Author: Charlie Garrett

Genesis 19:12-26
The Destruction of Sodom
Wake up America

Introduction: Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather off the California coast for several days. As night fell, the captain noticed the patchy fog and decided to remain on the bridge. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light. Bearing on the starboard bow.”
“Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain asked.
The lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant the battleship was on a collision course with the other ship.
The captain called to the signalman, “Signal that ship. You are on a collision course. Advise you to alter course 20 degrees.”
Back came the answering signal, “Advisable that you change course 20 degrees.”
The captain said, “Send another message. I am a US Naval senior captain. Change course 20 degrees.”
“I am a Coast Guard seaman second class,” came the reply, “Change your course at once.”
The officer was furious. He spat out, “We are a battleship squadron. Change your course 20 degrees.”
The flashing light replied, “I am a lighthouse.”
The squadron changed course.

Today we’re going to see how heeding or failing to heed warnings can affect the course of one’s life, the course of an entire city, or even the course of history itself. It’s funny to joke about battleships and lighthouses, but when eternity is at stake, the humor fades…

Text Verse: But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; ⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude –5-7

Eternal fire, along with all of its associated pains is real. Hell is real and the Bible has given us examples of it to show us both how to avoid it and what the consequences are for not doing so. And so… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Pay Heed to What’s Important

Throughout history, there have been records of people being warned about coming tragedy which have been completely ignored – and this, for a host of reasons – stupidity, arrogance, disbelief, and denial among other things. The tide of wars has changed, empires have collapsed, space vehicles have fallen back to earth, lives have been lost – all because of unheeded warnings.

On April 15th, 1912, the Titanic sunk in the Atlantic after hitting an iceberg. The captain of the ship, Edward J. Smith, slid to the bottom with it, even after receiving several warnings about ice. The Bible is full of such unheeded warnings as well.

¹² Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!

Although this isn’t standard operating procedure with God, there are times when He saves people out of a coming calamity. When King Zedekiah asked Jeremiah the prophet to inquire of the Lord about the fate of Jerusalem, Jeremiah proclaimed doom upon the city in graphic detail – every type of disaster that was coming upon the city and the people.

But in a demonstration of mercy, He also gave this word to Jeremiah – “Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be as a prize to him. ¹⁰ For I have set My face against this city for adversity and not for good,” says the Lord. “It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.”’ Jeremiah 21:8-10

Many of us have known or heard about someone who had a feeling they should skip a plane trip, stay home instead of going out with friends, or having some other urge that leads them away from a disaster that otherwise would have ended them. Although this doesn’t always happen, it shows us that God is in control of the details and everything that occurs is because He directs it.

¹³ For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.”

I’ve lost favor with quite a few people over the years because I stand on the biblical truth that disaster never occurs apart from God’s will. After the planes struck the twin towers on 911, several noted preachers stood up and said it was judgment on America.

Of course, the news media ate them alive and over time they either partially or completely retracted their stand. But they were right at the beginning – 911 was judgment upon sin, as are all tragedies. Calamity comes to either remove sin or protect from sin.

Not all our tragedies are because of sin, but some come to save a person from even worse. When a child dies, for all we know, God looked through time and saw that death was far better than what otherwise would have happened. We simply can’t know what God knows and what we perceive as evil may have a very good reason.

The Bible shows very clearly that judgment upon Sodom was directly the result of their sin. And the authority ascribed to the judgment by the messengers was clear – “the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” “Yes, but – we’re different than Sodom. 911 wasn’t a judgment on us! It was because of the wickedness of Islam.”

And so we close our eyes and fail to see the truth of what’s happening. Of course 911 was an act against America by Islam, but that has nothing to do with the root cause of it. If we were living rightly, no power could come against us. Who is it that protects the righteous and judges the sinner?

And the method and means of His judgment is as varied as the outcome of the judgment itself. Nobody who believes in an all knowing God disputes that He is aware of everything that occurs. This is the meaning of Omniscient… He knows all.

But when something catastrophic happens, we suddenly forget this truth and say that God surely wouldn’t allow that – as if this all-knowing God let something slip. But Amos knew better –

If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?(3:6)

Disaster was to come upon Sodom and disaster came upon America. Sodom was destroyed and America was given the grace and the chance to repent just as wicked Nineveh was when Jonah was sent to them… but of course we haven’t. Does anyone think God stopped watching? Do you think God isn’t still warning…

The Titanic’s first warning came from another passenger ship called the “Caronia.” On the morning of April 14^th, Captain Smith posted the message on the bridge before leading a religious service for the first class passengers. The second warning came in the afternoon from the “Baltic.” Smith showed it to Joseph Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line. In the evening, a warning made to another ship was overheard by the crew, and later, two more came in from other ships, but they were ignored by operators distracted by personal messages coming in for passengers.

¹⁴ So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.

The most important news that these men would ever hear in their lives was met with disbelief. “Judgment? Here in Sodom? The flood was a myth and there’s no Lord. I’ve taken philosophy and evolutionary science and I can assure you you’re wrong. We’re heading to the bar, come with us and drink it off Reverend Lot.”

Many years ago, Billy Graham was writing a book and his wife Ruth was looking it over. She had just finished a section about the degradation of America’s morals, the corruption of religion, and the abuse of the blessings God has granted us and she turned to Billy and said, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

I heard him mention this in one of his crusade messages. He, along with many others, have led the call to repent and turn from where we’re heading. The late Chuck Colson was another prominent voice. These men, along with pastors and preachers have been calling out, but nothing is turning the tide.

September 11^th worked for about 2 months, but then it was forgotten and since then we’ve only gotten worse. We elect politicians who are openly gay, we watch television which promotes gay life, we throw money at gay musicians, Christians openly post on Facebook about their Starbucks coffee of the day, knowing full well that they are prominent supporters of the cause.

On Saturday, 18 August 2012, the democrat party’s platform committee endorsed gay marriage for the first time and called for the repeal of the federal law that recognizes marriage as between a man and a woman. And yet,,, about ½ of our nation will vote for barak obama and many more will support lower level democrats for the congress, senate, or state and local offices.

But every democrat who runs does so on this platform. One cannot separate their vote for a candidate from the platform. To vote for a democrat, any democrat, is to implicitly support this platform.

And abortion… it’s easier to get an abortion than to have knee surgery. Since Roe vs. Wade was upheld by the Supreme Court, 50,000,000 lives have been destroyed by abortion in America.

Almost 4000 will die by abortion today, and in the short time that we’re meeting here on the beach 300 will die… little arms and legs being torn off of little bodies before being sucked through a vacuum cleaner for disposal in a landfill. And we turn our eyes towards barak obama and cheer on our national leader.

The warning from the angels rings today – “Get up, get out of this perverse place; for the Lord will destroy this nation!” The midnight cry was heard in Sodom and it will be heard again someday at the coming of Christ for His bride. Those who are left will receive the judgment of God upon their unrighteousness.

On the evening of April 14th, Captain Smith attended a private dinner party. While the captain rubbed shoulders with the wealthy diners, the crew overheard a warning from the “Californian.” After dinner, the captain had a conversation with his second officer, Charles Lightoller. It isn’t known what they discussed. The captain went to bed without giving orders to change course.

¹⁵ When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”

Four people…only four. Abraham had asked the Lord to spare the city if ten righteous could be found – not even half that came out alive. At dawn, when the city’s eyes were heaviest and the smell of the previous night’s debauchery still hung thickly in the air, Lot is urged to get his family up and move. Punishment is coming…

¹⁶ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

Amazingly, Lot lingered. He halted in his steps as the men implored him to move. The Bible doesn’t tell why, but if we go back to chapter 13 we’re reminded that he was a man of wealth. He had flocks and herds, tents and servants. He had so much stuff that he and Abraham couldn’t live together.

He was also a judge in Sodom. Lot had many things, he had status, and he had position, but he had little of value. He hadn’t converted a single soul nor even convinced one person that their wicked life was wrong. He probably lingered out of remorse – both for the loss of his stuff and for the loss of those he failed to talk to. Lot would be, from this point on, a lonely and broken man.

You know, Jesus really is coming back. Why would you bother listening to a sermon if you didn’t believe that? If you’re here, then it’s because you either believe the Bible or are curious about it. Either way, this book says that Jesus is returning and His return is imminent.

That means there is no moment when He couldn’t come. And so it could be at any second. When He arrives, there won’t be any lingering or thought. It will happen in the twinkling of an eye. So if you have work to do before then, I suggest you get it done.

That coworker you’ve been meaning to talk to about Jesus… the time is coming. Your family member that needs to hear again… the time is coming. The neighbor you wave to every morning… Jesus is really coming.

¹⁷ So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

The words from the men’s mouth are emphatic – “Escape for your life!” Here there is only destruction and death and there is only one means of escape.

This is so similar to what Jesus told the Nation of Israel in a prophecy about what is coming in the end times. After the rapture, when the entire world is gathered to destroy them, the Jews who are willing to heed will need to be ready –

¹⁵ “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), ¹⁶ “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. ¹⁸ And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. ¹⁹ But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ²⁰ And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. ²² And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

II. Mercy from the Lord

¹⁸ Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords!

