Gênesis 20
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 20
Morris - Gerar was capital of the Philistine colony on the seacoast. The Philistines were descendants of Ham through Mizraim, and apparently were originally from Crete. Some centuries later, they all migrated to Canaan and became a strong coastal nation, inveterate enemies of Israel. The name Palestine came from them. The title of their kings at this time was Abimelech, similar to Pharaoh in Egypt. (BORROW The Defender's Study Bible) Matthew Henry (Concise) - Verses 1-8. Crooked policy will not prosper: it brings ourselves and others into danger. God gives Abimelech notice of his danger of sin, and his danger of death for his sin. Every wilful sinner is a dead man, but Abimelech pleads ignorance. If our consciences witness, that, however we may have been cheated into a snare, we have not knowingly sinned against God, it will be our rejoicing in the day of evil. It is matter of comfort to those who are honest, that God knows their honesty, and will acknowledge it. It is a great mercy to be hindered from committing sin; of this God must have the glory. But if we have ignorantly done wrong, that will not excuse us, if we knowingly persist in it. He that does wrong, whoever he is, prince or peasant, shall certainly receive for the wrong which he has done, unless he repent, and, if possible, make restitution. Bruce Goettsche on Abraham's repeat sin writes that "Believers Sin. Have you ever had someone tell you that all Christians are hypocrites because of their inconsistency? They hear us proclaim a love of holiness but they also see us sin. A Christian stumbles and all the world seems to point their finger at them. This shows that there is an inherent misunderstanding of grace and discipleship.Grace is given to us not because we are good but because God is gracious and good even though we are not. In fact, one of the prerequisites of salvation is a confession that we are helpless to save ourselves. Before we can be "saved" we have to confess that we are sinners. When we do this and receive the gift of life that comes from the Lord we are made clean before the Lord . . . sin's penalty is taken care of. . . however, sin's power and influence continues to pursue us. Old habits die hard . . . very hard.Listen to that familiar testimony from the Apostle Paul Romans 7:16-25NLT+ (READ). Don't these words describe your experience? Isn't there a desire within you to honor the Lord in all you do? Yet, in your experience don't you often find that you stumble and fall? We want to act like a child of God but we often act more like a child of the world. Paul says there are two natures at war within us. There is the spiritual nature that we are given in Christ, but there is also the sinful nature and all the habits associated with it. This does not excuse our sin. But it does remind us that overcoming sin involves a struggle. I hope this realization helps you to get up after you fail. I also hope it helps you to extend mercy to those brothers and sisters around you who fall. We are to push each other to holiness but realize that living a holy life is a lifelong struggle. Sojourned (01481) gur means a temporary stay, to reside temporarily, to dwell as a foreigner; a short stay somewhere. In the reflexive sense, to seek hospitality with. The first use of gur is Ge 12:10 of the Abram (cp use with other patriarchs - Ge 20:1, 21:23, 34, 26:3, 32:4, 25:27, 47:4). The term is commonly used of the patriarchs who sojourned in Canaan (Gen. 26:3; 35:27); places outside Canaan (Gen. 12:10; 20:1; 21:23; 32:4[5]; 4 Negev (05045) negeb is a masculine noun meaning the South, south. Negev often (36x) refers to the area around Beersheba and south of it (Ge 12:9; 13:1; 20:1). Negev also refers to the southern district of Judah and more specifically to indicate the area south of Judah (Jer. 13:19; 17:26), but these areas are not always precisely defined. It may indicate land south of Babylon or southern Palestine (Isa. 21:1). Gilbrant - The noun negev has a number of meanings. Its primary meaning is a geographic region. Because this region lay to the south of the rest of the Promised Land, the word became a synonym for dārôm, "south." The meaning "south" is easily understood as "toward the Negeb." That it can simply mean the cardinal direction "south" is attested in Dan. 8:9. Indeed, in Daniel the notion of south is extended to include Egypt (Dan. 11:15, 29). The noun also means "arid land" (cf. Middle Hebrew usage), a designation which denotes a number of regions, all of which happen to be in the south (perhaps begging the question of whether the noun does have this nuance at all, or are the authors simply referring to the Negeb; see Josh. 12:8). The region of the Negeb extends roughly from a line drawn from Gaza through the modern political boundary of the southern West Bank, extending south to