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CHAP. XX.

The progress of Abraham's history hath been a little interrupted by the account of the destruction of Sodom; but here we return to it again, and find him a second time denying his wife; Abimelech takes her; is reproved of God for it; and, after expostulating with Abraham, restores her to him..

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journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between the two deserts Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar, a city of the Philistines, south of Canaan.* 2 And Abraham unaccountably fell into the same sin which he had before been guilty of in Egypt, and said of Sarah his wife, She [is] my sister and Abimelech† king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah she was still beautiful, though ninety years old; and the 3 king took her, perhaps by force, to make her his wife. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou [art but] a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken, if thou restore her not; for she [is] a man's wife. But Abimelech had not come near her: and, being thus made sensible of the wrong he had done, and fearful lest his people should suffer for it, he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a 5 righteous nation, who are innocent as to this point? 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; I had no adulterous design in the least in it; I meant nothing but what was honest. 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 7 to touch her. Now therefore restore the man [his] wife; for he [is] a prophet, an interpreter of my will, and one who is very dear to me, therefore the injury done to him I consider as done to myself; and if thou wilt restore her, he shall pray for thee, and I will hear him, and thou shalt live and if thou restore [her] not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that [are] thine. Thus God reproved kings for his 8 sake. Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears and the men were sore afraid.

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Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him, What hast thou done unto us? how great a danger hast thou exposed us to and in what have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin, or pun

Probably the stench of the lake was disagreeable, and Lot's incest had brought a reproach upon him and his religion.

A name common to all the kings of Palestine, as Pharaoh was to the kings of Egyps. It significs, my father is king. Çalmet, Edir.

ishment? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be 10 done, that were neither honourable nor justifiable. And Abim

elech said unto Abraham, What levity or impurity sawest thou in us, that thou hast done this thing, that hath moved thee to 11 deal thus with us? And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God, a principle of real religion, [is] not in this place they will be guilty of any violence, and perhaps they 12 will slay me for my wife's sake. And yet indeed [she is] my sister; she [is] the grand daughter of my father Terah, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.* 13 And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, This [is] thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He [is] my brother:†

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And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and men servants, and women servants, and gave [them] unto Abraham, and 45 restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech, being glad to

have such a prophet, and such a friend of God near him, said, Behold, my land [is] before thee: dwell where it pleaseth 16 thee. And unto Sarah he said, by way of reproof, Behold, I have given him whom thou didst call thy brother a thousand [pieces] of silver: ‡ behold, he [is] to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that [are] with thee, and with all [other ;] a defence of thy chastity, to secure thee from the eyes and addresses of all others; and therefore own him hereafter: thus she was reproved. || 17 So Abraham prayed unto God and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid servants, of the indisposition 18 under which they laboured; and they bare [children.] For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife; God by some righteous judgment had smitten them with barrenness.

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REFLECTIONS.

W E should be cautious of relapsing into those sins

that we have been convinced of and humbled for. Abraham did so; and his guilt was aggravated by God's having formerly appeared for him in Pharaoh's court. It was strange that he should dissemble again, when he had seen the vision of God since that time, and had the promise of a child by Sarah too; yet he relapsed again. Lord, what is man! How painful is it to

When Haran, her own father, died, she lived with Terah, her grandfather, who was also Abraham's father; and thus living as brother and sister in the same family, in time she became his wife. † Abraham alleges it was his common practice, and therefore he did not design to af front Abimelech ; but it was done with a design to deceive, and therefore unjustifiable and sinful. About one hundred and twenty five pounds.

Or, as it is much better rendered by Dr. Kennicott, and in all things speak the truth. Remarks, p. 22. Edit.

observe the father of the faithful repeatedly equivocating! Let us avoid this sin, and especially be on our guard in those instances in which we have fallen before. Past miscarriages should be as marks to prevent our making shipwreck of faith and a good conscience.

2. It is a great comfort to preserve the testimony of our own conscience; so Abimelech did. He had no ill design, no intention of injuring Abraham of Sarah. Polygamy was reckoned unlawful even in those days. Let us keep a conscience void of offence toward God and man. It will be our rejoicing in the day of evil and then, if our hearts condemn us not, we shall have confidence toward God. If he knows that we act in the integrity of our hearts, it is happy for us, whether men will own it or not. Those who walk uprightly, walk surely; and they may humbly hope, that God will keep them from sinning against him, when they desire to know their duty, and avoid the appearance of evil.

3. We should acknowledge it as a great mercy to be restrained from sin, though it should be by affliction. God often makes use of afflicting providences as a means of curing vicious inclinations; and thus he takes away the opportunity of our doing evil. Those afflictions that keep us from sin are blessings indeed. God should be praised for restraining grace; and it should be our daily pray er, that he would not permit us to fall into temptation, but that he would deliver us from evil.

