“She is my sister” – Genesis 20

She is my sister? Oh my – what has Abraham done? The woman who he took to himself 49 years ago; the same woman who Yehovah JUST said would give him the promised son/seed on the next “Time of Life” moed (in less a year), has just been given to Abimelech as his woman.

Abraham has lived in Hebron, which is next to Mamre, for 21 years. Now, right after the destruction of Sodom he goes (I think “flees”) south to Gerar. Why did he leave so suddenly? Is it possible that he was avoiding poisonous gasses from Sodom which were coming up from the valley?

“She Is My sister” Was Said Out Of Fear

This Genesis 20 story moves along quickly; and in verse 2 Abraham is already telling Abimelech, King of Gerar about Sarah saying, “she is my sister.”

Now Abraham said of Sarah his woman, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. (Gen 20:2)

Augh! Why would Abraham say “she is my sister” except out of fear? She is his woman (there is no word for wife in Torah) and his niece; NOT his sister. He fears the king and what he can do to him, and he has failed to understand the significance of what Yehovah had told Him, through His sent ones, just days before.

Is anything too hard for Yehovah? At the appointed time [the moed] I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Gen 18:14)

Abraham is about to receive the son which Yehovah promised him 25 years before. Nothing can happen to Abraham until Sarah conceives his son and still have Yehovah’s word fulfilled. But Abraham fears the people of the land more than he trusts in Yehovah who ALWAYS does what He says He will do. And now beautiful Sarah has been taken by Abimelech as his woman.

And what about Sarah? What a woman of worth she is! Practically every woman today, if faced with the situation that Sarah found herself in, would betray her husband’s confidence. But Sarah did what Abraham asked, even to her own potential hurt. I want a woman like that!

I love this story! It demonstrates Yehovah’s faithfulness to fulfill His words even when those who truly are in covenant/cutting with Him fail miserably by saying foolish and unnecessary things like “she is my sister.”

Here is yet another case where the book of Yasher gives “the rest of the story;” I know you will find it interesting.