the mountain ranges of the Sinai and through the Arabah to the Red Sea. Beer-Sheba and Arad, the two most significant sites in the region, are in the northern region. Agriculture is possible now, and archaeological research has established that the region currently suitable for agriculture was even more suitable in the past, as the rainfall patterns in the region did not become sparse until the Early Bronze period. As one progresses southward, rainfall lessens, until one reaches the desert regions bounding the Sinai and the Red Sea. Pastoralism played a major role throughout the region (e.g., the migrations of Abraham were centered in the northern reaches of this region). The southern part of the Negeb was long prized by Egypt on account of its copper mines. The area around Timna is renowned, and was not only the seat of Egyptian military outposts, but was in the cultural heartland of the Midianites as the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The Egyptians maintained waystations throughout the region. The Israelites, once in control of the region, likewise exploited the resource. The construction of the ports of Ezion-Geber and Elath (1 Ki. 9:26) was a direct infrastructural response to the mines. The area became a region for religious pilgrims, with the tradition of the mountain of Yahweh (Sinai/Horeb/Teman) in the vicinity. The remains of the village of Deir Alla and its shrine shed light on popular religion of the day (ninth century b.c.). The region was divided among the tribes of Simeon and Judah, though Judah came to dominate the entirety of the land (Josh. 15:20-62; 19:1-7). The area was mainly home to military outposts and forts during the monarchy. Forts were built in the eleventh and tenth centuries b.c. Villages thinned in the ninth and eighth centuries. The Assyrian kings Sargon II (720 b.c.) and Sennacherib (701 b.c.) destroyed most of the villages as well as the military installations. They were rebuilt in the seventh century b.c., as protection against the Edomites and, later, the Babylonians. A number of significant events transpired in the Negeb. Many of the Patriarchal narratives were set in this region. Moses (Num. 14:44), Saul (1 Sam. 14) and David (1 Sam. 30) all fought wars here against the Amalekites. Jeremiah prophesied restoration, that both agricultural land (32:44) and flocks (33:13) would again be in the hands of their rightful Israelite owners throughout Judah, including in the Negeb. Negeb - Negev(36), South(11), south(45), south side(2), south*(3), southeast*(1), southern(2), southward(9). Gen. 12:9; Gen. 13:1; Gen. 13:3; Gen. 13:14; Gen. 20:1; Gen. 24:62; Gen. 28:14; Exod. 27:9; Exod. 36:23; Exod. 38:9; Exod. 40:24; Num. 13:17; Num. 13:22; Num. 13:29; Num. 21:1; Num. 33:40; Num. 34:3; Num. 34:4; Num. 35:5; Deut. 1:7; Deut. 34:3; Jos. 10:40; Jos. 11:2; Jos. 11:16; Jos. 12:8; Jos. 15:1; Jos. 15:2; Jos. 15:3; Jos. 15:4; Jos. 15:7; Jos. 15:8; Jos. 15:19; Jos. 15:21; Jos. 17:9; Jos. 17:10; Jos. 18:5; Jos. 18:13; Jos. 18:14; Jos. 18:15; Jos. 18:16; Jos. 18:19; Jos. 19:34; Jdg. 1:9; Jdg. 1:15; Jdg. 1:16; Jdg. 21:19; 1 Sam. 14:5; 1 Sam. 20:41; 1 Sam. 27:10; 1 Sam. 30:1; 1 Sam. 30:14; 2 Sam. 24:7; 1 Ki. 7:25; 1 Ki. 7:39; 1 Chr. 9:24; 1 Chr. 26:15; 1 Chr. 26:17; 2 Chr. 4:4; 2 Chr. 4:10; 2 Chr. 28:18; Ps. 126:4; Isa. 21:1; Isa. 30:6; Jer. 13:19; Jer. 17:26; Jer. 32:44; Jer. 33:13; Ezek. 20:46; Ezek. 20:47; Ezek. 21:4; Ezek. 40:2; Ezek. 46:9; Ezek. 47:1; Ezek. 47:19; Ezek. 48:10; Ezek. 48:16; Ezek. 48:17; Ezek. 48:28; Ezek. 48:33; Dan. 8:4; Dan. 8:9; Dan. 11:5; Dan. 11:6; Dan. 11:9; Dan. 11:11; Dan. 11:14; Dan. 11:15; Dan. 11:25; Dan. 11:29; Dan. 11:40; Obad. 1:19; Obad. 1:20; Zech. 7:7; Zech. 14:4; Zech. 14:10 QUESTION - Who was Abimelech in the Bible? ANSWER - There are actually several men named Abimelech in the Bible. Some translations, such as the NIV, spell the name Abimelek. Either way, the name means “father of the king.” Some of the Philistines kings are called “Abimelech.” For example, the king of Gerar who took Sarah into his harem is called “Abimelech” in Genesis 20:2. The same name is applied to the king of Gerar during Isaac’s sojourn there (Genesis 26:1). The king of Gath before whom David played the madman is also called “Abimelech” in the title of Psalm 34; however, 1 Samuel 21:11 identifies the king of Gath as Achish. This has led many scholars to believe that, among the Philistines at least, Abimelech was a title given the king, rather than a personal name—much as the Egyptians always called their king “Pharaoh.” Another possible Abimelech in the Bible was a son of the high priest Abiathar, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 18:16. The NAS, KJV, and NET Bibles put the name as Abimelech. But the NIV, ESV, and HCS Bibles have Ahimelech (or Ahimelek). This Abimelech/Ahimelech was a priest who served in the time of King David. But probably the most well-known