The Sister Ploy

Reading:   Genesis 20-21

When I read chapter twenty I experienced a sense of déjà vu, like I had already read the chapter.  There was so much about the story that seemed familiar, not like Noah and the flood, the story of Lot, or Cain and Abel, this story wasn't one that I had heard before and yet I was certain that I had already read it.  The chapter is about Abraham and how he pretended to be Sarah's brother so as not to be killed.  Apparently, in those days, the kings and nobility of Egypt were quite possessive and would take whatever they wanted - if someone of royal lineage came across a woman and thought she was worth having they would take her; if the woman was married, they would kill the husband and then take her.

So to avoid his senseless murder, Abraham would pretend to be Sarah's brother and did so throughout their travels in Egypt.  The story in chapter twenty involved a king named Abimelech (king of Gerar), he desired Sarah (even though she was 89) and took her from Abraham.  During the night he had a dream and was basically told that he and his entire house would suffer God's wrath if he did not return Sarah to her husband.  Abimelech pleaded ignorance saying that he truly believed she was Abraham's sister...

GENESIS 20:5-7

5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. 

6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. 

7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. 

Obviously Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham and was delivered from the grievous path he was heading down.  Back to my sense of déjà vu - In my research I discovered that I had read this story, eight chapters earlier in fact, the story was near identical in context but involved a Pharaoh instead of Abimelech.  Abraham pretended to be Sarah's brother and she was taken into the Pharaoh's house.  The Pharaoh was visited with many plagues and figured out that Sarah was a wife to Abraham, returned her to him, and the plagues were lifted (Gen. 12:9-20).

Why is it that a similar account is given in the course of Abraham's journey?  I believe that there was a significant design in these proceedings, both the Pharaoh and Abimelech were just men caught up in the ways of the land - taking what they wanted - but The Lord desired more for them and, through Abraham and Sarah, taught them both an important lesson about selfish desire and greed.

An important note is that The Lord instructed Abraham to pretend to be Sarah's sister, explaining it would preserve his soul (Abraham 2:22-25); but, in this act it seems that The Lord may have preserved more than just one soul...Abimelech and the Pharaoh were saved as well, along with their households, and, for all involved, the individual knowledge of God was increased greatly.

~Kipling

Next:   Genesis 22-25 (maybe more)