Depending on what translation you use, the answer that Lot gives is either directed toward one or two – Lord or lords. And it is either God or man – Lord meaning Jehovah or lords meaning angels.

If you read the King James, it has the divine name, if you read the NIV it indicates two, but the divine name is footnoted as possible. If you read the NKJV, it indicates two. Pay attention to your footnotes, study the differences, and make your conclusions.

Based on what previous verses say, as well as verses ahead, it is the Lord – Jehovah, who is the likely addressee. He has appeared with the other two now in order to bring vengeance upon the sodomites. Our text verse today from Jude indicates this as does the great passage of God’s judgment from 2 Thessalonians 1 –

⁶ since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, ⁷ and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

Yes,,, it is the Lord and He really, really is angry at sin and He really, really will come to destroy sinners. The Lamb is also the Lion.

¹⁹ Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die.

It was probably a very long and sleepless night for Lot. He also has his daughters, his wife, and whatever stuff he had grabbed on the way out the door. When he looked at the distance to the mountains, he was probably overwhelmed. Abraham is 99 years old and Lot is older than Abraham. His old body couldn’t take the stress.

When I was driving around the US, there were times that mountains would jut right out of the ground toward the sky many, many miles in the distance. I remember thinking to myself how tough it must have been on people first settling the land. The flatlands below the mountains would hold in the heat and were often devoid of any shade or water.

This is the way it is where Lot is as well. Although the plain of the Jordan at that time was well watered, as you got away from the Jordan, it would be parched and miserable. Along with the sleepless night and stuff to carry, he couldn’t imagine facing another ordeal like this. And so he begs for mercy once again…

²⁰ See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

Instead of a long and tedious flight to the distant mountains, which would include a trek up them as well, he asks the Lord for divine mercy on himself and his family. While doing this, he’s actually calling for mercy on a town that was set for destruction.

It was a one of the cities allied with Sodom during the war mentioned in chapter 14 and was probably similar in its customs, culture, and worship. However the Lord – who knows the future – also knew that this request would be made before it was asked.

Thus there is a demonstration of mercy even in divine judgment – apart from the righteous. A portion the wicked would be spared. Maybe this was God’s way of giving Lot a chance to tell the people of that town about Him after failing to do so in Sodom.

²¹ And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. ²² Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

Before this, the city was called Bela – meaning “Destruction.” Ironically, the very name it held was the thing it didn’t receive. From this time on it would be known as “Little” instead of Destruction, “Zoar” meaning “Little” – the little town which received the Lord’s mercy.

James tells us this about the petitions of a righteous person – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Lot fervently petitioned the Lord and the Lord responded, saving an entire city. Zoar will remain not only for a while, but would still exist over 1000 years later at the time of Jeremiah.

²³ The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. ²⁴ Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.

Early in the day, at the time of the rising sun and at the same time that Lot enters Zoar, we read a most interesting verse – “v’Yehovah himtyr al sedom v’al amorah gophrit v’esh me-eth Yehovah min ha’shemayim”

The thought is that “Jehovah caused it to rain from Jehovah.”  No distinction is to be inferred between the hidden and the manifested Creator. The Lord who is seen on the earth is the Lord who calls down judgment and He is the same Lord who sits enthroned in heaven, sending down that same judgment. Interesting, isn’t it…

We look at pictures of Jesus cuddling animals and we sing songs about God loving all the children of the world, but the same Lord who really cuddles cute little fluffy beings and who blesses little children is the same Lord who looks with wrathful eyes at the wicked sins of men – men who try to hide or men who openly flaunt their debauchery.

Both are exposed to His ever-seeing eye. People who look too intently on one aspect of Jesus – like His love while disregarding the others are only deluding themselves. The same type of destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah will be used on the unrepentant world someday – fire and brimstone – an eternal swim in the Lake of Fire.

These Old Testament pictures are given to us for warnings of what lies ahead.

²⁵ So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

This is the end of all wickedness. Though men become rich, powerful, or famous, it is worth nothing when destruction comes. The book of Lamentations details the destruction of God’s own people because they rejected Him. All alike are bound under sin and all alike will be judged – either be in oneself or in a substitute.

And only one Substitute will satisfy the wrath of God – that of His only begotten Son. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of God, but it is inevitable. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, the plain was destroyed, and the all the inhabitants of the cites – all of them, young and old, male and female, wealthy and slave – all of them were destroyed.

Along with this, the lush and well watered land surrounding the Jordan, with all its trees, fields, and crops was laid waste. Go there today and all you will see is heat, ruined land, undrinkable water, and shimmering mountains in the distance.

The people and buildings that are there now are entirely at the mercy of a supply line bringing in food, water, and provisions. Without that, it would be a miserable place left for only the hardiest animals and reptiles which call the area home.

Even bleaker than this is the prospect, and eventual reality, of the torment of hell. God has given us these examples as warnings and He has also provided the avenue to true life – overflowing with an abundance of Water. And He asks each of us to choose life and come to the Water of that Life… come to Jesus.

III. The Unheeded Warning

²⁶ But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

One of the seemingly incredible stories from the Bible… this is on par with a donkey speaking and a prophet riding a chariot to heaven. And yet, it is what happened. Lot’s wife, possibly named Iscah, became suitable seasoning for curry or maybe goat stew.

For whatever reason, be it out of curiosity, the memory of secret sins pulling her back, or sadness at the loss of possessions or friends, she turned back to look. The divine warning had been given and it was rejected.

In today’s church, such a person would be called an apostate. This is a person who has made a profession of faith, lives among the righteous, and who probably even acts like a believer, but they never truly believed. When they called on Jesus, they were crossing their fingers, or maybe their toes, and lying in their heart.

Maybe you’re just like her. You come out to Church on the Beach, you post nice things about Jesus on Facebook, you may even wear a cross – but inside, you just don’t believe. Your eyes are looking back at the world in longing and your thoughts have never really fixed on the Lord. Today would be a good day to change that.

If you go to the area where she was crystallized today, there is a pillar called Lot’s wife. It isn’t really her though. One intellectual soul determined the amount of erosion on a pillar of salt based on the wind and rain conditions of the area and determined that she would have melted back into the earth many centuries ago.

Capt. Smith was awakened by a member of his crew after the ship scraped an iceberg. At 2:20am on 15 April 1912, Captain Edward J. Smith sunk with his ship – taking along 1516 others – precious human souls with him – into the watery deep.

Divine warnings are posted along life’s highway. Some are more easily noted than others, but they’re there. The Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth His handiwork. It tells us that His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that we are without excuse,

Just like the warnings for Capt. Smith, God warns us through His creation, through His prophets, and through the cross of His own Son. How many warnings do we need to show us that God really, really is angry at sin? But we turn around and ignore the signs.

I mentioned Billy Graham a while back. Recently, he posted a prayer letter on his website which he addressed to “deceived America.” Will his words go unheeded? If so, we will find an unhappy ending to our American experiment. Here’s what he said–

“Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

She was probably thinking of a passage in Ezekiel where God tells why He brought those cities to ruin. “Now this was the sin of . . . Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before Me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen” (Ezekiel 16:49–50, NIV).

I wonder what Ruth would think of America if she were alive today. In the years since she made that remark, millions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle.

Just a few weeks ago in a prominent city in the South, Christian chaplains who serve the police department were ordered to no longer mention the Name of Jesus in prayer. It was reported that during a recent police-sponsored event, the only person allowed to pray was someone who addressed “the being in the room.” Similar scenarios are now commonplace in towns across America. Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God.

Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.My heart aches for America and its deceived people. The wonderful news is that our Lord is a God of mercy, and He responds to repentance. In Jonah’s day, Nineveh was the lone world superpower—wealthy, unconcerned, and self-centered. When the Prophet Jonah finally traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed God’s warning, people heard and repented.

Proverbs 16:18 says that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. What we need to do is to let go of our pride, shun our haughty nature, and with humility and remorse petition the Lord to be merciful upon us for our many, many sins.”

Thank you Billy. Now let me take two more minutes of your time to explain again, as I have so many times before, about the work of the greatest Jew of all – the Lord of Creation, Jesus…

Next Week’s sermon – Genesis 19:27-38 (A “Lot” of Mistakes? Rethinking the Time in the Cave)

The Wages of Sin

The messengers said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here?
Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, anyone in this city
Take them out of this place!  For its destruction is near
Because the outcry against them has ended the Lord’s pity

He has sent us to destroy it, and this we will do
So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law
But they just laughed him off thinking he had a loose screw
And so sadly Lot made his withdraw

When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry
“Arise, take your wife and your two daughters… you’d best scurry

Lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city
Because the outcry against it has ended the Lord’s pity

But he lingered, so the men took hold of his hand
And the hands of his wife and his two daughters also
The Lord was merciful to him and gave the command
To get away before on Sodom destruction would blow

“Escape for your life! Do not look behind you as you flee
Don’t stay anywhere in the plain. In the mountains there is safety

Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords!
Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight
You have increased your mercy through your life saving words
But I cannot flee to the mountains… man I’ve been up all night

See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one
Please let me escape there until the Lord’s destruction is done

And he said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing
I will not overthrow this tiny little city
Hurry! Escape there, for I cannot do anything
Until you arrive there. Yes, I will show pity.

Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar
It received the Lord’s mercy and there Lot went
But when the sun rose and Lot had gotten that far
The Lord’s wrath on Sodom and Gomorrah was to be spent

Then the Lord rained from heaven brimstone and fire
On Sodom and Gomorrah came the wrath of God
Everyone in the city was consumed in the pyre
Because by wickedness all the people had trod

So He overthrew those cities and all the plain
And all the inhabitants who resided there
Never would they be rebuilt, no never again
Because the people wouldn’t the Lord’s name declare

But Lot’s wife looked back and became a pillar of salt
With no one to blame, it was only her fault

What about us living today?
Will we turn from our grievous sin
Can our land repent and God’s wrath allay?
Or is it too late, have we done ourselves in?

With the Lord mercy can be found
If we will humble ourselves from city to city
But if we don’t turn our hearts around
The outcry against us will end the Lord’s pity

Oh sinful land turn once again to Jesus
Let us give him honor and praise
When we do, He will show mercy on us
And we will walk in His light all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Genesis 18:16-33
Proclaiming Righteousness

Introduction: Sodom and Gomorrah are the Bible’s prime example of ungodliness and of God’s judgment on sin. Today we’ll look at events prior to the judgment on those cities. These events center on Abraham and his visit from the Lord and we will see how our action or lack of action as individuals can affect the society in which we live, even to the point that the judgment of God is necessary.

Every one of us who is a saved believer in Jesus Christ has responsibilities to others around us. Abraham exercises his responsibility by petitioning the Lord on behalf of His people. And we’ll look into what Lot may or may not have done to fulfill his responsibility as a member of the society in which he lives. Only in the weeks to come will we see if he fulfilled his duties or not.

Text Verse: Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; ¹² Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. ¹³ For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth. Psalm 96:11-13

The Lord is the Judge of all the earth and when He judges it is in absolute righteousness. The Bible proclaims that despite being a loving Creator, which He is, He is also holy and will not look favorably upon the sins of the people. Let us understand this and remember to view sin for what it is – a violation against His perfect nature, and so… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. An Outcry against Sin

Before we look at today’s verses, we should consider what leads up to them. Let’s review when Sodom and Gomorrah are first brought into focus and how Lot ended up there.

Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. ⁷ And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land. ⁸ So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” /// Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. ¹³ But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord. Genesis 13:5-9 & 12&13

In chapter 14, the 4 kings from the east engaged the 5 kings around Sodom in battle and took Lot captive. Abraham followed after them and defeated them and rescued Lot. After that time, Sodom isn’t mentioned again until today’s verses. Everything else has dealt with Abraham in one way or another.

In the first verses of chapter 18, which we looked at last week, the Lord appeared with two others and ate at Abraham’s tent and then confirmed what he had already been told, that Sarah would have a son and he would be born within the next year. Now that this meeting has ended, we come to today’s verses.

¹⁶ Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom,…

The meal is done and the promise of a son in the coming year is behind them. Sarah laughed about it in a mocking way and after that, she was caught in a lie. All of this was to show us that nothing is outside of the power of God and nothing is hidden from Him.

This is important to understand because of what lies ahead. By coming to Abraham before going to Sodom, the account is placed in the Bible chronologically and it allows us to understand more clearly the somewhat confusing things which lie ahead.

As they rise it says they looked toward Sodom. This is stated to show Abraham, and us, that judgment is coming. The very last words spoken about Sodom in chapter 13 were, “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.”

Because of their wickedness and the fact that they weren’t wiped out by the invading armies in Chapter 14, the Lord will now have to act personally. What isn’t accomplished by the hands of man will now be tended to by the Lord.

This is an indictment on all sin in all societies and at all times. Man has been given the authority to judge the affairs of each nation. When those affairs are handled properly, the nation purges its sin and remains free from the Lord’s destructive judgment.

However, when a nation fails to prosecute and sentence wickedness, the Lord will step in. This was true with Israel, it’s true with nations today, and it will be the case with the one-world government which is coming. If we don’t judge sin, God will.

America has tasted judgment in several ways in the recent years – financially, through terrorism, and in famine, plague, and natural disaster, but we’ve failed to humble our hearts and prosecute the sins of the people. Paying attention to what lies ahead for Sodom will allow us to see what the result of what the same sins in America will be.

^{16 (con’t)} and Abraham went with them to send them on the way.

This is kind of an unwritten rule of humanity which is found in people around the world, Abraham went along with the three as they headed off. We do this for a number of reasons. 1) We want to make sure people are heading on the right road.

2) We may want to extend the visit as long as possible like in the Ephesians did with Paul in Acts 20 – “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, ³⁸ sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.”

3) We may have things we want to show along the way, such as “These are my flocks.” “This is where my servant fell and broke his leg.” “There’s a beautiful spring of water right on the other side of that hill… is that where you spoke to Hagar?

4) We may want to be a part of what’s coming and not be left out. This happened to Peter when he was asked to go to the house of Cornelius in Acts 10. Some of the people he stayed with came along as witnesses – “On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.” (23)

5) We may do it as a sign of respect for a person – “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, ⁶ who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, ⁷ because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸ We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.” 3 John -5-8

In this universal tradition of sending others off, Abraham went along with the men as they departed.

¹⁷ And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, ¹⁸ since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Although stated in the form of a question, “Shall I hide?” it is meant in the form of an affirmative statement, “I shall not hide.” This type of question is found throughout the Bible and is commonly spoken by us today. It is rhetorical and it is a way of getting us to think through the issue at hand. Amos, speaking the word of the Lord asks a beautiful set of such questions –

“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? ⁴ Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? ⁵ Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all? ⁶ If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?”

The answer to each of these is obvious. After asking them, Amos follows up with another thought which completely and fully explains the Lord’s intent to tell Abraham –

“⁷ Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”

Abraham is identified as a prophet in Genesis 20 and so this is to be taken as a rhetorical question. He is a prophet of God and a part of the Lord’s plan for bringing in the Messiah. He will become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. And so the Lord includes him in what’s coming.

But there are more reasons as well…

¹⁹ For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

The Lord personally chose Abraham to be the father of all the people of God – both physically and spiritually. By showing him what He is about to do, the Lord is instructing him in the severity of keeping the way of the Lord and in doing what is right and just.

He is going to use the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as an object lesson of what it means to turn away from these things. It will be a permanent memorial concerning the punishments which come from violating the righteousness of God.

It will also serve as an eternal reminder to God’s people about the fate of those who are ungodly. It has been 25 years since Abraham entered Canaan and the people of Sodom were already there and known for their wickedness at that time.

He was told earlier that he couldn’t possess the land of Canaan because the wickedness of the Amorites hadn’t yet reached its full measure and that it wouldn’t do so for 430 years. However, the destruction of Sodom was coming because it had. God’s patience with this particular group of people had ended.

Two things are happening at once. The first is the Lord revealing His intended actions to an upright person and at the same time showing him why He is taking the actions in the first place. This two edged sword is perfectly noted in Proverbs 3:32 –

For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
But His secret counsel is with the upright. Proverbs 3:32

And again, in the book of Hosea, at the time prior to the exile of Israel, the Lord reminds the people of these things in hope that they will remember, believe, and repent

Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right; The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble in them. Hosea 14:9

²⁰ And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,

What is the sin of Sodom? Pretty much everyone but sodomites agrees on what it is, but the Bible is clear on it. We’ll look at it in detail when we get to the next chapter, but yes, it is centered mainly on homosexuality and sexual perversion which is a crime against the natural order which God intended for His creatures.

It also involves, according to Ezekiel, gluttony, laziness, and an unwillingness to help others in need. These are the grave sins for which the outcry is made. If you don’t see America written all over these sins, then you’re not looking. Day after day for years, porn has been the number 1 search on internet search engines.

Our president and approximately one half of our nation’s leaders, represented by the democrat party openly support the gay agenda and it has become one of the party issues in their 2012 platform. They have sent openly homosexual members to congress and they have flaunted their perversion in the daylight.

They’re demanding these rights for out military and in our schools. They are leading us to the sure and complete destruction which we rightly deserve for closing our eyes and electing these vulgar and perverse people with this twisted agenda.

We’ve become gluttonous and fat in this nation and our appetite has become unrestrained. Instead of moderation, we look to pills to take away pounds. Instead of work to keep healthy, we go to doctors for more pills, paying for them with welfare checks.

And not helping others in need…? We’ve killed unborn children to the number of 50 million… and we turn a blind eye. We’ve elected a president who once voted “in favor of legalizing infanticide,” by voting “to protect doctors who killed babies who survived the abortion process.” What is coming upon Sodom will be coming upon America unless we turn from our ways.

The Bible says, “That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.” We are heading right into the same destructive Force which met with and destroyed Sodom.

Yes, the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was great… how much more is it crying out against us in the land which has a Bible in every home and a church on every corner. With great knowledge comes great responsibility and surely great judgment.

²¹ I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

We read an interesting parallel in Genesis 11 at the time of the Tower of Babel. It says, “But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.”

The Lord is again descending to the level of man to test and see the situation. It is as if He is stepping off His throne, even in the presence of Abraham, to make His determination. And this has nothing to do with whether He already knew the situation of Sodom or not – He did.

