Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people.
Speaker 2: You've drawn the attention of Pharaoh's officials, and because of that,
Speaker 2: we should be prepared to tell them you're my sister,
Speaker 2: not my wife. This is for your protection as well
Speaker 2: as my own. If you've drawn the eye of a
Speaker 2: prominent Egyptian as your brother, my life would be spared.
Speaker 3: Abram, you would tell a half truth and deny me
Speaker 3: the protection of my husband. Lie to spare yourself and
Speaker 3: ship me off to an Egyptian warlord.
Speaker 1: Abram winced, his resolution, wavered in her directness. In its
Speaker 1: wake came guilt, and he was ashamed to admit it.
Speaker 3: I have never been able to conceive, and in the
Speaker 3: ten years since we heard this promise, that hasn't changed.
Speaker 3: I would have you achieved this promise another way. I
Speaker 3: would present my maid to you so that you could
Speaker 3: conceive a child with her.
Speaker 1: And so Hagar did as her lady instructed. That very
Speaker 1: night she was escorted to her lord's tend.
Speaker 4: You have given your husband to me, and I have
Speaker 4: done what you could not. Why should my station not
Speaker 4: be elevated. Who is to say that Abram will not
Speaker 4: decide between us?
Speaker 5: You are nothing, You are nothing.
Speaker 2: You are nothing, Master Abram, Congratulations, Hagar.
Speaker 6: Has borne your son.
Speaker 2: Hagar has asked me to relay the message that the
Speaker 2: boy's name will be Ishmael.
Speaker 1: Abram turned his face away from Serah. He feared what
Speaker 1: would happen if he continued. Abram couldn't bring himself to
Speaker 1: fully admit what had happened in Egypt, certainly not to Serah.
Speaker 1: Perhaps some day, but the failure still haunted him deeply.
Speaker 7: In the land of Abimelech, Abraham's old deceit resurfaces. Can
Speaker 7: you find redemption in the cycle of his own making? Shallo,
Speaker 7: my friends from here in the holy Land of Israel,
Speaker 7: and welcome again to the Chosen People. I'm ya l
Speaker 7: Exstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Each
Speaker 7: day we'll hear a dramatic story inspired by the Bible,
Speaker 7: stories filled with timeless lessons of faith and love and
Speaker 7: the meaning of life. Through Israel's story, we'll find this
Speaker 7: truth that we are all chosen for something great. Remember
Speaker 7: to take a moment and follow this podcast. That way,
Speaker 7: you never have to miss an episode. It also helps
Speaker 7: us to get discovered by more people, to inspire them.
Speaker 7: In the busy and crowded world of podcasts, Every little
Speaker 7: bit matters. So now let's begin. Why do we repeat
Speaker 7: our mistakes? Why is it when we find ourselves at
Speaker 7: the same crossroads do we so often choose the same
Speaker 7: wrong path. In Genesis twenty we see Abraham, our patriarch,
Speaker 7: the father of faith, standing at such a crossroad. Again.
Speaker 7: Here we find Abraham in a foreign land, fearing for
Speaker 7: his life, resorting to a lie that he has told before.
Speaker 7: He tells Abimelech the king, that Sarah's his sister, not
Speaker 7: his wife, a lie that echoes a previous chapter in
Speaker 7: Abraham's life, a mistake that Abraham has made before. Do
Speaker 7: you remember back in Egypt when he feared Pharaoh more
Speaker 7: than he trusted God? And so we have to ask,
Speaker 7: why do we, just like Abraham, repeat our mistakes? And
Speaker 7: can we, like Abraham, find redemption even in our faltering steps?
Speaker 7: Or are we doomed to walk in the shadows of
Speaker 7: our own making, forever repeating the past?
Speaker 8: You really got to meet a king.
Speaker 6: I did.
Speaker 5: Did you see how big his army was?
Speaker 9: Oh?
Speaker 2: Yes, they were very impressive. I even met their commander.
Speaker 2: They call him fight coll These Philistines are an impressive people.
Speaker 8: I wish I had an army. Someday I'll be a
Speaker 8: great warrior.
Speaker 2: I would never doubt anything you set your mind to,
Speaker 2: my son, you are fiery and determined. I pity any
Speaker 2: enemy foolish enough to challenge you. But what orange you
Speaker 2: asking me about my meeting with King of Bimelech. I
Speaker 2: didn't go into Gerard to survey their army, right.
Speaker 8: Don't seem to be hostile towards us, so they will
Speaker 8: let us stay here? Will they let us access the
Speaker 8: water in the valley for our flocks?
