In Genesis 20 we read that Abraham and Sarah moved to Gerar, where Abraham said of her, “She is my sister.” (Yes, your memory is correct—Abraham has done this once before back in chapter 12, and things got really messy… but here we go again—same song, second verse.)
So Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and had her brought to his palace. The wedding was imminent.
But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and said, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married…. If you do not restore the man his wife, you will surely die, you and all who are yours.” In addition to the threat of death, God completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household so that none of the women could conceive.
Terrified, Abimelech confronted Abraham about the deception first thing the next morning: What have you done…? How have I wronged you that you have done this…? What has happened…? Why have you done this?
Abraham answered, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place… and they will kill me because of my wife.”
Note that the very thing Abraham was sure didn’t exist in Gerar (the fear of God) was the exact thing that compelled Abimelech to decisive obedience. Indeed, the dread of God had Abimelech and all his men trembling—they were “greatly frightened.”
It’s as if Abraham thought God couldn’t fend for Himself in this land. That He wouldn’t be able to get people here to live as they should. So Abraham got creative: “She’s my sister.”
Truth is, God hadn’t the slightest problem instilling terrifying, bone-deep fear in Abimelech and his men.
This story is convicting me of selling God out. Because too often I look at today’s rampant godlessness and think, “There’s no fear of God anymore; it’s a lost cause. This person or that person isn’t going to come to his spiritual senses because he doesn’t even believe in God, or care about Him, much less fear Him.” And so I temper my words, or appeal to some lesser principle than the fear of God. Like this: “No, sorry, I can’t fudge on that invoice. After all, I’ve got to be able to sleep at night.” Instead of, “No, I will have to answer to Holy God, so I can’t do that.”
Let God fend for Himself. Call it like it is.