In that quite familiar story in Genesis 20, Abraham lies to the king of Gerar in order to protect his life. His wife Sarah, apparently even at an advanced age is quite striking to look upon, or this is Abimelech's attempt at a friendly alliance. Either way, Abraham not knowing his intentions, feels it necessary to tell a half-truth in order to keep the king of the land from taking his wife into his harem and possibly killing him. At least two things are wrong here, 1) Abraham assumed the king had no conscience in these matters, and 2) he assumed God had no control. If he had bothered to ask God (who evidently talked with him frequently) he might have discovered the truth and avoided this whole debacle.
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.
We hone in on Abimelech's argument with God--"I did this based on Abraham's word and in the integrity of my heart." And God--"Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning." Two thoughts:
1) God prevents his people from sinning. What a blessing it is when God interposes some preventative to our breaking his law against HIM! Who of us knows how many times God actually prevents us from sinning by interrupting our thoughts or deeds with a phone call, a song or an emergency that diverts us? "Deliver us from temptation" carries a new meaning! God indeed knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations (2 Pet 2:9). And God makes a way of escape that we may be able to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13).
2) God knows our motives. Of course God knew what was Abimelech's motive. God knows everything! That, we would affirm, is a truism, something that is "openly accepted as true," but according to the dictionary, "says nothing new or interesting." Ah, well, maybe that's the problem. It should say something interesting! But some things we know about God may simply be accepted without either acting on them or, certainly, appreciating them. Truths may amass in the collective pool of the believer's heart, but tend nevertheless to stagnate, easily overlooked and left to disintegrate due to neglect. Here is a truth worth stirring up, a thought that brought comfort to the Psalmist when he said,
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it (Ps. 139).
Our Lord does not just know our motives, but hedges us about with his grace. That's cause for rejoicing! I want to stop sinning, and it cheers me to think God is sovereignly busy helping me do it.
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