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4. The fear of God is a good restraint from sin v. 11. ham thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife's sake. The want of this principle introduces all manner of confusion. Justly do our indictments say, concerning criminals, that they do so and so, not hav ing the fear of God. There is no good to be expected without this. David says, Psalm xxxvi. 1. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes ; whatever they profess, their conduct saith so. An holy awe of God will keep us from sin, as in the case of Nehemiah, This did not I because of the fear of the Lord. If therefore we would avoid sin, and every appearance of evil, let us be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

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5. Sometimes it is a snare to us to have a bad opinion of others, and to suspect their characters more than we ought. Abraham suspected Abimelech, but without reason. appears to have been a man of great wisdom, judgment, and integrity; not an idolater, but a worshipper of the true God, as Melchizedek was. God conversed with him by dreams, and thus made known his will to him. It seems that he abhorred adultery, and had he known that Sarah was another man's wife, would not have attempted to take her. Perhaps Abraham might think, that Abimelech and his people did not fear God, because they were not circumcised; had not the seal of God's covenant; or did not offer sacrifices, or not such sacrifices as he did. Uncharitableness leads to other sins; particularly, to take wrong

methods to secure ourselves; charity hopeth all things. There are,' says Mr. HENRY,' many persons that have more of the fear of God in their hearts than we think. Perhaps they are not called by our dividing names, nor wear our badges. They are not of our opinion, and therefore we conclude that they have not the fear of God in their hearts. But this is injurious both to Christ and christians, and makes us obnoxious to the divine judgment. Once more,

6. Let us learn to temper our rebukes with gentleness and kindness; thus Abimelech did. Men are apt to be displeased at a reproof, however just it may be ; and therefore we ought to mingle it with kindness: when we do so, they will hearken the better, and believe we have a good design. Many a reproof loses its force, by being delivered with too much heat. Men are ready to think that zeal for God and holiness will vindicate this; but they are mistaken. The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Let us then in meekness instruct those who oppose themselves, and with gentleness reprove those who do amiss; and endeavour, by real kindness, to show that we wish them well, and should be glad to see them happy. An arrow winged with love is most likely to reach the heart. So God deals with us, and so should we deal with each other.

CHAP. XXI.

We are now entering upon the history of Isaac, who is one of the most perfect characters of the Old Testament. This chapter contains an account of his birth; how Ishmael was cast out; of a treaty made between Abraham and Abimelech ; and of Abraham's solemn devotion,

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ND the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken, that is, performed his promise. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him for this reason Isaac is said to have been born by prom3 ise. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac, that is, laughter, 4 because of the joy he had in him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded 5 him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him, and Sarah ninety years old.

6 And Sarah said, God hath made me, who once foolishly laughed through distrust, to laugh for joy; holy gratitude fills my heart: [so that] all that hear will laugh with me and rejoice 7 at his birth. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? who would

have ventured to assert so improbable a thing? none but God; and he hath fulfilled his word; for I have born [him] a son in his old age, and can suckle and nourish it from my own breast. 8 And the child grew, and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast the [same] day that Isaac was weaned.*

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And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, mocking; perhaps at the great feast, and jeering Isaac in some malignant bitter way, as their young master, he that, forsooth, must be heir of all; this made Paul call it persecution, Gal. iv. 29. Perhaps he was put on by Hagar, who thought her son, who was the firstborn, should be the heir. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, I cannot bear this insolent behaviour, and therefore beseech you to cast out this bondwoman, and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be 11 heir with my son, [even] with Isaac. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight, because of his love to his son, and God's promise concerning him, and lest he should be ex12 posed to danger and idolatry. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Isaac, as heir to thy house, shall bear and propagate thy name: and the promised seed, and spiritual prerogatives shall be entail13 ed upon him. Heb. xi. 18. And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, as I have promised, because he 14 [is] thy seed. And Abraham, to show his readiness to obey the divine command, rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave [it] unto Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.† 15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the 16 child under one of the shrubs. And she went and sat her down over against [him] a good way off, as it were a bow shot for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against [him,] and lift up her voice, and wept, God did not design that they should perish, but that they should 17 be brought to repentance; And therefore God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagarout of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for 18 God hath heard the voice of the lad where he [is.] Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make 19 him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, which was there before, though she saw it not, by reason of grief, or some other cause; and she went and filled

Not the day he was circumcised, that would have interrupted their regard to this religious rite; but the day he was weaned, when the mother and child were both stronger.

+ This might be done to humble both herself and her son for their improper conduct, and to be an emblem of her posterity, who should wander in the wilderness.

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