Surrender and Exchange

One of my favorite things about the Bible is that it does not shy away from the human failings of any character in its tales. Even the good guys are not elevated on pedestals as perfect guys. We know Solomon had lust. We know Jonah was bitter. We know Moses had a temper. We know Peter cowered under pressure. We know that Paul was a previous genocidal maniac. We know Rahab was a prostitute. We know Mary Magdalene had seven demons.

In most stories, they try to make themselves heroes, or at least make certain characters look good and others evil. The good guys, hide their flaws, or they are spun in a way that they are not 'flaws' per se, but 'vulnerabilities'. After all, if you have the opportunity to be an original leader in a new movement and, unlike most, you actually have the education to write down and document what is happening for years to come... I'm sure it could be tempting to paint yourself in a better light.

But the authors do not!

Paul boasts in his weaknesses. No one alienates Judas. Matthew doesn't care who knows that he used to extort people. Even in today's story, the founding patriarch doesn't cover up his habit of lying or his besetting sin of fear and unbelief.

Instead, everything that makes us fallen humans is exposed so that everything that makes Him a Loving, Holy, Just, and Good God can be revealed.

There is a rule in Biblical hermeneutics (the study of how to interpret the Bible) called, "the law of first mention". It tells us that the first time a word, concept, or theme appears in scripture, it sets a precedence for the meaning, understanding, and interpretation of that word, concept, or theme. Essentially, the first introduction provides a contextual definition that we can then use to help decipher later passages with the same word, concept, or theme.

Do you know the place where the word PRAY is first mentioned? Interestingly enough, it is also the place where PROPHET is mentioned for the first time, as well.

"From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father's house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.”'"

14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife." - Genesis 20:1-18

One thing that is not a 'first' about this passage is that it is not the first time Abraham has lied about Sarah being his sister and not his wife. The first time was in Egypt in Genesis 12. Both times, Abraham is seemingly afraid of being killed on behalf of Sarah's beautiful appearance, presuming that such godless people wouldn't think twice about murdering him and taking her. Before we think this is a ridiculous fear, we remember that our own fears are never unfounded.

There is always a reason we fear what we fear.

Our fears are not for nothing.

In Abraham's case, both times when he was afraid, half of what he feared actually came to pass! In both cases, Sarah was in fact taken from him.

Was she only taken because they had lied? If they would have been truthful, would she have been left alone?

We will never know, and such it is with our fears. We act based on fear and then those fears are reinforced when even a minuscule experience or coincidence occurs, therefore, validating our fears as more truthful than they are. So then, when this happens once (Gen 12) we decide we must react the same way again (Gen 20).

For some additional context, Sodom and Gomorrah have just been destroyed. Genesis 19 recounts the troubling tale of God hurling down fire and brimstone on the rebellious cities and this is the God that Abraham serves. Verse one doesn't say that God told Abraham to leave and go to Gerar. No reason is provided. Perhaps, he didn't want the memories of destruction next door (after all, he was close enough to witness it [Gen 19:27-28]). Perhaps, the remaining locals drove him out, being angry in the aftermath. Perhaps, the fire and brimstone affected the environment or ecology, pushing him into a different region. Either way, Abraham packs up and travels south, pitching his tent in the land of the Philistines.

Once more, this is the first interaction that God's people have with the Philistines. We can recount that it was the Philistines who often plundered the land of the future Israelites, took captive the Ark of the Covenant, and killed King Saul. Samson would kill thousands of them with the jaw bone of a donkey, and David would decapitate their giant, Goliath. However, here in Genesis 20, in the Philistine's first encounter with the representatives of Yawyeh, they are lied to by Israel's patriarch who then walks away with their wealth. I think it is important to consider this history when we read about their encounters, battles, and hatred of the future nation of Israel. To me, it also speaks to the importance of my first impressions, a reminder that I represent God and that I may be the only reflection of Him some people experience.

Lord, may it be true!

Rationally, I can tell myself that history is very different from modern-day, but it is still very horrific to me to think that Abraham would so easily hand over his wife to another man... twice! As the husband, I would have hoped that he would be willing to lay his life down for the sake of his wife, not expecting her to do that for him. What did he think they were going to do to her once they took her? He had to have known the risk of her being sexually assaulted and not just used for servitude.

Did that gnaw at him at night when he slept alone?

Did he regret it?

Did he ever wish he could have been braver?

Could have trusted God more?

Did he ever visit her, see her, or converse with her while they were separated? I wonder what those conversations must have been like.

Was Sarah mad at him?

Was she afraid, too?

Did she ever think of her beauty as a curse?

Did she ever try to hide her radiance?

Did she fear the same thing her husband did, or was she just trying to honor him? How much I wonder what their prayers sounded like during these times.

In Genesis 18:10, Abraham and Sarah were visited by the Lord and his messengers, and they were told that, "at this time next year", they would have their long-awaited son.

