Abraham and Abimelech

Today, in Genesis chapter 21, we find Abraham realizing something about his God he had never necessarily realized before that changed his entire life from this point on. He will find something out about his God that would change his whole perception. And what he finds out about God amidst all of his insecurities is that his God is an everlasting God, is an eternal God. Once he understood that, everything in his life changed. If you're an anxious person, if you're a person who worries, you don't know about the eternal nature of God.

For those who understand that are anxious for nothing because God is in everything. And hopefully this morning we're going to help you understand that. So turn with me in your Bible to Genesis chapter 21.

Genesis chapter 21. And I hope that this is a very encouraging message for you. I trust that it is. I mean I had a wonderful time studying this past week in my office thinking about all the great things that God has for us today. And so as we read through this, just let God speak to you. Genesis chapter 21, verse number 22. Now, it came about at the time that Abimelech and Pecol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my offspring or with my posterity.

But according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me and to the land in which you have sojourned. And Abraham said, I swear it. But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the well of water which the servants of Abimelech had seized. And Abimelech said, I do not know who has done this thing, neither did you tell me, nor did I hear of it until today. And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

And Abimelech said to Abraham, what do these seven ewe lambs mean which you have set by themselves? And he said, you should take these seven ewe lambs from my hand in order that it may be a witness to me that I dug this well. Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. And Abimelech and Pecol the commander of his army arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba. And there he called on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.

And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days. Now I know what some of you are thinking. You think how is that passage of Scripture going to encourage me today? Well wait till it unfolds before your very eyes this morning. This is a tremendous passage of Scripture. They're all tremendous. They're all fantastic. But the amazing thing is, is that you're here today because in the sovereign will of God He has something specific for you to learn that you may grow in the grace and knowledge of Almighty God.

The text says in verse number 22, Now it came about at that time. What is significance about that? The significance is this. What was that time? The time was when Ishmael and Hagar were booted out of Abraham and Sarah's home. It's significant because that means that Isaac was somewhere around oh maybe three, four, five years of age. Because it was at the time that he had been weaned that they threw the party. That upon throwing the party that Sarah observed that Ishmael abused Isaac. So somewhere between the ages of three to five.

Maybe even six. Who knows? Okay? That would make Abraham a hundred and four to a hundred and six years of age. Right? Know what that tells me? It took a hundred and four years for the man to finally come to the conclusion that God is in all and God is everywhere.

It tells me that you're never too old to learn about God. You know we get off at age and you know we we've taught Sunday school classes and we've been through Bible studies and we've read through our Bible a hundred times. And sometimes that we get older we think you know what what else is there to read? What else can I learn? Let me tell you something you're never too old to learn about God.

And here was Abraham well over a hundred years of age learning what I believe is the most significant thing about God and Abraham's life that would totally change this man's view of life. And listen very carefully and would prepare him for Genesis 22. What happens in Genesis 22? Isaac in the offering up of Isaac to sacrifice him because God told him to. If you know, listen very carefully, that God is everlasting, that God's eternal, you can face whatever God brings your way tomorrow. If you don't know that God's everlasting, that God's eternal, you can't face tomorrow.

You'll be anxious about it. You'll worry about it. You'll tremble and fret about it. You'll cry about it instead of trust God about it. Now listen what we knew in Genesis 20 Abraham didn't comprehend but he will now in Genesis 21. What we knew is that God intervened. God was there. God did his work. And the whole point of Genesis 20 as we look back on that time we were in that chapter that God is involved in every aspect of our life even though we don't see Him. Even amidst all of our sin God is going to orchestrate His purposes to bring about His glory.

And God has intervened for us on times that we don't even know of. Praise be to God for His wonderful grace and mercy. That God would intervene when we have sinned and bring about a greater purpose so that He, God Himself, is glorified in spite of our sinful behavior so that He is put on display in a pagan world. God is a good God. He's a great God. That's all important. Why? Because now we come to our outline. Now we come to Genesis 21 and realize that Abraham and Abimelech have another encounter.

Now they're coming back together again. And I want you to notice three things about this encounter with Abraham and Abimelech.

