1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,000 I'm together. Hallelujah. 2 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,840 Amen. Do you still have times in your 3 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:21,920 life that you're filled with wonder concerning the Lord? 4 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,560 I don't want that aspect. I don't want that wonder to ever 5 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:27,600 leave me. Right? 6 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:34,360 Don't want to get calloused. So familiar that I'm no longer 7 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:40,640 all inspired by the Lord and His ability or even just what He's 8 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,360 done for me personally. Very easy sometimes to get 9 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:49,000 callous, just get in the mode of routine and and forget really 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,840 the sacrifice that was made. The hope that I would not have 11 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,440 had it not been. Amen for Him. 12 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,000 We stand where we are today only because of him and I still that 13 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,840 want that to strike me with wonder with all Amen of what God 14 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,360 has done Hallelujah. Just a few things tonight 15 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:13,400 concerning announcement wise Bishop and sister McGee ministry 16 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,040 appreciation is taking place the 17th through the 23rd of this 17 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:18,360 month. If you have any questions 18 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,840 concerning that, you can see Brother Reese Singer or Sister 19 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:23,960 Jennifer Cruise. All right, Either one of them 20 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:28,000 can help and direct you. Also, the 22nd and the 23rd of 21 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,600 this month, that's a Friday and a Saturday, is the Indiana 22 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,040 District Women's Esprit Conference. 23 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:37,320 And so if you're going, you probably already know you are 24 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:39,680 all right and you have a room and all that. 25 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,600 And Sister McGee, we'll begin with you about leaving time and 26 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,480 things of that nature as that approaches. 27 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,760 Also the 29th and the 30th of this month is a Haven Haven 28 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,120 Music Conference in Henderson, KY Haven across the church. 29 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,160 Brother Doctor Mason will be speaking on that Friday night. 30 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,040 And on Saturday, I think there's a, some of a feature of the 31 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,840 first absolute Church praise team that's going to be there as 32 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:05,440 well. If you have any questions, you 33 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,720 can see any of the Masons that I'm sure they can give you 34 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,320 further information. And then on the 31st of this 35 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,680 month is our fifth Sunday. Our guest speaker this month is 36 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,080 going to be Pastor Anthony Wilkes and his wife Lisa, a man 37 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,800 from VB Indiana going to come over and minister the word of 38 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:22,640 the Lord on that Sunday morning. Amen. 39 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,280 Let's turn to the book of Genesis chapter 20. 40 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:36,080 Genesis chapter #20 I'm, I'm going to probably read the first 41 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,520 8 verses and then I'll allow you to be seated. 42 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:40,640 All right. And then I'll continue reading 43 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:44,600 the rest of it because it's kind of just the story within itself. 44 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,440 It's a story within the story. The Bible has a lot of those 45 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,040 stories within the stories. It's a story within a greater 46 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,320 story of Genesis, which Genesis is a part of a greater story 47 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,920 called the Bible. It's amazing how Scripture works 48 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:57,520 like that. That's the reason why you can't 49 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,280 just pluck 1 solitary verse out of scripture because that verse 50 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,240 is a part of a story that's a part of a bigger story. 51 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,320 It's part of a grander story concerning the host Scripture. 52 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,920 In reality, you can take the Bible and pour it through any 53 00:03:09,920 --> 00:03:15,280 verse, which is amazing. Amen Genesis chapter #20 I'm 54 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,600 going to read the first the first 8 verses the Bible says in 55 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,360 the Abraham and I know in case anybody lifts their hand like I 56 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:23,800 know school starts tomorrow, right? 57 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,680 This reason why we start like this is 830. 58 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,400 We try to get out by and I think we usually do it. 59 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:30,840 Amen. And Abraham journeyed from 60 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:35,240 thence toward the S country, and dwell between K dish and sure, 61 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:39,040 and sojourned. And Garrar and Abraham said of 62 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,440 Sarah, his wife. She is my sister. 63 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,160 If this starts to sound familiar, it's probably because 64 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,640 we've read something similar to this chapters back. 65 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,480 And Abimelech king of Garrar, sent and took Sarah. 66 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,560 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, 67 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,760 Behold, thou art but a dead man for the woman which thou has 68 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,880 taken, for she is a man's wife. And Abimelech had not come near 69 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:05,640 her. And he said, Lord, wilt thou 70 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:10,160 slay also a righteous nation, said he not To me she is my 71 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:14,520 sister, and she, even she herself, said, He is my brother. 72 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:20,279 In the integrity of my heart and innocence, in an innocency of my 73 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,640 hands, have I done this. And God said unto him in a 74 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,800 dream, Yeah, I know that thou didest this in the integrity of 75 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,920 thy heart. For I also withheld thee from 76 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:31,800 sinning against me. Therefore suffered I thee not to 77 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,600 touch her. Now therefore restore the man 78 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,720 his wife, for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and 79 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,240 thou shalt live. And if thou restore her not, 80 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,720 know that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine. 81 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,480 Therefore, Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his 82 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:51,960 servants and told all these things in their ears, and the 83 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,800 men were so afraid. I'll pray, I'll let you be seen, 84 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:56,920 and I'll continue reading. I want to talk tonight about 85 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:03,280 God's faithfulness despite us. God's faithfulness despite us. 86 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:05,400 Let's pray. Father, we thank you, Jesus. 87 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,480 Another night, God, another time will become the center our lives 88 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,280 around your word. God, let your words speak to us. 89 00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:14,280 God, we know it's relevant. God is the words of life, God, 90 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:16,920 and even speaks of you. Help us the Lord tonight. 91 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,320 Open our understanding to it. We'll give you the praise and 92 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,160 thanks for it in Jesus name. You may be seated. 93 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,280 I'm continuing with verse 9. All right, The Bible says. 94 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:28,640 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, What has thou 95 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:33,400 done to us, and what have I offended thee, that thou has 96 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,080 brought on me and on my Kingdom a great sin that must have done 97 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:39,480 deeds and to me that ought not be done? 98 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,920 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What solace thou that thou has 99 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,920 done this thing? And Abraham said, Because I 100 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,840 thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they 101 00:05:50,840 --> 00:05:54,880 will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed she is my sister. 102 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,280 She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of 103 00:05:57,280 --> 00:06:00,120 my mother. And she became my wife. 104 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:02,920 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my 105 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:07,160 father's house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which 106 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,360 thou shalt shew unto me at every place, whether we shall come 107 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,520 save me. He is my brother. 108 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,040 And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, the men servants and women 109 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,240 servants, and gave them to Abraham, and restored him Sarah 110 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:21,600 his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my 111 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,320 land is before thee, dwell where it pleaseth thee. 112 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,560 And the Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brethren 1000 113 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,920 pieces of silver. Behold, he is to thee a covering 114 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:35,480 of the eyes, and to all that are with thee, and with all other. 