Abimelech in the Bible is the headstrong and murderous son of Gideon in the book of Judges. Please see our article on this particular Abimelech for more information.GotQuestions.org Matthew Henry Notes: Chapter: 20 We are here returning to the story of Abraham; yet that part of it which is here recorded is not to his honour. The fairest marbles have their flaws, and, while there are spots in the sun, we must not expect any thing spotless under it. The scripture, it should be remarked, is impartial in relating the blemishes even of its most celebrated characters. We have here, I. Abraham's sin in denying his wife, and Abimelech's sin thereupon in taking her (Ge 20:1, 2). II. God's discourse with Abimelech in a dream, upon this occasion, wherein he shows him his error (Ge 20:3), accepts his plea (Ge 20:4-6), and directs him to make restitution (Ge 20:7). III. Abimelech's discourse with Abraham, wherein he chides him for the cheat he had put upon him (Ge 20:8-10), and Abraham excuses it as well as he can (Ge 20:11-13). IV. The good issue of the story, in which Abimelech restores Abraham his wife (Ge 20:14-16), and Abraham, by prayer, prevails with God for the removal of the judgment Abimelech was under (Ge 20:17, 18). Ge 20:1-2 Here is, 1. Abraham's removal from Mamre, where he had lived nearly twenty years, into the country of the Philistines: He sojourned in Gerar, Ge 20:1. We are not told upon what occasion he removed, whether terrified by the destruction of Sodom, or because the country round was for the present prejudiced by it, or, as some of the Jewish writers say, because he was grieved at Lot's incest with his daughters, and the reproach which the Canaanites cast upon him and his religion, for his kinsman's sake: doubtless there was some good cause for his removal. Note, In a world where we are strangers and pilgrims we cannot expect to be always in the same place. Again, Wherever we are, we must look upon ourselves but as sojourners. 2. His sin in denying his wife, as before (Ge 12:13), which was not only in itself such an equivocation as bordered upon a lie, and which, if admitted as lawful, would be the ruin of human converse and an inlet to all falsehood, but was also an exposing of the chastity and honour of his wife, of which he ought to have been the protector. But, besides this, it had here a two-fold aggravation:- (1.) He had been guilty of this same sin before, and had been reproved for it, and convinced of the folly of the suggestion which induced him to it; yet he returns to it. Note, It is possible that a good man may, not only fall into sin, but relapse into the same sin, through the surprise and strength of temptation and the infirmity of the flesh. Let backsliders repent then, but not despair, Jer. 3:22. (2.) Sarah, as it should seem, was now with child of the promised seed, or, at least, in expectation of being so quickly, according to the word of God; he ought therefore to have taken particular care of her now, as Jdg. 13:4. 3. The peril that Sarah was brought into by this means: The king of Gerar sent, and took her to his house, in order to the taking of her to his bed. Note, The sin of one often occasions the sin of others; he that breaks the hedge of God's commandments opens a gap to he knows not how many; the beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. Genesis 20:2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. said: Ge 12:11-13 26:7 2Ch 19:2 20:37 32:31 Pr 24:16 Ec 7:20 Ga 2:11,12 Eph 4:25 Col 3:9 Abimelech: Ge 12:15 26:1,16 Genesis 20 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips (LIKE ABRAHAM) are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight. "Here's my sister Abimelech!" ABRAHAM'S BESETTING SIN Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech ("my father is king") king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. Sarah was now 90 and must have still been attractive to Abimelech. Abraham repeats the same deception (LYING - cf Pr 6:16-19) as before (Ge 12:13). How Abraham could have entered into the same type of deception for which he had been rebuked in Egypt (Ge 12:10-20) is hard to understand. Abimelech ("my father is king") was evidently a title, like Pharaoh in Egypt and ruled over Gerar was a prosperous Philistine settlement along the coast near the Egyptian border. Like Pharaoh, Abimelech took many unmarried women into his harem, even a woman near 90 who was attractive to him! Recall that in Genesis 12:11ff+ Pharaoh took Sarah into his harem when she was about 65 on account of her great beauty. Recall that Abimelech was a title rather than a proper name (cf. Gen 26:1; Judg 8:31; 1 Sam 21:10; Ps 34 title). It meant “royal father” or “the king is my father.” Easton's Dictionary on Abimelech means "my father a king, or father of a king, a common name of the Philistine kings, as "Pharaoh" was of the Egyptian kings." Bruce K. Waltke - The