20:1,2
We now get a repeat of Abraham's failure in Gen 12, passing Sarah off as his sister. Some think that this is just a duplicate of the Gen 12:11ff incident, but this sort of thinking really is rather silly. Many of us have repeated the same mistake (and the same sins!) on multiple occasions. Moreover, there are differences in the story as well. Abraham, as with all the other heroes of the Bible, was a man like us. This is both a source of encouragement, and a reminder that we need to be constantly on our guard. It is the grace of God and the Holy Spirit who enable men or women to achieve things for God, and no matter what we achieve, or what spiritual experiences we may have, we are still more than capable of falling (Gal 6:1). So Abraham journeyed towards the Negeb, and sojourned in Gerar, telling the king of Gerar that Sarah was his sister.
20:3-6
Abraham may have been acting deceptively, but God does not. So God warned Abimelech, the king of Gerar. God was also acting to protect Sarah, and does a better job of it than Abraham did. Abimelech had not touched Sarah, and acted with integrity. We see here the working together of Abimelech acting properly, and it was God who kept him from sinning. God acts and we act.
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