Speaker 2: Yes, and that's what's important. I'm glad to see your
Speaker 2: thinking like a clan leader. Our flocks are our most
Speaker 2: precious resource. They're the source of our wealth. If they die,
Speaker 2: we die. That's why it's important that we have good
Speaker 2: relations with these other nations. I know you're taken with
Speaker 2: the idea of a large army and knowing how to
Speaker 2: defend yourself can be prudent, but using diplomacy makes you wise.
Speaker 2: Fight if you have to, but form friendships when you.
Speaker 8: Can, like you did with the Amorites back in Hebron Exactly,
Speaker 8: even if they're different than us and they don't follow
Speaker 8: our God.
Speaker 2: Sometimes the friends you make won't see eye to eye
Speaker 2: with you, but you try for peace before you go
Speaker 2: to war.
Speaker 8: So is a bim like our friend. Now, since you
Speaker 8: went to talk with.
Speaker 2: Him, we shall see, but keep your guard up. As
Speaker 2: you said, these people do not follow our god. There
Speaker 2: are savvy merchants here, having controlled this trade route for
Speaker 2: so long, but I fear they are also the kind
Speaker 2: of men who may take what they want. I see,
Speaker 2: I will be careful.
Speaker 1: Father Abraham smiled at Ishmael as he ran off toward
Speaker 1: his mother's tent. At thirteen, he was almost a man.
Speaker 1: He absorbed all that Abraham taught him, and was proving
Speaker 1: to be as clever as he was, competent and well
Speaker 1: on his way to becoming a warrior. He had seen
Speaker 1: how his training was coming along. Ishmael would make a
Speaker 1: fine clan leader and a formidable foe. One day, frowning
Speaker 1: at the young man flying past her, his wife Sarah
Speaker 1: approached him.
Speaker 3: You've returned. How was the meeting? What did a bimelech say?
Speaker 3: Does he pose any threat to us?
Speaker 2: He will let her stay, but I still fear will
Speaker 2: need to be cautious in this territory of his. I
Speaker 2: do not trust the people. I saw many troubling things
Speaker 2: in the city. These people may not be as far
Speaker 2: gone as Sodom or the other cities on the plain,
Speaker 2: but they could prove treacherous.
Speaker 3: Hum We'll have to bear that in mind. It's a
Speaker 3: relief to find well watered lands to settle. I fear
Speaker 3: the famine will keep Hebron in its grip for some time.
Speaker 6: I agree.
Speaker 1: Abraham was glad that his wife had come to meet
Speaker 1: him to discuss the meeting. It was best that this
Speaker 1: conversation took place away from the others. He knew Sarah
Speaker 1: would better receive what he would ask of her away
Speaker 1: from an audience of spying eyes and listening ears. Abraham
Speaker 1: had hoped that the people's ways in the city would
Speaker 1: differ from those they had encountered, but his optimism waned
Speaker 1: when he saw their temples to false gods, brothels, polygamy,
Speaker 1: packed taverns, and general wanton and unruly lawlessness. He had
Speaker 1: hoped it would not be so, but Gheira was the
Speaker 1: sort of place he feared his marriage would not be respected.
Speaker 3: Sarah, yes, Abram.
Speaker 2: About what I saw in the city.
Speaker 3: What did you see?
Speaker 2: It's not so much what I saw as what I
Speaker 2: believe we need to do to keep ourselves safe. No
Speaker 2: one here fears the God most High, and they live
Speaker 2: according to their whims. The Philistines are not at war
Speaker 2: with us, but I fear they will still take what
Speaker 2: they want. We're staying in their lands and at their mercy.
Speaker 2: We've amassed a great fortune. And though we are not
Speaker 2: a military threat to the Philistines, our agreement is tenuous
Speaker 2: and they may seek to in other ways.
Speaker 3: What are you saying, Sarah, I'm afraid.
Speaker 2: I see too many similarities in these people to the
Speaker 2: ones we've dealt with in the past. I'm terrified for
Speaker 2: my life. As the heads of our people, we will
Speaker 2: be a target. I fear that they will use you
Speaker 2: against me, or take you from me, or worse.
Speaker 3: We've survived this threat before, Abraham.
Speaker 2: I know we have I hope we do so again.
Speaker 2: I would call upon your loyalty as my wife again.
Speaker 2: I would have you tell everyone that you are my sister.
Speaker 2: Please do this for me. Please go along with this
Speaker 2: so I can rest easily, So you can.
Speaker 3: Rest easily, even if it means I rest in fear
Speaker 3: for my life and dignity. Though your God saved us
Speaker 3: in Egypt.
Speaker 2: I hadn't cut the covenant with our God yet at
Speaker 2: that point I must uphold my end of the agreement
Speaker 2: and mitigate any risk. There's so much more at stake now.
