Life of Abraham – Bellevue Church of Christ Lesson XII – Summit with Abimelech* Auditorium Class – Winter / Spring 2013-2014 (Genesis 21:22-34) Specifications A. Request in the At that time – Most likely 4+ years after their first encounter in Chapter 20. Summit (22-24) -Integrity of the Covenant 22 Inspiration At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander “Will not deal falsely…” -Promises of God of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all -Duration of the Covenant that you do. God was clearly fulfilling “With my posterity…” His promise to “bless 23 (Lifetime commitment) [Abraham] and make [his] Now therefore swear to me here by God that you name great” (Gen 12:2) will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants -Kindness of the Covenant -Performance of Abraham or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with “Deal [kindly] with me…” you, so you will deal with me and with the land “God is with you…” – Great Luke 6:31 (Golden rule) compliment regarding the where you have sojourned.” godliness of Abraham. -Coverage of the Covenant 24And Abraham said, “I will swear.” Gen 39:1-3 (Joseph) “and with the land where you have sojourned.” 25When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well B. Reproving in the Accommodation Summit (25-31) of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized, “I will swear.” Reason for the Reproving 26Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this This was a matter that thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it Abimelech needed to be dealt with until today.” <- Why did Abraham not before the “peace treaty” address this earlier? -King of Gerar could be ratified. 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them -Second recorded Response to the Reproving to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. encounter with Abraham (Gen 20:1-18) “I do not know…” 28Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. -Deceived by of Abraham Repeating of the Reproving and Isaac (Gen 20:1–18; 26:1–16) “you will take from my 29And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the hand, that this may be a meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set -Covenants with Abraham witness for me that I dug and Isaac at Beersheba <- May have been sacrifices in a this well.” apart?” (Gen 26:26–33) covenant ceremony (compare 15:9–17) Note: In both encounters, 30He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take -Possible that the one who was wronged is “Abimelech” could have the one who gave gifts. from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that been a title of (Gen 20:14-16) I dug this well.” Beersheba = “Well of Seven” Philistine kings The same is true in or “Well of Oath” (e.g. ‘Pharaoh’) salvation (John 3:16) 31 Therefore that place was called Beersheba , because C. Results of the there both of them swore an oath. Enjoyment of Peace Summit (32-34) -Planting of a Tree 32So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Establishment of Peace Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army -Practicing of Worship “So they made a covenant…” rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. “Called…on the name of the Lord…” Began to fail after 33Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba Abraham died: -Place of Residence and called there on the name of the LORD, the *Isaac deceived Abimelech “Abraham sojourned many Everlasting God. Tamarisk – Evergreen tree (Gen 26:1-16) days in the land…” suitable for the climate *Philistines stopped 34 See Gen 20:15 Abraham’s wells And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of (Gen 26:18) the Philistines. Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version *Outline for Life of Abraham: Butler, John G – Abraham: The Father of the Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers Jews (Bible Biography Series, Number Nine), L B C Publications, 1998 Used by permission. All rights reserved. This handout can be downloaded in PDF format from: (www.teamagee.com/class) Life of Abraham – Bellevue Church of Christ Lesson XII – Summit with Abimelech* Auditorium Class – Winter / Spring 2013-2014 (Genesis 21:22-34) Abimelech Genesis 20 (ESV) 1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And AbimeleCh king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God Came to AbimeleCh in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man beCause of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now AbimeleCh had not approaChed her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touCh her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” 8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and Called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very muCh afraid. 9 Then AbimeleCh Called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And AbimeleCh said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it beCause I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this plaCe, and they will kill me beCause of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she beCame my wife. 13 And when God Caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every plaCe to whiCh we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ” 14 Then AbimeleCh took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And AbimeleCh said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieCes of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed 18 AbimeleCh, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore Children. For the LORD had Closed all the wombs of the house of AbimeleCh beCause of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. Genesis 26:1–33 (ESV) 1 Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of 2 Abraham. And IsaaC went to Gerar to AbimeleCh king of the Philistines. And the LORD appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of whiCh I shall tell you. 3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. 4 I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 beCause Abraham obeyed my voiCe and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.” 6 So Isaac settled in Gerar. 7 When the men of the plaCe asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he feared to say, “My wife,” thinking, “lest the men of the plaCe should kill me beCause of Rebekah,” beCause she was attraCtive in appearanCe. 8 When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw IsaaC laughing with Rebekah his wife. 9 So Abimelech Called Isaac and said, “Behold, she is your wife. How then Genesis 21 - (20-34) Life of Abraham-Class-01.docx Page 2 of 8 Life of Abraham – Bellevue Church of Christ Lesson XII – Summit with Abimelech* Auditorium Class – Winter / Spring 2013-2014 (Genesis 21:22-34) could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I thought, ‘Lest I die because of her.’ ” 10 AbimeleCh said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” 11 So Abimelech warned all the people, saying, “Whoever touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.” 12 And IsaaC sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold.