Abraham
by Giacinto Brandi (1621 – 1691)

Read Part 1 here.

Abimelech Confronts Abraham

After God spoke to him, Abimelech confronted Abraham about the problems he had caused for him and his family. Abraham had lied to him, and because of that lie, Abimelech, his family, and his nation were under God’s judgment. Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such great guilt on me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that ought not to be done. And Abimelech said to Abraham, ‘What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?” (Genesis 20:9–10).

Abraham was unaware that Abimelech knew what he had done. Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us?” Despite having been deeply hurt by Abraham, Abimelech did not deal severely with him. Abimelech said that Abraham was guilty of deception: “How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such great guilt on me and my kingdom?”

The word “great guilt” is the same as the word for “sin.” Abimelech recognizes that Abraham’s sin brought all the problems to him, his family, and his country. Abimelech had not sinned against Abraham; it was Abraham who had sinned against Abimelech. Abimelech said that Abraham was wrong: “You have done things to me that ought not to be done.” “What were you thinking of, that you did this thing?” (Genesis 20:9-10).

Abraham’s Response

Abraham’s response to Abimelech’s accusation is found in Genesis 20:11-13:

“Abraham said, ‘I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother’” (Genesis 20:10-13).

Abraham tried to justify himself by saying that he believed Abimelech was not a religious person: “Abraham said, ‘I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife” (Genesis 20:11). But it was Abraham who failed to fear God.

“Abraham feared many things more than he feared God.” Thus, the contrast is drawn between Abraham, the one most directly called to believe and fear God, and Abimelech, a man who did not know the true God. And it is Abraham, not Abimelech, who models faithlessness and fearfulness. “Here Abimelech models faith lacking in Abraham, the father of faith” (Brueggemann 1982:178).

Abraham was wrong: Abimelech feared God; it was Abraham who did not fear God. Abraham again speaks half-truths. Abraham said: “Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife” (Genesis 20:12). Abraham said that Sarah was his sister, but he never said that she was his wife.

It seems that Abraham had presented Sarah as his sister more than once. Abraham said: “This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother.” The phrase “at every place to which we come” suggests that Abraham had done this more than once. When Abraham asked Sarah to say she was his sister, his action was self-serving; Abraham was not concerned about Sarah’s life or honor; he was only concerned about himself.

Abraham’s decision to pass Sarah off as his sister also shows that Sarah likely had to endure many humiliations because of Abraham’s self-serving attitude. Abraham says that by saying he was her brother, Sarah was doing a “kindness” to him. This “kindness” is a “witness to Sarah’s long-suffering selflessness on behalf of Abraham” (Fretheim 2007:58).

Indirectly, Abraham blames God for his actions. He said to Abimelech, “And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, He is my brother’” (Genesis 20:13). Abraham’s actions and words reveal that, although he believed in God, he had not yet learned to trust God fully to deliver him from danger and fulfill his promises.

Abimelech Vindicates Sarah

Abimelech vindicates Sarah in public. Abimelech said to Sarah, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; it is your exoneration before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated” (Genesis 20:16).

This expression, “it is your exoneration before all who are with you,” indicates that Sarah needed to be declared innocent before the people of the city, her family, and Abraham’s servants. Abraham had brought shame on Sarah by giving his wife to another man. Abimelech said that what happened was not Sarah’s fault: “you are completely vindicated” (Genesis 20:16). By publicly vindicating Sarah, Abimelech shows more concern for her honor than Abraham did.

Abraham prays for Abimelech: “Then Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife” (Genesis 20:17–18).

Lessons to Be Learned

Notice that in this story, God speaks only to Abimelech, not to Abraham. In this story, Abimelech is presented as a righteous man. There was no reason for Abraham to fear for his life; “Abraham was put to shame for his unjustified fear” (Westermann 1985:326). By his actions, Abimelech shows that he, not Abraham, had the fear of God.

Abraham’s prayer for Abimelech and the healing of his house reveal that God does not perfect people before working through them to carry out his divine purposes in the world. This narrative shows that prayer is a powerful vehicle through which God works to heal. God does not heal directly, but he works in and through the prayers of his people.

As in the case of Pharaoh, Abraham once again brought trouble rather than blessings to others. The deeds of Abraham have led to the suffering of many other people.

Conclusion

The five failures of Abraham and his lack of faith in God’s promise that Abraham would become the father of a son in his old age teach many things about God and Abraham.

First, despite his problems and failures, Abraham was the man chosen by God to be the agent through whom the nations would be blessed: “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:3).

Second, the grace of God prevailed amid failure and a lack of trust. God said, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19). God had made a promise to Abraham, and God was going to be faithful to that promise. God was gracious and merciful to Abraham.

God’s purpose to reconcile the nations unto himself would be accomplished through Abraham and his descendants: “This man who nearly brought death to Abimelech by his scheming is still the means by which God gives life and blessing. Unworthy as he is, he is God’s chosen way of life to the nations” (Brueggemann 1982:179).

In light of Abraham’s failure to fulfill the promise that he would become the father of a son, could God trust Abraham to be faithful enough to become an agent of blessings to the nations? The only way to know whether Abraham feared God was to test him. Abraham’s testing came when God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac. Depending on how Abraham responded to the test, God would know whether Abraham truly feared God.

Next week, we will conclude our study of Abraham’s failures by examining how God tested his faith.

Completed Studies on Abraham’s Failures

The Five Failures of Abraham (June 14, 2022)
Ur and Haran: Abraham’s Background (February 16, 2023)
The Failures of Faith in Abraham’s Journey
Abraham and Terah: Family Dynamics and Divine Calling
Abraham Before His Call: The Mesopotamian Context
The Call of Abraham: Divine Initiative and Human Response
Abraham and Lot: Separation and Its Implications
God’s Promises to Abraham
Abraham’s First Failure: Egypt and the Wife-Sister Deception
Abraham’s Second Failure: The Eliezer Solution
Abraham’s Third Failure: The Hagar Alternative
Abraham’s Fourth Failure: Laughter at Divine Promise – Part 1
Abraham’s Fourth Failure: Laughter at Divine Promise – Part 2
Abraham’s Fifth Failure: Gerar and Repeated Deception – Part 1
Abraham’s Fifth Failure: Gerar and Repeated Deception – Part 2
The Testing of Abraham: From Failure to Faith

NOTE: For several other studies on Abraham, read my post Studies on Abraham.

Bibliography

Brueggemann, Walter. Genesis. Interpretation. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1982.

Fretheim, Terence E. Abraham: Trials of Family and Faith. Columbia, SC: The University of South Carolina Press, 2007.

Westermann, Claus. Genesis 1–11. Continental Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984.

Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

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