promises,
saved them.
20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
Hagar believed God, and Ishmael grew strong.
God provided him a place to live, and skills by which to live.
God also provided him a wife.
God is JUST, and causes "...His sun to rise on the evil and
on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
(Matt. 5:45)
22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest: 23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned. 24 And Abraham said, I will swear.
Abimelech became afraid of Abraham because his company had grown so large.
But Abraham promised to "deal kindly" with Abimelech.
25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26 And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day. 27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? 30 And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
Abraham, true to his word, spoke to Abimelech about a well
that he had dug. Abimelech's servants had violently taken
the well. Abraham did not seek retribution, he sought
reconciliation.
Christians, this is the attitude we should take when we are
mistreated in the world.
((My! What a lesson we can learn here! See Matt. 5:9; 38-47)) Abraham and Abimelech entered into a covenant, which is a treaty that endures as long as both shall live.
31 Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them. 32 Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.
Abraham made a quiet place of worship when Abimelech left.
He prayed to God, and called Him "El Olam", which means
"the everlasting God."
God protected Abraham, and he was not harmed by the Philistines
who were now developing a strong nation in that area.
God is ETERNAL and His promises are eternal, His goodness
is eternal, and His protection is eternal.
Have you entered into a "covenant" with the ETERNALGod?
Please continue to follow along in Bible study with us.