key words “his wife” and “my wife” emphasize the vital relationship of Abraham and Sarah that they jeopardize with their scheme (Gen 20:2, 3, 7, 11, 12, 14, 18)....The stories about the jeopardy of the ancestress in pagan kings’ harems form an inner frame around the Abraham cycle before the transition to the next cycle in Ge 22:20-25:11. After Abraham’s initial call to the Promised Land to become a great nation, he immediately jeopardizes Sarah in Pharaoh’s harem. Now, immediately before the birth of the promised seed, he jeopardizes the matriarch in Abimelech’s harem.” (Borrow Genesis : a commentary page 284) THOUGHT - “Abraham isn’t the only one returning to the same sin again and again. Look back in your own life at the past few days or weeks. You and I return to the same patterns of sin. We bring the same things before the Lord again and again, don’t we? It is easy to say, ‘Abraham, you should have known better!’ It is more difficult, however, to learn these basic lessons ourselves.” (See The Swindoll Study Bible) Krell - He was concerned about his own personal safety. He feared that because of Sarah’s beauty he would be killed, and she would be taken as a wife by violence. Quite simply, Abraham feared man more than he feared God. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” We can all find ourselves in situations where we are motivated by fear. Yet, God longs for us to exercise faith in Him. As the old adage says, “Those that fear God most are least afraid of men.” Of course, the fear of man is merely a symptom of a core issue: unbelief. Abraham refused to trust God. If he had trusted God, he would have recognized that God was capable of protecting both he and Sarah. Abraham had a track record with God. Twenty-five years earlier, God saved him from the hand of Pharaoh (Ge 12:17-20). In this situation, Abraham did not act out of ignorance, but rather out of unbelief. Abraham’s response is all the more disheartening since he has just been told that Sarah will give birth to the miracle-child (Ge 17:16; 18:10).10 Now he risks the birth of the child by letting Sarah be taken into the harem of another pagan king (cf. Ge 12:15). Behind the staging of human history is Satan himself, attempting through Abraham’s unbelief and fear to foil God’s plan for a promised deliverer—Jesus Christ! Abraham was trusted a man with his life by giving him Sarah when he should have been trusting the LORD. After all God's promise was that he was to be the father of a multitude, and yet he trusted Abimelech to keep him safe. He needed to read Ps 118:8-9+ "It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in princes (LIKE ABIMELECH)." The grip of habit can be so strong, You find it easy to choose the wrong; But let God's Spirit control within, And He will free you from binding sin. —Kasper Steven Cole gives us background on why Abimelech might want a 90 year old Sarah in his harem - Part of the answer involves the longer lifespans of people in that day. Abraham lived to 175 and Sarah to 127. Thus at 65, she would be just past the halfway point of her life, certainly not too old to retain her beauty. At 90, she would be comparable to a woman of 53 who lived to 75, so she still could be attractive, although past her youth. But the text never mentions her beauty in chapter 20. Probably Abimelech wanted her in his harem to cement an alliance with the wealthy and powerful Abraham, who posed as her brother. Later, Abimelech did enter into an alliance with Abraham (21:22-34). Thus while Sarah was not in the flower of her youth, she was an attractive woman whose family ties could help Abimelech politically. Rod Mattoon - On the threshold of Isaac’s birth, the promise of God is put in jeopardy. Abraham, what in the world are you doing?! Did you not learn your lesson from doing this years ago in Egypt (Gen. 12)? Do you not remember the rebuke of Pharaoh? Sin has a way of making us forget the consequences of former sins. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we won’t get caught or have any trouble this time. Satan has found one of Abraham’s weak points and brings it to light in a time of testing and fear. What we are will be revealed in trouble, testing, loss, persecution, disappointment, and death. Circumstances bring to surface what is buried in our hearts. They may reveal things about us that we do not even know about ourselves. Have you ever said or done something in a tense moment, and then afterwards asked yourself, “Why did I do that!?” or “Why did I say that?!” I’ve had times like these. It make me mad when I do or say dumb things, especially when it hurts others. Abraham’s fear has drained his reasoning. He becomes callous and irresponsible toward Sarah and her needs and feelings. I wonder what was going on through her mind when she was given away by her husband to this king. Doesn’t Abraham love me anymore? Doesn’t he care