Genesis 20:1-18

Genesis Study 102

ABRAHAM THE PROPHET

Genesis 20:1-18
Key verse 20:7
"Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die."

In the last chapter we studied that God completely destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. However God rescued Lot remembering Abraham. Now Abraham moved from Hebron to Gerar. While staying there people asked him about Sarah, "What an enchanting lady! Who is she?" Abraham replied, "She is my sister." Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her to be his second wife. Twenty four years ago Abraham had committed the same sin in Egypt. In chapter 18, we see Abraham serving the strangers and praying for the Sodomites with all his heart. He was great in serving and praying for others. But he was still weak to overcome his own problems by faith.
The royal family of Gerar was busy to prepare the king's wedding. But one night God came to the king in a dream and said to him, "You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman." Abimelech clearly remembered how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with burning sulphur. If God announced his death there was no way to escape. But there was a hope because God does not punish innocent people. Now Abimelech had not gone near Sarah, so he said, "Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister,' and didn't she also say, 'He is my brother'? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands."
Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die."
Here we can learn two things. First, God never fails to protect his people. Taking one's wife is a sin against her husband. But God considered it as a sin against him. Wives expect their husbands to be very brave and protect them always. But many husbands hide behind their wives the moment they see cockroaches. We want our parents to be our shields and good jobs our shelters. But our parents, our professors and our bosses are also suffering from fears. God alone is our perfect protector. He rescued Sarah again and again from the hands of kings. God can rescue us even from the strong grip of Satan.
Second, God never cancels his calling. In this passage we see Abraham repeating his past sin. Few days ago he was a great man of prayer. But now he utters the words of lie. Sometime ago he feared God the Judge of all the earth. But now he fears a worldly king. Once he served strangers bowing down before them. But now he serves no one but himself. Once he cared for the wicked Sodomites. But now he does not care even for his wife. If a man is unstable like this what mission can God possibly give him? But to our surprise God still called Abraham his prophet.
In Hebrew "nabi" is a prophet. Its root meaning is bubbling. As water is bubbling from a fountain, the truth of God is bubbling from the mouth of a prophet. God gives his prophet not only his message but also his power and authority. A prophet is God's ambassador to the world. If an ambassador commits a crime, this is a great shame to his country. In such case he will be immediately recalled and replaced by another. God sent Abraham to the world to speak of his truth. But he told a lie. God sent him to teach people to fear God. But he feared the worldly king. God sent him to help people love one another. But he loved only his life. He did not deserve to be a prophet. However God did not dismiss him. God reconfirmed his identity as a prophet. God entrusted him with all the lives in Gerar. Their lives were in his hands of prayer.
Early the next morning Abimelech summoned all his officials. Unless a war breaks out, a king normally does not summon all his officials early in the morning. But Abimelech had to do it because it concerned the fate of his nation. He could have ignored the dream as a nightmare. But he didn't. In fact he couldn't. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah he came to fear God as the Judge of all the earth. When he told his officials all that had happened, they were very much afraid.
Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done." And Abimelech asked Abraham, "What was your reason for doing this?" Abraham replied, "I said to myself, 'There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.'" Sodom was destroyed because there were not even ten righteous people. The Sodomites made joke of God's judgment. Abraham thought Gerar would be as wicked as Sodom. But he was wrong. Beginning from the king everyone in the country feared God. In fact after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah they were waiting for God's servant to come and guide them to God's truth. Perhaps for this reason God might have sent Abraham to Gerar.
Abraham continued to say, "Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, "He is my brother." '" What a poor excuse Abraham was making! He did not know that God had appeared to Abimelech last night. He was only busy to make excuses out of fear. God had sent him to Gerar as a prophet. The land he was standing and the people he was seeing were all given to him. But Abraham saw himself as a helpless wanderer. So he studied the people's faces and begged for their mercy. He did it even at the cost of his wife.
How do we see ourselves in this land? As poor students begging for good marks and jobs? Or as poor employees begging for promotion and salary increase? Or as poor tenants begging for less house rent? See, God has entrusted all the lives of this land to us. Their eternal fate completely depends on our preaching and prayer. No matter how poor and weak we may be, we are God's prophets. We are God's ambassadors. This is how God sees us. He wants to speak to campus students through us. He wants to save them through us. Our professors boast about their knowledge which is being outdated in each passing moment. But we have the knowledge of the only true God and his eternal truth. Our company owners boast about their wealth which they cannot take even one paise when they die. But we have God's kingdom as our everlasting possession. Rich people hire security guards. But as for us Almighty God is our guard. What the world has is nothing compared with what we have in God. Therefore we should not fear worldly people or beg for their favours. In fact they need our favours. They desperately need our preaching and prayers. Without our help they will perish in their sins. May God help us see ourselves as his prophets and pray for the perishing souls.