115 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,000 Thus she was reproved. So Abraham prayed unto God, and 116 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,640 God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maid servants, and 117 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,920 they bear children. For the Lord had fast closed up 118 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,960 all the wombs of the House of Abimelech because of Sarah, 119 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,480 Abraham's wife. Again, I want to talk about 120 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:56,000 God's faithfulness despite us for a little bit tonight. 121 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,920 I want to kind of take the overview, the bird's eye view of 122 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,800 this chapter, and maybe we'll get more down into maybe the 123 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,720 minor details, but just an overview tonight, if you will. 124 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:07,760 And I think it's important to note that as we go through the 125 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,120 book of Genesis, or as we have been through it thus far, that 126 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,840 not every year of Abraham's life is accounted for, right? 127 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,480 We don't have a story or a reckoning of every year of 128 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:22,600 Abraham's life in the Bible, but there are parts that are shared 129 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,040 with us, and that would be the same with almost any character 130 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:27,080 of the Bible. It's not like we have a daily 131 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,680 journal of their life, right? So certain information is given 132 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:34,160 to us and if it is, we got to ask ourselves the question why 133 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,680 the God deemed that this portion of this individual's life, why 134 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,520 was that shared with us all right? 135 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:43,240 What was their purpose? What was their importance in 136 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,160 this? And so when we look at chapter 137 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,480 20, evidently it's important for some reason that God would share 138 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,840 this aspect of Abraham's life with us. 139 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,280 And it's nestled between two chapters. 140 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,800 We've already been studying for the past several weeks. 141 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:58,880 We had studied a lot and everything that happened with 142 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,920 with Sodom and Gomorrah and this destruction and he and his 143 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:06,240 daughters in The Cave, all these things which seem to be at all 144 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:10,320 time low. The whole lot saga, right? 145 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,480 And then the next chapter, we're going to look at something we've 146 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:17,120 been waiting on for quite some time in the story of Abraham, 147 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,280 and that's the birth of the promised child. 148 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:22,160 We've had Ishmael being born that came from Hagar and 149 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:24,520 Abraham. But now that union finally 150 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:28,520 between he and his wife Sarah is going to produce a child. 151 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:32,039 And so that's a very high mark. So we have chapter 20 that's 152 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:36,039 between these these two and it's really what we see in chapter 153 00:08:36,039 --> 00:08:38,280 20. There are some reflections there 154 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:40,360 and I'll point them out to you. But there are some reflections 155 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:44,120 there on Sodom and Gomorrah and that host situation that I think 156 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:49,280 influence chapter 20 somewhat. But there is also the story of 157 00:08:49,560 --> 00:08:52,400 Abraham, who we said from the very beginning, the moment that 158 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:57,040 he left error of child DS and his family, his father, his 159 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,080 native country, that he's been on a journey of growth 160 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,400 spiritually, right? He's left a place who's his 161 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,840 father was a Pagan worshipper. He has left that and has turned 162 00:09:06,840 --> 00:09:09,520 his devotion and attention to the one true Lord. 163 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:11,680 And so he's been on a trajectory of growth. 164 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,720 But as we've already seen in his life, you can be on a trajectory 165 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,560 of growth and still have doubts that arise in your life. 166 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,000 You can be on the trajectory of growth and still be imperfect. 167 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,560 And I believe that's what's highlighted it for one aspect 168 00:09:27,560 --> 00:09:32,680 here in Genesis chapter #20 we are watching an ongoing process 169 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:36,520 of the imperfect spiritual growth pattern for Abraham. 170 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,520 Just because on one hand he prays and intercedes for over a 171 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,440 city doesn't mean that his life from that point on is going to 172 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,200 be without mistake or without flaw. 173 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:48,840 And I think anybody here can testify and look over your life 174 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:51,960 from the moment you come to the Lord and say it's not been 175 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:56,600 flawless or without mistake. All right. 176 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,120 And so this event that takes place in Genesis chapter #20 177 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:02,920 it's similar to something that we've already studied. 178 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:04,640 Some of it may sound very familiar. 179 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:09,880 It's similar to Genesis chapter #12 when Abraham went down into 180 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,000 Egypt because of famine. And it was there to Pharaoh that 181 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,480 he said, this woman is my sister, which there's some truth 182 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:20,560 to that because like his half sister. 183 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:25,320 But the real relationship that he had at that moment was that's 184 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,440 my wife. But he said the same thing 185 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:29,920 whenever he went down into Egypt. 186 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:34,520 But that was about 25 years ago. It's about 25 years ago. 187 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,760 This is like about 25 years later then that he's entering 188 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:43,200 into a similar situation. For that matter, we may have 189 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,200 called that deception then. And he's early in his experience 190 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,240 of growth of God. But even 25 years after growing 191 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,680 a little bit more in God, he's making a similar mistake. 192 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:57,560 I don't know if anybody can resonate with Abraham right 193 00:10:57,560 --> 00:10:59,720 here. Have you ever made a mistake 194 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:05,440 again? There might have been years 195 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:07,320 between them, but you did it again. 196 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,200 And so this is where we find our dear character, Abraham. 197 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:14,120 And there's a lot of things that have changed in that 25 years 198 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:20,240 because in in Genesis chapter #12 we learn that Abraham is 199 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,240 going to be the father of a great nation. 200 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,720 The whole details about that are not there. 201 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:28,520 It's a very general going to be a father of a great nation. 202 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,360 As time goes on through Scripture, we have seen it. 203 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:35,040 It's got more defined. If we've been told they have 204 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:38,520 learned, both Abraham and Sarah have learned that this, in order 205 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:40,960 to have a great nation, you're going to have to have a child, 206 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,680 but Sarah's been barren, unable to have children. 207 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:48,040 Thus the Haggar, Abraham, Ishmael thing, all right. 208 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,440 But through the process of time, we've learned, Sarah has 209 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,360 learned, Abraham has learned more specifically that they 210 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:56,640 would have a son. They've even learned that his 211 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,320 name should be called Isaac. Matter of fact, just recently in 212 00:12:00,320 --> 00:12:04,560 chapter #18 they have learned that according to the time of 213 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:07,360 life, it's been spoken to them that according to the time of 214 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:11,080 life, that God the angelic was going to return and she's going 215 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,360 to have a child's. So Isaac is basically on 216 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,560 schedule on the calendar. It's not just some generality. 217 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:21,120 Now we have all of these details of what's going to happen, how 218 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:23,680 his name's going to be something be called, he's going to be his 219 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:26,720 son, and it's going to happen within about nine months or so 220 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,280 of time from the moment that they had spoke to them. 221 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:36,160 Nonetheless, the Bible says that Abraham resorted to Gerard and 222 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:40,680 this is a geographic location that what will become a place 223 00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:42,920 where the Philistines usually inhabit. 