Abraham for some reason chose to move to Gerar, which was
the edge of Philistine territory. The
king of that area was Abimelech, who wasn’t a believer. Once again Abraham let his fear lead him into
sin. He again feared the ruler might
kill him to get his wife, so the old half-truth that she was his sister rather than his wife was trotted out again. My commentary labeled it royal privilege that
Abimelech chose to add Sarah to his harem, but I thought it was outright theft. Left unsaid is why Abimelech would want a 90-year-old woman in his harem!
This sin cropped up again
in Abraham’s life because “he had failed to judge this sin when they had dealt with it in Egypt. They had admitted
their sin to Pharaoh and confessed
it to God, but the fact that it surfaced again
indicates that they did not judge the
sin and forsake it … People who remember their sins with pleasure and enjoy
them again in their minds have never judged their sins or seen how sinful
their sins really are,” my commentary said.
I hadn’t thought about that very much! It’s like committing the sin all over again
by reliving it in our minds, because after all, Jesus made it clear that it’s
the thought that counts. Remembering it isn’t not sinning just because we think we only sinned once with the
original sin. Instead, it’s sinning again because we didn’t judge it as sin and keep it out of our minds. Jesus made it clear that it’s the thought that counts.
Once again I read, “God does not allow His children to sin
successfully. When we deliberately
disobey God, we suffer both from the consequences of our sins and from the
chastening hand of God, unless we repent and submit. God in His grace will forgive our
sins, but God in His sovereignty MUST
allow sin to produce a sad harvest.”
Father, when I am tempted to relive old sins and enjoy them
again in my mind, help me to understand deeply that I have not judged them as sin. Stop
me in mid-thought and lead me to judge them and never bring them to the
forefront again.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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