(Genesis) Genesis 20

Now I come to the 20th chapter of the book of Genesis, and the 20th chapter actually seems like the fifth leg on a cow. It just seems to be that necessary. And what we have here is something that you feel like you'd like to leave out.

Abraham repeats the sin that he committed when he went down in the land of Egypt concerning Sarah by lying about the fact he said, she's my sister. Now it's the same sordid story, and you wonder again, why is this chapter put in here? Well, it's put in for a very important reason, friends. Abraham and Sarah are going to have to deal with this sin before they can have Isaac, before they can have the blessing.

And may I say to you, until you and I are willing to deal with the sin in our life, there's no blessing for us. Now, I'm going to just hit the high points of chapter 20. I'm reading verse 1 now.

Abraham journeyed from Thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerah. And Abraham said of Sarah's wife, she's my sister. And Abimelech king of Gerah sent and took Sarah.

Now what you have here is something that is quite interesting. Do you think Sarah was beautiful? Well, she's almost 90 years old, and she's beautiful, friends. Not many can qualify in this particular department.

That's one thing that I note here. And then Abraham is actually getting pretty far south in the land. He's gone beyond Kadesh-ba-nea, where the children of Israel came up, and wouldn't he manor the land.

Now he's gone down to Gerah, which I don't think he should have done, but be that as it may, he lies about Sarah again. Now, I want you to hear his confession, because that's the thing that makes this chapter important and reveals the fact that Abraham and Sarah cannot have Isaac until they deal with this sin that is in their lives. And it goes way back.

I'm reading verse 11 of chapter 20, and this is a remarkable passage of Scripture, friends. Will you hear it? And Abraham said, and he's talking now to Abimelech, who is greatly disturbed that he would do a thing like this, lie about his wife. And Abraham said, Because I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

Now, you see, again, he's not trusting God. He felt like he's moving down into a godless place, and he founds out that Abimelech apparently has a high sense of what is right and wrong. And he puts a tremendous value upon character and that sort of thing, and apparently a man who knew God.

Now, will you notice, poor Abraham doesn't look good by the side of Abimelech here. Now, I'm reading on in verse 12. And yet indeed, she is my sister.

She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. Now, you see, he lets it all out now. He says, to tell the truth, it is half a lie.

She is my half-sister, and she is my wife. Now, verse 13. And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, this is thy kindness, which thou shalt show unto me.

At every place, whether we shall come, say of me, he is my brother. Now, when they started out, you see, Abraham didn't have complete trust and confidence in God. And he and Sarah made a pact that anywhere they went, and it looked like Abraham might be killed because of his wife, that Sarah would say, he's my brother.

And that would keep Abraham, so Abraham and Sarah thought, from being killed. Now, they made that little agreement, and they used it down in Egypt. And here, they have used it again.

Now, that sin must be dealt with before God is going to hear and answer his prayer in sending a son. Isaac will not be born till this will be dealt with. And again, let me repeat, how many Christians today that won't judge sin in their lives, and there's no blessing in their lives? I frankly believe that in many of our fundamental churches today, if we could get the believers there, those that are in places of leadership, if they would confess their sins, now not publicly, but if they would deal with the sins that are in their lives, I believe we could have revival.

And I don't believe there'll be any blessing until, friends, this is dealt with. Now, will you listen to Paul over here in 1 Corinthians 11, and this is a pretty important passage. Paul says, but let a man examine himself, so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.

For he that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

But when we are judged, we're chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world. And blessing, friends, is being with help today from the Church and from the lives of many believers, because we won't deal with the sin in our lives. That's a tremendous lesson, a great spiritual lesson, here in the 20th chapter of the book of Genesis.

Now, next time, we're going to see this long-looked-for event, the birth of Isaac.