Abimelech

          We come across several persons with the name ABIMELECH in the Old Testament.  In this article, I would like to examine some of the extraordinary  qualities found in Abimelech, who ruled Gerar during the days of Abraham. He was a Philistian. Yet, he knew the God of Israel and obeyed him. Though he was a less familiar person and often projected in bad light, a careful study of chapters 20 & 21 of Genesis would make one feel that he is an outstanding person. To substantiate my view, I have given a few points below for your study and meditation.

Point 1:  When "Abimelech sent for Sarah and took her" (Genesis 20/1) under the mistaken impression that she was a single unmarried person, God of Israel intervened. He appeared before Abimelech in a dream and informed him that Sarah was married to Abraham already (Genesis 20/2). In this connection, I wish to draw attention to the opening portion of verse 4 of chapter 20. The Bible clearly says, that the moment Abimelech was informed about Sarah's marital status, "he never went near her". Another translation says," he never touched her". In other words, he never attempted to have any physical relationship with her. That apart, I wish to focus on another important point also. The truth that Sarah was married , was not informed to him when he was awake, but was revealed in a dream. But both Abraham and Sarah said in one voice that they are brothers and sisters. Abimelech rejected their contentions, but believed the voice of God heard in a dream. There are ample reason to reject what he had seen and heard  in the dream. Yet, he showed no urgency, examined the facts carefully and believed obeyed the command of the Lord in the dream.Today, even if we know very clearly what is truth, we do what we like. We don't bother about the consequences. Our desires shape our decisions. Dear reader, what about you?

Point 2:  Now Abimelech pleads to the Lord, not to punish the people of his country for his actions. Please see his prayer at Gen. 20/4. This is a model prayer. When a warning came from the Lord in his dream, he feared that God's anger might turn against the innocent people of his Kingdom. He was particular that they should not suffer any punishment as a result of this. He was not worried about the punishment to be given to him, if any. Therefore, he pleaded with the, "will you destroy an innocent nation?" He declared that his people were innocent and they should be spared. He was not passing the buck.

Point 3:  Then, Abimelech explains the circumstances. He tells the Lord, "Abraham himself said that she was his sister and Sarah said the same thing. I did this with a clear conscience" (Gen 20/4). This statement clearly implies that if he would have known the truth earlier, he would not have done this. Here, the wrong information given by the God's chosen man made a gentile king to commit a sin. Abimelech was a victim of wrong information. Yet, he did not allow the matter to develop into dangerous proportions. He checked the damage at the right time.

Point 4: Now the Lord responds. Firstly, he says that he knew that Abimelech "did this with a clear conscience" (Gen 20/6). God appreciates his stand openly. He stands as a witness to Abimelech's innocence. Secondly, the Lord says, I kept you from sinning against me". The Lord was particular that Abimelech, being misinformed and innocent should not commit sin even inadvertently.  The Lord was impressed with  the way Abimelech obeyed God's word and felt sorry for his actions. Are we willing to heed God's commands like this?

Point 5:  The very next morning, as the Bible put it, (Gen 20/8) Abimelech summoned all his officers and servants and explained to them what had happened previous night. He did not achieve anything to feel proud of. He was involved in an embarrassing affair. Yet, he shared the Lord's meeting with him with his subordinates. He lost no time. It would have been enough if he had simply allowed Sarah to go. Why did he do so? He indirectly cautioned his men, not to resort to such sins. The open and transparent way Abimelech handled the matter, brought a fear on them about the God of Israel (Gen 20/8). They would have understood that Almighty Lord would intervene at any time in human Kingdoms. Do we handle our affairs in an open and transparent way to benefit other?

Point 6:  Abimelech finally awarded some compensation to Abraham and Sarah for the inconveniences they suffered in his country. (Genesis 20/10). Some observers say that the compensation meant for Sarah was to get some clothes to cover her face. But there is no clear indication to this effect is available in the Bible. But one thing is certain. Abimelech's rebuke of the behaviour of Abraham and Sarah and the compensation was to impress upon them not to speak such half truths about their marital status in future. Here, a gentile rebukes God's chosen people for their misdeeds. What an unpleasant situation! We should remember that we will face the same situation of getting rebuked by others including non-believes if we commit mistakes like this. We should not hesitate to tell the truth at any point of time. I think that this is the best lesson we learn from this episode.

          Though Abimelech was an ordinary gentile king, he displayed extra-ordinary qualities.  I am confident that Abimelech's conduct would certainly impact others.

Joseph Stephen

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