Daily Scripture Reading Genesis 20:8 - 21:14

There are two passages in the Bible which record two separate occasions when Abraham and Sarah pretended to be brother and sister. The standard interpretation of those passages today is that Abraham was dishonest, and he was wrong for pretending to be Sarah’s brother and putting her at risk. We will read a verse today which seems to indicate that God did not have that attitude toward Abraham.

The first seven verses of chapter 20 tell us that Abraham sojourned in Gerar. He told the men of Gerar that Sarah was his sister. The king of Gerar took Sarah into his house, but Yahweh confronted the king in a dream and commanded him to return Sarah to Abraham.

Gen. 20:8 ¶ So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly afraid.

Look at the word “afraid”. The men were afraid because Abimelech had almost committed adultery, and God had told Abimelech that he and all who were his would die if he did not return Sarah.

Gen. 20:9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.”

Note what Abimelech was communicating with his questions. Their society was totally opposed to adultery. Abimelech knew he had almost violated one of their most sacred tenets.

Gen. 20:10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you seen, that you have done this thing?”

Gen. 20:11 And Abraham said, “Because I said, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.

Gen. 20:12 Besides, she actually is my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife;

This verse tells us that technically, Abraham did not say anything that wasn’t true, he simply omitted a pertinent fact.

Gen. 20:13 and it happened when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the lovingkindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’”

Take note of the word “lovingkindness”. Abraham and Sarah believed it was an act of love on Sarah’s part when they told people they were brother and sister.

Gen. 20:14 Abimelech then took sheep and oxen and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham and returned his wife Sarah to him.

Gen. 20:15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; settle wherever it is good in your sight.”

Gen. 20:16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother one thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all you are cleared.”

Notice the word “cleared”. In their culture, the gift of silver was proof that Sarah had not had relations with Abimelech.

Gen. 20:17 And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they bore children.

Pay attention to who prayed for whom. Abraham is the one who prayed for Abimelech which led to the healing of the women of Abimelech’s household. God restored Abimelech’s women because Abraham prayed for them. This indicates that perhaps God did not consider Abraham to be the one at fault.

Most Christians consider Abraham to be the one at fault in this episode. Most commentaries condemn Abraham for his deception, half truths, and lack of faith that God would protect him. Most sermons preached on this passage follow that thinking. However, the text does not back up that mentality. There is no indication that God was upset at Abraham’s actions. I’m not saying it is okay to omit the truth, but I have doubts that the half-truths spoken by Abraham are the reason this incident is recorded in the Bible.

Gen. 20:18 For Yahweh had utterly shut all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Gen. 21:1 ¶ Now Yahweh visited Sarah as He had said, and Yahweh did for Sarah as He had promised.

Gen. 21:2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.

The appointed time is a reference to Genesis 18:10. When Yahweh promised that Sarah would have a son, He said the son would be born in one year.

Gen. 21:3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

The Hebrew word “Isaac” means “laughter”.

Gen. 21:4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Gen. 21:5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

The 18th chapter of Genesis tells us Abraham was 99 years old when a son was promised to Sarah. The promise was that Sarah would give birth in one year. Chapter 19 records the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Then we learn in chapter 20 that Sarah was taken into the house of Abimelech. Chapter 21 informs us about the birth of Isaac when Abraham was 100 years old.

Gen. 21:6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.”

Gen. 21:7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Gen. 21:8 ¶ And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

Gen. 21:9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing in jest.

Gen. 21:10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maidservant and her son! The son of this maidservant shall not be an heir with my son, with Isaac.”

Gen. 21:11 And the matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son.

Gen. 21:12 So God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and your maidservant; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice, for through Isaac your seed shall be named.

Pay attention to the promise “through Isaac your seed shall be named”. This meant the promises to Abraham’s seed would be fulfilled through Isaac, not through Ishmael. The promises to Abraham’s seed included possessing the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:7), descendants too numerous to count (Gen. 13:16), being slaves for 400 years (Gen. 15:13), and circumcision as a sign of the covenant (Gen. 17:10).

Gen. 21:13 And of the son of the maidservant I will make a nation also, because he is your seed.”

Gen. 21:14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away. So she went and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.

There are two passages in the Bible which record two separate occasions when Abraham and Sarah pretended to be brother and sister. Many commentaries condemn Abraham for his deception, half truths, and lack of faith that God would protect him. Most sermons preached on this passage follow that thinking. However, today’s passage does not back up that mentality. There is no indication that God was upset at Abraham’s actions. I’m not saying it is okay to omit the truth or speak half-truths, but I have doubts that the half-truths spoken by Abraham are the reason this incident is recorded in the Bible.

Are there occasions when it is permissible to speak half-truths and omit certain facts?

If we believe our life is in danger, is it okay to be dishonest in order to protect ourselves?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”