Whatever were you thinking?

Whatever were you thinking?

Ever do something dumb and someone said,

“Whatever were you thinking?”

Well, you are not alone

Abraham had a wrong assumption;

And it messed up his thinking.

Abraham for the second time

said that Sarah was his sister.

God visits Abimelech in a dream and says,

“You are as good as dead.”

I think I would call that a nightmare.

God reveals that He knew

that Abimelech had no idea

Sarah was Abraham’s wife and

gives Abimelech the opportunity

to make things right.

Now Abimelech gets on Abraham’s case. 

In the Message,

he says in Genesis 20:10…

 "Whatever were you thinking of

when you did this thing?"

And in Genesis 20:11-12 it says…

 

Abraham said,

"I just assumed that there was no fear of God

in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife.

12 Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister;

she's my father's daughter, but not my mother's.”

Abraham “assumed”

Abraham is soon to be the father of Isaac

and he still doubts God’s ability to provide.

Abraham had seen God provide for him in so many ways,

but when it came to his own life,

he assumed God did not have any influence

in a place where people did not fear God.

So, Abraham tells a half lie,

or do we call it a half truth;

either way he was wrong.

A few years later,

when Isaac is a boy,

God will test Abraham again

to see if he will trust God

with the life of his son Isaac.  

Genesis 22

The question moms and dads

always say to their kids is,

“Whatever were you thinking?”

Don’t assume the worst.

Think about how much God loves you

and what He has done for you.

Don’t forget…

He is a good God

and wants to do

good things for you! 

Scripture Reading

Genesis 20 THE MESSAGE

20:1 Abraham traveled from there south to the Negev

and settled down between Kadesh and Shur. While he was camping in Gerar,

2 Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She's my sister."

So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream that night and told him,

"You're as good as dead — that woman you took, she's a married woman."

4 Now Abimelech had not yet slept with her, hadn't so much as touched her.

He said, "Master, would you kill an innocent man?

5 Didn't he tell me, 'She's my sister'? And didn't she herself say, 'He's my brother'?

I had no idea I was doing anything wrong when I did this."

God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know your intentions were pure,

that's why I kept you from sinning against me;

I was the one who kept you from going to bed with her.

7 So now give the man's wife back to him.

He's a prophet and will pray for you — pray for your life.

If you don't give her back,

know that it's certain death both for you and everyone in your family."

8 Abimelech was up first thing in the morning.

He called all his house servants together and told them the whole story.

They were shocked.

9 Then Abimelech called in Abraham and said, "What have you done to us?

What have I ever done to you that you would bring on me

and my kingdom this huge offense?

What you've done to me ought never to have been done."

10 Abimelech went on to Abraham,

"Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?"

11 Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place

and that they'd kill me to get my wife.

12 Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister;

she's my father's daughter but not my mother's.

13 When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home,

I told her, 'Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'"

14 Then Abimelech gave Sarah back to Abraham,

and along with her sent sheep and cattle and servants, both male and female.

15 He said, "My land is open to you; live wherever you wish."

16 And to Sarah he said, "I've given your brother a thousand pieces of silver

— that clears you of even a shadow of suspicion before the eyes of the world.

You're vindicated."

17 Then Abraham prayed to God and God healed Abimelech,

his wife and his maidservants, and they started having babies again.

18 For GOD had shut down every womb in Abimelech's household on account of Sarah, Abraham's wife.