Abraham traveled to Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While in Gerar he said Sarah was his sister to king Abimelech (a different one than before). God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him he was about to die because Sarah is married. He appealed to their innocence since he didn’t approach her. God said yes, it’s because God kept Abimelech from sinning against him, not letting him touch her. God told him to return her to Abraham, because he is a prophet and will pray for the king and the king will live. If he didn’t return her he would die. Abimelech obeyed, and asked Abraham why he did this. Abraham said he thought there was no fear of God there, and that they would kill him because of his wife; besides, she really is his sister, the daughter of his father by a different mother. Abimelech took sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah. He told Abraham to settle anywhere he wants in his land. Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female slaves so that they could bear children, because the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household on account of Sarah.
Abraham is deceptive. He doesn’t want to die because of Sarah, but it’s more than that. God made a promise to Abraham, and it’s as if he believes that he needs to take matters into his own hands to make God’s promise come true. If he dies, how can God’s promise to make his offspring numerous come to pass: “The only option is to sin.” This is a lie; sin is never the only option. We don’t need to distrust God’s ability to fulfill His promise and set off on our own to do it. No, we can flee sin knowing that God cannot deny Himself, and we have been united to God through faith alone in Christ alone. Praise God.