This act of justice is for the sake of Abraham and is a lesson of instruction for judges of the future. We are to personally inspect a situation to determine a matter before judgment and not go by word alone. The Lord has set the example in judicial proceedings.

II. The Judge of All the Earth

²² Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. ²³ And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

The result of what is coming is inevitable and Abraham seems to know it. The two men who were with the Lord have turned toward Sodom and will carry out the sentence. He’s already been there and he knows the wickedness of the place.

And so he “came near” to the Lord. This is a defining moment in the Bible because it is the Bible’s first hint of a prayer to the Lord.

In the 73^rd Psalm we read this –

But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works. (28

Abraham is drawing near to the Lord in order to petition Him and to understand and declare all His works. There is only one hope in his heart and that is Lot’s personal testimony. We won’t know about it until we get to the next chapter, but by what Abraham says in the coming verses, we can guess he already knows.

Now he speaks to the Lord as if he were a free-born son in the house – openly and frankly, and he will continue to do so through the entire conversation. And yet he will do it with an air of humility. The book of Hebrews says this to the believer when speaking of our interactions with the Lord –

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (4:16)

I have no problem with people quoting this and trusting in it. It is an admonition to every believer that we should have the confidence to enter the throne of God’s grace in our time of need. But as I’ve told people many times in the past, we need to be on our face once we get there.

One of the most appalling and arrogant things that I hear Christians say, and I hear them say it all the time is “I claim.” “I claim something in Jesus’ name.” – be it a Porsche or healing, be it financial help or someone’s salvation. We have no right to claim anything except that which the Bible speaks of and the Bible doesn’t use the word “claim” …ever for such things from God.

Abraham’s boldness mixed with humility is the appropriate measure of how we too should conduct our affairs in the presence of the Lord. Let’s watch as he speaks to his Creator…

²⁴ Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? ²⁵ Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

There are actually five cities that are included in the account. Sodom and Gomorrah are simply the principle cities of this group of five, and Sodom is especially noted because it’s where Lot is. Could there be an average of ten righteous people per city?

If there are, then he is reminding the Lord that destroying the cities would destroy the righteous with the wicked. This is a problem and a question that not only fills the entire Bible, but also the minds of almost every person who has ever lived. “Why do bad events happen to good people?”

It is something that Job deals with. It is something that Habakkuk deals with. It is something that Paul speaks about and it is struggled over and debated the world over. There is a wrong view to God’s justice which says there is a law governing fairness which is higher than God and therefore it is binding on Him.

In essence He must act in response to the law itself. When we believe this, we make our appeal to the law. Our prayers to, or our comments about God, reflect this. This is wrong.

The correct view is that God is the standard of justice. He is the Creator and therefore He is before His creation. Therefore anything about Him simply is – it doesn’t change, it doesn’t increase or decrease. His power is used in conjunction with His own moral perfection. Therefore, whatever God does is fair – whether we understand it or not.

When we see this, we make our appeal directly to Him and not to the standard which stems from Him or to which He is subordinate. This is what Abraham has done. He has appealed directly to the Creator, though he doesn’t fully understand the situation, he knows the Source of the justice and he acknowledges it accordingly.

Non-Christians and confused Christians don’t understand this concept and therefore they blame God for adversity, tragedy, and trouble. But the one who knows God’s character and His nature stands on the assurance that what occurs is perfectly just and fair.

Isaiah understood this as he penned these words –

The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. ² He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness. (57:1-2)

There is one thing lacking in Abraham’s understanding of the pending judgment – apart from imputed righteousness, there is none righteous, no not one. Abraham may be making a plea based on a faulty premise. Man is fallen and inherently unrighteous and therefore whatever judgment falls on Sodom is deserved.

III. Pondering Lot’s Witness

I hope you’ll pay particular attention to this point and I hope you’ll see yourself and your own testimony all over it – either meeting the needs or seeing that you don’t. If you don’t I hope you will endeavor to do so in the future.

²⁶ So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.” ²⁷ Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: ²⁸ Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”

Abraham is now facing a dilemma. He was counting on there being 50 righteous people there. But he already knew the wickedness of the place. It was morally bankrupt. However, Lot had moved there and he was a follower of the one true God. He had a large camp with many employees under him too.

We know from 2 Peter that Lot was a righteous man. So he obviously wasn’t only a follower of the Lord, but also one to share the news about Him, right? He must have convinced 49 people about the path of righteousness. But… maybe not.

Lord, I am dust and ashes, but let me speak again. Dust and ashes is a reference to two concepts about the human being. First that we came from the dust when the Lord created us. Second, that we are ashes – beings deserving the judgment of fire in the presence of pure holiness. From dust we came and to ashes we deserve to go.

“I am dust and ashes, but what if there are only forty five?” You see, he’d been around Lot enough to know that he might not have told his sheepherders about the Lord. Lot was a busy guy and so Abraham realizes that he can’t count them in, so he’d better lower his number to forty five? And the Lord agrees – not for 45.

²⁹ And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?” So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”

Abraham thinks it through again and he says to himself, “Hmmm, I never saw Lot talk to any of his camp’s kitchen staff either. I don’t think there’s a single believer in the group.” “Lord, what if there’s only forty instead of forty five? And the Lord agrees – not for 40.

³⁰ Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: suppose thirty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

“Hmmm,” he says to himself the fourth time, “I never saw Lot give one family sermon in front of his harvesting crew. In fact, all ten of them cuss like the dickens and they drink beer all night. I’d better not trust in any of them either. Lord, what if there’s only thirty instead of forty? And the Lord agrees – not for 30.

³¹ And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?” So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”

Abraham is running out of employees. He’s considered the shepherds, the camp cooks, the harvesters – Lot hasn’t talked to any of them. He’s been a backslider since he and Abraham separated more than 20 years ago.

The last time he visited Lot’s homestead, even the maids in the house were drinking and going out with the locals till all hours of the night. He can’t count on them either. Instead of being in church on Sunday morning, they’re sleeping in from hangovers. Lord what if there’s only 20? And the Lord agrees – not for 20.

³² Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”

Well, he can’t count on any of the hired staff and he’s at 20. After thinking about it, if he hasn’t talked to any of his own staff, then he probably hasn’t talked to any of his neighbors either. Lot has proved to be a major disappointment in his witness.

This leaves only four people in the house – Lot, his wife, and two daughters. The two daughters are set to be married and surely Lot would make sure they would marry godly men. That’s six people. And those men would be godly because of godly parents.

They would have raised them properly and punished them when they did wrong. Yes, there must be those four godly parents for those two godly boys who to marry his two godly daughters. Lord, what if there are only 10? And the Lord agrees – not for 10.

Six times Abraham pleads with the Lord and six times he sees the consequences of being a faithless witness for the Lord. Five cities stand in the face of destruction because one man failed to open his mouth and speak out.

I hope each person here is seeing themselves next to Lot in the mirror. We’re heading for judgment and there’s only one way to avert it – speaking out. And even that probably won’t do at this point. The most we can do is pull those we meet out of the fire.

Are you willing to go to heaven while those around you are destined for hell? There really is an eternal consequence for your lack of witness. As Matthew Henry says to you – “Though sin is to be hated, sinners are to be pitied and prayed for. God delights not in their death, nor should we desire, but deprecate, the woeful day.” We need to witness and pray that they may be saved.

³³ So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

We all have questions of the Lord and almost always the answers are found in the pages of the Bible. When they’re not, Abraham and others have been used as examples of how to interact with Him and what is and isn’t appropriate in our dealings with Him.

“I claim salvation for those in Sodom.” “I claim that this destruction be averted.” Never, no never, speak those words again in the presence of Your Creator! Have a little humility…

Let’s remember today’s account and know that when things are troubling us, we have a right to question the Lord about what is happening and how it will be handled. But in the end, we need to remember that He is God and we are man. Abraham never claimed diddly from the Lord, but trusted that what the Lord determined was ultimately right and just.

His decisions concerning a matter are infinitely wiser than our hopes about it and so let’s remember to trust His decisions and His counsel as a just and righteous Judge. If anyone here has never understood their need for Jesus who is the Mediator and Advocate between God and man, let me explain this to you…

Next Week – Genesis 19:1-11 (Destruction is Coming – Shadows of the Rapture)

The Outcry against Wickedness

The men rose and looked toward Sodom
And Abraham went with them, to send them on their way
And the Lord determined to reveal his intentions to him
Even if Abraham in this would find dismay

“I have known him and instructed him in the life to lead
And this pertains to his descendants too
They shall keep the way of the Lord surely and indeed
To do righteousness and justice all generations through

And the Lord said, “Because the outcry is so great”
And because their sin is very grave
I go down to Sodom and Gomorrah, I will not hesitate
To see whether the rumor is true, of how they misbehave

Then the men turned and went toward this task so grim
But Abraham stood still before the Lord, waiting to talk to Him

“Would you destroy the righteous with the wicked also?
I am sure this won’t occur, tell me it is not so

“Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city
Would You also destroy the place and not spare it for them?
Far be it from You to do such a thing, it cannot be
Destroying the righteous with the wicked, like tearing a cloth with one hem

“Far be it from You! It can’t be so in my sight
Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what’s just and right?

