Atheist Bible Study 1: Genesis

[GrandizerII]

Genesis 20
Abraham and Abimelek

A story very similar to an earlier one in Genesis (specifically, Genesis 12:10-20). Almost as if one of them is the source material for the other, or they are both copies of an older story that may or may not have been written down. As Bucky pointed out, there is also a third story later on in Genesis very similar to these two, which involves Isaac and Rebekah instead of Abraham and Sarah. And funnily enough, Abimelek is involved in that story as well.

So a question (to Bucky or anyone else who may be in the know): what's the deal with having Sarah be Abraham's actual sister (as pointed out in Genesis 20)? Is it to show that Abraham wasn't being dishonest or something? Or is it just one of those curious story bits that serve no real point beyond what it's saying?

Of course, I also (once again) question the morality of a god who would do what Yahweh supposedly did to Abimelek and his household. There seems nothing right about punishing someone for a "sin" they had no idea they were committing. And definitely not their whole household.

Note what Abimelek says to God in verses 4 and 5:

Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."

This time around, as punishment, God temporarily prevents Abimelek's household from having children (though this may not be as mild a punishment as I'm thinking). And when Abraham prayed to God for Abimelek, Abimelek and his women were able to have children again. Still, as mild a punishment as this one might have been (and this perception of mildness is purely subjective, of course), this passage still remains yet another passage that shows just how morally questionable the Bible God is to the modern civilized mind.