Title: Protection of God (Genesis 20:1-7)
Contents When a child grows up, he does not need the protection of his parents, but rather protects his parents, but no matter how old he is, there is no one who does not even need God's protection.
God protects and protects His people at every moment (Psalm 17:8) as the apple of the eye, and hides them under the shadow of thy wings. You must be a person who realizes that He protects even your soul and gives thanks, just like the saying, He will protect your soul.
1. One of the things that believers in God should always be careful when living in the world when they are far from the promised land is to distinguish between what to do and what not to do, and to distinguish between where to stay and where to leave so that there is no confusion not to live in the world.
As it is said of Abraham (Romans 4:11) that he was uncircumcised and became the father of all who believe, so that they might be credited with righteousness. It was when I didn't know right away.
When Abraham first heard God's call, and when he left his hometown and arrived in the land of Canaan, he went down to Egypt due to a famine, but he called his wife Sarah his sister, and suffered a major disaster (Genesis 12:10-20). After years passed (Genesis 20:1), Abraham moved from there to the south and lived in Gerar between Kadesh and Shur, and he went down to Gerar in the land of the Philistines.
At that time, in the Middle East, there was a custom of having a concubine as a concubine without any remorse without feeling any remorse if one of the foreigners who visited the country liked it. Delitzsch).
As Abraham went down to the land of Gerar (Genesis 20:2) and called his wife Sarah his sister, Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. has been placed on
2. God who protects. If Sarah is insulted by Abimelech, it will be a disgrace for Sarah who was promised Isaac, and it will have a fatal impact on the history of redemption.
This was the crisis that Abraham brought himself down to the place he should not stand and where he should not go. This shows the frailty of human beings without much difference from Lot, who was put to shame for choosing Sodom, and Abraham who chose Gerar.
However, as God said (Psalm 34:7), the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them, He keeps the saints who fear God, but not only when they have good faith, but when they have good faith. He is the God who protects and protects us from the danger of being weakened and falling into temptation.
In an emergency, God protects Abimelech who is about to take Sarah, Abraham's wife (Genesis 20:3) That night God had a dream to Abimelech and said to him, "You will die because of this woman you have taken, and she will be another wife. Just like what you said, “I am,” he appeared in a dream and protected Sarah from getting close to her.
Abimelech did what he had done without guilt, but his life was threatened because of it (Genesis 20:7). Now send the man's wife back, for she is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live, but if you do not send him back. On the contrary, without Abraham's intercessory prayer, he came to realize that his own life was in danger.
God saved us in this extraordinary way, not because Abram was good, but because he still loved his chosen people, even though he made many mistakes and trespasses. Without God's protection, no one would be safe in the world.
If the father of faith like Abraham committed the sin of causing others to stumble when leaving the Promised Land even for a moment, we have nothing more to say about us today, who are weak.
If God had been like humans, who liked to reveal faults and looked only at Abraham's weaknesses, then Abraham would have already died. It is because of the atoning love that was whipped and nailed to the cross in its place.
That doesn't mean you can't sin. (Romans 6:1) What then shall we say? Shall we abid in sin so that grace may increase? (Romans 6:2) No way, how shall we, who were dead to sin, live longer in them?
Therefore, do not be conceited that you have faith, but always be vigilant, acknowledge your weakness, rely on the Holy Spirit, and do not leave the promised land and do not go down to the place of unbelief that weakens your faith.