224 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:48,680 And as he comes to this place, he claims one more time Sarah is 225 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:51,560 my sister. As he's entering to the 226 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:57,880 situation both times, Abraham is trying to preserve himself. 227 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:01,720 He's got some doubts. He's trying to preserve himself 228 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,080 in Genesis 12 and 12 and they don't have that. 229 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:07,920 There's just a reference. But in Genesis 12 and 1225 years 230 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,160 ago, his reasoning, he said they will kill me. 231 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,600 Whenever he went down in Egypt, he said they will kill me, but 232 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:18,120 they will save thee alive. They're going to kill me, but 233 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:19,800 they're going to save Sarah alive. 234 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:24,000 That's what his plea was. Now in Genesis 2011, he says 235 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,160 they will slay me for my wife's sake. 236 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:29,840 So both times it's self preservation. 237 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,120 He's trying to protect himself. Now let's let's remember who 238 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:37,840 we're talking about. Your folks father Abraham, huh? 239 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:44,040 The one that Romans 411 says calls Abraham the father of all 240 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:46,680 who believe New Testament Scripture. 241 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:51,600 Galatians 39 calls him this man, the man of faith. 242 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,600 So many times people ascribe it's faithful father Abraham, 243 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,120 and we even have scriptural precedence. 244 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,000 This is the guy that we're talking about. 245 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,400 But what that proves to us that even a man of faith can have 246 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,040 doubts. Again, I've told you before, 247 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,800 there's a vast difference between doubt and unbelief. 248 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,520 Doubts, people are just kind of in a struggle. 249 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,160 Unbelief is just absolute. I do not believe doubt is a 250 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,680 struggling spot. But he doesn't just have it 251 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,240 once, but he has it twice and even more than that. 252 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:29,520 Look at this, Genesis 2013. We read over it, but you might 253 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:33,280 not have catch it, caught it. He says when God calls me to 254 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,720 wander from my father's house, He's talking to Abimelech. 255 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,280 Whenever I started this journey from her child ease, he says, I 256 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:43,400 said into her or into Sarah, This is thy kindness which thou 257 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:48,360 shew unto me at every place. If I say every at every place, 258 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:52,080 whether we shall come say of me, he is my brother. 259 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,240 So we have the episode in chapter 12 and in chapter #20. 260 00:14:56,560 --> 00:15:01,000 But evidently the other places that they went, he said she's my 261 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:02,640 sister. She said he's my brother. 262 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,440 Self preservation. Ultimately it was for Abraham. 263 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:10,000 He's been doing this all along the journey since he left his 264 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,800 father's house. And it seems to have worked for 265 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,840 them. I mean, they've survived. 266 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,320 Here they are. It seems to work for them. 267 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:21,480 But let's not forget, even back in Genesis 12 when he did it in 268 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,880 Egypt, remember what his saving grace was there? 269 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:29,880 The Bible says that he plagued the House of Pharaoh and his 270 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:34,240 household and Pharaoh then released Sarah, his wife, and 271 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:37,560 told them to get up out of Egypt. 272 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:41,400 And so although it may seem like man, this has been working, we 273 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,800 got to see the the underneath side of this that also God has 274 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,560 been at work. Let's pause for a moment and 275 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,400 think that sometimes when we think that things have happened 276 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:56,880 by our own efforts and by our own devising, that there's 277 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,360 another often unseen side to it where God's been doing the work, 278 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:08,000 safeguarding, protecting, directing, correcting many 279 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,320 things in our life. Amen. 280 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:14,360 So Pharaoh, here's the thing. Pharaoh back in Genesis 12 could 281 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,000 have made Sarah one of his wives. 282 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,480 He could have abimelech in our story. 283 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:21,560 He may have very well have done the same. 284 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:24,720 And while that may seem insignificant, this is still the 285 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,640 birds that overfly here. OK, while that's may seem 286 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:32,080 insignificant, it matters whenever you consider we are on 287 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:40,400 the cusp of having the promised child born in about nine months 288 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,360 of time. Why is that important? 289 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:45,640 Is everybody OK? I got to do just a little review 290 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,520 for us to remember. If you'll remember, in Genesis 291 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:53,600 18, whenever the angels have come and the Lord has come and 292 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,600 Abraham starts going through all these modes of hospitality and 293 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,360 Sarah's making bread, and she made an exorbitant amount. 294 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:04,680 And we see later though she wasn't there to serve, but then 295 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,480 we hear the story of those angels asking Abraham. 296 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,599 The Lord says, where is Sarah? And he says in the tent, You'll 297 00:17:12,599 --> 00:17:15,079 remember back that lesson. I know it's been a little while 298 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:18,920 ago, but that wording, that phraseology in the tent in that 299 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,640 day was a euphemism or was another way of saying that it 300 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:28,880 was that time of the month, which was peculiar because she 301 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:37,560 is a old post menopausal woman. But God had a promise that he 302 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:41,880 was bringing down the dusty Rd. It's in this moment that they're 303 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,760 going to talk about how a year from this time or, or according 304 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,560 to the time of life, we're going to come and visit the sun. 305 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:53,000 The amazing thing about this is what was happening inside of 306 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,200 Sarah. Her womb was being rejuvenated 307 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:58,800 for the purpose of being able to have a pregnancy. 308 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:03,680 She was starting to have something that biologically she 309 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,400 shouldn't have been having because she was past that time, 310 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:09,520 but God was. That's a reason why she has her 311 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:11,960 laughter and amusement over what's being said. 312 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:15,080 Not just the fact that she's old, but she knows what's taking 313 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,840 place right now in the tent. She's starting. 314 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,320 Her womb is be rejuvenated. It's being prepared for the 315 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:28,240 possibility of reproduction. But with all of that being said, 316 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:33,840 of all that being said, understand the significance of 317 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,200 her being taken by Abimelech right here in chapter 20. 318 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:43,440 Think what would happen if Abimelech did have sexual 319 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:47,800 relations with her. Then the seed that would come in 320 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:53,160 the next chapter would be under suspicion whether that was 321 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:58,240 Abraham's or that was Abimelechs and being they had never 322 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,520 children between themselves to begin with. 323 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,320 It would be slanted toward that was Abimelech. 324 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,120 Folks, that doesn't just taint the promised seed, but that 325 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:09,520 taints the seed of everything passed there all the way to the 326 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:16,440 line of Christ Jesus. It looks like this whole 327 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:20,000 unraveling of things, you know comes about with with Abraham 328 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,240 making some poor decisions, right? 329 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:26,800 Because Abraham's actions could have jeopardized the promise. 