1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,240
Speaker 1: And Abraham journeyed from Thence toward the South country and

2
00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:10,680
Speaker 1: dwelled between Kadesh and Surer, and sojourned in Gerar Genesis

3
00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:16,160
Speaker 1: twenty one. Dear God, in the midst of my new season,

4
00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,320
Speaker 1: when I am afraid that I might not survive it,

5
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,160
Speaker 1: I will not sacrifice the things close to me by

6
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,480
Speaker 1: giving them up to try to preserve my position and life.

7
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,400
Speaker 1: I declare that the same faith that brought me to

8
00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,520
Speaker 1: believe in You will be the same faith I used

9
00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,600
Speaker 1: to believe that you will protect me and deliver me

10
00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,839
Speaker 1: from any future threats. Thank you Jesus that because of

11
00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,800
Speaker 1: your sacrifice, I can be forgiven of my mistakes and

12
00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,040
Speaker 1: still have my future restored. When I come to you

13
00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:55,760
Speaker 1: with a pure and clean heart, holy spirit, like Abraham,

14
00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,200
Speaker 1: if there is any half truth in my life, reveal

15
00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,160
Speaker 1: it to me, then I will correct it. Give me

16
00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:07,760
Speaker 1: the strength to stand in integrity when it's easier to

17
00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:13,520
Speaker 1: do the opposite. I am blessed and secured in your presence.

18
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,640
Speaker 1: Therefore I am free to be me and dwell in

19
00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:24,880
Speaker 1: the place You've given me with peace and prosperity. In

20
00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:30,400
Speaker 1: Jesus name, Amen, Thank you for praying with me.

21
00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:30,839
Speaker 2: To day.

22
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,160
Speaker 1: Continue listening for an incredible Bible story brought to you

23
00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,240
Speaker 1: by Bible in a Year dot.

24
00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:48,960
Speaker 3: Com Abraham and Abimelech. Before this story, we learned about

25
00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:53,240
Speaker 3: how God brought justice to Sodom Angomorah and delivered Lot

26
00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,720
Speaker 3: and his family out of that city, but Lot's wife

27
00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,720
Speaker 3: turned back and became a pillar of salt. Now we

28
00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,080
Speaker 3: will learn about Abraham again, saying Sarah is my sister

29
00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:10,000
Speaker 3: to protect his own life from King Abimelech. Inspired by

30
00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:11,279
Speaker 3: the Book of Genesis.

31
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,440
Speaker 2: I'm so glad you've joined us on the Bible in

32
00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,840
Speaker 2: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,

33
00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,400
Speaker 2: I want you to know that I would absolutely love

34
00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,640
Speaker 2: to send you my daily devotional that will give you

35
00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,480
Speaker 2: fresh encouragement every single morning and day from the moment

36
00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,200
Speaker 2: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits

37
00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,400
Speaker 2: the pillow. There are thousands of things demanding our attention,

38
00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,280
Speaker 2: but it's in the midst of all this crush and

39
00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,160
Speaker 2: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and

40
00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,160
Speaker 2: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help

41
00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,120
Speaker 2: you spend time each day growing in God's life giving,

42
00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,400
Speaker 2: life changing word by sending you my free daily email

43
00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:59,679
Speaker 2: devotional PowerPoint Today. So visit Jagraham dot org to sign

44
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:04,959
Speaker 2: up for your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's Jack Graham dot org.

45
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:10,560
Speaker 2: Jack Graham dot org. In our previous passage, we focused

46
00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,160
Speaker 2: on Lot and his daughters and the results of fear

47
00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,880
Speaker 2: in their lives. Today we turn again to Abraham and Sarah.

48
00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,680
Speaker 2: Lest we imagine that Abraham has now fully matured in

49
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,080
Speaker 2: his faith and has become immune to fear and faithlessness.

