Working for Harmony

Abimelech has already seen that God has endowed Abraham with power and that going against Abraham may be going against God. In seeing that God is with Abraham in all he does, it appears that he fears for his own position, for he wants confirmation that Abraham will not deceive him; after all, Abraham has already done so once (Gen. 20). Whether or not Abimelech was accompanied by the chief of his army for a particular reason, Phicol’s only role today is that of an observer, for Abraham willingly complies. However, it becomes apparent that, while the well in the previous chapter was a source of blessing to Hagar, the well here has become a matter of discord. Once again, it seems that Abimelech is innocent of any wrongdoing to Abraham, though his servants have not been. It is often the case, particularly in the workplace, that those in positions of authority have to account for the behavior of those who are under that authority. Through no fault of our own, we may find that we are in conflict with another or that our best practices have been compromised.

It is worth noting that while Abraham was the aggrieved party, he was the one who took the initiative. In giving the cattle to Abimelech as a witness that he dug the well, the matter was settled harmoniously with the two men swearing an oath. On this occasion, the man of God behaves in the right way. He had already lost out due to Abimelech’s servants seizing the well, but he is willing to part with more for the sake of peace. Neither does he suggest that Abimelech should have known what his servants were doing. There may be times when we are innocent but still need to pay a price to maintain harmony.

Have you ever made agreements or promises that you have not kept? How can you fulfill your end? Start by counting a few blessings and then think if there is any way in which you can bring about harmony, even if it is costly.