Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace. (Genesis 20:2).

Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ (Genesis 20:11).

Abraham introduces his wife as his sister in order to save his skin from a godless king, who might kill him to take his wife. King Abimelech does take Sarah with the understanding that she is Abraham's sister. God intervenes to save Sarah from defilement. 

What are we to make of this story? Abraham certainly does not act like a man's man. It appears that he does nothing to keep Sarah from being taken by the foreign king. Apart from God's intervention, she would certainly have been defiled.

Yet, when Lot was captured along with the people of Sodom, he immediately gathered a team of trained men to rescue his nephew (Genesis 14:13-16). It appears Abraham had greater regard for his nephew than for his own wife. He honored someone who made the foolish decision to live in Sodom over the one who would bear God's promised child. 

Abraham not only dishonors Sarah, he dishonors God, who told him that the heir of promise would come through Sarah. Even though he was eager enough to help God (a disasterous decision) in bringing forth his heir (by going into Hagar, Sarah's servant), now he makes no effort at all to protect Sarah, through whom that heir would come. 

It is no wonder that God uses King Abimelech, a foreign and "godless" king, to rebuke Abraham. What is more, Abraham's deal with Sarah, namely, that she would always say that she is his sister to protect Abraham's skin, is even more evidence of his weak faith. 

Even if Abraham faced an ungodly king among an ungodly people, as he feared, did he not believe that God was strong enough to deliver them? Apparently not. 

Friends, all this is not to denigrate Abraham, the father of all who believe, but to encourage us. Abraham's faith was not perfect. It too required the frequent intervention of God and His exercise of grace. Abraham's faith was dependent upon God's grace. And our faith depends upon God's grace as well.

Let us daily thank God for His mercy and grace, by which our fledgling faith is upheld until He Himself consummates it in heaven. 

For we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it (Genesis 19:13).

The sin of Sodom of Gomorrah is personified as a loud cry, reaching the highest heavens, so that God was compelled to judge the cities. I am reminded of a similar scenario with the Amorites, who lived in the land of Canaan:

In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure (Genesis 15:16).

The land of Canaan was the land promised to the Israelites; however, they would not receive it until the fourth generation, for that was when God determined that the sins of the Amorites would reach a measure worthy of complete and merciless destruction. We find a similar scenario for the capital city of Assyria:

Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me (Jonah 1:2).

Now, Ninevah was spared because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. God withheld His judgment for about 150 years, even until the time of Nahum, when God would finally and completely judge this city. This was the same scenario we find when God judged the world in the days of Noah.

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time... So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created

The downward spiral of wickedness can touch any nation, city or persons. The reason we may not often see the immediate and final judgment of God may be because there is a "tipping point" which has not yet been reached.

I remember going to the waterpark and seeing this gigantic bucket suspended over the center of the park. It was constantly being filled up with water pumped up from the bottom. It was tilted in such a way that when it was filled to a certain point, it would dump its entire contents over the park. Perhaps God's wrath is like this bucket, being continually filled up with sins. When it reaches the tipping point, God's wrath is poured out.

Friends, rather than filling up the bucket of God's wrath with our sins, let us instead repent of our sins and begin to add to our faith the good works that we know pleases God. Unlike the bucket of God's wrath, which is portrayed as continually being filled up to the tipping point, the grace of God toward all of us, who believe, is potrayed as already filled with every spiritual blessing so that we can continually draw from it a limitless supply of forgiveness, mercy and grace. 

Genesis 19
2 and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said, "No; we will spend the night in the town square." 3 But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

How many times have I tried to be nice yet someone politely passed - politely, as in not wanting to burden me- and I simply accepted the polite gesture.
They were going to pass but Lot pressed.
He was a righteous man, and because he was righteous responded to their apparent need. They being customarily polite passed but Lot would not let such an offer be.

What if I had been there and accepted their offer to not be burdened, I could have been burned up with the rest. I would like to think God would have reached out for my safety as these visitors did several times for Lot.

Don't easily accept an offer to not spread God's provision.

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16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

Lot lingered. And As if commanded by God "not to harm any, only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads" (cf Rev 9:4) they delay their delivery of God's wrath.

What's more they “Could Not!”

21 He said to him, "Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

If you feel down because you have performed poorly know you are seen in good light if you have been deemed righteous by God. Lot being righteous still deserved death, but by God's grace was righteous, for we see he was given mercy:
16 But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

Like Abram's failure to full rely on God, via the 2 lies about his wife, and laughing over Isaac, Lot fails to fully respond. The angels had to intervene and rush him out. They came to save him; they allowed lingering for a time, delaying judgment, to save him; and even outside the city they could not until he was safe.