50
00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,800
Speaker 2: Today's story reminds us that often our journey is one

51
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,160
Speaker 2: of highs and lows, of zigs and zags. At times

52
00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,720
Speaker 2: we trust and obey, at other times we turn back

53
00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:41,080
Speaker 2: to our sin and disobedience. That's where we find Abraham today,

54
00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,800
Speaker 2: once again encountering a powerful king whom he appears to

55
00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,680
Speaker 2: fear more than he fears God, the God who has

56
00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,240
Speaker 2: promised to be with him and bless him. Not only that,

57
00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,880
Speaker 2: but again Abraham will show a lack of regard for

58
00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,520
Speaker 2: his wife. He is meant to lead and protect his wife,

59
00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,960
Speaker 2: but now he uses her as a way to seek

60
00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,440
Speaker 2: to cure his own safety, to save his own neck.

61
00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,520
Speaker 2: As you listen, notice how Abimelek is spared from committing

62
00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,560
Speaker 2: a sin that would have cost him dearly. And notice

63
00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:18,000
Speaker 2: how Abraham responds when confronted with his deceitfulness. Does he

64
00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,799
Speaker 2: repent of his wrongdoing and fully own up to his mistake,

65
00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:23,640
Speaker 2: or does he try to twist his way out of

66
00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:28,120
Speaker 2: it justifying his actions. Finally, watch how God works through

67
00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,080
Speaker 2: this situation to restore Abraham and Sarah, as well as

68
00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,800
Speaker 2: King Abimelek and his household. Consider how God has guarded

69
00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,960
Speaker 2: you from sins you may have committed in times of

70
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,560
Speaker 2: temptation had he not intervened. It is a reminder of

71
00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,839
Speaker 2: God's faithfulness to us always, even when we failed to

72
00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:53,120
Speaker 2: be faithful to him. Now let's listen to today's passage.

73
00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,760
Speaker 3: Abraham and his wife Sarah ventured to were new land

74
00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,159
Speaker 3: where Abimelech was the king and ruled over the people.

75
00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,880
Speaker 3: When they had entered the land, Abraham had once again

76
00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,640
Speaker 3: claimed that Sarah was his sister, so nobody would harm

77
00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:16,479
Speaker 3: him to take her. Abimelech, being curious about Sarah, had

78
00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,279
Speaker 3: her brought to his home since he believed that she

79
00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,760
Speaker 3: was Abraham's sister, Yet he did not touch or harm her.

80
00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,360
Speaker 3: One night, while Abimelech was asleep, God came to him

81
00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:32,080
Speaker 3: in a dream, saying you are a dead man because

82
00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,960
Speaker 3: of the woman you have taken, for she is a

83
00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:40,240
Speaker 3: man's wife. Abemelech cried out in anguish, knowing he had

84
00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,080
Speaker 3: not touched Sarah. He cried, Lord, do not kill an

85
00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,400
Speaker 3: innocent man. Did he not himself say to me that

86
00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,800
Speaker 3: she is his sister? And she herself said, he is

87
00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:54,200
Speaker 3: my brother. In the integrity of my heart and the

88
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,000
Speaker 3: innocence of my hands, I have done this. The Lord

89
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,599
Speaker 3: knew this and was the one who had kept Abimelecht

90
00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,320
Speaker 3: from touching her. He knew the integrity of his heart,

91
00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,480
Speaker 3: and commanded him to approach Abraham for prayer, and returned

92
00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,120
Speaker 3: Sarah to him. Yet God warned, if you do not

93
00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:18,120
Speaker 3: return her, you shall surely die. You and all those

94
00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,640
Speaker 3: who are yours. A Bimelech and all those under him

95
00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,240
Speaker 3: became afraid. The wombs of the women in his household

96
00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:31,440
Speaker 3: were shut and became barren. Terror filled a Bimelech's kingdom. Therefore,

97
00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,640
Speaker 3: he wasted no time trying to find Abraham. He sought

98
00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:40,680
Speaker 3: out Abraham, and when he had arrived, demanded answers, what

99
00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:44,320
Speaker 3: have you done to us? You made me sin against you?

100
00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,160
Speaker 3: And now my kingdom is to be punished for it.