330 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,960 But what did God do? On the flip side, he speaks to 331 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:36,080 Abimelech in the dream and says that is another man's wife. 332 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,360 That's just not just some common that's not his sister and he 333 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:43,840 safeguards if you will, the promise God even says in verse 334 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:48,240 number six he told Abimelech in the dream for I also withheld 335 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:52,040 thee from sinning against me. Therefore suffered I thee not to 336 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:54,640 touch her, which is just another word of talking about sexual 337 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,720 relations. I I suffered you not to do that 338 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,200 because I don't need this child being under suspicion about 339 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,200 whose child it is. This is the promise. 340 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,280 See the one through which is going to come the. 341 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,680 Promise of you becoming a great nation. 342 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,080 This is the one. So what has God done? 343 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,440 God has guarded his covenant promise with Abraham. 344 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,040 He has guarded his covenant promise. 345 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:22,320 I said all that to say this, ladies and gentlemen, we can be 346 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:26,680 of the strongest believer sometimes and even revert to old 347 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:32,280 patterns of fear and inconsistency and try to self 348 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,800 preserve. A lot of times it happens when 349 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,320 we're under pressure. You ever noticed that 350 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:39,160 temptation? That's when you're under 351 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:42,720 pressure, failing and falling. It's when you're under pressure, 352 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,080 right? But Abraham had decades of 353 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,440 walking with God experience at this point. 354 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:52,440 Yet when he was under pressure again, he falls back on a human 355 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,920 strategy. And it nearly compromised the 356 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:59,680 promise for their lives. So that tells me, and this isn't 357 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,320 and this is, this is substantiated in Scripture, but 358 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,920 that tells me that spiritual maturity does not eliminate us 359 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:12,800 from being vulnerable. That's why New Testament tells 360 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:18,600 us, when you think ye stand, take heed lest ye fall, right? 361 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:21,800 That's the Scripture. But the encouraging truth that I 362 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:26,760 received from this is this is that God's purposes are not 363 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,400 always at the mercy of our failures. 364 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,360 What's that mean that while we can make decisions and sometimes 365 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:38,480 it, it causes the plans of God to be at risk from our 366 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,720 perspective and from our viewpoint, God concerning his 367 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,040 covenant faithfulness in Scripture and even in our lives. 368 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:48,840 Amen. God ensures that his promises 369 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:54,000 that he's made, they will come to pass because grace, the grace 370 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,760 of God, grace of God, doesn't just work in tandem with our 371 00:21:57,760 --> 00:22:03,000 obedience, but it also sometimes works around our disobedience in 372 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:08,040 order to keep the integrity of the plan that God had in place. 373 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,840 Now that's the overview. Let's meander through some 374 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,160 details. When we look at verse #1 here's 375 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,600 Abraham previously, because he's left somewhere. 376 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:20,320 The Bible says he journeyed from thence. 377 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,240 He left Main Marine near Hebron. There in Genesis chapter 18, 378 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,520 where he had been, where he had his altar built, he travels 379 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:29,160 South and he goes to this region. 380 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:33,160 The Bible says says that he dwelt between Tadish and Surer 381 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,360 and he sojourned. He sojourned to Gerar. 382 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:42,840 So understand, we've seen this Abraham, he has flocks, he has 383 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,920 herds, he has livestock. He's a nomadic man. 384 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,640 He's going from place to place for grass and for the feeding of 385 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,160 his flock. And so it makes sense that he 386 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,800 would settle in the area Abbey that is just like a generality 387 00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:00,800 area between K dish and between shur because he's going to take 388 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,640 his flock from place to place. You don't want them to over 389 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:06,960 graze just one single area, and so he's going to take them and 390 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:11,000 try to avoid that. But the Scripture tells us here 391 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:16,080 concerning the word of the Lord, that he even took them unto and 392 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:21,520 went unto Gerard. Someone say Gerard, he took them 393 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:26,760 unto Gerard. And Gerard is where he went to 394 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,240 sojourn. And this is very similar to his 395 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,400 trip to Egypt, because in Genesis 12 and verse 10, the 396 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,200 Bible says that Abraham went down into Egypt to sojourn 397 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,840 there. And now he comes and sojourns. 398 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:45,480 And Gerard, as a matter of fact, the classic amplified Bible says 399 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,080 it like this. He lived temporarily in Gerard, 400 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:53,960 and that's what a sojourning should be, a visit, a temporary 401 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:56,840 stay. But he's currently the dwelling 402 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:02,840 between Kadesh and Shur, and where he is, the dwelling is 403 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:06,920 almost a picture of his life in essence, spiritually at this 404 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:12,960 moment, Kadesh means holy sacred sanctuary, sure. 405 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,120 On the other hand, means wall or barrier. 406 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:22,640 Sure is a desert area that's between Egypt and Canaan. 407 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,400 It's possibly along the north part of Egypt. 408 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:28,000 There's Egypt, there's Canaan, and there's this desert area in 409 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:32,480 between as a border or a barrier, which is sure. 410 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:36,840 And for it would seem like Abraham is between the holy and 411 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:41,720 the boundary, if you will, the sanctuary in that transitional 412 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,440 border zone that is the next step. 413 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,880 Egypt. He's not forsaking God. 414 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:52,000 He's not forsaking God, but he's also not walking in the full 415 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:57,320 bonus that he could be walking with God of faith as the man 416 00:24:57,320 --> 00:25:00,640 that he's been known to be. So in essence, his geographic 417 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,320 location kind of mirrors his spiritual location of where he's 418 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,120 at right now. And Gerard, on the other hand, 419 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:11,440 is on the fringes of the promised land fringes again. 420 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:15,800 It's on the border, if you will. It's in that desert region. 421 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:21,200 And for fear's sake, Abraham has claimed Sarah as his sister 422 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:27,480 rather than his wife to the king of Gerard, which is Abimelech. 423 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,560 Because fear. Here's what fear I know happens. 424 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,520 Even in my own life, fear can sometimes come along and it 425 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,680 causes me to pull back and revert to some old defense 426 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,120 mechanisms. Even after deep encounters with 427 00:25:41,120 --> 00:25:45,240 God, fear arises like muscle memory kicks in. 428 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:51,280 Protect. Protect at all cost sometimes. 429 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:55,640 So Abimelech takes Sarah, since he's under the impression that 430 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,560 it's not Abraham's wife, it's his sister. 431 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:03,040 Warren Wearsby said this. He said in that day a king had 432 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,920 the right to take into his harem any single woman who pleased 433 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:09,400 him. So without again, without there 434 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,960 being any children between Abraham and Sarah that no doubt 435 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:16,760 just concreted the fact that this is a eligible woman to be 436 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,560 taken. It seems believable that this is 437 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,440 only his sister. Now Sarah, here we go. 438 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:28,480 Sarah's around around 90 years old at this time. 439 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,840 We know, according to chapter 18, that her ability, some 440 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:39,760 people's already understanding her ability to have children has 441 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:46,240 already passed. It's a laughable concept. 25 442 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:49,440 years have expired since Genesis 12 and Genesis 20. 443 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:55,160 All right, Now, Pharaoh, he may have wanted Sarah in order to 444 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:58,000 add to his wives to have children in offspring. 