The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: A Novel

Chapter 10

Canaanite soil

Abraham's camp had relocated. Now they have gone to Gerar. In Gerar lived the king, Abimelech. The royal one heard it said that the woman with him is his sister. He sees her and desires. "Take the man Abraham's sister!" he orders his guards.

After a few months, the report is repeated over and over again: "Abimelech, royal one, your queen is childless! Your female slaves also!"

Abimelech is confused. He hasn't touched Sarah yet. Yet the sealing of wombs hasn't occurred until Sarah was brought into the palace. But he doesn't suspect Sarah was really Abraham's wife—for Abraham was saying of Sarah, "She is my sister."

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That night, Abimelech goes to bed—his royal bed. His wife—not to be confused with Sarah—is not present tonight. She—he doesn't know why yet.

So he, the king of Gerar, goes to sleep.

Late in the night, the king hears a voice: "You are a dead man!"

The king is startled. It must be someone trying to kill him. He then notices the speaker. It's a man clad in all-white. A man with a veil covering the back of his head, so Abimelech can see the man's face, long brown hair and beard. The veil is blue.

"Who... are you?" asks the king. "Why am I to die? What have I done?"

"Because of that woman you've taken," the figure continues. "She is married already." Now his face is glowing, startling worse the king.

"You've divine!" Abimelech says. "You must be the God of Abraham! But hear me: I'm innocent, Lord. He referred to her as a sister, and she referred to him as a brother. I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."

God says, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience. I was the one who prevented you from sinning against me by touching her."

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"Then he told me, 'Now return the man's wife. He is a prophet and will pray for you, that you may live. But if you do not return her, be sure: you and all that is yours will perish!' "

Abimelech is recounting his dream to all these servants in the early morning.

"We're shocked," says a servant. "We had no idea Sarah was Abraham's wife."

"Right," says another. "Your majesty must do as Abraham's God commanded him."

"I already have that in mind, thank you very much," says Abimelech, the one with the crown. He walks over to his throne. He turns around to his servants. He has not seated yet. "Bring in Abraham," he orders.

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In half an hour, the servants are back, bringing in the nearly 100-year-old man. Abimelech quickly speaks, "What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you bring on me and on my kingdom this great sin? You've done things that shouldn't be done!"

The king quickly tries to calm down. Abraham is in this situation again. Abimelech says, calmer this time, "What were you thinking when you did this?"

Abraham offers his answer: "I thought that there will surely be no fear of God in this place and that they could kill me because of my wife. In fact, she is my sister by my father, but not my mother; and she became my wife. So it happened that whenever God has me wander from my father's household, this is what I tell her: 'Prove your love to me by saying of me, wherever we go, that I am your brother.' "

After two seconds of silence, Abimelech stands up from this throne. He sighs and walks up to Abraham. He says, "This will be recompense: sheep, cattle, servants. I'll order my servants to—"

Then he shouts for the servants around to hear, "—return Sarah to Abraham!"

As the servants hurry out to fetch Sarah, the king of Gerar turns to Abraham again: "My land is before you. Live wherever you wish."

Abraham bows before the king.

"And... pray for me, to heal us!" resumes the king. "Your God told me this in a dream last night. He even called you a prophet."

Then the king calls for a thousand shekels of silver from the royal treasury. Just then Sarah is brought in. The king quickly hurries to her. He doesn't touch her. He says to Sarah, "Look, I am... giving your 'brother' 1,000 silver shekels to cover the offense against you before everyone with you. And before everyone, you are vindicated."

Sarah says nothing.

She only walks towards Abraham and they embrace. It's been about two months, after all.

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Sure enough, when Abraham prayed for Abimelech, God healed everyone in Abimelech's household. They can have pregnancy again!

Interestingly, Sarah is also getting pregnant!

"It can't be!" she says to Abraham in their tent.

"I know, but God said: 'Can anything be impossible with Yahweh?' " says Abraham.

"Yahweh," repeats Sarah. "No, nothing can!"

"These visitors are divine!" adds Abraham.

"Oh, Abraham, I shouldn't have doubted!" she says with a smile. They both hug each other.