Gen 20:6-7 | KingComments | STEP | God intervenes in grace for His failing servant and appears in a dream to Abimelech. God will always speak up for His own against their enemies ( ) and maintain them against the world ( ). In the dream he rebukes Abimelech for his actions ( ; ). Nevertheless, the whole history is humbling for Abraham, as the sequel shows. With Abimelech there is a certain respect for what God says, but in any case no confession of guilt. He justifies himself. Certainly, Abraham is much more responsible than Abimelech, but that does not acquit Abimelech. His talking about innocence and purity of hands is recognized by God in this case. But although he is before God, it does not bring him to acknowledge other sins which he has abundantly in his life. God tells him that He has prevented him from sinning in this case. It would also have been a serious sin, for the woman he took is married. She belongs to a man. Taking her as a wife means adultery, but God prevents it. Sin is sometimes planned and intended in the heart of people that never is committed because God prevents people from committing that sin. The same goes for those who belong to Him, as we see in the history of David, if he wants to punish Nabal for the treatment he has received from this man. To prevent this, God uses Abigail, but He gets the honor: “Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand” ( ). Abimelech’s wrong-doing is also evident from the punishment God imposes on the people of Abimelech ( ). There can only be liberation from this punishment when Abraham prays for him. He is not such a good guy. This is the nominal Christian, who will always maintain himself against God and men. He doesn’t know about bowing down. The mistakes of others are blown up by him, those of himself are reasoned away by him. That is how we can be. The word “prophet” appears here for the first time in the Old Testament. With ‘prophet’ we should not only think about predicting the future. It is not even the main idea. A prophet passes on the words from someone else ( ), here from God. God uses a prophet to communicate to His people, or even to those who do not belong to His people, something that He considers necessary for the addressed person to know.

‏ Genesis 20:6-7

God Speaks to Abimelech

God intervenes in grace for His failing servant and appears in a dream to Abimelech. God will always speak up for His own against their enemies (Zec 2:8) and maintain them against the world (Num 23:7-10 ; 18-23 ; Num 24:2-9). In the dream he rebukes Abimelech for his actions (1Chr 16:22; Psa 105:15). Nevertheless, the whole history is humbling for Abraham, as the sequel shows.

With Abimelech there is a certain respect for what God says, but in any case no confession of guilt. He justifies himself. Certainly, Abraham is much more responsible than Abimelech, but that does not acquit Abimelech. His talking about innocence and purity of hands is recognized by God in this case. But although he is before God, it does not bring him to acknowledge other sins which he has abundantly in his life.

God tells him that He has prevented him from sinning in this case. It would also have been a serious sin, for the woman he took is married. She belongs to a man. Taking her as a wife means adultery, but God prevents it. Sin is sometimes planned and intended in the heart of people that never is committed because God prevents people from committing that sin.

The same goes for those who belong to Him, as we see in the history of David, if he wants to punish Nabal for the treatment he has received from this man. To prevent this, God uses Abigail, but He gets the honor: “Then David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand” (1Sam 25:32-33).

Abimelech’s wrong-doing is also evident from the punishment God imposes on the people of Abimelech (Gen 20:18). There can only be liberation from this punishment when Abraham prays for him. He is not such a good guy. This is the nominal Christian, who will always maintain himself against God and men. He doesn’t know about bowing down. The mistakes of others are blown up by him, those of himself are reasoned away by him. That is how we can be.

The word “prophet” appears here for the first time in the Old Testament. With ‘prophet’ we should not only think about predicting the future. It is not even the main idea. A prophet passes on the words from someone else (Exo 7:1), here from God. God uses a prophet to communicate to His people, or even to those who do not belong to His people, something that He considers necessary for the addressed person to know.