445 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:01,440 What about her dear old boy Abimelech here? 446 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:06,480 What about Abimelech? Well, it was common. 447 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:11,960 It was common for people to take wives of other people for the 448 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:15,280 purpose of making alliances with those people. 449 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:17,440 You have that author out Scripture. 450 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,160 David did it a lot, Solomon did it a lot. 451 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,840 They married certain ones strategically so that they would 452 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,080 have an alliance with another nation or with another country. 453 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:32,400 And so here is Abimelech considering this woman who is 454 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:37,320 supposed to be the sister of Abraham, and he may have been 455 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:40,440 looking at an alliance with a nation different from him. 456 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:45,040 Nonetheless, the Bible tells us that God intervenes and he 457 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,840 protects his people. And here's the thing, God didn't 458 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:49,480 just protect his people from others. 459 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:50,600 And this is what I'm thankful for. 460 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:54,080 The Lord, the Lord sometimes also protects us from us. 461 00:28:01,940 --> 00:28:07,360 Amen. Sometimes I am the enemy to 462 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:12,360 myself. So God revealed to Amalek, yes, 463 00:28:12,360 --> 00:28:15,880 in a dream Sarah is a man's wife, he said, But thou art in 464 00:28:15,880 --> 00:28:18,960 verse 3, but thou, thou art a dead man. 465 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:23,680 She is a man's wife. And yet the Bible tells us 466 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,720 Abimelech did not come near Sarah. 467 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,360 And whenever I talking about some reflections back on Lot and 468 00:28:30,360 --> 00:28:32,920 Sodom Gomara, this is one of the things I'm talking about right 469 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:37,440 here because Abimelech said into the Lord, Lord, wilt thou slay 470 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,320 also a righteous nation. Remember what's just happened 471 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:46,200 God, if there's 10 righteous will you spare Sodom Gomorrah, a 472 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,480 wicked sinful city mentioned specifically stated as such in 473 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:54,000 Scripture and so Abem is like I've ignorantly done what I've 474 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:56,000 done. Will you destroy our whole 475 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,920 righteous nation over my ignorant deed that I've done See 476 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,240 everybody's remembering that that has not just happened too 477 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,840 far long ago to Sodom tomorrow and everything that shut down 478 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:07,720 there. He's saying is, is this going to 479 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,640 be the case here with me? And so Abimelech starts to 480 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,520 defend himself and and his defendant. 481 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:16,440 He says Abraham said it and Beau Sarah said it, that they were 482 00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:19,720 brother and sister. And he begins to claim, hey, I 483 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:23,480 didn't know integrity. He said of of of my heart, the 484 00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:25,960 innocence of my hands. I didn't do it. 485 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,080 And it's quite interesting to me that he states that the 486 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:33,000 integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands, because 487 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:38,000 here is an outsider, someone that is a non Israelite and he 488 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,760 equates being faultless with a complete picture of holiness. 489 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:50,640 It was the psalmist David that said in Psalms 24 you can read 490 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:54,480 it, he says who shall ascend into the heal of the Lord and 491 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:57,680 who shall stand in his holy place. 492 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:00,720 This is just what it triggers in my heart as I read over it this 493 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,640 week. He that hath clean hands 494 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:09,440 exterior and pure heart interior, who have not lifted up 495 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,600 his soul into vanity nor sworn deceitfully. 496 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,000 It blows me on the water. He's an outsider, but he's doing 497 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,560 his defense that he's not at fault and he equates it with 498 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:23,120 both inward and outward purity. I'm just saying if that's the 499 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:27,320 case, what should that bespeak to us and how we live our life, 500 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:33,680 even how those who are not of our faith see us live and 501 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:41,320 interpret our lives. So God's still speaking to 502 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,040 Abimelech. All this has taken place in the 503 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:47,160 dream of him speaking to Abimelech in verse 6. 504 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:49,760 And God tells him, I know your integrity. 505 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:54,640 I know your integrity, He says, but I've withheld you from 506 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:56,360 sinning. Here it is folks. 507 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:58,280 It's both sides of the coin. We got to look. 508 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:01,800 I know your integrity, but there's a God factor in there 509 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:05,040 too. I kept you from sinning. 510 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:09,200 I kept you from touching her. I kept you from having any type 511 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:13,800 of relations with her. Again, a horrible suspicion 512 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:15,920 would have been cast had it happen. 513 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,240 And in that sense, notice verse #6 God even tells him, 514 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,800 Abimelech, had you followed through with all this, you would 515 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:27,680 have sinned against me. God, you would have sinned 516 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,720 against me. I'm telling you today, we need 517 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,320 to be thankful as a church family and individually of the 518 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:39,560 times that God has proactively blocked our actions that might 519 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:44,640 have caused us to stumble. Because I'm convinced in my life 520 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:50,200 and even scripturally convinced that there are times unaware to 521 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:59,960 me that God has kept me. God has kept me. 522 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:04,000 The thing is, it's not everything that we do or could 523 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,040 do is necessarily wrong, but there's some things that we can 524 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:12,880 do that can lead to sin. It's not just that everything 525 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:16,480 that you participate in, everything you touch, No, it's 526 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:19,160 not that it's all wrong. It's what can it lead you to? 527 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:23,680 What can it lead you to? And so God's protection, 528 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:27,560 sometimes, many times in unexpected ways, he's not only 529 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:31,280 shielding us from some outside harm, but again, he's shielding 530 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:35,160 us from our own poor decisions and the places that we put 531 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:40,000 ourselves. So Abraham has this oat pattern. 532 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,280 Yes, there's fear there, self preservation, all of that, all 533 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:47,640 of that is there. He has some potential to put the 534 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,840 promise in jeopardy. But God steps in. 535 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:57,800 He preserves both Sarah's purity and the credibility then that 536 00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:02,200 that son that was born has come from Abraham and Sarah. 537 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:09,000 No doubts whatsoever. I think about another Scripture 538 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,640 when I'm thinking about how God has come alongside and helped 539 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:15,400 and aided and kept us from things at times, the psalmist 540 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:19,480 said in Psalms 19 and verse 12, he said who can understand his 541 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:24,920 errors? He says cleanse thou me from 542 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:30,880 secret faults. It seems even lately that 543 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:35,240 somehow I had a conversation with someone who's escaping me 544 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,280 right now. But tell me about, you know, 545 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:40,120 there are days that you just don't even know necessarily the 546 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:44,520 wrongs that you may have done in a day right to be able to just 547 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:48,720 emphatically stay XYZ and confess those particular things. 548 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:53,640 But this, this is a good good line of thought and and pattern 549 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:55,760 to follow. The psalmist is even saying 550 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:59,360 Lord, cleanse me, cleanse me from even my secret thoughts 551 00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:02,560 that could even possibly be secretive to him, right. 