Speaker 2: What would happen to all of you if I were
Speaker 2: to be killed for political gain over our people?
Speaker 3: And what if they were to come for me and
Speaker 3: make me a part of the king's harem? What if
Speaker 3: your promise then? Don't forget promises have been made to
Speaker 3: me too.
Speaker 2: I'll think of something if it comes to that. We
Speaker 2: have to trust that the God Almighty will protect the
Speaker 2: promise he's made to us. But I don't see any
Speaker 2: reason for us to be reckless. I think it would
Speaker 2: be safer if the Philistines didn't think they had anything
Speaker 2: to steal from me.
Speaker 3: I see, your mind is made up. I will do
Speaker 3: what you ask.
Speaker 1: Abraham breathed a sigh of relief and rest at easier
Speaker 1: knowing the woman he loved would not be used against him.
Speaker 1: In his experience, evil men were far more tempted into
Speaker 1: evil deeds when tempted by something they could not have.
Speaker 1: Abraham circulated that Sarah was merely his sister, not his wife,
Speaker 1: and days went by without incident, until one morning the
Speaker 1: king Abi Malek rode out to visit Abraham at their camp.
Speaker 1: His procession of guards and advisers walked alongside his donkey,
Speaker 1: and all of Abraham's people bowed before him as he
Speaker 1: made his way to Abraham's tent in the heart of
Speaker 1: their caravan.
Speaker 6: May I present the king a Bimlek of Gara.
Speaker 2: Your majesty be welcomed in my home.
Speaker 10: You may rise, my Lord Abraham, how goes your work
Speaker 10: of settling into this lamp?
Speaker 6: Very well?
Speaker 2: Your highness, You are very generous for coming here in
Speaker 2: person to inquire.
Speaker 1: Abraham could not help but notice the bite creeping into
Speaker 1: his turn. Abi Malek did not need to come here
Speaker 1: to see how Abraham was. Certainly, in person, he could
Speaker 1: have sent envoys or spies to assess Abraham's people and belongings.
Speaker 1: Abraham knew posturing when he saw it, he was too
Speaker 1: old to have the patience for it. As these thoughts
Speaker 1: flashed through Abraham's mind, he saw the crafty ruler eyeing
Speaker 1: the people of Abraham's household behind him. Undoubtedly he had
Speaker 1: already taken inventory of his armed men and the number
Speaker 1: of servants Ishmael was beside Abraham, raising his chin and
Speaker 1: drawing his shoulder back in opposition. He was far from
Speaker 1: his final height, but Abraham's chest swelled with pride at
Speaker 1: how his son presented himself before this abe Malek. The
Speaker 1: king's gaze then swept over to his wife, Sarah. She
Speaker 1: darted her eyes to the ground, but Abraham could see
Speaker 1: that her staggering beauty had already been marked in the
Speaker 1: abe Malek's eyes.
Speaker 10: Indeed, you will find me very involved in the day
Speaker 10: to day operations of my land. Garar's wealth was not
Speaker 10: built overnight, and I take pains to ensure it's stewarded.
Speaker 2: Well, of course, I understand, your highness. That's very admirable.
Speaker 10: Abraham, Tell me who is this lovely woman of your household?
Speaker 10: Surely she must be.
Speaker 1: Your wife Herbie Malek appeared to be all flattery and praise,
Speaker 1: but Abraham observed a calculation in his gaze. Tinged with desire,
Speaker 1: Abraham felt sick to his stomach. All that he feared
Speaker 1: would happen was unfolding before him.
Speaker 2: Now, oh no, no, she's my Sarah, is blk I
Speaker 2: present Sarah, my sister.
Speaker 10: Well, that is very fortunate you will add her to
Speaker 10: my hospitable terms for allowing you to camp here. That
Speaker 10: shall be more than enough to cover the bride price.
Speaker 10: She has advanced in years, but exceedingly beautiful. You would
Speaker 10: not get a more favorable offer for her hand. And
Speaker 10: I think she would make a fine addition to my
Speaker 10: harem of wives, don't you think?
Speaker 1: Abi Malek turned to his men and chuckled. They all
Speaker 1: laughed with the sinister and foreboding enthusiasm. Abraham winced as
Speaker 1: the full effect of the king's words smacked him in
Speaker 1: the face. He saw Sarah's eyes widen with horror, though
Speaker 1: her head was still declined. He then saw her jaw
Speaker 1: lock and anger falled on her face. Abraham could not
Speaker 1: imagine the fury she would unkload on him later. He
Speaker 1: would need to figure out how to escape this mess. First,
Speaker 1: he realized that Abbim Malek was waiting for his reply,
Speaker 1: and he found the words tumbling out of his mouth
Speaker 1: to make up for the awkward hesitation.
