"Gill explained:
though it was not putting a direct lie into her mouth, she being his sister in some sense, as appears from Genesis 20:12 yet it was done to conceal truth, and to deceive the Egyptians, and tended to endanger his wife's chastity,
Abram jeopardized his wife's honor.
as well as showed great timorousness in him, and distrust of the divine care and protection of him;
It showed Abram's deficiency of faith in God.
and upon the whole it must be criminal in him, and shows that the best of men are liable to sin, and the strongest believer to fall, and that a saint may fail in the exercise of that grace for which he is most eminent, as Abram was for his faith, and yet fell into unbelief, and through that into other sins; this he said to his wife, and desired her to say on occasion, when she found it necessary: that it may be well with me for thy sake; his life spared, as follows:
and my soul shall live because of thee; his life be safe and secure for her sake, being reckoned her brother, whereas he feared it would be in the utmost danger should it be known she was his wife.
Abram used/manipulated his wife to save his own skin. His scheme worked only because God interceded and worked with sinners like Abram and us."
Remember the accuser of the brothers is the devil, cast down among us on earth. They are the false accusing spirits on earth right now. ( showing they despise those that are GOOD/ they are NOT AFRAID TO SPWEAK EVIL OF DIGNITIES.)..
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the
accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
2 Timothy 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous
are they, selfwilled, they
are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
Here is a list of accusations against Abraham, who is the father of us all. ( in faith/the covenant of promise made between him and God.)
1. That Abraham concealed truth.
2. That Abraham deceived Egyptians/tending or intending, to DAMAGE, Sarah's chastity. ( jeopardising Sarah's honour)
3. That Abraham showed great fear ( of man) and therefore distrust, in God. ( for Abraham to have a DEFICIENT FAITH.)
4. A criminal/ a sinner for these actions.
5. That Abraham fell, and was an UNBELIEVER.
6. Sin of wanting Sarah to say Abraham was her brother.
Lets have Gods opinion on this ( HIs word) rather than a one sided judgement made by MEN.
God appeared to Abram, for the purpose of him to walk before God and to be PERFECT. ( then God will make His covenant between Him and Abram.)
God told, as for Him, His covenant is with Abram, and Abram will be a father of many nations. ( God named him Abraham, and his wife Sarai became Sarah, as God had made Abraham a father of many nations.)
God asks should He HIDE from Abraham, what He is doing. ( the justice and judgement on Sodom and the world, for the faith that Abraham becomes for all nations to be BLESSED IN HIM.)
God testifies of Abraham, that He knows him, that he will command his children and household after him, ( to be FAITHFUL TO GOD) and they SHALL KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD, to DO JUSTICE AND JUDGEMENT, that the Lord MAY BRING UPON ABRAHAM THAT WHICH HE HAS SPOKEN OF HIM.
Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Genesis 17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
Genesis 18:17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after
him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of
him.
Accusation 1-6. God we saw was hiding what he was doing, not deceiving the people, but they had no understanding of what God was doing, so it may appear to some of deception. ( Abraham is with God)
Abraham knew the difference between fear of man and fear of God, and rightly believed the fear of God was not in any of the places he had to visit for the Lord Gods commandments. ( God sent Abraham to these places....By
faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. Hebrews 11:8.)
To understand if Abraham was a criminal/sinner, we have to balance that against what the Egyptians show themselves to be. ( in a moment)
Abraham was believing in all God had and was showing him, he cant be an unbeliever. ( the testimony in the Epistles is of the faith of Abraham, not of the unbelief of him.)
If it was a sin for Abraham to tell Sarah to say she is Abrahams sister, there would be no truth to it at all, yet there is no lie to it at all, as she was, and became his wife, and that did not mean she was no longer his sister.
Here is the balance of the matter and the outcome of Gods approval, or disapproval. ( more important that human judges on the Lords holy dignities)
It is God who WITHHELD HIM FROM SINNING, not Abraham sinning, but Abimelech, and God instructed Abimelech to restore what he had wrongly taken away, ( Abraham being right to worry about these peoples actions) and that ABRAHAM would PRAY FOR ABIMELECH. ( God has approved of ABRAHAM, and disapproved of Abimelech.)....
Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
Here is the other matter the accusers of the brothers are UNAWARE OF, how God CAUSED ABRAHAM TO WANDER, and Abraham shows every place was indeed without the FEAR OF GOD, as Abraham FEARED GOD.
Further testimony for this, is this, Abimelech does not judge Abraham as wrong AT ALL.
Abimelech REPENTS, PAYS RESTITUDE, to both Sarah and to Abraham, Abimelech has to REPROVE SARAH, not Abraham.
Also Abraham has to seek FORGIVENESS FOR ABIMELECH, praying to God to HEAL ABIMELECH, and HIS WIFE....
Genesis 20:11 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.
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.
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 shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.
Genesis 20:16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.
17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.
These are the steps of our father Abraham, which steps we are to WALK IN.
Abraham of faith, the father of us all. ( in the same faith.)
Our father Abraham was JUSTIFIED, faith with his works, and by the works Abraham did, faith was MADE PERFECT, ( the covenant God made with Abraham for him to walk before God and to be perfect.) Abraham BELIEVED GOD, and he was called THE FRIEND OF GOD...
Romans 4:12 And the
father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our
father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to
all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of
Abraham; who is the
father of us
all,
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