552 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,000 I didn't know that my tone was misheard and I hurt someone's, 553 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:08,480 you know, feelings. I didn't know you understand 554 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,120 there's things that happen that cause offenses sometimes that 555 00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,360 you don't even realize, but they're still there and still 556 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:16,719 valid for the one that happened to so cleanse me, thou Lord from 557 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:19,040 my secret faults. Verse 13, he says keep that thy 558 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,760 servant also from presumptuous sins. 559 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:24,960 It's those arrogant, proud in your face since he said keep 560 00:34:24,960 --> 00:34:29,760 your servant from those God. I know I got so much willpower, 561 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:33,159 but I know this thing doesn't work without your power, right? 562 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,040 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins. 563 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:37,560 Let them not have dominion over me. 564 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:40,880 Then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great 565 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,760 transgression. So he's as he said, Lord, I need 566 00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,080 you just as what's happened here in chapter 20. 567 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:47,760 I need your intervention in my life. 568 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:52,480 There are two sides to this coin and we don't always know the 569 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:57,400 other one has taken place. We just thought we just made we 570 00:34:57,400 --> 00:35:02,280 just swab. Reality is we weren't. 571 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:07,480 Notice the Bible in verse 7. God tells Abimelech, he says 572 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:10,640 restore and I think it's not funny, but it's just things that 573 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:14,560 you catch in Scripture. He said restore Abraham's wife. 574 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,880 He doesn't say restore Abraham's sister. 575 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:25,400 He says restore Abraham's wife and the way that Abimelech was 576 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,520 going to handle this, you got to understand this is a life or 577 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,280 death situation with Abimelech. That's what God has told him. 578 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:33,280 This is a life or death situation. 579 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:36,760 And so Abimelech handles this properly, sister mind, because 580 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:38,800 he's not like a life and death situation. 581 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:43,880 I'll get to it next week. The Bible says early the next 582 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,360 morning he's gathering in other people, He's telling them about 583 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:50,440 the situation and he's going to make matters right. 584 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:52,360 And the Bible says when he shared it with others, they were 585 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:54,080 sorely afraid. They're terrified he's going to 586 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,720 make matters right because in one instance, it's just not life 587 00:35:57,720 --> 00:36:00,520 and death for him. The Bible says it is life and 588 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:02,560 death. If you don't restore Sarah, it's 589 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:05,040 life and death for all that are thine. 590 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:06,640 This isn't just going to impact you. 591 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,920 This is impacting those people that are under your tutelage and 592 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:12,920 under your control. Everybody's going to die. 593 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,160 Amen. And so Abraham, here he is. 594 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:20,680 He tells God, tells Abimelech, he says this man that you're 595 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,760 dealing with, this is probably like, yes, he's taken aback by 596 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:25,120 this. He's a prophet. 597 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:27,240 And I'm going to have him pray for you. 598 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:31,240 And there's some really hard things to start to contend with 599 00:36:31,240 --> 00:36:33,560 here. I'm in this situation because 600 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:36,040 that man deceived me. Now you're telling me he's a 601 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:37,560 prophet. He's going to pray for me. 602 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:41,440 Well, guess what? Welcome to the real world. 603 00:36:41,480 --> 00:36:43,640 I know everybody and we get it all the time. 604 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:45,920 I can't believe so and so did that or that one did that. 605 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:47,320 They're supposed to be a Christian. 606 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:52,720 I hear it all the time and I understand that, and this is not 607 00:36:52,720 --> 00:36:59,600 an excuse, but this is real. We're also fallible humans and 608 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:01,920 we're still prone to mistake until Rapture day. 609 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:06,000 The Bible says judge nothing before it's time. 610 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:14,360 Abraham, the faithful Abraham, the ones going to pray for this 611 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:16,080 guy, yet he also the one that deceived him. 612 00:37:17,680 --> 00:37:22,880 Welcome to real life. I wish every day I was high on 613 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:25,280 the steed, but there's sometimes I'm underneath the steed. 614 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:28,560 You understand what I'm saying? There's days I get it right and 615 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:34,560 there's days I get it wrong. Amen. 616 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:41,800 So here's Abraham, he's not perfect, but what what's God 617 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:43,840 doing here? He is in this in between place 618 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:47,920 of K dish and sure right? He's in a teeter totter spot and 619 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:52,480 he's pulling Abraham back in to the aspect of his calling of 620 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:58,360 being the intercessor. Just did that over Sodom. 621 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:01,200 He's in a struggle spot right now. 622 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:03,760 What's he doing? He's being the gracious God that 623 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:06,400 he is and trying to redirect him and pull him back. 624 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,400 Pull him back to that place of being an intercessor and he 625 00:38:14,400 --> 00:38:17,320 will, before it's all said and done here, do just that. 626 00:38:17,400 --> 00:38:19,080 Be the intercessor. Amen. 627 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:27,880 For Abimelech. I'm thankful that God's calling 628 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:32,960 in our life just I'm talking about everyday life can still 629 00:38:32,960 --> 00:38:38,720 operate sometimes when we've not acted perfectly there. 630 00:38:38,720 --> 00:38:42,280 Mason, have you ever played the piano for service whenever you 631 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:44,920 might have done something wrong that day? 632 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:50,440 Wrong attitude. It's called grace. 633 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:57,280 Any teaching there ever taught a class whenever before you left 634 00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,360 that morning for your husband, you had a bad attitude? 635 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:05,400 It's called grace. Amen. 636 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,520 Let me say like there's a big difference in making something, 637 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:15,560 making a mistake and making a lifestyle just for 638 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:18,160 clarification. All right, Just for 639 00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:25,400 clarification, mistake like two different branches of the tree 640 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,440 there. OK, Amen. 641 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:30,880 But here's Abraham, his deception and danger to 642 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:35,680 Abimelech, yet God still trying to affirm him, affirm his role 643 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:40,480 as the intercessor, his sin, his mistake, his deception. 644 00:39:40,480 --> 00:39:43,840 Yeah, it could have hindered everything, but God still trying 645 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:46,840 to shove his purpose here over on what is it? 646 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,920 God wants Abraham to fall more in love in his with his purpose 647 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:58,200 then he does his mistake. Abraham had proven just in the 648 00:39:58,200 --> 00:40:02,040 last couple of chapters he interceded for Sodom and he 649 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:06,040 would do that for Abimelech. The the the contemporary English 650 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:07,600 version that I'm reading this year. 651 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:11,160 Use the phrase there out of the verse that says his or Abraham's 652 00:40:11,160 --> 00:40:13,800 prayers. God speaking Abimelech his 653 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,520 Abraham's prayers will save you from death. 654 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:20,720 This is one of the first occurrences even in Scripture, 655 00:40:20,720 --> 00:40:21,960 because we're just in Genesis, right? 656 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:26,280 This one, the first occurrence is in Scripture where a wronged 657 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:31,520 person prayed for the one who wronged them, that there might 658 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:35,480 be forgiveness, God pleading for God's forgiveness for them. 659 00:40:36,680 --> 00:40:41,360 Abraham's prayer for Abimelech spared Abimelech and those under 660 00:40:41,400 --> 00:40:45,320 him their lives. It restored their household that 661 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:47,600 you see in the last two verses of this chapter. 662 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:50,760 We restored their household. And it's a pattern though that 663 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:53,080 we see echoed all the way in the New Testament over Christ 664 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,920 admonishes us to pray for those that despitefully use you, pray 665 00:40:56,920 --> 00:40:59,240 for your enemies. All those things that we read 666 00:40:59,240 --> 00:41:02,240 of, I believe it is in Matthew chapter #5 he may along with the 667 00:41:02,240 --> 00:41:04,800 Beatitudes and other things. It's found even there. 