January 19, 2020
What does it say?
Once again, Abraham instructed Sarah to say she was his sister, and Abimelech took her into his harem. God appeared to Abimelech to warn him of the outcome if he treated Sarah as a wife.
What does it mean?
Abraham seemed to have forgotten the lesson from his previous experience in Egypt when he was untruthful about his relationship with Sarah. Rather than learning from his past mistakes, he repeated the sin of deceit and once more caused Sarah’s virtue to be vulnerable. Abraham was blinded by his own fear rather than focused on Sarah’s safety. God protected her this time as well, but He allowed Abimelech to publicly reprimand Abraham, the future father of God’s people.
How should I respond?
Those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it! We’ve all had moments of repeated consequences because we did not learn our lesson the first time. What words or behavior from the past week do you need to avoid in the future? How did God act in mercy or use someone to correct you? Learning from mistakes requires an understanding of why you behaved that way in the first place. Did you act or speak out of fear, pride, or discouragement? Ask God for help with the underlying issue. Thank Him for the grace He has shown you and move on!