Bible Basics: Genesis 19:30 through 20
Genesis 19:30–38
Verse 30: After the destruction of Sodom and the surrounding cities, Lot fears staying in the refuge city of Zoar. He moves to the mountains with his daughters, where they all live in a cave.
31–33: Rather than trusting God with their lives and walking in his ways, Lot’s daughters hatch a plan to continue the family line: his eldest suggests that they both sleep with their father. That night, they get him drunk to the point of oblivion, and the oldest daughter sleeps with him. Lot’s lack of care over his own conduct made him vulnerable to violation.
34–35: The following day, Lot’s eldest shares the previous night’s success of her plan, and encourages her younger sister to follow her lead that evening. Once again, they get him so drunk that he's unaware of his circumstances, and his youngest daughter sleeps with him.
36: Both daughters become pregnant and give birth to sons. Interestingly, these boys are the predecessors of the Moabites and Ammonites, who historically worshipped man-made gods vs. the true Creator and often acted as enemies to Israel, God’s chosen people (see Judges 3,1 Chronicles 18, and 2 Chronicles 20).*
Genesis 20
1–2: Abraham moves to the southern area of Canaan, and stays for a time in Gerar, near the southern border. Despite God's amazing displays of blessing and protection over Abraham's life, he slips back into fear and tells King Abimelech of Gerar that Sarah is his sister, not his wife. As a result, the king takes Sarah for himself.
3–5: God warns Abimelech in a dream that Sarah is married, and keeping her would mean certain death and his kingdom’s destruction. Abimelech replies by protesting his innocence: he hasn't slept with Sarah or officially married her, and he took her without knowing she belonged to Abraham.
6–7: God kept Sarah away from Abimelech so he wouldn't sin, and therefore affirms Abimelech’s innocence in the dream. However, he warns Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham to avoid death to himself and his subjects.
8–10: First thing in the morning, Abimelech gathers his officials and tells them about the dream. God’s warning terrifies all of them. Then, he calls for Abraham and angrily questions him about his deceit, jeopardizing everyone’s innocence before God.
11–13: In a nutshell, Abraham confesses his fear. He reasoned that Abimelech and his subjects weren't devoted to God, and therefore would likely kill him to take his wife. Rather than relying on God for his security and protection, Abraham defaulted to his own devices—using his half-sibling relationship with Sarah to justify the deception over his marriage to her. At the end of the day, making decisions on the basis of fear versus God's principles and his will, as well as trust in his goodness toward us, always lands us in a hot mess. (I can testify from personal experience!)
14–15: Abimelech gives livestock and slaves as a peace offering to Abraham, along with returning Sarah to him. He also offers Abraham freedom to choose settlement in any part of his kingdom.
16: To vindicate Sarah in the eyes of her entire household, Abimelech pays Abraham 1,000 shekels of silver for his offense in taking her.
17–18: After Abimelech’s restitution and reconciliation with Abraham, Abraham prays for the restoration of Abimelech’s household. In response, God returns the ability to bear children to Abimelech’s wife and entire household. All is well again.
*https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2015/07/21/who-were-the-moabites-in-the-bible/