about me? These thoughts may have crossed her mind. Why did Sarah ever agree to this scheme in the first place? What is she thinking?....Little did Abraham realize that he was laying a pattern of deception which would surface again in his own son Isaac and his grandson Jacob (Genesis 26; 27). There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). Abraham's deception in Genesis 20 pictures a besetting sin. The verb beset literally means ‘surround with hostile intent’, so the image is of a sin besieging or pressing in upon a person. Check these synonyms for beset. THOUGHT - Do you have a besetting sin? Most of us deal with something that keeps biting at our heels, entangling our feet and impairing our walk of holiness! Hebrews 12:1+ says "let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." God grant each of us the grace to lay aside that besetting sin that keeps entangling us. In Jesus' Name. Amen. Jack Arnold: Abraham was guilty of this once before when he went into Egypt (Gen. 12:10-20). 1. From Abraham, we see that every saint still has a sin nature and is capable of all kinds of sins if he is not walking close to the Lord. 2. Old habits, thought to be done away with, can crop up in the life of the true believer. Former weaknesses and inveterate tendencies, which we think no longer powerful suddenly arise and bring about our downfall. Believers are often found to slip and fall where they have previously fallen. 3. Abraham illustrates the inconsistency of faith. How often those who are not afraid to trust God with their souls are afraid to trust Him with regard to their bodies. How often those who have the full assurance of faith in regard to eternal things are full of unbelief and fear when it comes to temporal things. Men resort to their own wisdom and cunning to solve their problems. J
Gênesis 20
Morris - The fact that Abimelech did not deny Abraham's expressed charge indicates that his fears may well have been justified. (BORROW The Defender's Study Bible) Ryrie - Genesis 20:11-13 Abraham made three feeble excuses for his deception: (1) he thought there was no fear of God in Gerar; (2) he claimed he did not speak an untruth when he said that Sarah was his sister (since she was his half sister); (3) this was an arrangement they had previously agreed upon. (BORROW Ryrie Study Bible Expanded Edition) J
Gênesis 20
Morris - Sarah was Abraham's half-sister. In the early centuries after the Dispersion, close marriages were often necessary in very small tribal populations. This may have been especially desirable in godly families in order to preserve faithfulness to God's revelation and His purposes. As noted before, this situation was not harmful genetically until mutations had accumulated in the nation's genetic pool. By the time of Moses, this had apparently become a problem, and laws against incest were established (BORROW The Defender's Study Bible) Jon Courson - “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” thundered God from Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20). What is a false witness? A false witness is the right information with the wrong implication. In other words, it’s saying the right thing, but using it in the wrong way. Abraham gave the right information for, technically, Sarah was his half-sister, but he gave it with the wrong implication, because he failed to tell Abimelech that she was also his wife. (See Jon Courson's Application Commentary) Norman Geisler - When Critics Ask - GENESIS 20:12—If incest is condemned, why did Abraham marry his sister? PROBLEM: Abraham admitted here that Sarah his wife was really his “sister” (cf. Gen. 17:15–16). Yet incest is denounced in no uncertain terms in many passages (cf. Lev. 18:6; 20:17). Indeed, the Lord declared, “Cursed is the one who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother” (Deut. 27:22). SOLUTION: Abraham was not beyond sin, as his lie about Sarah to king Abimelech reveals (Gen. 20:4–5). And Abraham did admit that Sarah was “the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife” (Gen. 20:12). However, even granting this, there is no real proof Abraham violated any law for two reasons. First, the incest laws were not given by Moses until some 500 years after Abraham. So he surely could not be held responsible for laws that had not yet been promulgated. Second, the terms “sister” and “brother” are used with great latitude in the Bible, just as the terms “father” and “son.” Jesus, for example, was the “son” (i.e., descendant) of David (Matt. 21:15). “Sister” means a near relative, but it does not as such indicate the degree of nearness we understand by the word “sister.” Lot, Abraham’s nephew, is called a “brother” (Gen. 14:12, 16). Likewise, “daughter” can mean granddaughter or great granddaughter. Considering the age to which Abraham lived (175, Gen. 25:7), it is possible that he married only a granddaughter