But this must not all sink in. He is instructed to go to the hills but he Fears his Death there (hello!? They got you covered!) he asks to go to Zoar. But fear set in:

30 Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters.

He ended up right where God was originally leading him. What's more Zoar was to be destroyed as a city in the valley, but it was spared for his sake - after all "this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there-is it not a little one?-and my life will be saved!

A little evil is okay right? What's more I will be safe! Well apparently it was bad enough to flee and live in a cave.

Live only by his word. He will not forsake you. Even during a deadly persecution he will provide what you need to his glory. The key being "to his glory."

Live well. (Be willing to) Die well.

Also know during your failures that the Lord will still surround you with his angels. He will even delay judgment around you until you are set aside, made holy, safe, saved and spared from the coming wrath. God we fail horribly, but it is by his hand that we are lead to safety and righteousness – What awesomeness!

Genesis 20
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Preliminary reading would have let me think this was a one night event. But this was long enough for people to realize a curse was on them to not have kids. He didn't touch her during this time, which makes me think this was a short time, but for ‘wombs to be closed,’ I get the impression these 2 verses could be over a longer period of time; 1 month? 2 months?

They struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway (Genesis 19:11).

How desperately wicked these men of Sodom must have been! Suddenly struck with blindness, they should have cried out in horror and sought consolation, but instead they "wearied themselves trying to find the doorway," presumably to commit immorality with the visiting guests of Lot.

As I consider this scene, I cannot help but think of the many people who are steeped in all manner of addictions, whether to drugs and alcohol, pornography and sex, food, video games, television, golf, dramas, etc. The heart of addiction is a lack of self-control. And the danger of addiction is the extreme lengths people will go to satisfy their craving. It is the sinful nature that drives addiction, so that the root that produces addictions can never be fully eradicated in this life. It can only be restrained.

If the heart of ungodly addiction is a lack of self-control, then the heart of righteous discipline is having self-control. As addiction is something that must be restrained, discipline is something that can be developed with training. Consider the following verses:

For physical training is of some value, but [training in] godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (1 Timothy 4:8).

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

While addictions should always be avoided, godly disciplines should be vigorously pursued. We ought to train for it, not only in avoiding the triggers for addictive behavior (Romans 6:11-13) but also filling our minds with God's Word (Psalm 119:9,11), engaging our spirits with alert prayer (Matthew 26:41), taking every opportunity to live in line with God's will, and praising and thanking Him for everything (Ephesians 5:15-21).

The Christian's dilemma is that while we pursue increasing self-control, we recognize that we are ultimately not in control, that a certain measure of sinfulness is almost inevitable:

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do... I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  (Romans 7:14-23).

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want (Galatians 5:16-17).

But in every case there is also a message of forgiveness and grace, by which even in our helpless and sinful condition, we are saved:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin (Romans 7:24-25).

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law... Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:18,24).

As John also writes,

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 1:8-2:2).

Friends, as we pursue godly discipline, let us hold fast to our hope in Christ. Always confessing our sins, let us consider how we might spur one another on toward the kind of righteous living that God desires:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:23-24).

Someone asked an astute question recently...

What is the purpose of some of the “random” stories in Genesis?  The one specifically I’m referring to is chapter 21:22  the story of Abimelech and Abraham and the well of Beersheba.  If the well of Beersheba or the treaty they arrange has significant importance later and I have forgotten, that’s one thing.  However, this story just seems so random to have been inserted here.  What “Godly” significance does this have if it’s not random?  I see a little bit of the tie in to chapter 19 when we first learn of Abimelech, but other than it’s the same characters, it just seems weird to insert it here.

Now granted, this is far from the only story that I’ve considered random and wondered, “Why the heck is that important enough to put in the Bible?”  But it just happened to be the one I read today.

Here was my response...

That's a great question. One thing to keep in mind is that Moses writes all of these accounts (Genesis through Deuteronomy) to the second generation of Israelites coming out of Egypt. They are likely hearing these words in the Plains of Moab on the east side of the Jordan getting ready to take possession of the land God had promised to their forefather Abraham.

