At times God reaches out to the worst of persecutors by his mercy mirrored in the afflicted ones who follow him.
King Abimelech had taken Sarah to complement his harem. Taking another man’s wife is indeed a crime, but this act threatened eternal consequences for all peoples. Abraham and Sarah were the chosen instruments through whom would come a people, which would become a nation, which would birth a Savior, who would crush the head of the serpent and bring us to the Father. It is little wonder that the Devil was taking another shot at the future head-crusher. God handled this confrontation personally by speaking directly to Abimelech with instructions to return Sarah to Abraham, “for he is a prophet.”
This is the first time Abraham was identified as a prophet. We commonly think of a prophet’s function as speaking to others on God’s behalf. In this case however, Abraham’s function was to speak to God on another’s behalf, “he will pray for you, and you shall live.” In being instructed to pray for the one who despitefully used him, Abraham is given another lesson about the nature of his merciful and loving God.
A team of young people were praying for the former Soviet Union. As they prayed, they zeroed in on the Secret Service, asking God to deliver the message of salvation even to them. As they continued to pray the conviction fell upon everyone present that God was calling this same group to be those messengers, and the only guaranteed way of bringing the gospel to the Secret Service was to be arrested inside the Soviet Union. Preparations for the trip included the written words, “do not come unless you expect to be arrested and mistreated.”
Lord, I don’t enjoy suffering, but when the time comes may I show your mercy to my persecutors.
Bryce Whiting
Extended Scripture: 19–20