Speaker 2: But what's a generous offer? But what if she were
Speaker 2: promised for another man?
Speaker 6: Is she isn't?
Speaker 10: Aw? I can see you are a wise man, Abraham.
Speaker 10: I am eager to see where this new friendship of
Speaker 10: ours takes us. Come now, Sarah, you'll come back with me.
Speaker 10: Now my man can wait for your things to be
Speaker 10: gathered and packed. They will bring your belongings to the.
Speaker 1: Palace without any further ceremony or pleasantries. Abeam elected exactly
Speaker 1: as he said. Sarah was ushered to his side, saddled
Speaker 1: and made to trot alongside his donkey back into the city,
Speaker 1: and Abraham was forced to watch as his wife was
Speaker 1: taken away from his care for a second time. His
Speaker 1: blood boiled with anger, not against Abemelek, but against himself.
Speaker 1: Mear hours later, Sarah was stiffly introduced to Abemelek's other
Speaker 1: wives and shown her new quarters by the head servant.
Speaker 1: She could throtle Abraham for this turn of events. Did
Speaker 1: he not learn? What did he think was going to happen?
Speaker 1: She bit back her anger. However, when she considered the alternative,
Speaker 1: her fate would have remained the same, but Abraham would
Speaker 1: be lying dead before their camp. It was clear that
Speaker 1: no one denied this King Abima like anything, and who
Speaker 1: knew what would have happened to Elieza and the others.
Speaker 1: That evening, when she settled to sleep, she heard a
Speaker 1: sudden sob in the hallway outside her door.
Speaker 4: Macall, what's happened? What's wrong?
Speaker 5: I don't know.
Speaker 3: I was just with them midwife earlier today and everything
Speaker 3: seems fine.
Speaker 5: But now he's gone.
Speaker 3: The baby's gone.
Speaker 4: Oh no, Macca, I'm so sorry, but you know sometimes
Speaker 4: these things happen.
Speaker 3: Oh I've lost babes before. This was different.
Speaker 4: How do you mean?
Speaker 3: Yes, this was the work of the gods. There was
Speaker 3: no blood, no pain, the babies just.
Speaker 4: Cool walk by the might of Dargan. He's taken the
Speaker 4: babe from your very wound.
Speaker 3: What did I do to Vinger Dagon? I brought him
Speaker 3: an offering every evening and preating him every morning. I
Speaker 3: was just at his double this morning. How could I
Speaker 3: have angered him?
Speaker 1: Sarah sat up in her bed. This event felt suspiciously
Speaker 1: similar to what had happened the last time she was taken.
Speaker 1: She knew this was not Dagan's work. Sarah had come
Speaker 1: to realize that these Canaanite gods had very little actual power,
Speaker 1: if any at all. She knew there was only one
Speaker 1: god capable of such a thing. Sarah trembled as she
Speaker 1: attempted to go to sleep. Despite her fear, a glimmer
Speaker 1: of hope rang out in her heart. Perhaps the God
Speaker 1: most High was preparing her rescue even now. Abi Malek
Speaker 1: had just sent one of his concubines from his chambers
Speaker 1: and was settling into a satisfied slumber. Sleep pulled him
Speaker 1: under quickly, so he was deaf to the sudden stillness
Speaker 1: of the night. The breeze softly blowing the gauzy fabric
Speaker 1: around the windows halted as if someone had turned a
Speaker 1: great faucet, and the nighttime noises fell silent. Abimelech didn't
Speaker 1: notice any of that, but he did dream. The dark,
Speaker 1: warm night draped over Abimlek like a thick blanket. He
Speaker 1: was held down by its weight, then paralyzed. Her boom
Speaker 1: voice shouted from the darkened abyss. The voice surrounded him
Speaker 1: in his dream, and he felt something he hadn't felt
Speaker 1: in a very long time.
Speaker 6: Fear. Behold, a Bimelec, you are a dead man?
Speaker 10: Is this a god? What do you mean?
Speaker 6: You have done a terrible thing and you will die
Speaker 6: because of the woman whom you have taken, for she
Speaker 6: is another man's wife.
Speaker 10: Am I to be killed because the woman I have
Speaker 10: taken belongs to another? I? Am innocent of what you
Speaker 10: accuse me of. Did Abraham himself not say to me
Speaker 10: she is my sister? And did the woman not confirm
Speaker 10: his words? You are clearly a powerful and angry god.
Speaker 10: But would you truly destroy me if I was innocent?