Relating the account of Abimelech would give them a bit of history regarding one of the kings in the land. Abimelech was the king over the Philistines. Both Abraham and later his son, Isaac, had dealings with him and perhaps Abimelech's son (with the same name Abimelech) over the exact same matters, namely, the partiarchs' wives and wealth. Both Abimelechs envied the patriarch's wives and wealth. For Moses these accounts would give some indication of the problems the Philistines posed to these patriarchs. Perhaps their inclusion was to give the Israelites greater incentive to obey God in wiping them all out.
 
Of course they do not obey God in wiping out the Philistines, along with a number of other groups in the land of Canaan. Because of this, these very nations would be an awful thorn in the side of Israel. The Philistines would be at war with Israel throughout pretty much the entire OT history until both they and Israel are destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king around 605 B.C. Remember also, Goliath was of the Philistines.

Friends,

One of our members asked me the following questions. I include my response here in case some of you may be wondering about the same things.

(1) Why was Lot sitting at the city gate? This spot is usually the place where the judges and magistrates of the city sit. Therefore, it is possible that Lot was no mere citizen of Sodom but also a recognized official. The other possibility is that he took on this responsibility without having the position (cf. Genesis 19:9, where the men of Sodom says that he "keeps acting as a judge"). Now, if we enter the realm of conjecture, perhaps Lot embraced this role because he recognized the wickedness of this city and wanted to turn it around before it would be judged by God. My basis for this conjecture is 2 Peter 2:7-8, where we read,

If Lot was merely apathetic about the unrighteousness around him, Peter would not have given him such a glowing review. And this would also explain why Lot was trying to protect his visitors from defilement. That he regarded these men over the preservation of his daughters seems strange to us; however, it may also be because of the ancient's high regard for a man's word. Remember, Lot tells the men of the city in Genesis 19:8, "Only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.' He had given them the security of his home, and therefore felt responsible for them. Now, the wicked men of Sodom could probably care less about a man's word, but it serves to distinguish "righteous Lot" from them. Finally, who do you think Abraham was thinking of when he was interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah? Don't you think he was thinking about his nephew and his family? He did not want God to judge his relatives along with the wicked people of Sodom. He imagined that at least there were at least ten righteous in Lot's family. There were not even that many; however, God sent his angels to at least preserve Lot and his two daughters.

(2) Did Abraham and Lot know that the visitors were angels? And with respect to Abraham, that one of them was God? The Scriptures are unclear about the level of their recognition, particularly at the point of meeting. Now, we know that this was not the first occasion when the LORD visited Abraham (cf. Genesis 12:7; 17:1; 18:1). We are not told in what form God appeared to Abraham in the first two instances, however, He may have appeared in like manner in human form. Therefore, it is at least possible that Abraham recognized the divine origin of his visitors. Some scholars have persuasively suggested that all these appearances, including the appearance of God to Moses in the burning bush, are not appearances of the Father but of the pre-incarnate Christ Jesus. It is also interesting that Abraham does not address the three visitors in the plural but he addresses only one of them "My lord" (Genesis 18:3). Perhaps Abraham recognized the LORD as distinct from the accompanying two angels. Now, Abraham's comment, "And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant" (Genesis 18:5) seems to be an unusual expression if Abraham knew that he was addressing God and angels. However, Abraham may have merely been engaging in polite convention.

As for Lot, it may be that he would have sheltered any stranger that came into the city, because that may be the reason he was sitting at the gates. In addition with what I had conjectured earlier, perhaps Lot thought that since this was the city he chose to make a home for his tribe, he would do his best to turn it around morally. Now, when we consider what Lot said to his visitors: "Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way" (Genesis 19:2), this kind of guiding comment seems ill-fitted if Lot knew that he was entertaining angels from God. But again, this may just be polite convention. Lot too may have recognized the divine origin of his visitors.

(3) Why would Lot offer his daughters in place of the visitors? As awful as this sounds, a few considerations come to mind. One is the value of a man's word, which Lot essentially gave to the visitors, to protect them in his home. Second, perhaps he felt that they would be somewhat protected by his son-in-laws, who appear to have been outside with the crowd (Genesis 19:14; also Lot calls them "my brothers" in Genesis 19:7). Third, Lot may have recognized that there were something special about these men, who were actually angels from God. After all, beyond the convention of hospitality, he seems to go further in bowing down to them with his face to the ground (Genesis 19:1).

The question is why Lot and his family did not choose to leave earlier. Again, perhaps he thought that he could turn the city around. But sadly, that was not to be.