Bible Reading Highlights

By Lih Reng Foo, Discipleship class 2018 

Date: 10 January 2019 . All I read today: Genesis 20 . 

Best thing I marked today: Genesis 20:7 NIV 

Thought: Abraham was regarded as father of 3 faith - Judaism, Christiani-ty and Islam. God had honored him many times for his faith. The most famous story was his sacrifice of his son Isaac (Gen 21:2). Despite of his faith that is commendable by God and a role model of us, the Bible also depicts his weaker side - he, like us, also a sinful man, in this case his fear-fulness and deception in facing the Philistine king Abimalek. 

How it impressed me: Abraham, instead of trusting God, was relying on his own understanding. He assumes King Abimelek and his people didn't fear God and afraid that he will be killed because the king would want to commit adultery with Sarah because of her beauty. As a result of that he told Abimalek that Sarah was his sister instead of his wife which is only half true. After Sarah was captured, God revealed to Abimalek in his dream so that he would release Sarah. From the text Abimalek seems to fear God as of not wanting to commit the sin of adultery and did not touch Sarah and later released her to Abraham. In spite of Abraham had tricked Abimalek and caused all women of his household to suffer with infertility (v 18), Abimalek returned Abraham’s deception with tremen-dous generosity (vv 14-16). 

After reflecting upon the text, it reminded me of my salvation is purely God grace. Though a sinner, I was chosen by God to be his child, not be-cause I’m any better than anyone but purely by his prevenient grace. Eventhough sometime I stumble, by not making God centered choices and suffer with the consequences, but God is still faithful and bringing me back to him so that I learn to rely only on him. Instead of fear man and living in deception (such as Abraham’s circumstance in this Bible text), we should only fear God.