Speaker 10: And if you kill me, my nation would be thrown
Speaker 10: into chaos. Would you really do such a thing due
Speaker 10: to a misunderstanding, a deception that I am a victim of.
Speaker 10: By the way, I swear to you, my hands are clean.
Speaker 10: I did not know, and I have not even taken
Speaker 10: her to bed. Yet I left her alone. My conscience
Speaker 10: is clear, and surely nothing taken place that could not
Speaker 10: be righted.
Speaker 6: You speak to truth. It was I who kept you
Speaker 6: from taking her to your bed this night. Though you
Speaker 6: sated your lust with another on the accusation of adultery,
Speaker 6: your conscience is clear. I have prevented you from sinning
Speaker 6: against me in this manner. Your devotion to your nation
Speaker 6: does you credit, and the land is thriving despite famine elsewhere.
Speaker 6: I will tell you something more, and listen carefully, Bemelech.
Speaker 6: My hand is on this man Abraham. The nations who
Speaker 6: bless him will be blessed in return. But the nations
Speaker 6: who curse him will be cursed. I will now give
Speaker 6: you a choice. If you return Abraham's wife, he will
Speaker 6: pray for you and you will live. He is a
Speaker 6: prophet and he speaks with my voice. Or you can
Speaker 6: choose not to return Abraham's wife, and not only will
Speaker 6: you die, but your entire household will end with you.
Speaker 6: You will see that I have already set that in motion.
Speaker 6: But remember, if Abraham has my prophet prays for you,
Speaker 6: it will be reversed. The choice is yours.
Speaker 1: Adn let work with a start. His body was covered
Speaker 1: in a cold sweat, and he rubbed his eyes furiously.
Speaker 1: It was a dream, only a dream, but it was
Speaker 1: so real He would need to consult his oracles and
Speaker 1: advises immediately. One thing was for certain. The God had
Speaker 1: made his options very clear, but he wasn't sure what
Speaker 1: this God had already set in motion. Whatever could them mean?
Speaker 1: He felt fine, a little shaken, but overall in good health.
Speaker 1: He didn't seem to be in immediate danger of keeling
Speaker 1: over and dying. By now, it was the early morning,
Speaker 1: and despite the household mostly being asleep, Abe Male called
Speaker 1: his servants and advisers to report to him. Immediately, he
Speaker 1: told them of the dream he had and demanded that
Speaker 1: they interpret it.
Speaker 9: Your majesty, I fear that what you've experienced maybe more
Speaker 9: than a.
Speaker 2: Dream, your meaning.
Speaker 9: There have been strange reports from the women of your household.
Speaker 9: We don't know how this is possible, but it seems
Speaker 9: that those who are pregnant are no longer pregnant. They
Speaker 9: have miscarried. No, it's as if their wombs have been
Speaker 9: closed or emptied. The babies Nordy to be found swollen
Speaker 9: bellies suddenly flat.
Speaker 10: How could that be?
Speaker 2: What are the priests?
Speaker 10: Have you consulted the oracles.
Speaker 9: We have, my King, They are confounded. They have no answers,
Speaker 9: but some of them are concerned that this is a harbinger.
Speaker 9: Perhaps all the women are no longer fertile, Your majesty.
Speaker 9: It pains me to say this, but it appears that
Speaker 9: Dagan has abandoned us.
Speaker 1: Abimelek was stunned at this assessment, but then Abi Malek
Speaker 1: suddenly realized if his wives and relatives were no longer
Speaker 1: able to carry children, his line would end. The god
Speaker 1: in the dream spoke true, this would be the death
Speaker 1: of him. Abraham had not slept to win as he
Speaker 1: was tormented by how to rescue Sarah. He eventually gave
Speaker 1: up and paced back and forth until dawn. Still nothing
Speaker 1: came to him that would not provoke open war. The
Speaker 1: sun was just starting to climb in the sky when
Speaker 1: an out of breath messenger from Abi Malek arrived and
Speaker 1: demanded that Abraham come with him immediately. He didn't know
Speaker 1: what to think when he was hauled before Abemlec in
Speaker 1: his receiving hall. Sarah stood bewildered at his side, and
Speaker 1: seeing that whatever was about to happen was a mystery
Speaker 1: to her as well, he was apprehensive, but resolved to
Speaker 1: play the hand that was delt to him. He waited
Speaker 1: for a bee malech to.
Speaker 10: Speak, Abraham, what have I done to you for you
Speaker 10: to deceive me? Sarah is not your sister, sees your wife.
Speaker 10: Your deception almost caused me to sin against your God.
Speaker 10: You have provoked his anger against me and my entire household.
Speaker 10: He has closed the wounds of all the women. The
Speaker 10: babes are gone, and there will likely be no more.