What a year.

This over 90-year-old couple is visited by the Lord and told that their 40-year promise is coming to fruition, they watch the decimation of their surroundings, they sojourn to a different city, and fear separates them once again. I had read some commentaries that hypothesized that perhaps God had supernaturally been restoring Sarah's youth in preparation for the birth of Isaac. Perhaps, this is why a 90-year-old woman is still so desirable to the kings of the land. This also means that Sarah could have very well already been pregnant with Isaac when she moved into the king's haram!

Did Sarah know she was pregnant?

Did Abraham know?

How long was Sarah in the king's haram? It doesn't say. In Babylon, Esther (2:12) mentions a twelve-month beautification process the women would undergo before being presented to the king. I'm not sure if the Philistines were different, but it must have been long enough for them to realize that they were not reproducing at their normal rates, a strange thing to observe, but perhaps only observed in hindsight.

God HAD to intervene in this story.

The covenant was at stake.

The lineage of the Messiah was at stake.

The entire Gospel story was at stake.

Isaac would have been thought to be Abimelech's son, worshipping Abimelech's gods, and serving in Abimelech's household.

Can you imagine God showing up to you in a dream, calling you a dead man?

Ironically, this godless, pagan king, calls Him Lord!

Interestingly, Abimelech is being accused by God of adultery. Long before the law of Moses, long before the Ten Commandments, this Philistine king still had enough morality, he was still upright enough to understand that adultery is something wrong. Even more, he doesn't argue with the Lord about the death penalty for such an offense. Rather, he argues his guilt. Abimelech retorts that he is innocent. He didn't know she was married! He was lied to!

God does not wave a sweeping hand, covering or diminishing his charges. The Lord responds by saying that He knows.

He knows that they lied.

He knows that they were afraid.

He knows that Sarah is pregnant.

He knows the end from the beginning.

He knows that this son is a link to His own Son being brought forth into the world.

He knows, but he doesn't just brush it off and say everything's good.

No, God says, I know and that's why I kept you from sinning, I did not let you touch her.

What a profound statement.

How often has He kept me from sinning?

How often has He kept me from touching something that was bad for me?

Of course, such a thing is something I would naturally be oblivious to because I did not do it.

How often has He kept sin from happening against me?

Also, something I may never know.

Abimelech did not know he had been restrained by the Lord's hand.

Did Sarah know?

Perhaps, she prayed for such a thing. Perhaps, Abraham prayed for such a thing.

It says that Abimelech rose early in the morning and immediately addressed the situation. They were all afraid of this encounter. I would imagine that the news of Sodom and Gomorrah has spread. With the smell of smoke still fresh, the God who flattened these cities just called you a dead man... that would inspire some fear. They all feared the Lord and responded immediately. These Philistines are fearing the Lord more than the Lord's own man. The very thing that Abraham assumes cannot be true of these pagans, is the very thing that is true of them, but not true of himself.

Abraham is called in and Abimelech rebukes him harshly.

And he had every right to do so.

Abraham is righteous, but he is certainly not right in this situation.

When confronted, Abraham offers a shrugged, "Well, she is my half-sister."

We all know that a half-truth is a whole lie.

When we feel tempted to think that a little white lie is no big deal, this white lie could have rerouted history, compromised God's promise, and robbed every soul of salvation.

BUT GOD!

Abimelech offers many generous gifts to Abraham and some offered as proof that he never touched Sarah, that she was indeed still pure. This matters for the sake of Isaac's validity as Abraham's son. There could be no argument, no doubts, no questioning of this. By Abraham's reception of these gifts, he is saying that he believes the word of Abimelech that his wife is still pure.

So, Abraham gets to lie and still be blessed?

That, my friend, is not the point of this story.

God is not condoning Abraham's sin and rewarding it with riches.

Remember, God only told Abimelech to return Sarah and receive prayer from Abraham. God never said to give Abraham gifts.

These are not the rewards of the Lord.

They are the panicked restitutions of a betrayed king.

This story is about God being faithful to the covenant, faithful to His word, even when we are not!

The very thing He swore to do and by His own Name (Hebrews 6:13).

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful - for He cannot deny Himself." - 2 Timothy 2:13

One comfort from this story is that we cannot sin big enough to wreck God's ultimate plan.

One caution from this story is that we can be the reason someone else never knows Him.

What could this encounter lead Abimelech to think about God?

What could this encounter lead Abimelech to think about God's people?

Sometimes we are the very ones who lobster grab the sinners back into the pot.

Sometimes we are the very ones who repel the world from Christ.

Sometimes others are looking for truth in all the wrong places, but then they meet us and they say, 'Nope, not that God.'

When we are called ambassadors of Christ, that is not an elective statement.

We are ambassadors of Christ.

When we bear His name; when we use the title of a Christ-like One, we are representing Him.

