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Can God Deliver Me From a Mess I’m In? Genesis 20:1-18 (17)

• At some point we all get ourselves in a real mess (cannot fix)
• Often, it involves our spouse & family

The Mess

Genesis 20:1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. ² And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. ³ But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” ⁴ Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? ⁵ Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” ⁶ Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. ⁷ Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” ⁸ So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” ¹⁰ And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?”

Sarah (90 yrs old)

• They are awaiting Isaac (almost 25 yrs) – A). warfare before  B). blessing
• Adultery = her idea/he participated.   Adultery & Lying = his idea & she participated.
• Lot gave 2 daughters away, Abraham gave wife away twice (Genesis 12)

Abraham

• God told them to go once, the other 2 times He did not
• Moved into Phillistine “enemy territory”          =LOSE/LOSE
• God just destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah for sexual sin, & Abraham gives wife to pagan
• Prophet – 1^st time Bible. God spoke prior = God speaks 1. To 2. Through (write/speak)

Abimelech

• Unbeliever more bothered by adultery than believer.
• Abraham does not obey God. Abimelech does.
• Believers not always the good guys and unbelievers the bad guys (Good Samaritan)

= Terrible witness

God

1. All Knowing             2. Supernatural           3. Sovereign                4. Good

• God = active Father protecting daughter

=We all get ourselves into a mess at some point. The good news is God gets involved.

Fear vs Faith

Genesis 20:¹¹ Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ ¹² Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. ¹³ And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”

• Spirit vs Letter law – still his wife

REGULATED                          = you have emotions

DYSREGULATED (trigger)    = your emotions have you

1. Ongoing dysregulation is a problem

2. Making major decisions while dysregulated is a problem (e.g. social media ch.1)

Fear (triggered)

Abraham’s Fear – he has an army & has won a war, but gets triggered when he’s not in control

• #1 command Bible “fear not”
• Fear/Worry/Anxiety/Stress

Body Signs – mood swings, sleep, exhaustion, brain fog, irritability, stomach/heart problems,

blood pressure, weight gain/loss, chronic sickness, panic, self-medicate

Under anxiety is fear

1 John 4:18 “fear has to do with punishment”                        Gen. 20:11 “they will kill me”

1.    Fear is vision without faith.                                                                     “kill me”

2.    Fear demands more info triggering more fear                                       heard, then seen

3.    Fear turns us into false prophets                                                           “prophet”

4.    Fear often more dangerous than who/what you fear                             lose- wife, son, Jesus

5.    Fear is not just a feeling but a spirit (2 Tim. 1:7)                                   vs Holy Spirit

6.    Fear causes inner vows. Matt. 5:34 tlb “Don’t make any vows!”          

• Inner vows w/ourselves or others counterfeit of covenant w/God
• Inner vows demand our loyalty over the Lord
• Some inner vows become generational curses (Isaac gives wife away Gen. 26)

God Saves and Keeps Saving 

Genesis 20:¹⁴ Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. ¹⁵ And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” ¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” ¹⁷ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. ¹⁸ For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

1. God can forgive you
2. God can restore you
3. God can bless you
4. God can answer your prayers

Use don’t Abuse God’s grace

Adam & Eve                Noah               Lot & Wife                   Abraham & Sarah

• Give some grace to your spouse & your parents
• God interceded for them & does the same for us:      A). Cross         B). Throne