Letter to Abimelech (Gen 20)

Dear Abimelech,

I have to be open at the beginning of this letter and say I am writing it as somebody trying to read the scriptures afresh rather than a scholar and so be aware what you are reading are only my thoughts on what is happening, but I think you might have been scammed by Abraham.

I say this because although Gen 20: 2 says you sent for Sarah and took her Abraham was passing her off as his sister and ended up profiting from it when you found out the truth. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. He had lied about their relationship previously and Pharaoh ended up paying him off too in order to get rid of the consequences God was inflicting on his family.

Now, of course I might be wrong and his explanation of fear might be right. I mean it seems as if ancient cultures it was quite normal for women to be treated as objects and husbands to be treated as inconveniences to be disposed of.  Well, it still happens today, but less regularly I guess.

Anyway, I find it fascinating that you wanted Sarah so much. What was it about her, was she just physically beautiful or was she renowned for other attributes too? I mean we know she was not a young woman at this point and she was childless. Did you think that she was still a virgin because she was without child and was being talked of as his sister?

What was your view of immigrants in your country? Did you view them as people to exploit? Was that why you felt you could just demand Sarah become yours? Or was this more rooted in a misogynistic approach to women that viewed them as objects rather than people?

You seem a good man, after all in your dream God confirms you are a man of integrity of heart. I am glad that God stopped you from sinning.

How did your servants react when you told them?

I had never realised before that Sarah was his half sister, with both of them having the same father but different mothers. That worries me, with what I know was to come later and with what we know about the story of Lot because I think there might have been a lot of disability at this time caused by inter-breeding.

Abraham seems to have come up with a plan which he didn’t change and that takes me back to the beginning. Whilst I can see this may have been an innocent, if misguided ploy in the first place, I am not sure why he continued this deception. It does make me wonder if it was for safety or because he figured it was a way to make money. Yet, there was the risk somebody else would sleep with his own wife. What was Abraham’s view towards this?

I am sorry, but the more I read the more messed up it all seems. You come out of it well, although to be honest I’m not impressed with Abraham or even God. I mean what was the reason God stopped your people being able to have children as a result of this? Just seems cruel.

I guess after I have finished this letter writing project I will have lots of study to do as I try and work out why some of the stuff may have happened.