Why did Abraham assume there was no fear of God in Gerar, as stated in Genesis 20:11? Historical-Geographical Context Of Gerar Gerar lay in the Negev’s western edge (modern Tell Jemmeh / Tell Abu Hureirah). Contemporary royal archives from nearby Mari (18th c. BC) describe Canaanite monarchies built on polytheistic cults, temple prostitution, and violent power exchanges. Archaeology at Gerar’s strata (MB II layers) yields fertility figurines and sacrificial altars consistent with Canaanite-Philistine religious practice, not Yahwistic worship. Abraham’S Earlier Experiences Shaping Perception 1. Egypt (Genesis 12): Pharaoh’s court seized Sarai; divine plagues alone preserved her. 2. Sodom & Gomorrah (Genesis 18–19): Extreme moral decay; only Lot’s household spared. Pattern: urban centers east and south of Canaan displayed violence and sexual exploitation. These memories primed Abraham to expect identical godlessness in Gerar. Moral Climate Of Canaanite City-States Ugaritic (Ras Shamra) tablets catalog ritual sex acts (KTU 1.23), child sacrifice to Molech appears at 13th-century Tophet layers in Carthage (colonial Canaanites), and Leviticus 18 cites prevailing land practices centuries later. These data illustrate a region famed for sexual predation and bloodshed, rationalizing Abraham’s fear. Gerar Under King Abimelech Abimelech (“my father is king”) bore a typical pagan theophoric name. Yet Yahweh intervened in a dream (Genesis 20:3–7), revealing Himself and restraining sin. Abimelech’s subsequent integrity shows that pockets of God-fear could exist unbeknownst to outsiders; still, Abraham could not assume that prior to the dream’s events. Chronological Note Using Ussher’s chronology, Genesis 20 occurs c. 1896 BC, thirteen years after Ishmael’s birth (Genesis 16:16 → 1911 BC) and within one year of Isaac’s conception (Genesis 21:2). Patriarchal customs in the narrative mirror Nuzi and Mari tablets of Middle Bronze Age—e.g., calling a wife “sister” to secure tribal alliances. Theological Lessons • Fear of God is foundational to moral restraint (Proverbs 9:10). Absence thereof endangers the innocent. • God’s sovereignty overrides human failings; He preserves the covenant line (Sarah protected, Isaac forthcoming). • Believers may lapse into fear-driven deception, yet God remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). Practical Application Modern disciples must evaluate culture realistically without succumbing to faithless panic. Evangelism flourishes when we, unlike Abraham here, trust God’s protection while declaring truth, thereby cultivating genuine “fear of God” in society (Acts 10:35). Conclusion Abraham assumed Gerar lacked the fear of God because his prior encounters with pagan societies, the documented depravity of Canaanite city-states, and observable polytheistic worship in Gerar convinced him its rulers possessed no divine accountability. His fear, though humanly understandable, underestimated God’s pervasive authority—a lesson preserved in Scripture to exhort faith over fear. |
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