I. ROOT OF HIS FAULT - UNBELIEF; want of all-embracing trust. His faith was real and vigorous (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:12), but partial (cf. Genesis 27:19; Matthew 14:28). Shrank from trusting God fully. Turned to human devices, and thus turned out of the way (Proverbs 3:5). Partial distrust may be found even where real faith. A very common instance is trusting in God for spiritual blessings only. A large part of our actions, especially in little things, springs not from conscious decision, but from habitual modes of thought and feeling. We act instinctively, according to what is the natural drift of thought. Abraham had so dwelt on the danger that he forgot the help at hand (Psalm 34:7; Romans 8:28). Bold in action, his faith failed when danger threatened. To endure is a greater trial of faith than to do. To stand firm amid secularizing influences, ridicule, misconstruction is harder than to do some great thing. St. Peter was ready to fight for his Master, but failed to endure (Mark 14:50-71; Galatians 2:12). So to St. Paul's "What wilt thou have me to do?" the Lord's word was, "I will show him how great things he must suffer." II. FORM OF HIS FAULT - UNTRUTH. Contrary to the mind of Christ. May be without direct statement of untruth. May be by true words so used as to convey a wrong idea; by pretences, e. g. taking credit unduly for any possession or power; by being ashamed to admit our motives; or by untruth in the spiritual life, making unreal professions in prayer, or self-deceiving. Every day brings numberless trials. These can be resisted only by the habit of truthfulness, gained by cultivating "truth in the inward parts," aiming at entire truthfulness. Nothing unpractical in this. May be said, Mast I tell all my thoughts to every one? Not so. Many things we have no right to speak; e.g. things told in confidence, or what would give unnecessary pain. Concealment when it is right is not untruth. No doubt questions of difficulty may arise. Hence rules of casuistry. But a Christian should be guided by principles rather than by rules (Galatians 5:1); and wisdom to apply these rightly is to be gained by studying the character of Christ, and prayer for the Holy Spirit's guidance (Luke 11:13; John 16:14). - M.
And Abraham said, Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place. The true fear of God was at that moment in Abimelech's heart, and not in Abraham's; it was Abimelech who was playing the Christian part, that of the child of the light and of the day; Abraham was for the moment the child of fear, darkness, night.I. CONSIDER THE ORIGIN OF THE HABIT OF HARSH JUDGMENT. TWO main sources. 1. The first a heathen Roman can illustrate for us (Acts 22:27, 28). The thing has cost us much; we feel it is hard to believe that it can be widely shared. Abraham had made a terrible sacrifice to assure his calling. As for those easy, jovial, prosperous heathen, surely the fear of God was not there. 2. A second source of this harshness of judgment is the predominance in all of us of the natural aristocratic principle over the Christian principle of communion. Men naturally believe in election. But, with tale exceptions, they naturally believe themselves to he the elect. It is hard indeed to believe that a private possession gains instead of loses by being shared by all mankind. II. THE HISTORIES OF SCRIPTURE ARE A PERPETUAL WARNING AGAINST NARROW AND SELFISH JUDGMENTS OF MEN. It is as if the Spirit had resolved that the virtues of those outside the pale should be kept clearly before the eyes of men. God is no respecter of persons, and He keeps hold in ways, of which we little dream, of the most unlikely human hearts. III. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN POLICY IN JUDGING MANKIND. 1. Let your personal fellowship be based on the clear explicit manifestation of that which is in tune with your higher life and Christ's. 2. As for those who are without, believe that God is nearer to them than you wot of, and has more to do with them than you dream. (J. B. Brown, B. A.) 1. Belief in a moral standard of right and wrong. 2. Belief in the moral relations of human society. 3. A sense of injured moral feeling in the presence of wrong. 4. A readiness to make restitution for faults committed against others. II. MORALITY OUTSIDE THE CHURCH MAY HAVE LESSONS OF REPROOF FOR THOSE WHO ARE WITHIN IT. 1. For their mean subterfuges. 2. Their distrust of Providence. 3. Their religious prejudices. (T. H. Leale.) 2. The evils of it are great. (1) (2) (3) People Abimelech, Abraham, SarahPlaces Gerar, Kadesh-barnea, Negeb, Shur DesertTopics Abimelech, Abim'elech, Bondmen, Bondwomen, Cattle, Female, Giveth, Handmaids, Male, Menservants, Men-servants, Oxen, Restored, Returned, Sarah, Servants, Sheep, Slaves, Taketh, Wife, Womenservants, Women-servantsOutline 1. Abraham sojourns at Gerar.2. Denies his wife, who is taken by Abimelech. 3. Abimelech is reproved for her in a dream. 9. He rebukes Abraham. 14. Restores Sarah; 16. and reproves her. 17. Abimelech and his family are healed at Abraham's prayer. Dictionary of Bible Themes Genesis 20:14 5076 Abraham, life of Library The Sick Person Ought Now to Send for Some Godly and Religious Pastor. In any wise remember, if conveniently it may be, to send for some godly and religious pastor, not only to pray for thee at thy death--for God in such a case hath promised to hear the prayers of the righteous prophets, and elders of the church (Gen. xx. 7; Jer. xviii. 20; xv. 1; 1 Sam. xii. 19, 23; James v. 14, 15, 16)--but also upon thy unfeigned repentance to declare to thee the absolution of thy sins. For as Christ hath given him a calling to baptize thee unto repentance for the remission of thy … Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Ascalon. Gerar. The Story of the Eighty Witches. Sovereignty and Human Responsibility And to Holy David Indeed it Might More Justly be Said... The Interpretation of the Early Narratives of the Old Testament Meditations against Despair, or Doubting of God's Mercy. Annunciation to Joseph of the Birth of Jesus. Genesis Links Genesis 20:14 NIVGenesis 20:14 NLT Genesis 20:14 ESV Genesis 20:14 NASB Genesis 20:14 KJV Genesis 20:14 Bible Apps Genesis 20:14 Parallel Genesis 20:14 Biblia Paralela Genesis 20:14 Chinese Bible Genesis 20:14 French Bible Genesis 20:14 German Bible Genesis 20:14 Commentaries Bible Hub |
    |