101
00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:53,080
Speaker 3: You should have never done this. Abraham, embarrassed and ashamed,

102
00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:57,159
Speaker 3: spoke a half truth, saying, Sarah and I share the

103
00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,600
Speaker 3: same father, but not the same mother, so she is

104
00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,919
Speaker 3: my sister. He continued, explaining, I did not take you

105
00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,159
Speaker 3: for god fearing people. I was afraid that you would

106
00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:14,640
Speaker 3: kill me to take her. Then Abmelech, both enraged and afraid,

107
00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,880
Speaker 3: took sheep, oxen, and servants and gave them to Abraham,

108
00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:24,040
Speaker 3: then returned Sarah to him. This is my land, he said,

109
00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,880
Speaker 3: dwell wherever you please. Then he turned to Sarah and said,

110
00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,840
Speaker 3: take a thousand pieces of silver for your brother. This

111
00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:37,080
Speaker 3: is proof that my hands are clean and you are free.

112
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,920
Speaker 3: After another failure of character, Abraham was faced with his faithlessness.

113
00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,840
Speaker 3: Not only did he betray his wife to protect himself,

114
00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,760
Speaker 3: but he put an entire kingdom in a place of sin.

115
00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:55,400
Speaker 3: Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also

116
00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,920
Speaker 3: healed his wife and servants so they could bear children

117
00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:04,600
Speaker 3: once again. Even after another failure, God's promise to Abraham

118
00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,840
Speaker 3: would not be made void. He would still be faithful

119
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:13,160
Speaker 3: and continue to bless him.

120
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,760
Speaker 2: Abraham and Lot, whose stories we've heard in the previous chapters,

121
00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:23,440
Speaker 2: are in many ways contrasting characters. Abraham is often an

122
00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:28,760
Speaker 2: example of wisdom and faith and obedience to God's direction. Lot,

123
00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,480
Speaker 2: on the other hand, is rarely any of those things.

124
00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,440
Speaker 2: As we have seen, he acts with worldly wisdom and compromise,

125
00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:40,080
Speaker 2: and reacts based on fear, not faith. They are indeed

126
00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,360
Speaker 2: very different men. This does not mean, however, that Abraham

127
00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,000
Speaker 2: always moves in the right direction, trusting God and acting wisely.

128
00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,959
Speaker 2: Today we've heard one such example. Fear has taken over

129
00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,600
Speaker 2: Abraham once again, just as he had done when they

130
00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,960
Speaker 2: entered Egypt many years before. Abraham is in a new land,

131
00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:02,160
Speaker 2: the land of a king whom he does not know

132
00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,480
Speaker 2: and who he fears greatly, King of Bimelek. We're not

133
00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,800
Speaker 2: told what the basis of the fear is, only that

134
00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:13,520
Speaker 2: Abraham hatches another crazy scheme of deceit to protect himself.

135
00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,720
Speaker 2: He tells everyone that Sarah is his sister, not his wife.

136
00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:22,520
Speaker 2: In other words, she's available, so King of Bimelek sends

137
00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:25,240
Speaker 2: for her, and she's brought to him. Before we get

138
00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,400
Speaker 2: to what happens next, I want you to think for

139
00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,120
Speaker 2: a moment about what this is saying about Abraham that

140
00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:33,400
Speaker 2: he would put forward his wife to save his own skin.

141
00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:38,280
Speaker 2: Year after year, Abraham has seen God's strength and faithfulness

142
00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,680
Speaker 2: to keep Abraham and Sarah together and strong and safe.

143
00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,199
Speaker 2: Not only that, but God has repeatedly reaffirmed his promises

144
00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,360
Speaker 2: to grant Abraham a descendant through Sarah. If Abraham were

145
00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:52,960
Speaker 2: to be killed, as he fears, that would mean God

146
00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,400
Speaker 2: did not or could not keep his promise. So think

147
00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:59,480
Speaker 2: about it. What Abraham is saying here with his action

148
00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,680
Speaker 2: is that he really doesn't trust God to deliver on

149
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,880
Speaker 2: his word now less we judge him too quickly. How

150
00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,120
Speaker 2: often do we buy our own actions say the same

151
00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,720
Speaker 2: kind of things. God has given us so much, and

152
00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:17,240
Speaker 2: we have such a wonderful promise of life, abundant life

153
00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,720
Speaker 2: in him, and yet so often with our actions we're

154
00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,360
Speaker 2: willing to say to show that we really don't trust

155
00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,960
Speaker 2: God to give us what we need, that God is

156
00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,600
Speaker 2: not enough, that his promises may not be true. So

157
00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:35,040
Speaker 2: that's what Abraham does here. But fortunately a Bimelek is

158
00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,960
Speaker 2: spared from sin by God himself, and because he appears

159
00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:42,120
Speaker 2: to be a man of some integrity before he touched Sarah.

