City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, ‘Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.’ 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.’ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.” 

Genesis 20:14-18 (ESV)

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 2:24 (ESV)

Megan’s Musings

Abimelech gives Abraham the equivalent of a bride price for Sarah. Unlike Pharaoh, there is no mention of him doing this before he found out of Abraham’s true relationship with Sarah (Genesis 12:16). He probably didn’t give anything beforehand. Also he allowed Abraham and Sarah to live in the area. Why? The last time this happened, Pharaoh told them to leave immediately (Genesis 12:19-20). Maybe Abimelech thought having a prophet (Abraham) in the area will help avoid further calamity as God had rendered the women of his household infertile because Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was among them. When addressing Sarah, he does not call Abraham her husband, but her brother, and he was understandably upset at the deceit. In addition, Abimelech gave a thousand pieces of silver, about 25 lbs., a king’s ransom (or in this case, a princess’ ransom, the name Sarah means “princess”) to Abraham to confirm Sarah’s innocence, although he was never intimate with her.  To get a good idea of how much this was worth at the time, Abraham paid 400 pieces of silver for one of the best tombs in the area as Sarah’s final resting place (Genesis 23:6, 15-16). 

Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech’s household, allowing them to continue their legacy. Despite Abraham’s repeated doubt and distrust, God was still faithful to His Promise and protected Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). I have to give Abimelech credit for going above and beyond to an offense he did not commit. Abimelech paid a huge price, although he was innocent of the whole thing. Remind you of someone else?

Jesus paid a price for His Bride, the price of our sins on the cross. Although it didn’t look like it at the time, he went above and beyond the expectations of many people. The Hebrews expected a political Messiah to save them from Roman rule, but the whole world needed (and still needs) a spiritual Messiah to save them from eternal death. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can continue His legacy. Although we make mistakes, God is faithful and will pick us right back up. 

Application

Bad habits and bad mindsets are hard to get rid of, and nearly impossible to do so on your own. Abraham would have benefited from an accountability partner to keep his doubts about God’s promises in check. Don’t be afraid to tell a trusted Christ-following friend what you’re going through. We’re meant to journey to heaven together, not alone. 

Jesus loves you so much He paid a high price to get you back home into His family. Now that the curse is no more, we can live on with our family legacy. Get involved in church events and get to know your family members. Pass on the legacy.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You that I can trust in You and Your Promises. Help me to be honest about any less than ideal habits or mindsets I have, and to be courageous enough to ask for help. Thank You for Your Sacrifice and being The Way. In Your name I pray, amen.