Reading for February 26th

Read Genesis 20.1-18 Abraham again pretends Sarah is his sister and not his wife.
Abraham had earlier lied about Sarah's being his wife in 12.10-20.
It was not at that point clear that Sarah was supposed to be the mother of the child promised to Abraham.
However, now Sarah will be the mother of the child (18.10).
Thus, Abraham's willingness to endanger his wife Sarah and the promise of God in this case is a much more serious matter.
In this story, Abraham appears much less righteous than his hosts.
In verses 3-7 the narrator wants to make clear that there is absolutely no possibility that the child born to Sarah in the next chapter (ch 21) is King Abimelech's child rather than Abraham's child.
He is a prophet: the only time Abraham is called a prophet (v. 7).
In verse 11 Abraham's concern that Abimelech and the people of Gerar would have no fear of God is directly contradicted by 20.8.
In verse 12 Abraham tries, weakly, to justify his lie by indicating that technically
Sarah is his half-sister.
Later biblical laws prohibited such marriages (Lev 18.9-11).
In verse 16 the payment of money is an exoneration designed to compensate
Sarah's family for any injury to her family's honor.
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