Speaker 10: Your God has rendered them all sterile. Your God means
Speaker 10: to end my line. I declared my own innocence on
Speaker 10: account of your deception. I beseeched him and asked if
Speaker 10: you would really sweep away the innocent with the wicked
Speaker 10: Femini of.
Speaker 1: This scene washed over Abraham and rebuke of this pagan
Speaker 1: king stam had Abraham not uttered similar words to his
Speaker 1: God when he heard of the impending doom for Sodom? Nevertheless,
Speaker 1: his anxiety ebbed as he realized his God was making
Speaker 1: a way for rescue. After all, the thought emboldened Abraham.
Speaker 2: Can you blame me for wanting to protect myself? I
Speaker 2: may be in the humble position of needing the provision
Speaker 2: of your lands, but I am not defenseless.
Speaker 10: Indeed, you are surely shrouded by a powerful God. Ever
Speaker 10: in my life have I seen such an act of judgment.
Speaker 10: I fear your God, Abraham, and I have a feeling
Speaker 10: I may fear him more than you do, considering your deception.
Speaker 2: My covenant with my God is none of your concern.
Speaker 10: None of my concern. My lineage is ruined because of you, Abraham.
Speaker 10: Who knows what worse things would have happened if I
Speaker 10: actually betted your wife. Luckily, for me and my loins,
Speaker 10: I don't have to find out.
Speaker 1: This admission flooded Abraham with relief, and he softened toward
Speaker 1: the king who had given his people shelter in his land.
Speaker 2: I saw that your people did not fear my god,
Speaker 2: or any god really, and I assumed rightly that my
Speaker 2: life would be in danger if you or one of
Speaker 2: your officials desired my wife. We've come across this in
Speaker 2: Canaan before. I have long had this agreement with Sarah,
Speaker 2: where we tell everyone we are siblings. She is my wife,
Speaker 2: but she is also my half sister. We share the
Speaker 2: same father, but not the same mother. So you see
Speaker 2: it's not an outright lie. But she does belong to
Speaker 2: me and falls under my protection.
Speaker 10: And there she shall remain. I will return her to
Speaker 10: you gesture of my good faith in the reluctant friendship
Speaker 10: we have struck. I will also give you sheep and oxen,
Speaker 10: and that to the servants of your household. My land
Speaker 10: is before you. I would ask that you dwell wherever
Speaker 10: it pleases you. And to you, Sarah, I will give
Speaker 10: your husband a thousand shekels of silver. Let this serve
Speaker 10: as a sign of your innocence and the eyes of all.
Speaker 10: With this price, I pronounce you've vindicated and your honor
Speaker 10: is restored. Let all this be said right, and peace
Speaker 10: go between us.
Speaker 1: With that, Abimelek bowed his head to Sarah and gestured
Speaker 1: for her to join her husband before him. Abraham was stunned.
Speaker 1: A thousand pieces of silver, most only saw ten shekels
Speaker 1: a year if they were lucky. This exorbitant amount certainly
Speaker 1: served as proof that Abemelek did not touch Sarah. Abraham frowned.
Speaker 1: He believed that Abimelek was true to his word, but
Speaker 1: he also suspected that the payment was also a way
Speaker 1: to exolve himself of guilt and perhaps appease their fertility God.
Speaker 1: But abe Malek again surprised Abraham. He stood from his
Speaker 1: throne and knelt before Abraham.
Speaker 10: Your God declared you a prophet, having the ability to
Speaker 10: speak with his voice. I ask you now to pray
Speaker 10: for me. You have access to this mighty God. I
Speaker 10: would ask you, on my behalf, to ask him to
Speaker 10: lift this curse from me and my household.
Speaker 1: Abraham was amazed. The God most High had told Abimelek
Speaker 1: that he was a prophet. Abraham had spoken with his God,
Speaker 1: but never before had he been given the responsibility of intercession.
Speaker 1: Abraham was moved beyond words of the honor his God
Speaker 1: had shown him, despite his missteps, despite his failure to
Speaker 1: protect his wife, despite his lack of trust in his
Speaker 1: God's ability to provide you honor me.
Speaker 10: And I will do what you ask.
Speaker 2: I will ask the God Most High to heal you
Speaker 2: and your household.
Speaker 1: And so Abraham prayed for Abimelek. Once he had finished
Speaker 1: praying and departed with Sarah their new possessions, and the
Speaker 1: silver reports reached their camp to the entirety of Abiemelek's
Speaker 1: household had indeed been healed. Abraham and Sarah were amazed.