Number one the plea. Number two the pledge. And number three the parting. And all three of those will come to help us understand more about our God. First of all the plea.

The plea. And three things I want you to notice. The inspiration behind it, the specifications of it, and the accommodation to it. First of all the inspiration behind it.

Now it came at that time that Abimelech and Pecol the commander of his army spoke to Abraham saying, God is with you in all that you do. That is the inspiration behind it. Abimelech, a pagan king, comes to Abraham and says, God is with you Abraham in all that you do. Things have changed over the last four or five years in Abraham's life. Abimelech has been able to observe the change in Abraham's life. He knows that Abraham's a prophet of God because God told him in Genesis 20. He knows that Abraham prayed and Abimelech himself was healed as well as his wives as well as his maids.

So he knows that Abraham knows God. God told him. Plus because Abraham prayed for him he was able to see the working of God in his life. And I'm sure that Abimelech has heard of the birth of Isaac. Abraham's 100, Sarah's 90, she has a baby. This is an incredible thing. And Abimelech knows that probably as well. And he comes to Abraham and says, I know that God is with you in all that you do. Think about how far Abraham has come and how far Abimelech has come. Genesis chapter 20 to Genesis chapter 21.

Here's the man who lied. Here's the man who deceived. Here's the man who wasn't completely honest. Here's the man who wasn't straightforward even when he was confronted about repenting of a sin. But now you come to Genesis 21 you see a whole new different man. And Abimelech saying, I know Abraham that God is with you. My question to you is does anybody know God's with you? Does anybody see God working in your life? Do people come to you and say, I know that God is with you. This is so important. So important.

Now let me ask you a question. In the midst of your adversity, do you know God's with you? In the midst of heartache, do you know that God is with you? In the midst of a broken marriage, do you know God's with you? In the midst of a child that rebels, do you know that God is with you? In the midst of financial distress, do you know that God is with you? In the midst of your heart attack, do you know that God is with you? In the midst of the doctor's confirmation that you have cancer, do you know that God is with you?

Abraham had learned that. All of us need to come to grips with that. The eternal nature of God. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He is always there. The perpetual presence of God is always with you. It's at that time. That was the inspiration behind the plea. Abimelech came to Abraham and said, I know God's with you. I know He's there. And you know I can just see the wheels turning in Abraham's, Abraham's brain. God's with me. You're right He is Abimelech. He's always been with me. And everything's beginning to reveal itself in Abraham's mind by the character and the nature of God.

He's well over 100 years of age, but the lesson he learns, just think, we can learn it in our 20s, our 30s, our 40s. For some of you, 50s, 60s, 70s. Praise God we don't have to wait to 100 to learn the lesson that Abraham himself is learning in Genesis chapter 21. God is with you. That's the inspiration behind the plea. I wish I could spend more time on that, but let's move on to the specifications of it. He says, listen Abraham, now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me.

Deal with me honestly Abraham. Would you do that please? You know what? Once a liar, always suspect. Isn't that true? I mean there are a lot of sins that we commit, but there's one sin above all other sins that once we commit it finds, we find ourselves difficult to be trusted. Isn't that true? That's the sin of lying. And Benelux says, I want you to deal honest with me Abraham. I know that you got this, this carnal side of you. I know that you've lied before. Is it true that once you lie and you get away with it, or once you lie and you're successful at it, that the tendency is that you'll probably lie again?

Sure it is. Even the pagan king knows that because he's lied. But he says, listen, I want you to deal honest with me Abraham, deal with me truthfully. And then he says, I don't want you to deal with me falsely, or with my offspring, or with my posterity, with my sons, or with my sons' sons. I want this to be something that you understand not only today, but tomorrow as well Abraham. I want a lifetime commitment of honesty, of kindness and peace. He says, but according to the kindness that I have shown to you, you shall show to me.

Remember the kindness we read about in Genesis 20? In spite of Abraham's deception, Abimelech blessed him. He gave him oxen, he gave him sheep, he gave him cattle, he gave him livestock, he gave him land. He blessed him. The golden rule, do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. Even the pagan king knew that. Deal with me in kindness Abraham. And I have shown to you, and you should show to me, and to the land in which you have sojourned. The pagan king knew that Abraham wasn't a permanent residence of the land.