Perhaps, the saddest part of this story, is that Abraham has ruined his chances of being the one who could have led this entire people group to Yahweh.

Why would they listen to anything he has to say now?

Obeying his fear has disqualified him from being that appointed witness.

Abraham probably would not be the one to preach, teach, or share with the Philistines, but he could still pray.

Even if there are individuals we have blown it with, people we have been horrible ambassadors to, we can still pray for them!

We can repent and we can pray that they forgive, that God sends someone else to minister where we failed, and that they may still come to know Him in spite of us.

It is at this very moment, however, that God chose to use a new word: Prophet.

This is the first time prophet is mentioned.

In Abraham's sin, in the midst of his failure, that is when God says, "He's my man, he's my prophet."

What a vote of confidence!

This man has lied - and God calls him his mouthpiece.

This man has bowed to his fear - and God calls him His intercessor.

This man has regarded his own life as more valuable than others - and God calls him His prophet.

How did Abraham feel to hear that?

Unworthy?

Ashamed?

Embarrassed?

Loved?

We know for certain that he felt emboldened.

He never lied again.

And the next time that God required Abraham to really trust Him, when God asked for the sacrifice of his own son Isaac, Abraham had enough faith to say, "We are both going to worship and we are both coming back," (Genesis 22:5).

And they do!

This is also the first time pray is mentioned.

Now, this is not the first time we see Abraham interceeding. He certainly did so on behalf of Sodom, asking God to spare the city for the sake of the righteous. So, while this story is not the first time the act is accomplished, it is the first time the word is used.

But what are some things we can learn about prayer as it appears in this context?

The first thing we can notice is that prayer is God's idea.

It came straight from his mouth.

He said that Abraham would pray for Abimelech.

And in the next breath, the Lord says that the purpose for this prayer would be life.

Prayer brings life.

It is our spiritual lifeline.

I love that the first reference of prayer relates to closed wombs being opened. It has a meaning that some things in our lives will not happen; will not live, unless they have been birthed in prayer. Paul also makes an interesting correlation between birth and prayer in Galatians 4:19 when he says, "My little children, for whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." He prayed them into a new birth. He prayed them into the kingdom, into a mature establishment in Christ!

It doesn’t matter how smart, how gifted, how talented, how organized, how strong we think we are – there will be trails we cannot get through, there will be mountains we cannot move, there will be dreams that will not come true – unless we have BIRTHED them in prayer.

Another thing we notice is that Abraham is praying for this king to receive the very thing HE has longed for and waited for for 40 years!

And it is when Abraham obediently prays for another to have children, that Sarah births Isaac in the very next chapter!

It takes a certain level of humility to honestly and earnestly ask the Lord for someone else to get what YOU want.

I think that's one reason why God did it.

So, if there is something you have been believing for, praying for, or desiring for some time - I would encourage you to pray that prayer for someone else. Watch how God moves on our behalf when we take our focus off of ourselves and truly esteem others as more important.

In the New Testament Greek, the word pray is: proseuchomai (pros-yoo-khom-ahee).

The HELPS Word Study describes this word as:

4336 proseúxomai (from 4314 /prós, "towards, exchange" and 2172/euxomai, "to wish, pray") – properly, to exchange wishes; pray – literally, to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes (ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith ("divine persuasion").

So, prayer is meant to be a time when we lay down and offer up all of our wishes, desires, wills, dreams, plans, hopes, goals, agendas, and wants, and we exchange them for all of God's wishes, desires, wills, dreams, plans, hopes, goals, agendas, and wants.

Usually, I think we are better at that first part. We can do the first part. We can spill out our hearts to the Lord. We can even throw up our hands in a weary surrender when things get too difficult.

But, do we exchange?

It's not truly prayer unless there is both surrender and exchange.

And guess what?

Do you know where in the New Testament this Greek word for prayer is used for the first time?

"But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you." - Matthew 5:44

It is only possible to do such a thing when we have fully surrendered and exchanged.

I cannot genuinely pray for my persecutors without first having received the heart that God has for them.

I cannot genuinely love them, serve them, and bless them until I have seen them through the Father's eyes.

And this is exactly what Abraham had to do.

Abraham had to participate in the surrender and exchange in order to pray God's heart for those wombs to be opened and for his rival to be healed.

It was probably not his most treasured opportunity, to pray for the pagan king who had just publically rebuked and humiliated him. But we are often blind to our strongholds or besetting sins, and so God will sometimes set up situations like this where the sin is exposed, we are humbled, and we can be restored again. It is important that we allow the Lord to correct us. Generational cycles can come from these strongholds, as we see in Genesis 26, when Isaac commits the same sin, for the same reason, and in the same place as his father Abraham.

Charles Spurgeon once said that, "The fear of the Lord is the death of every other fear."

If we surrender and exchange, this can be true for each one of us.