on his father’s side, or even a niece or grand niece. In any event, there is no proof that Abraham’s marriage to Sarah violated any existing incest law. But if it did, the Bible simply gives us a true record of Abraham’s error. When God called Sarah Abraham’s “wife” (Gen. 17:15), He was not legitimizing any alleged incest, but merely stating a fact. QUESTION - Why did God allow incest in the Bible? WATCH VIDEO ANSWER - There are numerous examples of incest in the Bible. The most commonly thought-of examples are the sons/daughters of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4), Abraham marrying his half-sister Sarah (Genesis 20:12), Lot and his daughters (Genesis 19), Moses’ father Amram who married his aunt Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), and David’s son Amnon with his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13). It is important to note, however, that in two of the above instances (Tamar and Lot), one of the parties involved was an unwilling participant in the incest—better described as rape in those cases. It is important to distinguish between incestuous relationships prior to God commanding against them (Leviticus 18:6–18) and incest that occurred after God’s commands had been revealed. Until God commanded against it, it was not incest. It was just marrying a close relative. It is undeniable that God allowed “incest” in the early centuries of humanity. Since Adam and Eve were the only two human beings on earth, their sons and daughters had no choice but to marry and reproduce with their siblings and close relatives. The second generation had to marry their cousins, just as after the flood the grandchildren of Noah had to intermarry amongst their cousins. One reason that incest is so strongly discouraged in the world today is the understanding that reproduction between closely related individuals has a much higher risk of causing genetic abnormalities. In the early days of humanity, though, this was not a risk due to the fact that the human genetic code was relatively free of defects. Another consideration is that incest today almost always involves a pre-pubescent or powerless victim, and the perpetrator is abusing his or her authority with the goal of unilateral sexual pleasure. By that standard, the “incest” of the Bible has nothing whatsoever in common with modern-day incest. There was no power difference between Cain and his wife, for example; the goal of Abraham and Sarah’s marriage was to create a family. Intermarriage among close family members was a necessity in the generations immediately following Adam and Noah and was not a sinful perversion of sex. It seems that, by the time of Moses, the human genetic code had become polluted enough that close intermarriage was no longer safe. So, God commanded against sexual relations with siblings, half-siblings, parents, and aunts/uncles (Genesis 2:24 seems to indicate that marriage and sexual relations between parents and children were never allowed by God). It was not until many centuries later that humanity discovered the genetic reason that incest is unsafe and unwise. Genetics was not an issue in the early centuries of humanity, and the marriages that occurred between Adam and Eve’s children, Abraham and Sarah, and Amram and Jochebed were not selfish pursuits of sexual gratification or abuses of authority; accordingly, those relationships should not be viewed as incestuous. The key is that sexual relations between close relatives were viewed differently pre-Law and post-Law. It did not become “incest” until God commanded against it.GotQuestions.org Related Resource: Is it wrong to have a romantic relationship with a close relative? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 20:13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” God: Ge 12:1,9,11-20 Ac 7:3-5 Heb 11:8 This: 1Sa 23:21 Ps 64:5 Ac 5:9 say: Ge 12:13 Genesis 20 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries ABRAHAM'S EXCUSES CONTINUE And it came about - Things do not just happen to happen. They happen because God is controlling the scenes He is behind. When God caused me to wander from my father’s house - NLT = "When God called me to leave my father's home and to travel from place to place, I told her, 'Do me a favor. Wherever we go, tell the people that I am your brother.'" God did call him to "wander" is a true statement. Krell Lastly, Abraham even blames God for his vulnerable condition. In 20:13a, he says, “And it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house.” The implication is that if God had not told him to leave his father’s house, he would have never ended up in Abimelech’s kingdom. If he had never arrived in Abimelech’s kingdom, he would have never lied. “Therefore, it’s not my fault, it’s really God’s fault.”26 Whether we are conscious of it or not, we often blame God for the sins we commit. Lord, if only You… Bob