Patterns of Failure

Realize that we are prone to wander from the presence of God (Gen 20:1)

Explanation: Abraham just gets up and leaves the Oaks of Mamre and heads for the Negev region. He does remain in the Land, but he enters the territory of the Philistines and sojourns there. No reason is given in the text, but it is equally clear that he is NOT being directed to Gerar by God.

Argument: Unbelievable as it sounds, we are often prone to wander from the presence of God immediately after moments on the mountain. Note: the presence of God is not tied to geography, but it is very possible for us to move from outside His presence.

“prone to wander Lord, I feel it;

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it;

seal it for Thy courts above.

Application: Remain humble. None of us ever “make it” on this side of heaven. We never arrive at the point where we can just coast. Seek God’s guidance in all things.

Guard against patterns of sin (Gen 20:2)

Explanation: When Abraham and his entourage arrive in Gerar, they are noticed. Abraham is a man of wealth and power in his own right and his household is fairly large. He and Sarah are the only two mentioned in the text, but it is unlikely the two of them were wandering around by themselves.

Very few details are mentioned in the text about Sarah entering into the harem of the King. She gained the attention of the King and he evidently asks Abraham about her availability. This would explain Abraham saying ‘she is my sister.’ The King accepts Abraham’s lie and has Sarah brought to him.

Note: Sarah is 89 at the time, but it probably wasn’t the same as 89 today. Sarah lived to be 127 (Gen 23:1), so she still had almost 40 years to live. Pastor Steven Cole contributes the idea that regardless of her physical charms, the King of Gerar wanted Sarah for the purpose of making an alliance with the house of Abraham.

The main point, however, is to notice that Abraham sinned by lying and he also put the covenant promise in danger by placing Sarah in a compromised position. [If Sarah is with another man and then has a child, the issue of lineage would be in question.] This is the same sin Abraham committed in Egypt when Pharaoh expressed interest in Sarah when she was 65. On both occasions, Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife out of fear. He feared for his own life in that he thought he would be killed so Sarah would be free of the marriage bond.

Argument: The reader discovers that this ruse (bold-faced lie) was a pre-determined method that Abraham planned ahead of time with Sarah in the event it was needed (Gen. 20:13). Lying is Abraham’s besetting sin and it has negative consequences for himself and for the next generation: Isaac tells the same lie about his wife Rebekah due to fear of his personal safety (Gen 26:6-7)

Most of us would not be willing to judge Abraham too harshly for falling into habitual sin, especially when we realize our personal failings in this area. It may not be lying, but most of us have an area of weakness with which we struggle to overcome.

One believer may struggle with alcohol, and another may struggle with pornography. Another believer may have zero temptations in those two areas, but struggle with pride or gossip. All are sin, and all of them (along with others not mentioned) can be a believer’s besetting sin.

The pattern or propensity does NOT, however, excuse the sin. The answer is NOT to say: ‘that’s just how I am” and resign oneself to continual failure in that area. Surrender to sin is to declare that even Christ is not able to overcome this area of your life! Not a statement any believer should make.

Application: Confess that it is sin - agree with God; don’t allow yourself to put it in the category of a bad habit or DNA - it is a choice and it is sin!

Recognize that at a base level your action is disobedience. At that moment, we want our sin more than we want to please Christ

Kill it, don’t try to tame it. Romans 6:11 We are not to manage sin, we are to kill it.

We lay it aside by looking to Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Rehearse the Consequences (Gen 20:9-10, 14-16)

Explanation: Abraham was a prophet and a friend of God. He was the one who stood before God and interceded for the inhabitants of Sodom. He was known for being a man of integrity and faith. Yet when he lied to this earthly king out of fear, he brought reproach upon the God he represented. Abimelech was not a member of the covenant community, yet he saw the moral wrongness of Abraham’s actions when he declared, “you have done deeds unto me that ought not to be done.” (verse 9)

Illustrate: A pastor who falls into moral compromise causes many unbelievers to question the reality of faith and even the existence of God.

Argument: We do not sin in a vacuum; sin always has consequences in the lives of others (cf. Joshua 7:5-6) Sin in the camp brings judgment.

Application: Understand that no one is above falling into sin. We must take steps to avoid it. One such step is to rehearse the consequences of sin

Lose the respect of your family

May lose your spouse

Smear the reputation of Christ in the community

Possible financial hardship

Earn the reputation of a hypocrite

Embrace the preciousness of God’s Amazing grace (Gen 20:6-7, 14-18)

Explanation: In spite of Abraham’s sin of lying about Sarah being his sister, God intervened in the situation. Even though Abraham displayed a lack of trust, God protected and preserved the covenant promise for Abraham and Sarah to have a child together. God worked directly in Abimelech’s life to bring about His plan.

Argument: God IS able to bring good even when sin is present. This is the story line of the Bible: God determined to receive Glory from humans through worship from a righteous relationship. Humanity failed in that due to the rebellion of sin. God’s plan would not be stopped by human shortcomings, and the promised one who would crush the head of satan (Gen. 3:15) was fulfilled in Jesus. In His humanity, Jesus is also a direct descendant of Abraham and Sarah through the son of the promise - Isaac. (Matt 1:1-17)

Application: We CAN trust that His plans and purposes WILL be accomplished. We can accept that His grace is sufficient for all things (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that God can and does work through the weak things of this world.

This is not, however, a license to sin and do whatever we want because God is able to overcome our sin. This type of thinking reflects a person who is outside of Christ and does not understand the goodness and grace of God. Paul addressed this when he asked, “Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-12)

Proverbs 29:5