God Looks Upon the Heart
The Character of God: Genesis 20: 1-7
One of my favorite things about reading the Bible is uncovering the character of God!
“The Scriptures are our only reliable source of knowledge about who God is; what He is like; what His will is; what His plans and purposes are; what He has done in the past; what He will do in the future; who we are; what life is all about; how we can know, love, and serve Him; what are the many promises He gives us; and how we can fulfill His purposes in the world.” C.S. Lewis Institute
By reading scripture I have seen my heart grow for Christ. I see more of who He is & who I am in Him. This is what our relationship was built on & how it continues to grow.
Today we are looking at Genesis 20:1-7 (ESV). There is obviously so much we can unpack here: Abraham’s lie, why he lied, etc. However, I am going to focus on Abimelech’s conversation with God in verses 4-7.
“From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” Genesis 20:1-7
No Fear in Decision Making
I am in a season of life where I feel like I am constantly making big life decisions. Where am I going to work? Where am I going to live? Who am I going to marry? How should I spend my time/money..etc.? Sometimes I find myself paralyzed in fear of making the wrong decision. Or worse, making a decision that does not align with what God wants/ has planned for me.
In this story, Abimelech made a decision. To him, it was a fine decision. In his mind, he was not sinning. It seemed as if the circumstance presented itself innocently & Abimelech took it. “…Abimelech…sent and took Sarah (v.2).”
“But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife” (v.3). God gave Abimelech a notice of danger telling him that Sarah was another man’s wife. And if he takes her Abimelech will be committing wrong. Once the Lord reveals to Abimelech that what he is pursuing is bad, he pleaded to the Lord saying he had an innocent heart.
It is important to see that God not only allows Abimelech to hear his plea, but God also tells Abimelech he knows his intentions were pure. “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart…” (v.6). How comforting it is to know that God does see our intentions & points them out in us! This is where God reveals his character, He is a God that looks upon the heart!
Verse 6 continues, “…and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore, I did not let you touch her.” God lets Abimelech know that he was kept from proceeding in the sin merely by the good hand of God upon him.
What I learn from this story, is that even if we go out and make a decision, God will protect from getting into something that could ultimately hurtful to you! I get a lot of comfort in thinking about that!
So what do we see about God’s character in this story? He is a God who looks at the heart.
1. We do not have to fear decision making. When we make decisions with pure intentions & the correct heart posture, the Lord will guide your steps!! This truth is ALL over scripture!
· “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Proverbs 16:9
· “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8
· “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
· “All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” Proverbs 16:2
2. Our God is not a God who prioritizes works displayed, but rather a relationship with Him!
· “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
· “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12: 41-44
What a comfort & peace we have in knowing that our God knows us so intricately that He knows our intentions, honors our surrendered hearts, & protects us from harm we may accidently walk in to!