160
00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:45,079
Speaker 2: God appears to a Bimelek in a dream and tells

161
00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,720
Speaker 2: him the true story. This terrifies a Bimelek, and he

162
00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,840
Speaker 2: asks if God is going to destroy him for something

163
00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,440
Speaker 2: he has not done. God assures him that he knows

164
00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:58,400
Speaker 2: the king's heart and reveals that it was him who

165
00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,480
Speaker 2: kept the king from sinning. Look what he says to

166
00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,640
Speaker 2: the king in Genesis twenty verse six. Then God said

167
00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,560
Speaker 2: to him in the dream, Yes, I know that in

168
00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,400
Speaker 2: the integrity of your heart you have done this, and

169
00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,280
Speaker 2: I also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I

170
00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:19,160
Speaker 2: did not let you touch her. You see, God is

171
00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,680
Speaker 2: not only active in the lives of those who have

172
00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,640
Speaker 2: received a special calling and blessing like Abraham. Here we

173
00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:29,920
Speaker 2: see that God is watching over this king Abimelek, searching

174
00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:33,440
Speaker 2: his heart and keeping him from sin. God says he

175
00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:38,280
Speaker 2: will spare him if he will return Sarah Immediately. A

176
00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:42,679
Speaker 2: Bimelek promptly does so, confronting Abraham for having a lie

177
00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:46,680
Speaker 2: to him, and rather than owning up to his dishonesty

178
00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,160
Speaker 2: and deceit and fully admitting that he was wrong, Abraham

179
00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,320
Speaker 2: tries to soften it by telling another lie. Sarah is

180
00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,600
Speaker 2: in no way his sister, but he is still trying

181
00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:00,200
Speaker 2: to save face with the king. We'll see many times

182
00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,320
Speaker 2: in scripture how someone is confronted with their sin, and

183
00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,560
Speaker 2: rather than openly admitting their fault and repenting, they try

184
00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:11,880
Speaker 2: to justify or explain their actions. This isn't true repentance,

185
00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,800
Speaker 2: and it's not what God wants. But once more, as

186
00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,280
Speaker 2: we've seen so many times already, and as we can

187
00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:22,800
Speaker 2: see vividly in our lives today, God is faithful to

188
00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,960
Speaker 2: Abraham in spite of his lack of faith. God restores

189
00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:31,319
Speaker 2: Sarah to Abraham and heals king of Bimelek and his household.

190
00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,160
Speaker 2: Dear God, thank you for this story and what it

191
00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,840
Speaker 2: teaches us about your faithfulness even when we take backward

192
00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:42,360
Speaker 2: steps in our walk with you. Thank you also for

193
00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:46,040
Speaker 2: what Abimelek's example shows us about your hand of protection

194
00:12:46,679 --> 00:12:49,400
Speaker 2: in times that we're not even aware of our danger.

195
00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,760
Speaker 2: Thank you for always watching over us and always always

196
00:12:55,080 --> 00:13:00,440
Speaker 2: delivering on your promises. In Christ's name. Amen, Thank you

197
00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:03,880
Speaker 2: for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm

198
00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:07,000
Speaker 2: Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas, and before we go, I

199
00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:08,960
Speaker 2: want you to know that I would love to send

200
00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:13,080
Speaker 2: you my daily devotional to give you fresh encouragement every

201
00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,520
Speaker 2: single day, So visit Jack Graham dot org to sign

202
00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:21,080
Speaker 2: up for your PowerPoint Today devotional. That's Jack Graham dot

203
00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:21,480
Speaker 2: org