And could it be that that's how he knew God was with him? Because he knew that this man Abraham served something greater than this land. Had more in his life than what was before him, he had in his life that which was above him. It says in verse number 24, and Abraham said, I swear to it, I'll deal honestly with you. I'll deal kindly with you. That's important, isn't it? Because you see the Bible says that we need to be peacemakers, Matthew 5, 9.

We need to know as Romans 12 says, as much as it depends upon you live at peace with all men. As much as it depends upon you be a peacemaker, be a peaceful kind of man. And Abraham wanted peace, he didn't want war, he didn't want problems. But you know it's interesting, Abimelech would come to Abraham, a pagan king with an army, brings his commander and says, let's have kindness. Let's deal generously with one another. Let's live at peace with each other Abraham. Abraham says, sure, I'll do that.

So he accommodates the plea by Abimelech. Put number two, the pledge. Three things I want you to notice, Abraham's concern, Abimelech's claim in the covenant by both of these men.

Abraham says in verse number 25, but Abraham complained or he rebuked Abimelech because the well of water which the serpents of Abimelech had seized. He said, you know I dug a well and your servants came and seized it violently. They came and took it from me, Abimelech. And that's a good principle to learn because before you ever make peace with somebody you've got to make sure that you uncover, turn over every stone so everything is left open and bare, right? Let's deal with these issues, these unresolved conflicts first before we ever deal with the peace issue.

Abimelech comes back and says in verse number 26 these words, I do not know who has done this thing, neither did you tell me, nor did I hear it of it until today. Abimelech claims innocence. I don't know anything, Abraham. I didn't know anything about this until today. This is the first I've heard of it.

Now Abraham could have berated him. Abraham could have said, you know what, you're the leader Abimelech, you should have known. Abraham took him at his word, okay? You don't know. So they made the covenant. That's point number three.

That says, verse number 27, Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech and the two of them made a covenant. Then Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said to Abraham, what do these seven ewe lambs mean which you have set by themselves? And he said, you should take these seven ewe lambs from my hand in order that it may be a witness to me that I dug this well. He gives them these seven ewe lambs. Seven lambs that could begin a whole new herd for Abimelech.

You see the generosity in Abraham already coming to be. He didn't have to give him the lambs, but it was a sign that he was going to keep His Word. And now we come to the parting, point number three of these men.

It says, therefore he called the place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. They made a covenant at Beersheba and Abimelech and Pecol the commander of his army arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. Abimelech he departed in peace. Abimelech came and got what he wanted, he wanted peace. And he got peace with Abraham, a mighty warrior, a mighty man, a man that he knew God was with him. A man that he had seen God work through. He was at peace with him. You know that's a good thing, isn't it?

So many times that we think we have to be at odds with the pagan culture. A lot of good lessons here. We can live for God, honor God, and they can see God in our lives. But the second thing I want you to see about this parting is not only Abimelech's departing but Abraham's dedication.

Look what it says. It says, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba. And then it says, and there he called on the name of the Lord the everlasting God. And then it says, Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days. Let me give you something you could take home with you about Abraham's dedication.

Number one, he witnessed for God. That's why he built the tamarisk tree or planted the tamarisk tree. It's a tree of hardwood with evergreen on it. And he planted it there very specifically. You ever been to Beersheba? Anybody here been to Beersheba? When people want to define the land of Israel, they say it's as far north as Dan and as far south as Beersheba. Why is that? If you look south from Beersheba, all you see is white sand desert. All the way down to Egypt. Nothing but barren desert. The driest area probably on the continent.

It is a wasteland. And the last outpost between the good land and Egypt is Beersheba. And there Abraham would plant a tamarisk tree and he would dig a well right there. He would build an oasis. He would build an oasis right there at that point because he wanted everybody to know that he was a living testimony to the working of God in his life with the pagan community. Abraham wanted to be a witness so that everybody who would come through there on their way to Egypt would have an oasis, would have a place to rest, a place to relax, a place to take it easy for maybe just a little while.