668 00:41:05,120 --> 00:41:09,320 And so again, though Abraham's deception put Abimelech, put his 669 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:12,640 Kingdom at a disadvantage. Abimelech even tells him, calls 670 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:14,960 him on the carpet. He says, Abraham, you should not 671 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:17,920 have done this. As a matter of fact, I don't 672 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:21,080 know why you did this. And Abraham goes on. 673 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,960 He says, well, I wasn't, I was concerned that the people of 674 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:32,160 Gerard didn't fear the Lord. I thought, and this is the case 675 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:37,400 with Pharaoh and with Abimelech and Abraham's reasoning, if a 676 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:44,480 man was brother to a lady, then he was looked at somebody they 677 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:47,600 needed to wine and dine and give gifts to in order to get in good 678 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,240 then with his sister. But if a man was husband to a 679 00:41:52,240 --> 00:41:57,520 lady, he looked like an obstacle that need to be removed in order 680 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:01,680 to get to the woman. So he was fearful about what 681 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:06,800 type of people these were didn't know if maybe they would see him 682 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:10,200 as a obstacle if he said I'm a husband and just want to get his 683 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:13,960 wife for some type of alliance. Then with the people. 684 00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:18,160 Not only that, think again. Abraham has Sodom fresh on his 685 00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:22,120 mind. I mean, they were a wicked 686 00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:24,480 sorts. They weren't of the children of 687 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:28,920 Israel. And as we do still yet today, 688 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:32,720 Brother Trout, sometimes we want to take one situation, what 689 00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:35,920 happened in one situation, and project that on every other 690 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:37,800 situation that comes down the Pike in our life. 691 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:40,560 We don't just do it with situations, we do it with 692 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:43,040 people. They hurt me. 693 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:46,480 So we go in self preservation mode with anybody else in our 694 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:48,240 life because we said, well, they're going to hurt me too. 695 00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:52,560 We project 1 episode on other episodes. 696 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:54,800 We do it with places, we do it with people, we do it with 697 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:59,760 circumstances. But we cannot approach life like 698 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:01,920 that. Just because Sodom was corrupt 699 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:04,360 didn't mean that Gerard was going to be corrupt as well. 700 00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:07,320 But that's what Abraham was assuming. 701 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:09,000 Amen. Right. 702 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:11,160 So we got to be careful not just do that. 703 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:12,800 You know what happens when we do that? 704 00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:19,480 We we miss out on some good relationships, good 705 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:22,440 relationships, good people and scenarios that would been 706 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,240 helpful to us and we engaged in them and just not thought they 707 00:43:25,240 --> 00:43:30,000 were just like the last episode. Genesis 12 we doing all right. 708 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:37,200 I'm glad you guys have time up there for me in Genesis 12 when 709 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:41,920 Abraham and Sarah went to Egypt, Pharaoh house plague of plagues 710 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:47,120 and before that ever happened, though point proven before that 711 00:43:47,120 --> 00:43:50,480 ever happened before he ever realized that Sarah was 712 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:52,560 Abraham's wife. You know what he's doing? 713 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:57,480 Giving camels, masses and donkeys to Abraham. 714 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:00,400 Why? He thought that was her brother. 715 00:44:00,720 --> 00:44:05,480 He's trying to get in good with him after he finds out. 716 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:09,360 Get out of Egypt. Don't leave a dust trail behind 717 00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:10,640 you. Go and get out of here. 718 00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:14,920 But when we look in this story, Abimelech, he likewise gives 719 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:18,320 gifts. But it's not before he 720 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:22,920 understands Abraham. It's after he understands that 721 00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:26,600 Abraham and Sarah, our husband, wife. 722 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:30,240 So here's a man that's not trying to get in good. 723 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:36,200 He's trying to make compensation, reparation for 724 00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:41,640 what had been done, taking this other man's wife into his house. 725 00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:44,360 Hey, Dan. I know he was innocent at the 726 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:45,320 moment. Even claims, right? 727 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:48,800 Integrity, purity. I didn't know anything about it, 728 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:52,120 right? I was deceived, and under this 729 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:54,120 guise of deception, I did what I did. 730 00:44:54,320 --> 00:44:56,720 But here's the fact of the matter, and this is a Old 731 00:44:56,720 --> 00:44:59,440 Testament principle. You can find the Leviticus for 732 00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:04,080 you can do something ignorantly, but after you learned the truth, 733 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:06,480 you're still required to make it right. 734 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:11,320 It is the story of Leviticus. Leviticus talks about that there 735 00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,720 were sacrifices made for sins that took place unintentionally 736 00:45:15,720 --> 00:45:18,560 or in ignorance. In other words, they didn't, and 737 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:23,040 they didn't realize it was sin, but whenever they learned and 738 00:45:23,040 --> 00:45:26,880 came to the knowledge that it was, it was required of them to 739 00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:29,800 go to the temple with the proper sacrifice for it. 740 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:32,920 Because although they were ignorant to begin with, they're 741 00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:38,440 not now. And so here's Abimelech. 742 00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:43,800 He did it ignorantly, but now he knows the truth of the matter. 743 00:45:44,240 --> 00:45:46,680 So what he doing with his gifts? What is he doing with those 744 00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:50,280 things that he's bringing? He's making right what he has 745 00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:56,640 learned now was wrong. It's a big thing. 746 00:45:56,640 --> 00:46:00,040 It's a hard thing because we want to go on the offense and 747 00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:07,880 say, but I was ignorant. True, but you're not now, you 748 00:46:07,880 --> 00:46:11,160 know what I'm saying? You like me just seeing some car 749 00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:13,880 idly, you know, along the street that live thickly with the keys 750 00:46:13,880 --> 00:46:16,000 in it and it's just probably abandoned and all that. 751 00:46:16,280 --> 00:46:18,320 I just take to my drive. I'm going to take it as my car. 752 00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:21,400 Hallelujah, man. You know, finders keepers, 753 00:46:21,400 --> 00:46:24,880 losers, leapers. Find out a couple days from 754 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:26,080 then. It's my neighbor's car and they 755 00:46:26,080 --> 00:46:28,160 just happen to leave the keys in and you know, so on and so 756 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:32,520 forth. Tell them, sorry, I found it was 757 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:35,400 on our street, it's mine now. Titled it in my name. 758 00:46:35,400 --> 00:46:41,680 And no, I got to make it right because of the knowledge that I 759 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:46,240 now have. Can I tell you that long on this 760 00:46:46,240 --> 00:46:48,920 Christian journey, when you come to Bible study Sunday morning, 761 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:51,280 Sunday night, there's going to be more knowledge come to you 762 00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:53,240 from God's Word. And you're going to find 763 00:46:53,240 --> 00:46:58,160 discrepancies in your own life that you didn't see when you 764 00:46:58,160 --> 00:47:00,560 first started this journey. But now that you have the 765 00:47:00,560 --> 00:47:06,040 knowledge, don't keep living the way that you have lived, because 766 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:10,840 we're held accountable for what we know. 767 00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:18,840 You know, All right, Pharaoh, Abraham, Abraham and Sarah leave 768 00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:23,480 Abimelech booms giving gifts totem whatever part of the land 769 00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:25,080 he's not tell them to go. He said, whatever part of my 770 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:27,200 land you want to live in, go O forth, do it. 771 00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:30,960 And then the Bible says Abimelech gave Abraham. 772 00:47:30,960 --> 00:47:35,160 This is in verse sixteen 1000 pieces of silver. 773 00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:40,400 He told Sarah, He says I've given, I've given and this is 774 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:42,840 almost like tongue in cheek. I think it's a little stab. 775 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:46,320 I take it as a it's kind of funny, he told Sarah. 776 00:47:46,520 --> 00:47:51,000 I've given your brother this money. 777 00:47:56,640 --> 00:48:03,840 Scholar Kent Hughes says 50 pieces or shekels was the most 778 00:48:03,840 --> 00:48:06,200 that would typically be offered for a bribe. 779 00:48:08,240 --> 00:48:13,640 Abimelech gives 20 times that amount, according to scholar 780 00:48:13,640 --> 00:48:15,920 Gordon Weeman. He says the typical even Old 781 00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:20,320 Babylonian labor received a wage of about half a shekel a month. 782 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:25,360 It's not much. So what we see here is an 783 00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:28,680 Abimelech that's being very gracious and very generous. 784 00:48:29,040 --> 00:48:32,200 But what this also means for us here in the Scripture is what's 785 00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:37,960 being given isn't hush money. It's not a bride price, It's not 786 00:48:37,960 --> 00:48:43,880 a wage for employment, but it's a public vindication for what 787 00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:48,320 has taken place. This large amount indicates that 788 00:48:48,320 --> 00:48:53,920 he is attempting to restore honor to Sarah, whatever injury 789 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:57,360 that may have been done to her by taking her into his home. 790 00:48:57,560 --> 00:49:00,920 He is trying to restore honor. The Bible says this, and I had 791 00:49:00,920 --> 00:49:02,640 to look at this because it's troubled me, right? 