So the Lord said, “If for fifty righteous within the city,
Then I will spare the place – for their sakes I will show pity

Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now
I who am but dust and ashes have spoken to the Lord
Suppose there were five less than the fifty somehow
Would You destroy all for lack of five?” Tell me your word

So He said, “If I find there forty-five
The people of the city will remain alive

And Abraham spoke yet again and this he said,
“Suppose there should be forty found there?” What will you do?
I will not do it for the sake of forty instead
I have spoken and you know My word is true

Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak
Suppose there should be only thirty found there?
“I will not do it if I find thirty. Though the number is quite weak”
Abraham, I can see how much you care

“Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord
Suppose that only twenty should be found there?”
“I won’t destroy for the sake of twenty. Thus you have my word”
But this number is getting pretty low, it will end just where?

Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry
Let the Lord show kindness and favor to me”

I will speak again but it will be only once more
I have already spoken so many times before

Suppose ten should be found there?”
And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.”
For ten righteous souls the city I will spare
Yes, I will do it for them… Abraham, I’m glad you asked again

So the Lord went His way after speaking
And Abraham returned to his place
His curiosity was certainly piquing
What would befall the cities that lay south of his place

If you wonder about how the Lord deals with us
He is righteous and He is also just
To save us from sure destruction He sent His Son Jesus
Yes, He is completely fair, in this all souls can trust

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

Genesis 18:1-15
A Time for Laughter – The Son of Promise

I suppose I quote Acts 17:28 as much as any other verse in the Bible. To me, it’s a constant reminder that the Lord is always near and always there for me – ready to respond to my needs and yet also watching over my actions, both good and bad.

The verse says, “…for in Him we live and move and have our being.” God is right here with us, even now. He’s checking my sermon doctrine; He’s checking your heart. He’s aware of every person on the beach and every bird in the air.

He’s knows about every cricket which will interfere with the audio of this sermon, like they do every week. 🙂

But because we can’t see Him, it’s easy to forget He’s there. It’s easy to come away with the notion that He may not really be watching… this time. This time I’ll get away with it…

But what if there was someone right next to us who we could see, and we had a sneaky suspicion this person was checking out our actions? We tend to act differently when others are watching. Studies have shown that people who use the restroom wash their hands far more often when people are around.

When no one is in the room with them, mostly they just finish up and head for the door. But when others are present, they stop and wash their hands first. Did you know that? Someone could be watching – someone with a hidden camera. So next time,,, wash your hands!

Introduction: There are times that men receive angelic visitations. Do I believe this? Of course I do. The author of Hebrews tells us its so – “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:2

How many of you would change the way you did things if you knew there were angels right there with you? Even more, how would your actions be affected if you knew that the Lord was in your midst?

I don’t mean in the invisible, seemingly impersonal way that Acts 17 speaks of, but in the form of a man – one who has arms, feet, a face, eyes…that sees your every move. How then would you act?

Text Verse: I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. Leviticus 26:12

God has appeared in human form. He didn’t just do it for 30-some years 2000 years ago, but He walked among men since the time of Adam and He appeared throughout the ages to His people as the Bible records and so… May God Speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Lord Walks Among His People

In Deuteronomy 23, we read these words from Moses before Israel entered into the Promised Land –

“Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; ¹³ and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. ¹⁴ For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.” 23:12-14

Some scholars look at these verses and think its only speaking of the Lord’s presence in a non-physical way. In other words, He is spiritually present in the camp of Israel, but not physically there. And yet, this has to be inferred and it has to overlook the physical aspect of what Moses is saying.

Yes, at other times the Bible speaks metaphorically about the arm of God or the right hand of God, but this verse is far more specific and far harder to dismiss. It’s the same as when the Lord appeared in Eden –

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

Unless you’re simply not willing to believe the text as written, you have to admit that the Lord God truly walked in the Garden. He walked there, He walked among the Israelites, and guess what, He walked right up to Abraham. The text demands this as physical and literal – nothing else is possible as we’ll see in the coming verses.

¹ Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

God doesn’t have parts. To understand this, you can go back and watch my sermon on Genesis 1:1. The Bible bears this out as I mentioned just a few sermons ago. It says God is Spirit, no one has seen God; that He dwells in unapproachable light; etc.

It also says that God is unchanging on several occasions, including when speaking of Jesus. But it also says that Jesus does change – such as growing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. So we have a mystery – the mystery of the incarnation.

God, who is outside of His creation and unchanging can’t take on parts and remain eternal and unchanging. Therefore, we are left with only one possibility – that the Lord here, who is Jehovah God according to the verse, is the physical manifestation of God.

This is the uniting of God with human flesh in the Person of Jesus – eternal and unchanging and without parts in His divine nature and yet physical and changing in His human nature; having parts – even parts that move – and movement implies change. Great is the mystery of the eternal Christ.

This might not be a popular view, but it is the logical one. Jesus is the Master of time and space and He is here, as He has been several times already in Genesis, appearing in His own history and directing human events which will lead to Himself.

The Lord (all caps in your Bible, meaning Jehovah) appeared to Abraham. It then says that He did so by the terebinth trees of Mamre, and then that it was in the heat of the day. These are all physical descriptions and they demand a bodily appearance.

When the Lord came, Abraham was “sitting in the tent door.” This is the prime spot which is occupied even to this day by tent dwellers in the region. They can watch the world go by while being shaded from the sun and they can possibly catch a breeze on their sweating skin.

It’s the earliest and longest used form of air conditioning in the world and Abraham was a pioneer of the technique.

² So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

Abraham has already met the Lord on several occasions and he knows exactly who has come to meet him. As soon as he saw them, he ran right up to them and made the customary bow of obeisance. He is showing worship to the Lord and the Lord receives it as such.

This has to be soon after the time he was given instructions to circumcise the males because if you remember, the Lord promised that it would be at the same time of the following year that Isaac would be born. Abraham obeyed the order to circumcise and the Lord has returned after his display of obedience.

³ and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.

Abraham only addresses one of the three. He knows exactly which one is the Lord and it is it to Him alone that he speaks. The context demands that this is none other than Jehovah mentioned in verse 1 and he is completely aware of it.

When he speaks to him, he says something that will occur many more times in the Bible. It is the term “if I have now found favor in Your sight…” or sometimes “if I have found favor in your eyes.” It’s to what we would say today “if you really want to make me happy…” It’s a type of invitation to accept what’ said next.

In this case, it’s that they don’t just pass by, but come and be his guests before passing on. And the specifics are found next –

⁴ Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. ⁵ And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.

Abraham is, as we’ve seen in the past chapters, an immensely wealthy man and his words here are words of extreme modesty. They fit the customs and pious nature of the people of God. He offers “a little water to be brought to wash their feet” and then they can rest under the tree in the cool shade.

While relaxing he says he’ll bring them just a “morsel of bread” instead of bragging that he will offer them a big feast. This thought is found in the book of Proverbs and shows that Solomon’s wisdom is built on these modest customs. There he writes –

When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you;
² And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man given to appetite.
³ Do not desire his delicacies,
For they are deceptive food. Proverbs 23:1-3

When someone boasts about the meal they’re giving you, their offering is more often than not a pretense. There’s a huge difference between sitting at a table full of food and hearing the host say, “Join me at my humble table” as opposed to “Enjoy the bounty of my wealth.” The table is the same, but the spirit of dining will be vastly different.

^{5  cont} They said, “Do as you have said.”

The guests agree to his offer in a simple exchange of words. It’s beautiful to imagine that the same Lord who has accepted a meal from Abraham stands and waits for each one of us to offer a similar invitation to Him. The opportunity may come only once in a lifetime, but when it does, we need to respond.

It is a standing offer and the only way to receive it is by opening the door, just as Abraham opened his home to Him here. Jesus tells us of this in the book of Revelation – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

I would hope that each person will respond properly when the sound of the knock comes. The Lord of Creation doesn’t force Himself upon His creatures. As amazing as it is, He allows us the honor of choosing life. Choose wisely.

II. The Lord Dines With His People

⁶ So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.”

He was probably so excited about the guests and their promise to stay that it says he “hurried” into the tent. He’s 99 years old and probably skipped like a teenager at the chance to entertain them. And his words to Sarah are as urgent as his steps. He tells her to “Quickly” make things ready.

Unlike today where we have refrigerators full of food and can zip together a meal in minutes, there is a ton of preparation for any unplanned meal at Abraham’s tent.

And what he tells Sarah to provide isn’t just a “morsel of bread” like he previously offered. Instead it’s about three times as much as each of them can eat in an entire day. Despite being humble about his offering, the bread alone is truly a banquet fit for a king, and there’s more to come…

⁷ And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.

Not only did he have Sarah whip together the biggest loaf of bread in town, but he pulled out of his flock a “tender and good calf” as well. Knowing Abraham and the circumstances, he picked the very best one of all and got it ready.

There is a lesson in this verse that we should remind ourselves about. It’s a truth that we face in most meals we eat and yet it’s not something we think of very often. In order to live, something else must die. What the world of vegetarians sees as brutal and savage is actually a picture of our own salvation.