Because Abraham wanted everyone to know that he was open to a pagan community. He was open to deal with the pagan community. He was open to work in relationship with the pagan community. He was a tremendous testimony for God Almighty. So he'd plant a tamarisk tree. He would dig a well and then he would call on the name of the Lord. This was his worship. He not only witnessed for God but he would worship his God. He would call upon the name of the Lord. If you trace Abraham's life back to Genesis 12 and Genesis 13 you realize you can tell a lot about Abraham by the places he built altars and the places he dug wells.

He dug a well. He called upon the name of the Lord. He says, My God is an everlasting God. Abraham finally realized God has been with me.

He was with me in Genesis 20 when I lied to Abimelech and he intervened in my life by protecting my wife. He's intervened for me all along the way. He's always been there. He was with me this very day in my dealings with Abimelech when he would come to me and he would know that God was with me. How would Abimelech know that God was with me unless God was there with me? God was with me even at the birth of my son Isaac. Oh, he gave me the promise 25 years earlier but now it finally came to pass.

God is so good. He's always been there. He has never left me. He is El Alam, the everlasting God, the eternal God, the unchangeable God. He's always there. He called upon the name of the Lord because Abraham finally understood that God would never leave him.

And then it says, and this is so good, and Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days. How many days? I don't know. All I know is it says in verse 21 of chapter 22, now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham. After what things? The things that happened in Genesis 21. How many days? I don't know how many days. So the third thing I want you to see about Abraham's dedication is that not only did he witness for God, not only did he worship his God, but he waited on his God.

This is so important. Listen, if you're going to witness for God and you're going to worship God, you have no problem waiting on God. But if you're not witnessing for God and you're not worshiping God, the everlasting one, you have a problem waiting on God, don't you? Sure you do. If you're witnessing for God, you fulfill your purpose in life, right? To be salt and light, to be a testimony in a world of darkness. So if you're witnessing for God, you're fulfilling your purpose in life. If you're worshiping God, you're fulfilling the priority of life, to honor God in all that you do.

If you're witnessing for God and you're worshiping God, the everlasting one, you'll have no problem waiting on the eternal one to lead you and direct you, right? And Abraham would wait. If God's always been there and God's always going to be before me, I'm just going to sit back and wait for him to direct me. And when he directs me, I'll do what he says. And when you come to Genesis 22, God says to Abraham, I want you to take your son, your only son, and I want you to sacrifice him on an altar.

And Abraham didn't say, wait a minute, that doesn't compute with the plan of Almighty God. You told me that you would bless me through this son. Now you want me to kill my son? There were no questions asked by Abraham. Why? Because Abraham knew that God was eternal. And if God's there today, he'll be there tomorrow. He's always going to be there. So important for us to grasp. Listen, when you understand the eternal nature of God, two things happen. Number one, there is security.

And number two, there is security and strength. You need to grasp that. Psalm 48, 14, for this is our God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death. Isn't that a good verse? I mean, it's something you can take with you today. Our God will be our guide even to death. Why? Because he is eternal. He is forever. If you understand the eternal nature of God, there is security. With security always comes stability. And with stability always comes serenity. Do you have that? Are you still anxiously looking about you?

Are you still worried about your life? Listen to the prophet Isaiah. Why do you say, O Jacob, and O Israel, my way is hidden from the Lord. God didn't see me. God's nowhere around. And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God.

I need to be dealt with justly and I've been treated unjustly. And then listen to what the Lord God says to the prophet Isaiah.

Do you not know? Have you not heard the everlasting God? The Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. Your God is an everlasting God. That speaks of his perpetual presence. Your God is the Lord, which speaks of his perennial power. Your God is the creator, which speaks of his perfect plan. If you understand these three attributes of your God, you have nothing to fear. Because he is everlasting, he never tires, no wearies. He never gets worn out.

You ever get worn out? God never gets tired. His understanding? Can't even find it out. It's inscrutable. It's beyond searching. And then he says this. He gives strength to the weary. And to him who lacks might, he increases power. He gives you power. He gives you strength. He gives you security. That's my God. Do you know him as the eternal God? The everlasting God? The one who is, who was, and who is to come? If you don't know him, oh, we'd love to introduce him to you this morning. And somehow you would come to grips with that fact that our God is an everlasting God.

Let's pray.