Genesis 18:16-25
3R’s
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. [a] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [b] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge [c] of all the earth do right?"
It’s let’s make a deal, and today’s contestant is Abraham. This passage is very "Genesis." It is more a narrative than cold journalism. Do you think God would really wonder if he should tell Abraham what he was about to do?
Did Abraham change God’s mind? Was he that good of a negotiator? No, God knew that Abraham would beg for mercy for the people of Sodom, Abraham was a compassionate man. Abraham knew God needed to punish sin, and he knew God could be merciful. Abraham did not know how merciful God can be, so he was asking questions.
God agreed to show mercy, and even agreed to give the people of Sodom one last chance,( verse 21,) but he knew what the outcome would be.
Don’t we do the same thing. We question God’s justice and mercy, but why? God is far more merciful than any of us, yet we second guess his justice to us. Instead of trying to negotiate with God, shouldn’t we simply look for the compassion in God’s punishment?
Prayer- God, We are all sinners. We do not deserve your love and mercy, but we will take it. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do- Read the rest of Genesis 18. Try to understand why Abraham does what he does, and think of times we do the same things.
Prayer-Lord, Open my heart and open my mind and help me learn. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. [a] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [b] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge [c] of all the earth do right?"
It’s let’s make a deal, and today’s contestant is Abraham. This passage is very "Genesis." It is more a narrative than cold journalism. Do you think God would really wonder if he should tell Abraham what he was about to do?
Did Abraham change God’s mind? Was he that good of a negotiator? No, God knew that Abraham would beg for mercy for the people of Sodom, Abraham was a compassionate man. Abraham knew God needed to punish sin, and he knew God could be merciful. Abraham did not know how merciful God can be, so he was asking questions.
God agreed to show mercy, and even agreed to give the people of Sodom one last chance,( verse 21,) but he knew what the outcome would be.
Don’t we do the same thing. We question God’s justice and mercy, but why? God is far more merciful than any of us, yet we second guess his justice to us. Instead of trying to negotiate with God, shouldn’t we simply look for the compassion in God’s punishment?
Prayer- God, We are all sinners. We do not deserve your love and mercy, but we will take it. Go-Fight-Win. Amen.
Things to do- Read the rest of Genesis 18. Try to understand why Abraham does what he does, and think of times we do the same things.
posted by Steve Killam TMTL | 5:52 AM
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