792 00:49:02,840 --> 00:49:06,000 I'm reading all this in verse #16 and the Bible ends up with 793 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:10,520 the she was reproved. I'm thinking what's the deal? 794 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:14,080 So I looked up the word reprove there in the scripture and it 795 00:49:14,080 --> 00:49:17,520 means this. The word reprove there means 796 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,960 that she was righted or set right. 797 00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:24,320 What is that exactly what God had asked of him? 798 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:31,480 Restore her. Don't just give her back to Him, 799 00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:36,440 but make her positionally seem as though there was no injury or 800 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:39,840 harm that the honor she had before this process. 801 00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:43,280 She has after this process. Notice what the Bible says, 802 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:46,720 Abimelechs. He says covering of the eyes for 803 00:49:46,720 --> 00:49:48,400 Sarah. The covering of the eyes is as a 804 00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:51,080 spoken Abraham was a covering of the ice. 805 00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:54,080 He was given the money and he was the covering of the ice to 806 00:49:54,080 --> 00:49:57,400 Sarah and those with him and all the others. 807 00:49:57,400 --> 00:50:01,640 There's you read in, in, in, in the verse #16 he's the covering 808 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:04,360 of the eyes. Because this, this money, this 809 00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:07,360 covering of the eyes, it literally means a blind. 810 00:50:07,640 --> 00:50:11,240 The money that was given to Abraham was to be a blind for 811 00:50:11,240 --> 00:50:13,600 Sarah. In the English standard version, 812 00:50:13,600 --> 00:50:16,080 it states it like this. It's a sign that money. 813 00:50:16,080 --> 00:50:19,560 It's a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with 814 00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:21,040 you. It's given that honor back. 815 00:50:21,040 --> 00:50:24,000 Everybody is not going to look at you differently because of 816 00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:26,880 that. I'm restoring your honor. 817 00:50:27,080 --> 00:50:30,440 He meant it was going to repair how other people saw her. 818 00:50:31,560 --> 00:50:36,440 For that matter, it would also help remove the suspicion of any 819 00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:41,480 dishonor or impurity as first child comes from her womb. 820 00:50:41,680 --> 00:50:43,000 It's basically a statement like this. 821 00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:45,680 Let's put in modern day lingo. There's nothing to see here, 822 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:49,000 huh? There's nothing to see here. 823 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:51,600 Her honor's intact. Amen. 824 00:50:53,040 --> 00:50:56,120 And so what's amazing to me, I'm just thinking about this. 825 00:50:57,200 --> 00:50:59,800 It's covered in the eyes, this money that's given, the goods 826 00:50:59,800 --> 00:51:01,080 have been given. She'd been restored. 827 00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:04,160 But then this is like, you know, another step of addition She's 828 00:51:04,160 --> 00:51:08,600 been given back. And it makes me think this, that 829 00:51:08,600 --> 00:51:13,320 maybe sometimes restoration isn't complete until honor is 830 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:20,960 restored. It's not enough just to quietly 831 00:51:21,560 --> 00:51:25,800 correct the wrong. Sometimes God calls us to take 832 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:30,360 steps that we got to openly vindicate the reputation 833 00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:32,160 sometimes of those that we have hurt. 834 00:51:34,440 --> 00:51:37,600 All suspicion removed in the eyes of others. 835 00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:39,600 So Abraham prayed for Abimelech. Here it is. 836 00:51:39,600 --> 00:51:40,960 I'm getting there, folks. Everybody doing OK? 837 00:51:41,200 --> 00:51:43,040 Reese, you doing OK? You do you with me about it. 838 00:51:43,040 --> 00:51:45,080 Everything all right? I know Brother Zach was in 839 00:51:45,080 --> 00:51:46,640 Genesis last week. He chose that. 840 00:51:46,640 --> 00:51:52,000 I didn't tell him to do that. Abraham prayed for the healing 841 00:51:52,000 --> 00:51:54,080 of Abimelech. Notice he prayed for Abimelech, 842 00:51:54,080 --> 00:51:57,200 his wife and his maid servants because the Bible says God had 843 00:51:57,200 --> 00:51:59,360 closed up their wombs. It's quite the irony. 844 00:52:00,040 --> 00:52:02,600 It's quite the irony. They took Sarah someone's who 845 00:52:02,600 --> 00:52:06,040 womb who has not been open for years and since they took her, 846 00:52:06,040 --> 00:52:08,920 God closed up their wombs. We'll let you suffer what this 847 00:52:08,920 --> 00:52:11,000 woman has suffered all up to this time. 848 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:15,440 Just ironic. God had closed up their wombs, 849 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:19,880 but as Abraham prays, his prayer saves them from death. 850 00:52:20,320 --> 00:52:24,160 Really in this mode for sure. If they could have no offspring, 851 00:52:24,160 --> 00:52:26,240 a part of their community could have no offspring. 852 00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:31,320 When the last person died, their their whole legacy is dead. 853 00:52:33,160 --> 00:52:35,720 That's just the situation if they couldn't have children. 854 00:52:36,320 --> 00:52:41,960 But God used this man Abraham, the same amazing to me the same 855 00:52:41,960 --> 00:52:46,680 man who had endangered them is now an instrument for their 856 00:52:46,680 --> 00:52:52,920 healing folks. Nobody can do that but God. 857 00:52:56,400 --> 00:52:58,080 There's nobody that can do that but God. 858 00:52:59,320 --> 00:53:02,320 Abraham endangered, but Abraham would be the instrument for 859 00:53:02,320 --> 00:53:04,720 their healing. And so that tells me that I 860 00:53:04,720 --> 00:53:06,920 serve a God, and I'm thankful that I do that. 861 00:53:06,920 --> 00:53:12,720 I serve a God who can redeem my failures and can even turn them 862 00:53:12,720 --> 00:53:14,960 into a blessing for people that I've wronged. 863 00:53:20,240 --> 00:53:28,360 Only God, only God can do that you understand says resolve his 864 00:53:28,360 --> 00:53:29,840 prayers. The Bible says the Lord opened 865 00:53:29,840 --> 00:53:31,840 up their wombs man, that herald's all the way back to the 866 00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:34,200 very beginning. You want to go back, Let's go 867 00:53:34,200 --> 00:53:38,200 all the way back to Genesis 1 whenever we learned that he told 868 00:53:38,200 --> 00:53:40,920 them be fruitful, multiply and it showed a direct correlation 869 00:53:40,920 --> 00:53:45,240 then that God was responsible for the blessing of reproduction 870 00:53:45,240 --> 00:53:48,560 between the man and the woman. Here again, he raises his hand 871 00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:53,160 and he allows a womb to be able to reproduce again in the House 872 00:53:53,200 --> 00:53:56,600 of Abimelech. Proof. 873 00:53:57,280 --> 00:54:00,880 God can close them up. God can open them up. 874 00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:05,040 And what that does for us, it sets us up for the next chapter 875 00:54:05,400 --> 00:54:09,560 when a womb that's been closed for years is going to give birth 876 00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:20,120 to the promised son, Isaac. Nothing but God can we just bow 877 00:54:20,120 --> 00:54:21,680 our heads in this place right now. 878 00:54:23,640 --> 00:54:27,800 Oh Jesus, Jesus, I have a faithful God tonight. 879 00:54:28,560 --> 00:54:33,280 Despite me, despite some of my faults and failures and my 880 00:54:33,320 --> 00:54:38,200 errors, He is faithful. He's faithful to his covenant 881 00:54:38,200 --> 00:54:41,040 promise. He can work in tandem with my 882 00:54:41,040 --> 00:54:44,280 obedience and he can work around and through many times my 883 00:54:44,360 --> 00:54:47,560 disobedience. Hallelujah. 884 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:51,120 Sometimes he restrains others from harming the plan and 885 00:54:51,120 --> 00:54:55,840 sometimes even with US unknowingly, he restrains us 886 00:54:55,840 --> 00:55:00,280 from harming our own plan and platform that he has for our 887 00:55:00,280 --> 00:55:03,320 life. God, I pray, O Lord, tonight we 888 00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:04,960 need your spirit. God. 889 00:55:04,960 --> 00:55:08,080 I know Lord Jesus, the life that we live as Christians, we have 890 00:55:08,080 --> 00:55:10,280 our ups and downs. We have moments when we're 891 00:55:10,280 --> 00:55:13,600 successful and there's other times when we're it's a failure. 892 00:55:13,840 --> 00:55:17,000 I pray O God that help us through it all to remember to 893 00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:21,160 see your handiwork, your hand of impression Lord, that is helping 894 00:55:21,160 --> 00:55:23,800 and aiding and guiding and diverse reverting. 895 00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:27,880 I pray, O God in our lives God, it never truly is just simply 896 00:55:27,880 --> 00:55:31,440 all about us, but God. We are either working in concert 897 00:55:31,440 --> 00:55:35,480 with you, Lord or otherwise. And even at that, sometimes when 898 00:55:35,480 --> 00:55:39,600 we have a heart for you God, you can cause all things to work 899 00:55:39,600 --> 00:55:42,920 together for the good to them that love the Lord and are the 900 00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:46,800 called according to his purpose. I know God, we have times of 901 00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:48,600 struggle and indifference and doubt. 902 00:55:48,800 --> 00:55:50,560 Help us, O Lord, through those times. 903 00:55:50,560 --> 00:55:54,400 Come alongside us, God revealed to us, Lord, our secret faults. 904 00:55:54,400 --> 00:55:57,960 Lord, keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins. 905 00:55:57,960 --> 00:56:01,400 I pray, O God, we need your aid, Lord, in our daily walk. 906 00:56:01,400 --> 00:56:04,480 Lord Jesus, every day, every day, every day. 907 00:56:04,720 --> 00:56:07,280 God, for you have a promise. You have a purpose, God. 908 00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:08,240 I believe it. Lord. 909 00:56:08,240 --> 00:56:10,840 There's a promise and a purpose, God, for the people that center 910 00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:13,880 the sound of my voice tonight, God, bring it to fruition. 911 00:56:13,880 --> 00:56:16,360 Come what may, Lord. Nevertheless, the mountains of 912 00:56:16,360 --> 00:56:18,200 the valley, this that must be traversed. 913 00:56:18,200 --> 00:56:19,920 I pray, O God, come alongside us. 914 00:56:20,120 --> 00:56:22,200 Help us, God, not to jeopardize it all. 915 00:56:22,400 --> 00:56:25,440 Bring us back to our purpose during our times of struggle. 916 00:56:25,640 --> 00:56:28,920 Reorientate us, the Lord Jesus, to what is important. 917 00:56:29,080 --> 00:56:32,400 I pray God in our lives and will not fail to thank you and praise 918 00:56:32,400 --> 00:56:36,560 you God for doing it in the name of Jesus Christ that I pray 919 00:56:36,880 --> 00:56:40,360 Hallelujah, Amen, and the church say Amen. 920 00:56:41,440 --> 00:56:45,320 Thank you Jesus, He is faithful, faithful to me, Amen. 921 00:56:45,600 --> 00:56:47,680 There's no other announcements except Sunday. 922 00:56:48,000 --> 00:56:50,640 All right, show up on Sunday, Amen. 923 00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:53,240 Encourage someone before you leave tonight, the lovely name 924 00:56:53,240 --> 00:56:56,360 of Jesus. God bless you in Jesus name, 925 00:56:56,640 --> 00:56:57,120 Amen.