byGenesis has always been my favourite book in the Bible because I usually get new revelations anytime I pick up the Bible to read any part of it. One question I asked myself when I read Genesis 20 was that why did God still defend Abraham after lying to Abimelech that Sarah was his sister instead of saying she was his wife?
Here’s what happened. Abraham moved on from Canaan into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur (see Genesis 20:1). Gerar was a town in that region, and that’s where Abraham stayed. But that town was ruled by a king called King Abimelech (some versions use the word “Abimelek”). Abraham lived with Sarah, his wife, but said, “She is my sister” to people. And despite how old the couple were, Abimelech saw Sarah so beautiful that he took her in. But God prevented him from touching Sarah and even came to him in a dream to explain that Sarah is Abraham’s wife, not his sister. Wait a minute? Why would God do that for Abraham after lying?
Preservation of the godly seed
God was raising a whole nation through Abraham and his family line. So, He was meticulous not to allow people from just any tribe to marry or have children with them. Have you ever wondered why God told the Israelites not to marry from certain tribes, including Canaan? It was because all of those tribes He mentioned were cursed way back in Genesis 10:15-18 when Noah cursed Canaan and all his descendants after his father beheld Noah’s nakedness. In Abimelech’s case, his tribe was part of those cursed generations (see Genesis 9:25). So, God still defended Abraham because He wanted the Holy Seed, which was (and still is) Christ (see Galatians 3:29), to be well preserved. That’s it!
If God can step in Abraham’s case to preserve His holy seed (which Abraham may not have known), you, having this revelation, must intentionally not marry outside the Christian faith.
How does this apply to your life?
I might be writing about something that happened in Genesis in this article. But for sure, it has some lessons you need to embrace in your life. Here are some of them.
Don’t marry an unbeliever
According to Ephesians 5:8, unbelievers are labelled as people of darkness, while believers are called children of the light. Light and darkness have nothing in common. That is the same principle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:14: Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Dear child of God, you put your generation in jeopardy when you marry an unbeliever. When you do that, you mix light with darkness, and it has costly effects on generations. If God can step in Abraham’s case to preserve His holy seed (which Abraham may not have known), you, having this revelation, must intentionally not marry outside the Christian faith.
Protect your life from premature death
Sometimes, you must be wise to make certain critical decisions to live, especially when you are in a foreign land. Abraham lied because he knew the people in Gerar had no fear of God and that the could even kill him and take his wife away (see Genesis 20:11). Yes, God will protect you. But don’t leave your safety to chance.
Keep your marriage bed pure
For those who are married reading this article, don’t do what Abimelech did. Don’t go after another man’s wife for wanton lust, especially if the husband is a staunch Christian. You’ll regret it so badly if you commit adultery with her. Be content with your wife and work hard to make your marriage more beautiful each day.
I hope this article blessed you. You can share this with others who need to read this. Shalom!
