This event as recorded in our text is a scripture that transposes more to modern life than most biblical records. It is almost an exact situation that could easily happen today. We have one believer who commits offense against a fellow believer.
During Abraham’s travels he went to the land of Gerar whose king was Abimelech. James referred to Abraham as “the friend of God,” though he seems to have been a habitual liar. (2:23) Abimelech was not Hebrew, but he had faith in the true God of the Jews. He was a devout man, sincere, and was moral. He was stunned when he discovered the deception.
Earlier when Abraham interacted with Egypt’s Pharoah, he told him that Sarah was Abraham’s sister, not his wife. This made him a liar at least twice. Later, his son Isaac did the exact same thing to Abimelech. In that case the king happened to look out a window and saw Isaac and his wife being romantic. He challenged Isaac for his deception and asked him to leave the area, but he went not far away to establish his own homeland.
This was tragic and compromised those men who were supposed to be loyal to God. The importance of reporting this happens to be a reflection of what easily can happen at any one of our churches in which believers do harm to other believers. What a precautionary tale this is! Speaking for myself, I have had this happen to me. A deacon in one of my churches composed a letter and distributed it to church members finding fault with my leadership even though the church was growing, members were being added, and the general spirit of the church was uplifted.
Two questions reveal themselves. What should a church do in response to the unchristian behavior of members? Also, how can the church prevent this from happening in the first place? We cannot ignore how evil can easily invade the church by those who are considered good believers and members.
Christian Writer 