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“She’s My Sister . . . Sort of” (Genesis 20:1-18)
Well, we’re starting a new series called “Weird Stories from the Bible.”
It’s not often that I ask you to tell me what you’d like for me to preach, but I did this time. A few of you responded, and I’ll be covering some of the weird stories that you requested.
Throughout history, there have been some famous people who have married their relatives. That’s right, we’re getting weird right away. Several famous people married their cousins, sometimes their first cousin, including Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Thomas Jefferson, and Jesse James. It’s weird to marry a relative, right? Well, we had some of this in the Bible, also.
Today, we’re going to cover a story from Genesis 20:1-18. We’re going to talk about a situation with Abraham and his wife, Sarah. Today’s sermon is entitled, “She’s my sister . . . sort of.” If you think this sounds weird already, you’re right.
Before we go any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
Let’s look at the passage and then talk some about it.
Look at Genesis 20:1-18:
1 From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, 2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
4 Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5 Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
8 Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things, and the men were terrified.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10 Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What made you do this?”
11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me, ‘He’s my brother.’ ”
14 Then Abimelech took flocks and herds and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you want.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother one thousand pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, 18 for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Ok, there’s some weird stuff happening here, so let’s point out some weird stuff from this weird story:
First, . . .
I. It’s weird that Abraham deceived the king.
It’s weird that Abraham would do this, but what’s weirder is that Abraham would do this twice.
Back in Gen
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By First Baptist Church Bartow
5
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Well, we’re starting a new series called “Weird Stories from the Bible.”
It’s not often that I ask you to tell me what you’d like for me to preach, but I did this time. A few of you responded, and I’ll be covering some of the weird stories that you requested.
Throughout history, there have been some famous people who have married their relatives. That’s right, we’re getting weird right away. Several famous people married their cousins, sometimes their first cousin, including Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Thomas Jefferson, and Jesse James. It’s weird to marry a relative, right? Well, we had some of this in the Bible, also.
Today, we’re going to cover a story from Genesis 20:1-18. We’re going to talk about a situation with Abraham and his wife, Sarah. Today’s sermon is entitled, “She’s my sister . . . sort of.” If you think this sounds weird already, you’re right.
Before we go any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.
(prayer)
Let’s look at the passage and then talk some about it.
Look at Genesis 20:1-18:
1 From there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar, 2 Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
4 Now Abimelech had not approached her, so he said, “Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? 5 Didn’t he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I have not let you touch her. 7 Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, know that you will certainly die, you and all who are yours.”
8 Early in the morning Abimelech got up, called all his servants together, and personally told them all these things, and the men were terrified.
9 Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said to him, “What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and on my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” 10 Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What made you do this?”
11 Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘There is absolutely no fear of God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 So when God had me wander from my father’s house, I said to her: Show your loyalty to me wherever we go and say about me, ‘He’s my brother.’ ”
14 Then Abimelech took flocks and herds and male and female slaves, gave them to Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. 15 Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you want.” 16 And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your brother one thousand pieces of silver. It is a verification of your honor to all who are with you. You are fully vindicated.”
17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, 18 for the Lord had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.
Ok, there’s some weird stuff happening here, so let’s point out some weird stuff from this weird story:
First, . . .
I. It’s weird that Abraham deceived the king.
It’s weird that Abraham would do this, but what’s weirder is that Abraham would do this twice.
Back in Gen