In order for us to live, there had to be death. Without Jesus’ cross, we would remain spiritually dead and in our sins, but because of His death, we now have a chance and an opportunity to receive life – not just for another 8 hours until our next meal, but life which will never end. Think about that as we continue today.

⁸ So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them;

Bread, butter, milk, and a calf… It’s quite a bit more than a “morsel of bread” which he had spoken of when they came to him. If you want an idea of how much food this was, let me quote to you the words of Abbe Fleury – “We have an instance of a splendid entertainment in that which Abraham made for the three angels. He set a whole calf before them, new bread, but baked on the hearth, together with butter and milk. Three measures of meal were baked into bread on this occasion, which come to more than two of our bushels, and nearly to fifty-six pounds of our weight…”

Fifty-six pounds of bread, plus a calf, butter, and milk is a lot. Maybe they asked for a take home box for some of it.

^{8 (con’t)} and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

I have to admit that whenever I read this, I always laugh to myself. There is Abraham standing there watching these three eat. I don’t know… it just gives me a mental picture that I can’t quite place…

Anyway, in the customs of the mid-east, it isn’t considered at all menial for the chief of a household to help prepare and serve a meal like this and it would actually be a breech of respect for him to sit and eat with them. Instead, Abraham stood ready to attend to any and every need the visitors might have.

These verses ought to bring up the obvious inspection of our own selves. He not only brought out the finest and the best, but he brought out much more than was necessary too. The question each of us has to answer individually is whether we are doing the same?

How much of what you can give to the Lord do you actually give? I’m not talking only about money, but praise, worship, time, personal inconvenience, etc. Abraham personally attended to them, not one of his hundreds of servants. He gave the best of what he had and he gave it in abundance, and he did it personally.

He, this man known for his faith, was also a man of deeds and actions. Let us, and I mean this sincerely, be sons of Abraham not only in faith, but in deeds of faith as well.

As a kind of side note to this meal, and especially in this world which is spiraling more and more toward the insane each day… “Yes, Jesus ate meat.”

Kamran Pasha, Was Jesus a Vegetarian, the Huffington Post, 3 Sep 2009 – “Indeed, human beings throughout history have questioned the morality of animal slaughter, and religious traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism have long been the home for those who believe that killing and consuming sentient animals is barbaric. Religious vegetarianism is commonplace in the East, but is not considered mainstream in most Western faith communities. And yet, after lengthy research into the historical record, I have become convinced that Jesus Christ himself was in all likelihood a vegetarian, and that vegetarianism was probably a central tenet of the early Christian community founded by his disciples. In fact, there is evidence that Christ’s opposition to animal sacrifice at the Jewish Temple may have been the triggering event that led to the Crucifixion. Yes, I know. This sounds preposterous. …”

Preposterous? This is one of the most insane articles ever written. Only a dolt or a sub-dolt could come to this conclusion. This person did no research at all. Instead, he lied his way through the entire article. Instead of appearing scholarly, he proves himself an idiot.

⁹ Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.”

If you want to elevate a friendship, you have a meal with that person. A meal is where the impersonal becomes personal. It is where the hidden matter becomes evident. It is where alliances are made, secrets are revealed, and where bonds grow strong.

Having a meal together, particularly at one’s home, is as close to intimacy as people come apart from a physical relationship which is supposed to be reserved for a man and a wife. The Lord has come, the Lord has eaten, and the Lord has been intimate with His friend, Abraham.

The Lord now asks about Sarah, who is actually the person that the meeting was principally designed to highlight. This is like watching a movie where the main actor actually doesn’t appear as the main actor until a surprising point in the movie.

Abraham has already been given the promise and he has been obedient, but Sarah has been on the fringes of the narrative. Now she comes into focus as the lens directs towards her. How do we know this, because the question is so direct, “Where is Sarah your wife.” The Lord asks for her by name.

This can only mean that the visit has been centered around her all the time and the formalities of the culture were merely relaxing and yummy weigh-stations on the highway to the destination.

Abraham’s answer to the question, that she is “here in the tent,” means that she was close enough to hear every word of the conversation. It is purposeful and intended to let them know they can call her if they want, but either way she is privy to their talk.

¹⁰ And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)

The Lord promises to return according “to the time of life.” This doesn’t mean that He’s going to come again personally, but that He will visit in the sense of fulfilling the promise. The question is, “What does it mean when He says, ‘according to the time of life?’”

I’m going to give you a couple options and let you decide, because I have no idea. It either means at the same time next year, meaning in 12 months. Or it means in nine months which is the duration of the pregnancy that will happen as soon as Abraham gets going. Or it means during the spring of the year – the time when life springs back into its productive cycle of life. Think and choose…

III. The Lord Knows His People Intimately

I. The Lord Walks Among His People
II. The Lord Dines With His People

¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

We already knew this from 13 years before when Sarah, or Sarai at that time, offered Abraham her maidservant Hagar. However, the Bible is repeating this so that we know that what is coming is nothing other than divine intervention. By this time in human history, a woman who is 89 years old is too old to bear.

¹² Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

Sarah laughs at the announcement, but not as Abraham did when he was told. Instead, the Bible makes a distinction – “She laughed within herself.” In other words, “Pshaw.” Maybe she made the sound along with a scrunchy face. Her doubt and laughter is then made clear in her words.

Her words don’t just implicate her own barren state, they also attempt to do so with Abraham by saying he’s too old too. But the miracle is in her womb, not his seed. It’s a picture that will be repeated several times in the Bible and culminating in the greatest miracle of all – the conception of Jesus in the womb of a virgin.

Sarah’s doubt will be replaced by Mary’s faith and the Son of God will fill the world with the laughter of joy, not incredulity. With God all things are possible. But to Sarah’s credit she states that Abraham is her “lord.” The faults are forgotten, but that which is noble remains.

The Holy Spirit, writing through Peter in chapter 3 of his first letter, gives us something good about Sarah from the account and made her an example of the godly wife through all generations –

For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord,…

It’s good to know that when God forgives a transgression such as in Sarah, it’s removed as far from us as the east is from the west, but our notable deeds He will remember for all eternity and adorn us with blessing because of them.

¹³ And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Jehovah speaks. There is no other possibility left in the account than that this is God incarnate; it is Jesus. The name Jehovah belongs solely to the Lord and no created being, and because God is unseen, then this is Jesus. No other possibility exists.

His words here show both His omniscience and His omnipotence. His omniscience is seen when Sarah laughed and spoke silently, but her words are as if shouted from the housetops from He who searches hearts and minds – an attribute belonging to God alone and to whom it is ascribed to Jesus in the New Testament.

His omnipotence is seen in His exclamation, ha’yippahlay me’Yehovah dabar… “Is anything to hard for Jehovah?” The question is rhetorical and demands a negative response… “Nothing, O nothing, it too hard for Jehovah.”

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh.
Is there anything too hard for Me?
Why, I spoke the universe into existence.
This child will come, Sarah, just wait and see…

¹⁵ But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Sin comes at us from different angles and it is always seizing the opportunity to come out of us in words and actions. Sarah sins for a second time. First she laughed in disbelief at the promise of the Lord and then she lies. One sin often leads to another and in this case it was because of fear – she was afraid.

The Lord showed that He knew what was otherwise unknowable and she recoiled from it. And this doubt isn’t unique in the world. Instead it’s the standard. God has spoken out the pages of the Bible which verify – beyond a shadow of a doubt – that He is aware of all things.

But we add sin to sin by denying His word, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. The Bible is so absolutely accurate in all that it details that we are left without any excuse at all. But out of fear – fear because of our own sin – we try to hide the evidence and deny it exists.

Fortunately for Sarah, this is her final moment of unbelief. She crosses over to the side of light and truth and Hebrews 11 records the transformation –

By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Hebrews 11:11

Matthew Henry says that “One sin commonly brings in another, and it is not likely we shall strictly keep to the truth when we question the Divine truth.”

Fortunately for Sarah, her failure to keep the truth passed behind her and now she stands on that Divine truth as is recorded for us in Hebrews. Some of us here or watching by video might be hiding from the truth and in so doing are attempting to deny even the Divine truth – one lie compounding upon another.

This can only lead to eternal sadness, but there is a way to put these things behind you. Let me tell you how we can exchange our body of death, which is brought on by sin, for life which is available because of Jesus’ death…

A Time for Laughter

The Lord appeared to Abraham in the heat of the day
Near the terebinth trees of Mamre as he sat by the tent door
While he was sitting the Lord passed by that way
And the Lord came with others, yes there were two more

Abraham lifted his eyes in order to see the sight
And behold three men were standing close by
So he up got to meet them, filled with delight
To them hospitality he would not deny

Bowing himself to the ground in respect complete
He asked them to stay if he had found favor in their sight
Let me bring water and let me wash your feet
And you can rest under the tree, this spot here is just right

I will bring you a morsel of bread refreshing to the heart
And then you may pass by, yes… then you may depart

You have come to your servant please stay to break bread
And their response came with a smile, “Do as you have said.”