Speaker 7: It's like deja vu. Abraham, our father and the faith
Speaker 7: repeated the very same mistake he'd already made. Didn't we
Speaker 7: already go through this in Egypt? But there was Abraham
Speaker 7: in a foreign land, once again, lying about Sarah being
Speaker 7: his sister again. We expect our heroes to grow, to evolve,
Speaker 7: to learn from their past mistakes. But here's Abraham showing
Speaker 7: the same old fear and making the same old choices.
Speaker 7: How often do we find ourselves cycling through the same mistakes,
Speaker 7: falling into the same traps, driven by the same fear
Speaker 7: insecurity or doubt. It's disheartening, to say the least, but maybe,
Speaker 7: just maybe there's grace in the repetition, a chance to
Speaker 7: see God's faithfulness shine through our failures. The Bible wasn't
Speaker 7: written in a vacuum. It was written in a specific
Speaker 7: cultural and historical context. But as we have seen so
Speaker 7: far in this series and will continue to see, it
Speaker 7: closely mirrors our own lives and actions today. And in
Speaker 7: this story, Abraham faces a problem that we all face today.
Speaker 7: He's in the city of gar where people do not
Speaker 7: fear God. Does that sound familiar? Very similar to our
Speaker 7: world and what we see in it. The groundbreaking idea
Speaker 7: that Abraham introduced to the world, as we know, was
Speaker 7: that all morality flows from the belief in one God.
Speaker 7: There's no belief and respect for God, then anyone can
Speaker 7: behave however he or she wants to. It's void of holiness,
Speaker 7: it's void of God. We see Abraham's belief on display
Speaker 7: when Abimelech asks him, what was your reason for doing this?
Speaker 7: Meaning why did you lie and say that Sarah's your sister,
Speaker 7: not your wife? And we see that Abraham replies, there
Speaker 7: is surely no fear of God in this place, Abraham,
Speaker 7: the first believer in one God, is dealing with the
Speaker 7: society with no God and therefore absolutely no morality. So
Speaker 7: perhaps in his answer to Abimelech, Abraham was trying in
Speaker 7: a very gentle way to teach the rule or how
Speaker 7: important the belief in God is in order for his
Speaker 7: kingdom to be a moral kingdom. He's showing him if
Speaker 7: you don't have any morals, if you don't have any God,
Speaker 7: then a word is not a word, a lie doesn't matter,
Speaker 7: And it's only through morality and belief in God that
Speaker 7: these values can shine through. And of course, what I
Speaker 7: feel is that this lesson is just as important for
Speaker 7: us today. But despite Abraham's reasons, let's also look at
Speaker 7: the ethical and moral implications of his actions. Abraham didn't
Speaker 7: just show a lapse in judgment. He failed to honor
Speaker 7: and protect his wife Sarah. Again, it wasn't just about
Speaker 7: the lie, it was about how he acted towards Sarah.
Speaker 7: Sarah woman of incredible patience who made the very tough
Speaker 7: decision to follow her husband away from safety and security
Speaker 7: into the unknown, and yet here Sarah is being put
Speaker 7: into harm's way again. Can you imagine the fear that
Speaker 7: Sarah must have felt the betrayal her husband, the one
Speaker 7: who should be her protector, instead exposes her to danger,
Speaker 7: to the whims of a foreign king twice. This isn't
Speaker 7: just a story of Abraham's failure. It's a story of
Speaker 7: Sarah's suffering. It's a stark reminder of the brokenness in
Speaker 7: our world, a world where those who should love and
Speaker 7: protect us can sometimes be the source of our greatest pain.
Speaker 7: And this brokenness isn't new. It stretches back to the beginning,
Speaker 7: to the Garden, to Adam and Eve. Their relationship. It
Speaker 7: was once marked by intimacy and unity, and after the sin,
Speaker 7: it became stained by blame and division, and that fracture
Speaker 7: ripples through the story of the Chosen People. Abraham and
Speaker 7: Sarah are caught in that very same brokenness of Adam
Speaker 7: and Eve, that very same lack of trust and protection.
Speaker 7: And it's heartbreaking to see. But it's also very telling
Speaker 7: because the Bible doesn't shy away from these stories of
Speaker 7: failure and pain. Instead, it weaves them into a larger narrative,
Speaker 7: one in which humanity fails, yes, but God intervenes each time,
Speaker 7: bringing hope and restoration again and again and again. To
Speaker 7: speak more about this and the Christian connection to this
Speaker 7: story is Bishop Paulineer.
Speaker 5: Can I tell you a quick story. I was on
Speaker 5: a plane flying to Israel. There was some significant meetings
Speaker 5: we were going to have because of the Fellowship, but
Speaker 5: the precious people of Israel, the Chosen people, and I
Speaker 5: was praying to my God before I landed, and I
Speaker 5: was about to have a meeting with ya El, who
Speaker 5: is the president, remarkable woman of God, and I said, Lord,
Speaker 5: don't let me mess this up. This is so important.
