Abraham deceives Abimelech: Transformation

Abraham now journeyed to Gerar,  he again instructs Sarah to say she is his sister. She was of course his half sister. Abimelech king of Gerar takes her, and God tells him in a dream he's a dead man. He had not touched her and Abimelech explains to God he had taken her in integrity and innocence. God tells him yes He knows,  but he is to restore her,  and to ask Abraham to pray that he will not die. He does so and gives Abraham sheep,  oxen, servants and silver. He tells Sarah I have given your brother 1000 pieces of silver as a “sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” Abraham prays and God heals Abimelech and his female servants for He had closed their wombs (Genesis 20).

Derek Kidner in his commentary says here “on the brink of Isaac's birth story the very Promise is put in jeopardy, traded away for personal safety.” It's easy to condemn Abraham for his lack of faith. God had only recently shown him how real He is by predicting His judgement of Sodom,  and then doing it (Chapters 18, 19).  But old habits die hard,  and this was at least the second time (12:13). Abraham explained to Abimelech that  when God caused him to wander from his father’s house, he'd told her, “Show me this kindness: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, ‘He is my brother.’” (verse 13).

On thing you can say of the Bible, it is brutally honest with the flaws of its heroes. King David committed adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11). Mark's gospel,  said to reflect Peter's influence,  tells of Peter's betrayal of Jesus (Mark 14:72). In my own life,  after returning on a mission trip where I had seen miraculous healing after healing and had been used to perform some myself (Google Healing Testimonies Global Awakening),  I still lacked faith and courage to pray for the mother of my daughter's friend.  I had intended to pray the Sunday I returned, I didn't,  and she died later that day.

Sometimes we are not even conscious of our dysfunction,  for we may have know nothing different,  and it may all feel so normal.  We  may need others to show us our fault (Galatians 6:1). Transformation is a journey,  it requires both our cooperation and the work of the Holy Spirit. And when we do that, as here with Abraham, He somehow works it all out for us. He promises that when we fully surrender, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, that  He will  works in us, giving us  the desire and the power to do what pleases him (Romans 12:1, 2; Philippians 2:12, 13).  I'm not yet what I want to be, but thank God I'm not what I once was. And I rest in this, knowing that God who has begun a good work in me will keep right in doing it until the day I meet Him face to face (Philippians 1:6).

Father,  thank You for the transforming power of Your Holy Spirit. You tell me to work out my freedom from the power and the pollution of sin, with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). The spirit is willing, but so often the flesh is weak (Mark 14:38).  Thank You for Your grace,  and the promise to keep on working in me. And I give You thanks and praise in Jesus Name Amen