Chapter VII.
The death of Abimelech, due to his attempted violation of Sarah's chastity, demonstrates the gravity of the crime of adultery committed against God. Therefore, why was Pharaoh punished more severely than Abimelech for the same reason? And how did the infertility that plagued Abraham's household demonstrate the fruitful abundance granted to the Church through his prayers? Isaac is born and nursed by his mother. However, Ishmael is driven out by Sarah's urging and divine response: thus, the moral teachings contained in these events.
59. Finally, Sarah's chastity is tested again, in order to be demanded by all. For even Abimelech had taken her as his wife, and God said to him in the night: Behold, you shall die because of the woman. (Gen. XX, 3). We see that adultery is punished by divine judgment with death. Therefore, it is added: But she continues with her husband. Indeed, every intercourse between a man and a woman that is not celebrated by the legitimate bond of marriage has its own fault. Learn, all of you who strive for the grace of baptism, like certain candidates of faith, the discipline of sobriety in continence. No one is allowed to know a woman, except the wife. And so, the right of marriage has been given to you, so that you do not fall into a trap and commit adultery with another woman. You are bound to your wife, do not seek a way out: because it is not allowed for you, while your wife is alive, to take another wife. For seeking another, when you have your own, is a crime of adultery, which is even more serious because you think that you should seek authority for your own sin through the law. It is more tolerable if the fault remains hidden than if the authority is taken over by the fault. Nor is this the only adultery, when one sins with another's spouse, but every act that lacks the power of marriage. Moreover, this place teaches that a more serious crime is committed when the rights of a celebrated marriage are violated and conjugal honor is dissolved. And so when Abimelech claimed that he was unaware that the woman was another man's wife, and that he had said she was his sister, the Lord answered him: And I too know that you have done this with a pure heart, and I have spared you so that you would not sin against me; for this reason I did not allow you to touch her. We understand God to be like a bishop and guardian of marriage, who does not allow another's bed to be defiled; and if someone does so, they sin against God and violate His law, they should pay the penalty. And because they sin against God, they lose the fellowship of the heavenly sacrament.
Perhaps you are curious about the reason why Pharaoh was severely afflicted by God, as we read above, even though he himself did not know that Sarah, whom he had heard was his sister, was actually Abraham's wife (Genesis XII, 17). However, Abimelech suffered no punishment. But you should know that the king of Egypt was known to be a leader of vice, and the more freedom he had, the more evil he committed. On the other hand, Abimelech was considered so faithful to God that he deserved to hear: 'And I know that you have done this with a pure heart, not out of affliction like the Egyptians, but out of fortification,' as the interpretation tells us, referring to the land of Gerar over which he ruled. Therefore, there is no doubt that through his other works, the indignation of the Lord has been revoked, who is truly the inner judge of conscience and the interpreter of the soul and mind. In conclusion, he did not refuse or reject God's command like that Pharaoh, nor did he delay obedience: but immediately he called Abraham, returned his wife to him, punished himself with a price for having seen another's, and paid the dowry of shame.
61. From this it can also be inferred that Abimelech the king deserved to be more merciful because Abraham prayed for him and obtained it. For his wife and his maidservant also gave birth, whom God had previously closed up because of Sarah, Abraham's wife. This also pertains to the household management, that the birth of Sarah, given by the promise of God, would be supported by this testimony; considering that by the offense of God, the fertile become sterile, and again by the will of the Lord the sterile become fertile, as it is written, 'Have I not made the barren one give birth?' says the Lord (Isaiah 66:9). Although this mystery is said to apply to the Synagogue and the Church, because the Synagogue ceased to have offspring, being deprived of posterity, and the assembly of nations, which was barren, began to have eternal offspring, since it was ignorant of God. Hence it is written: Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband (Isaiah 54:1).
But Isaac was born to Abraham when he was one hundred years old (Gen. XXI, 5). And if you are perfect, you will have a posterity of joy, and an inheritance of exultation. And Sarah said: God has made laughter for me: whoever hears will congratulate me (Ibid., 6). This is not understood to be about that generation which is subject to many accidents, so that sometimes it would have been better not to have produced offspring: but about that generation in which each sinner, doing penance, usually exhibits joy to the angels when he is redeemed from death.
And Sarah said: Who will announce to Abraham that Sarah will nurse an infant? Moral lesson. Women are reminded to remember their dignity and to nurse their children. For this is the grace of mothers, this is the honor by which they entrust their children to their own husbands. Lastly, they tend to love their children more, whom they themselves have nourished and nursed at their breasts.
However, Abraham made a great supper on the day when Isaac, his son, was weaned. This was not something ordinary or common. For Abraham did not host a great feast simply because the child was weaned from his nurse, but because Isaac was deemed worthy to partake of a stronger grace as food and nourishment, not yet to be nourished with milk like a Corinthian, but rather strengthening his limbs with more substantial feasts of heavenly commandments.
65. Prosperity quickly follows envy. Sara had borne a son and weaned him: The maidservant saw the son playing with her son Isaac, and she said to Abraham: Cast out the maidservant and her son; for the son of the maidservant shall not be heir with my son Isaac (Genesis, 9 and 10). Abraham found this difficult, to cast out his son, even though he had taken him as his own. And you, do not mix yourself with the maidservant, so that you do not have a son with her, and your wife does not allow him to become a coheir with her son. For you see, the grace of marriage is dissolved here. Certainly, if you have fallen, and you have a son, cast out the slave woman and her son. For it is better for the slave woman to depart than for the wife, and for the son of the slave woman to be cast out than for the legitimate son. But if you hesitate, if you disregard the opinion of your wife and it seems hard to you, God says to you what He said to Abraham; for what He said to him, He says to you, and to everyone: Let it not be hard for you regarding the boy, and regarding the slave woman. Whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your offspring shall be called. Nowhere else did he say, 'Listen to your wife's voice,' except here, that is, you have wronged your wife and have not appeased her affection; you have taken a son by a slave woman, and have not honored the son of your wife. Can your seed be called in the son of a slave woman? Certainly not; for true succession is in the legitimate son. But you fear that because he is your son, he might be cast out and die. Not for his sake will I do it. God sustains all, both the righteous and the unrighteous. He sends rain upon both the just and the unjust. As Abraham did, do likewise. Cast out the maidservant so that she may remain a secure and blameless wife at home. Also cast out the maidservant's son, so that he does not have a share in the inheritance, as he does not possess the privileges of birth.