Speaker 5: What we're about to attempt and to pursue is a
Speaker 5: wonderful thing. Would you bless it? And don't let me
Speaker 5: mess this up. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by
Speaker 5: the challenges and the greatness of what God was going
Speaker 5: to do, and I just wasn't sure I was up
Speaker 5: with the challenge. And I and I'm telling you, I
Speaker 5: felt the Lord say to me, son, this is so
Speaker 5: important and it means so much to Heaven. Not even
Speaker 5: not even you can mess this up. Later on, maybe
Speaker 5: a couple of hours later, at dinner, I shared with
Speaker 5: ya Ell, this is it's an extraordinary, remarkable occasion, and
Speaker 5: God's will is going to be manifest. His power will
Speaker 5: be demonstrated, and he's assured me that not even I
Speaker 5: can miss this. Well, I believe as a Christian what
Speaker 5: the apostle Paul says that if you are a Christian,
Speaker 5: Abraham is also your father, and that the promises of
Speaker 5: God that he has spoken to the chosen people are
Speaker 5: also extended to you, not exclusively to you. You and
Speaker 5: we have not replaced the children of Israel, the so
Speaker 5: called replacement theology idea that is a hideous lie. What
Speaker 5: we are taught is that God has grafted us into
Speaker 5: the conversation. He's allowed us and additional seat at the table.
Speaker 5: But who are certainly not sitting at the head of
Speaker 5: the table. And I choose to believe that even when
Speaker 5: you and I say too much, too little, go too far,
Speaker 5: someway or another, and then we start worrying. Oh God,
Speaker 5: your will is so great, your power is so strong,
Speaker 5: and there's so much good stuff that you intend to do.
Speaker 5: Please don't let me mess this up. I'm telling you,
Speaker 5: the hand of Heaven is so great on your life.
Speaker 5: Not even you, not even we, can mess this up.
Speaker 7: Today's dramatized Bible story happens before the birth of Isaac.
Speaker 7: Before this miracle, Abraham prayed on behalf of King Abimelech
Speaker 7: and his wife, who were barren. Jewish tradition teaches us
Speaker 7: that the proximity of these two events is no coincidence.
Speaker 7: You see, it may make sense, and I'm sure if
Speaker 7: you think about him, feel it, you'll believe it with
Speaker 7: all of your heart. When we pray for others, our
Speaker 7: own prayers find their answers. Let me say that again,
Speaker 7: because it's so important. When we pray for others, our
Speaker 7: own prayers find their answers. When we pray, we connect
Speaker 7: to God. And when we pray for a friend, we
Speaker 7: become the channel connecting them to God. And as God
Speaker 7: sends down blessings, we are touched by them too, because
Speaker 7: we are the signor we are the channel of connecting.
Speaker 7: What a profound way to give and receive. By praying
Speaker 7: for others, especially those with the same needs, we serve
Speaker 7: as conduits of God's blessings. It's like connecting the body
Speaker 7: of water with the spout that comes out. What do
Speaker 7: you have in them? The pipes? They're touched by the
Speaker 7: water as well. That's us. When we pray for others
Speaker 7: and God goes through us to answer their prayers. When
Speaker 7: we become aware of someone in need, it's a privilege
Speaker 7: to pray for them. Our prayers can bring countless blessings
Speaker 7: to others and to ourselves. In the story of Sarah
Speaker 7: and Abraham, we might see his repeated mistakes reflecting our
Speaker 7: own flawed humanity. But we also learn that prayer isn't
Speaker 7: just a ritual. It's a sacred channel through which God's
Speaker 7: blessings flow, and when we pray for others, we are
Speaker 7: part of that divine cycle, touching and being touched by
Speaker 7: His blessings. And here is a final blessing for you.
Speaker 7: Ivar Hashem wischmerechra yeah ersh shempanave ileha virocher ye sampanave
Speaker 7: lechra vi Salon. May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Speaker 7: May the Lord make his face shine upon you. May
Speaker 7: he be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his
Speaker 7: face towards you and give you peace.
Speaker 1: Amen. You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle
Speaker 1: Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the prey
Speaker 1: dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only
Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive
Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People with Yaile Eckstein. Edited by
Speaker 1: Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by
Speaker 1: Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold,
Speaker 1: Sylvia Zaradoc and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore.
Speaker 1: Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and
Speaker 1: Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin,
Speaker 1: kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship
Speaker 1: of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot
Speaker 1: com productions on the Prey dot com app, available on
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