Believe it or not, as a sophomore, Michael Jordan was cut from the varsity basketball team and was added to the JV team instead! However, he did not give up and think, “I guess I’m not good enough.” Instead, he went home, worked harder, and eventually became one of the best players to play the game. But there is more to the story. You see, when he was he didn’t make the varsity team he was still very young, still developing physically, and still had many weaknesses that needed work. Even though he became a superstar in the sport, he still had ongoing failures. He was an incredible athlete; however, he still missed shots, lost games, and suffered repeated setbacks. Failure was not the final word for Michael Jordan!
We all experience failures and some of the hardest failures are ones we have experienced in the past. We all go through the mental gymnastics, don’t we? “Why am I here again? I should know better!” Abraham knew exactly how that feels! He struggled with the same failures in Genesis 12 and Genesis 20. This passage is filled with overflowing hope!
God reminds us through this account that failure does not have to be the final word. God is still working. God’s promises are still true and God is still faithful!
When we repeat failures, we must find our hope in God’s faithfulness.
Fear Fosters Failure
Genesis 20:1-7
Abraham has been in this position before (remember Gen. 12 with his traveling to Egypt during a famine?). He once again fears for his life and presents his wife as his sister.
Where did things break down for Abraham? In verse 11, Abraham says, “Surely the fear of God is not in this place,” indicating his fear was fueled by a greater concerned for people around him (like powerful rulers, i.e.- Abimelech) rather than placing confidence in God.
So, Abraham struggles with repeated fear and this impacts his wife to face the repeated horror of being given to another man. All hope is not lost, though! God is not only going to allow second chances, but He will also protect His covenant (Abraham will have a son with Sarah). Genesis 20:6 says, “I also withheld thee from sinning against me.” God intervenes before Abimelech had a wedding night. The word “withheld” has the Hebrew meaning of holding back, restraining, sparing. The word “sinning” has the Hebrew meaning of missing the mark. God is not concerned about Abimelech violating a social custom. Abimelech is told that taking Sarah as his wife would be sin against God!
One more point we should review: Abraham tells Abimelech in verse 20 that they are technically siblings (same father, different mothers). Abraham’s choice of embracing fear required the additional sin of lying.
Unconfessed sin often leads to more sin.
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart in the air shortly after takeoff…for all the bystanders to witness. The greater tragedy is that it was known there were problems with the O-rings performing badly in low temperatures. They knew about the problems, but the response needed was ignored.
Abraham’s problem was not a lack of knowledge! We often think the problem with our failures is that we simply do not know God (or know Him well enough). However, Abraham had incredible fellowship with the Lord in chapter 18. He also saw great victory through his prayer life when Lot was rescued from Sodom in chapter 19. Failure returns when fear is embraced!
Here is the warning: spiritual growth does not mean we are incapable of choosing old patterns. So, always be prayed up, read up (with the Bible), and filled up (with the Spirit).
God Protects What He Promises
Genesis 20:8-13
There is a profound encouragement in chapter 20. Abraham is not the hero of this account, God is! God does it all! God intervenes through a dream to Abimelech. God protects Sarah. God prevents Abimelech from laying a hand on Sarah. God protects His promise that he would give Abraham and Sarah a son (this part is huge since Isaac is born in the next chapter!).
Many times through the occasions of my counseling others, I have found a widely held belief that we are responsible for saving the day. I call this the hero complex. Some will spend much of their lives trying to fly into a person’s life and rescue them from what only God can rescue them from. To this I often say, “NO CAPES! Put away your cape!”
It is God who saves your soul. It is God who provides for your needs and helps the broken hearted. It is God who heals as He chooses. It is God who enables you to be the man, woman, teenager, and disciple He wants you to be! You and I do not need powerful friends, or large bank accounts. WE NEED THE LORD!
It is also important to understand a few words in view of God protecting His covenant.
20:5-6 says, “in the integrity of my heart.” The Hebrew word for “integrity” means completeness, innocence, sincerity, blameless. In other words, Abimelech did not knowingly take another man’s wife.
20:5-6 uses the word “heart” in the phrase as above. In the Hebrew, this does not refer to emotion. It refers to the mind, will, and intentions. Abimelech is speaking about a choice of the will, not an emotional choice.
20:7 includes the first specific reference in scripture to Abraham’s title as a “prophet.” This is interesting. God calls Abraham a prophet while he is embracing fear and deception. God’s calling and Abraham’s current failures are both very real. God doesn’t call the perfect, sinless man. If that were true, none us would be worthy. Yes, our failures are real, but they are not greater than God’s faithfulness. However, God’s faithfulness does not give us permission to fail/sin. What God’s faithfulness does do, is give us hope once we realize we have failed! God wants to use His church!
Second Chances Renew Relationship
Genesis 20:14-18
Look at the encouraging end to this chapter! It does not end with Abraham being disgraced and cast aside. Abimelech restores Sarah to Abraham. Abimelech also gives livestock, servants, and permission to dwell in his land to Abraham. This is all summed up with Abraham praying for Abimelech and God heals Abimelech’s household (20:4, 7, 17-18).
Abraham’s failure was not the end of his usefulness for the Lord. God’s grace forgives AND restores Abraham after failure!
This all started with greater concern for man than there was confidence in God. IS THAT NOT THE BATTLE THAT SO MANY OF US FACE?! With this in mind, it is important to develop a game plan to guard against this repeated failure of choosing fear over confidence in God. Here are 4 ways to strengthen your confidence in God:
Remember what God has done. God has protected Abraham every step of the way. Rehearse God’s faithfulness in your life!
Believe what God has promised. God has promised to give Abraham a son that Sarah would bear. The Lord pointed this out to him when he had a child with Hagar. What promises of God do you rehearse, pray, and hold close? God will keep His word.
Remember that God is working, even if you cannot see what He is doing. In Genesis 20, Abraham has no idea what God is doing on his behalf (stopping Abimelech from a wedding night with a dream) until Abimelech calls for him in verse 9. Just because you cannot see God working on your behalf, doesn’t mean God is doing nothing!
Choose obedience before fear takes over. Fear leads you to protect yourself. Fear motivated Abraham to protect himself before he protected his own wife! Fear is a powerful motivator!
Trusting God leads you to obey Him. Don’t wait to obey God until you believe yourself to be courageous. Obeying God grows your confidence in God.
Back in 2018, I had surgery to repair my rotator cuff and a torn bicep tendon. The doc told me that when I tore my rotator cuff, the bicep tendon got caught in the tear and frayed the tendon. I had heard about the long painful recovery of that surgery. I could have chosen fear, rejected the surgery, and chose to embrace a very limited use of my arm for the second half of my life. Fear told me that it would hurt too much and that the surgery might not work. Fear would limit dramatically! So, I had the surgery and fully recovered.
I have had surgeries on my shoulder, vocal cords, and my right knee. I have had stents placed in two main arteries of my heart. All these things failed, but they did not mean my body was no longer useful. Once repaired and recovered, I was restored to usefulness again. What failure has shown it’s ugly face in your life again? Confess, repent, recover, and choose to build your confidence in God! God wants to use you, too!