Gen 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

In Genesis 20, we see an old sin repeated. Abraham’s pilgrimage took him to Gerar (v.1). Abraham said of his wife Sarah: “She is my sister”. Thinking she was not married, “Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah” (v.2). About twenty years ago, Abraham made the same statement in Egypt resulting in the Pharaoh of Egypt taking Sarah into his palace (Genesis 12:13-15). What are the lessons we can learn from this chapter? 1. The Devil will never stop trying. It’s hard to lay aside one’s besetting sin. When an alcoholic becomes a Christian, the devil will try all means to lure him back to the bottle. He will do it to anyone – the drug addict, the liar, the wife cheater, the gambler, the sex addict, the thief, etc. Even after they have become Christians, the devil will try again to get them back to their former sins (1 Peter 5:8). 2. Don’t Judge. Abraham did injustice to the people of Gerar. He thought: “Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife's sake” (v.11). An acronym for FEAR is, False Evidence Appearing Real. Abraham’s fear arose from his assumption that the people of Gerar were morally corrupt. Aren’t we the same at times? We judge people we don’t even know. Our Lord says: “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). 3. Even the best of men can fail. Abraham is an example of faith. He is the father of faith to all who have faith (Romans 4:16). But, great men like Noah, Abraham, David and Peter can trip and fall. It tells us one thing: Don’t follow men; Follow God: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1). 4. True Repentance. When Abimelech knew the truth about Sarah and Abraham, he restored her to her husband (v.14). If one has stolen a car, repentance means he returns the car to its rightful owner. If he has stolen someone’s wife, repentance means he restores her back to her lawful husband. The irony is, many agree that the thief must return the car but the adulterer needs not return the wife. They argue her former husband doesn’t want her anymore; he has divorced her. But God’s word says it is still adultery: “Whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery” (Luke 16:18). Remember the warning from God to Abimelech: “If thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine” (v.7). 5. God is Just. Abimelech said to God: “In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this” (v.5). He didn’t know Sarah was Abraham’s wife. God pardoned his sin. Our God is a just God. He does not wish for anyone to perish: “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye” (Ezekiel 18:32). God’s longsuffering is pleading for all men to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). If men are lost, they are lost because they have rejected the grace of God (John 3:16, 17). If it is possible for a man of faith like Abraham to relapse into sin, it is possible for us too. Let us take heed lest we fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).