Bible Commentaries
Genesis 20

Verses 1-18

Once again we have to face Abraham's deflection from faith. We see him journeying south to Gerar. This was the center of a race of men who, having driven out the original possessors of the land, were becoming more and more warlike, and were afterward to be known as the Philistines.

As Abraham approached, an old fear recurred and a former failure was repeated.

These deflections from faith in the life of Abraham did not occur in the great fundamental things, nor in the main essentials of his walk with God; but rather in the application of the principle of faith to the smaller details of life.

As we have said, this was the second time Abraham attempted by his own supposed cleverness to steer clear of a danger he feared; and once again, as in the former case, he ran on the very rocks he dreaded. The result was that the man who stood as a witness for Jehovah was seen by the heathen practicing deceit, and thus suffering the degradation of being censured by Abimelech, the heathen king.

Our deflections from faith occur most often through our failure to allow God to undertake in all the small matters of life. Some trivial business worry, or home difficulty, or personal danger, will drive us to acts that dishonor our Master. The highest activity of faith is that which completely confides in God, not only in crisis, but in the commonplaces of Me.