He instructed Sarah to make ready three seahs of fine meal
And then he ran to the herd and took a good and tender calf
He whipped together a banquet, and he did it with great zeal
He went all out for them, an entire measure – not just a half

So he took butter and milk and the calf he had prepared
And set it before them to eat as he stood and stared

Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
He pointed to the place, “Here, in the tent.”
“I will certainly return to you according to the time of life
And behold she shall have a son, though her years seem spent

She was behind him listening at the tent’s door
Trying to account for what had happened heretofore

Both Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age
And Sarah had passed the time for bearing a child
And she laughed within herself a laugh of doubt-age
I have grown old and what I hear is to me certainly wild

And the Lord said to Abraham, yes He did say
Why did Sarah laugh, why did she show dismay?

Is anything to hard for the Lord?
I will return, according to the time of life,
And then you will see the truth in My word
You will have a son, yes… a son from Sarah your wife

But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,”
For she was afraid and so she told lie
But He saw through her words and her awkward gaff
Because with the Lord, nothing is hidden from His eye

Mercy is found in the Lord whether from one sin or a lot
If we accept His pardon, our relationship He will restore
And in His eternal home there He will reserve a spot
And He will safely lead us along to that distant shore

So let us give him all the glory He is due
For the gift of eternal life granted to me and you

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Genesis 17:15-27
The Promised Son – A Time for Laughter

Introduction: There are times when things occur in our lives and we may wonder why God has let it happen. Maybe a family member dies, financial troubles wipe out our life savings, our home may burn down, or any of another million bad things occurs.

I’ve seen people get angry at God, accuse God, blame God, walk away from church, go back to old, bad habits and the like when troubles come. But one thing we should remember is that there is nothing that happens to us – no matter how bad – that is unique.

The ungodly suffer and the ungodly receive blessings. God’s people have suffered and God’s people have received blessings and each of us too will suffer and we too will receive blessings.

But even more than God’s people, we have the ultimate example of both suffering and loss – God’s own Son, Jesus, shared in our humanity. He was tempted just as we are and He went through the same ordeals we go through, and many were far worse.

Throughout the Bible is a thread which weaves God’s people into a great plan to heal what is broken, to right that which is wrong, and to replace sadness with joy. Today we will see another step in the unfolding of this plan and the thread which weaves together a tapestry of joy and laughter.

Text Verse: Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. Psalm 126:2, 3

Yes, the Lord has done great things for us, just as He did great things for Abraham, the man of faith, whose life was adorned with laughter, and so… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. From a Princess to the Princess

Three specific entities are addressed in chapter 17 of Genesis in relation to the covenant between God and Abraham. The first is God speaking of Himself. This occurred in verses 4 through 8 –

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. ⁵ No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. ⁷ And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. ⁸ Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” We looked at those verses 2 weeks ago.

Next, last week we looked at the second addressee of the covenant, God speaking to Abraham. This happened in verses 9-14 –

“And God said to Abraham: ‘As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. ¹⁰ This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; ¹¹ and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. ¹² He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. ¹³ He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. ¹⁴ And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

The third is to be found in our first two verses today, verses 15 and 16 and they are being spoken to Abraham about his wife –

¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.

Sarah is the third one addressed by the word of God of whom something is expected. In His statement about her, God renames her from Sarai to Sarah, but when He does, it is done through Abraham. “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.”

Just as God works through Christ to meet with Christ’s bride, so He goes through Abraham for the name to be changed. Over the years, feminists in particular have found fault with the Bible’s use of family hierarchies and the submission of women to men.

But when we look at how God Himself developed the hierarchies and the purposes they serve, we realize that this is the appropriate way to handle these things. One thing is for sure, whether someone likes the way these things are presented in the Bible or not is irrelevant. They are the way God has ordained them.

People who want to pray to God outside of Christ can do so, and they do so all the time. But they are only wasting their efforts in the process. Without Christ to mediate our prayers, they dissolve into the ether, unheard by the ears of God.

In the same way, when the family hierarchy which has been established by God is rejected, it inevitably leads to an unprofitable family life. This has been born out through history and it is being born out now.

As America moves away from the traditional father-led family established by God, it may appear on the surface to be freeing women from some perceived bondage, but in the end, it only leads to disorder, societal breakdown, and a loss of morality.

Another thing about Sarai’s name change… it’s done in the same way that Abraham’s name was changed – by adding a single letter to the name – a letter equivalent to our letter “H.” Actually in the case of Sarai, the H replaces an I.

Both names basically mean the same thing, “Princess.” But in the case of Sarah, it has a fuller meaning, like a noblewoman. It is like a transition from a local to a global meaning or something specific to something general.

Sarai is like “a princess” as if she is in a room with many princesses. But Sarah is like “the princess.” She is over all the princesses and the mother of all people who would come from her. Sarah is noted by Peter in his first epistle for being the epitome of the submissive wife whom God favors –

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, ² when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. ³ Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— ⁴ rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. ⁵ For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, ⁶ as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

The significance of this H letter being added to both their names is believed to associate these two people more closely to the Lord Himself. The letters for the divine name Yahweh are YHVH. By adding the H to their names, it seems He is imparting to them a portion of His own nature.

This then is an elevation beyond the temporal to the spiritual realm. God has conferred a special dignity on them by this addition. It is a way of pointing out His eternal power and Godhead as it is working through them.

This notion is going to be borne out in the coming verses in the circumcising of the household.

Before we go on, I’d like to assure you that if you’re in Christ, you also have moved from the temporal, earthly realm to the spiritual, heavenly realm (Eph 2:4-7). In fulfillment of that, in Revelation God promises you a new name. Your name is already selected and your destiny is already assured because of your faith in Jesus.

¹⁶ And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

The Lord promises to bless Sarah and He says He will “also give you a son by her.” In other words, “Just as you have received a son through Hagar, so you will now receive a son from Sarah. But the son to be born will be the son of promise.”

This is now the 5^th time we see God working through the second son instead of the firstborn. This demonstrates to us the doctrine of divine election. We saw it when God accepted Abel’s offering over the offering of his older brother.

We saw it when Seth, the son of Adam, replaced Cain his older brother. We saw it again when Noah’s second son Shem was placed into the messianic line before his older brother Japheth. Again it occurred when Abraham replaced his older brother Haran.

And this pattern will continue and grow richly in the pages of the Bible. God is sovereignly choosing people and circumstances which lead to the Messiah apart from birth order. This doctrine ultimately finds its fulfillment in the Person of His own Son, Jesus, who replaces Adam and who is the true Israel.

As the Bible unfolds, we will continue to look at each instance and draw patterns out which will show us the wonderful hand of God upon time, upon humanity, and upon all variables which lead us to, and teach us about, Jesus.

In the promise of a son through Sarah, God says that she shall become nations – meaning many groups of people, and that kings shall come from her. Through Sarah will come King Saul, King David, King Solomon, and many other kings. And ultimately from her would come the King of kings, Jesus.

The thing that is hardest to get my mind around is that the Lord is working through time and people to bring about the incarnation of Himself when He will unite with humanity in Mary’s womb.

Time is what keeps everything from happening at once, and God, who created time, is working in the stream of time to come to the point that has been in His mind since before creation.

Everything that we are experiencing, and everything that has ever been experienced, is happening simultaneously in God’s mind and yet because of what He has created, it can happen in a sequence which we participate in. It’s just too much to fully grasp.

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Every reasonable commentary that I’ve read about this verse says the same thing – that Abraham’s laughter was of joy, not of unbelief. Any commentary which says otherwise has been made by someone who doesn’t understand the context, the man, or the supporting Bible passages which clearly identify Abraham’s laughter as that of faith mixed with Joy.

In Romans 4, it says this – “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰ He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, ²¹ and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. ²² And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” EXPLAIN

In John 8:56, Jesus probably refers to this incident and Abraham’s surety that this son of promise would lead to the Messiah –

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

After laughing, his internal question has also been misconstrued – “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

Abraham was a man of faith and his question was a rhetorical one, not a doubting one. In fact, he will have many more children in the years ahead and so it’s obvious he’s not talking about ability, but rather what is reasonable. And this is absolutely certain because of his next words to God…

¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

Abraham has a son, and despite how we look at the way Ishmael came about in the modern world, it was a normal birth to Abraham. He was promised a son and the Lord gave him a son. Up to this point in time, Sarah hasn’t been mentioned in any of the promises.

By now, Ishmael is 13 years old and Abraham probably loves him very much. So instead of going through the whole process again, why isn’t Ishmael suitable for the task? But God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

What God decides is what is right and perfect. But Abraham is thinking from a human perspective. There is nothing wrong with him making known his request to God and it is a parent’s duty to pray for their children, just as he is doing for Ishmael.

He is praying for him to be kept in the covenant and to have the grace of walking before God in uprightness. But God determines the “who” and the “why.” Ishmael will participate in the earthly blessings, but it is Isaac who will participate in both the temporal and spiritual ones.

II. The Lord Brings Laughter

¹⁹ Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son..

Let’s look at how different translations read here for fun –

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son…
And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son…
And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed;…
God replied, “No! Your wife Sarah will give you a son,…
and God saith, ‘Sarah thy wife is certainly bearing a son to thee…

The word is aval in Hebrew and it can be translated in a variety of ways. This is what we call Translator’s Preference. Some say “no,” some say “Yes, but” and some say “indeed” or “certainly.” The reason for differences is what the translators feel is being relayed. People who stick to a single translation not only get myopia, but they miss out on what could otherwise be the correct translation.

And sometimes differences in translations can actually mean the exact same thing, but they stress a different point of view. In other words, “Yes, but” can mean the exact same thing as “No” in the ultimate sense, but it does it by stressing the immediate in one case, and showing the distinction at a later point.

To support any translation, the rest of the Bible needs to be taken in context. This is something you will never get from a topical sermon preacher. And so unless you’re willing to study the Bible, you will never come to these precious insights which God really wants you to know and think about.

^{19 (con’t)} and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

A son will come through Sarah and he will be called Yitsak – the exact same word that describes what Abraham did when he heard. Abraham laughed and laughter is his name – Yitsak. It is through this child of joy that the everlasting covenant of grace will continue.

Just as the promise was made to Abraham, it is being transferred through this coming child. Ishmael will live before Abraham and the Lord, but it will only be as a physical son lives in our world. To understand both the renaming of Sarah and the selection of Isaac, even before his birth, we need to look at Paul’s explanation in Galatians 4 –

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. ²³ But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, ²⁴ which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— ²⁵ for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— ²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. ²⁷ For it is written:

“Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband.”
²⁸ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

As you can see, the “Yes, but” of the NIV translators is not a bad choice of the previous verse after all. When Abraham asked that Ishmael would live before the Lord, he in fact would and indeed he would be blessed. Here is what Bishop Thomas Newton says about this verse –

“It was somewhat wonderful, and not to be foreseen by human sagacity, that a man’s whole posterity should so nearly resemble him, and retain the same inclinations, the same habits, and the same customs, throughout all ages! These are the only people besides the Jews who have subsisted as a distinct people from the beginning, and in some respects they very much resemble each other – 1. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are descended from Abraham, and both boast of their descent from the father of the faithful. 2. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are circumcised, and both profess to have derived this ceremony from Abraham. 3. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, had originally twelve patriarchs, who were their princes or governors. 4. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, marry among themselves, and in their own tribes. 5. The Arabs, as well as the Jews, are singular in several of their customs, and are standing monuments to all ages of the exactness of the Divine predictions, and of the veracity of Scripture history. We may with more confidence believe the particulars related of Abraham and Ishmael when we see them verified in their posterity at this day. This is having, as it were, ocular demonstration for our faith.”

²¹ But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

Despite the promised blessing to Ishmael, which has surely been fulfilled in an amazing degree, the covenant established in Abraham would likewise be established in Isaac through Sarah. This tells us with all certainty that the covenant is based upon what is spiritual, even if it includes the earthly.

This blessing will reach to the Messiah and then through Him to each of us, who, through His blood are brought near to God and in whose presence we will dwell. But at the time of Abraham and even until now, that isn’t fully realized as we’ll see from verse 22 –

 ²² Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

As John Gill says, “The highest enjoyments of God here are not lasting; uninterrupted communion with him is reserved for another world.”

God has finished his discussion with Abraham and this highest enjoyment, filled with laughter and amazement, ends. As a sign that what was said was ironclad, this verse says that “God went up from Abraham.” The Lord who appeared to him wasn’t merely a human being. In this single chapter He has been called Yahweh, God Almighty, and God.

At other times in the Bible Yahweh appears in a body in a human manifestation of Himself. To leave no doubt in the great man’s faith, He ascends visibly, just as He will do at other times, even at the ascension of Jesus recorded in Acts. And now we move on to our final thought today.

III. A Sign in the Flesh

²³ So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him.

This verse is specifically given to us to demonstrate Abraham’s obedience to the directive that was given in verse 12 and 13 which said, “…every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. ¹³ He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised.”

God gave the directive and the next verse after He departed Abraham’s obedience is noted. This confirms what I said earlier about the changing of Sarai’s name to Sarah. The addition of H was an elevation beyond the temporal to the spiritual realm.

This is proven because all of the people in Abraham’s household were circumcised, but only Isaac, who isn’t even born yet, was given the promise. Think this through with me… The promise was made to Abraham before he was circumcised.

And then when the promise was made concerning Isaac, it wasn’t just before Abraham was circumcised, but even before Isaac was conceived. Because this is so, the promise must be a spiritual promise and circumcision cannot play a part in it.

It also is another absolute indication that infant baptism, which we talked about last week, has no connection to circumcision and that it is an unscriptural procedure.

Later in the Bible we will see that through Isaac, the promise will be made again to his son Jacob, who is Israel. Therefore, there is an earthly significance to the circumcision, but there is also a spiritual one which applies only to those who are the elect of God.

Anyone who can trace his lineage back to Abraham is a son of Abraham by birth – and billions of people can do so. But only those who are of faith receive the nearness to God through adoption as sons. Paul makes this clear in Galatians 3 –

“Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.”

He makes the point and then spends several chapters defending it. And it’s something we need to remember every day of our lives. Especially when we do something wrong or something that we know would really upset God.

He has made a promise, a spiritual promise, of eternal life to all who believe in the work of Jesus. If that promise is based on something we do after the promise is accepted, then it isn’t really a spiritual promise.

The idea that a person can lose their salvation based on something they do or fail to do is so foreign to the Bible that it is almost impossible to imagine that people actually teach it. But they do. None of you should ever, ever, ever fail to understand this – you can never lose the salvation Jesus has granted you.

God’s love for you, in Christ Jesus, is unconditional, just as His promise to Isaac before He was even born was also unconditional.

²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Abraham was born in the year 2009 Anno Mundi and therefore this circumcision occurred in the year 2108. If you want to know whether this was a painful process or not, it was. Other places in the Bible tell us of adults being circumcised and still being in pain three days later. For a 99 year old man… yeowch.

There are several traditions on who circumcised Abraham. One is that Noah’s son, Shem, who was still alive and 549 years old did it. Another is that his head servant Eliezer did it. And a third is that he circumcised himself. If that’s true, double yeowch.

²⁵ And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

For today’s descendants of Ishmael, there is no specific age as to when they circumcise. Some do it at infancy, some at 13 in honor of Ishmael, and some at other ages. However, the covenant between God and his people requires it at the age of 8 days old.

If for no other reason than this, the descendants of Ishmael who have not called on Jesus are not only excluded from the spiritual blessings, but they are excluded from the earthly land blessing as well. The land of Israel belongs to a certain group of people and they follow this practice to this day.

²⁶ That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; ²⁷ and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

On the very same day that Abraham was instructed to perform the rite by God, he did so. There was no delaying, no contemplating, and no discussion. This rite, instituted in Abraham, would be performed again on the Son of God 1895 years later – when He was 8 days old. In his detailed account of the life of Jesus, we read this in chapter 2 of the book of Luke –

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

God asked nothing of Abraham, nor of any of Abraham’s descendants, that He wasn’t willing to ask of His own Son. Abraham was obedient to the call and performed it without delay. This is our last verse of the day and it almost begs the question of each of us…

Have we been obedient to the call of Jesus? There are several parts to this. The first is whether we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. If so, there are certain things He asks of us. One is that we be baptized as an outward demonstration of our inward change.

The next is to learn the Bible, to read it, and to be able to explain it to others. This isn’t something God would call optional – it is an act of obedience, just as Abraham’s circumcision was. In this word, we find how to live properly and walk in a careful and holy manner as we live out our lives. Is this something we’re endeavoring to do?

For those who haven’t called on Jesus, this is where obedience begins. It is where the circumcision not made with hands comes from. It is a circumcision of the heart which is performed by God. Let me explain how you can be obedient to this call…

Next Genesis 18:1-15 (A Time for Laughter – The Son of Promise)

The Princess, The Son, and The Sign

God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife
You shall not call her name Sarai
Even though you’ve called her it for most of Your life
Sarah shall be her name starting now and as time goes by

I will bless her and also by her give you a son
Yes, I will bless her, she shall be a mother of many nations
Kings of peoples shall come from her and from this one
It will be so forever, through all generations

Then Abraham laughed as he fell on his face
And as he did, he said in his heart
Shall a child be born to me here in this place?
To a man who is one hundred, shall this child’s life start?

And shall Sarah who is ninety years old
Bear a son to me, O God, just as you’ve told

And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you
But God said “No, Sarah your wife shall bear a son… it’s true!

You will call him Isaac, yes Laughter is his name
I will establish My covenant with him instead of Ishmael
It is an everlasting covenant which will bring Me fame
And one which will rescue many from the pits of hell

As for Ishmael, I have heard your request
And I have blessed him in several ways
He will be fruitful and multiply and so be blessed
He will beget twelve princes, yes 12 sons he will raise

But my covenant is with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear next year
It will be at the time I have set, so Abraham have no fear

Then God finished talking with him and so up he went
Then Abraham took Ishmael and all who were born in his home
And all who were bought with money, there was no argument
Every male among them was circumcised under the tent’s dome

Abraham was 99 when he was circumcised and Ishmael 13
Along with everyone else, it must have been an ouchy scene

But obedience is what he was called to
And obedience is also what God expects of you

Jesus was obedient even to death on a cross
And we too should follow Him, no matter the cost

When we do, our rewards will be great
And nothing can keep us from the blessings of God
Wonderful promises His word does state
To those who will someday on heavenly streets trod

Hallelujah and Amen…