Now Abraham was expecting Abimelech's harsh treatment. But to his great surprise the king brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, "My land is before you; live wherever you like." To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offence against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated." Abimelech could have returned only Sarah. But he brought many things to Abraham. Abimelech feared God and revered his prophet. He was humbly seeking God's forgiveness and God's servant's blessing. Unlike Pharaoh, Abimelech offered Abraham with his land to stay.
Then Abraham prayed to God. Before praying for Abimelech he must have prayed for himself seeking God's forgiveness. After Abraham's prayer God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, for the Lord had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah. A womb is a place where life is conceived and grows. God had closed up the nation's life because of Abraham's wife Sarah. But now he opened it again because of Abraham's prayer. When Abraham repented and restored his identity as God's prophet the ministry of life began in the land. Abraham's prayer in this chapter was not as passionate as the one in chapter eighteen. It was rather feeble and fragile. But if his prayer in chapter eighteen saved only three people, his prayer in this chapter saved a whole nation in Gerar. When Abraham told a lie to survive in the land God's heart was broken. But when he prayed as a prophet, God was so glad to answer his prayer.
God knows all our weaknesses. But he still says to us, "You are my prophet. I want to speak to the world and save the world through no other but you. Don't worry about your life. I will take care. Live as a prophet." May God bless us to restore our identity as God's prophets and pray for the perishing! God will answer our prayers and open up the ministry of life in this land.

John 11:17-44 (Easter 2006)

2006 Easter Study

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

John 11:17-44
Key verse 11:25
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.'"

Happy Easter! This is the day when Jesus rose to life after his death on the cross. He died for our sins and rose again to give us a new life. Jesus' life overcomes the power of death. His life never perishes but lasts forever. How can Jesus give us such a wonderful life? He answers, "I am the resurrection and the life."

In Bethany there was a small family that loved Jesus so dearly. The family members were Martha, Mary and Lazarus. They did not have parents. But Jesus became their father. One day Lazarus was seriously ill. The sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." But Jesus purposely delayed and Lazarus died.
Look at verse 17. On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. He was too late. Bethany was about 3 km away from Jerusalem. So many Jews from Jerusalem had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. The people were faster than Jesus in coming and comforting the sisters. They wept aloud for the dead and talked about a good memory of Lazarus. But their comfort made Martha and Mary all the more sorrowful.
Look at verse 20. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. Martha was an active woman whereas Mary was an emotional woman. But no matter how active Martha was she too could not overcome the power of death. With deep darkness in her heart she went to meet Jesus. "Lord," she said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." I don't know what she exactly expected from Jesus. But it is clear from the following verses that she did not expect her brother's immediate resurrection. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." In Luke chapters 7 and 8, Jesus raised a widow's son and Jairus' daughter from the dead. Martha knew it very well and believed Jesus' past resurrection power. She also believed Jesus' future resurrection power. So she said, "I know my brother will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." But she could not believe Jesus' present resurrection power. She was saying to herself, "I know Jesus has worked in the past, and I know that he will work again in the future, but today, it is all over." All the miracles recorded in the Bible were done in the past. And all the promises written it are yet to come. We know how mighty Jesus was in the past. We imagine how glorious he will be when he comes back. But what about now? I know Jesus saved me many years ago. I know he will take me to his kingdom. But where is Jesus' power displayed in my today's life? Yesterday my faith was so great. Tomorrow I will be with God in heaven. But what should I do with my today's worry and fear, today's laziness and lust, today's anger and hatred? How long should I live like dead Lazarus? Or how long should I see my family members and my Bible students living like dead Lazarus?
Jesus answers, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus did not say, "I was" or "I will be." He said, "I AM the resurrection and the life." Not yesterday or tomorrow but today Jesus is my resurrection and my life. For the very problems I am facing today he is the resurrection and the life. He will restore my lost faith not tomorrow but today.
To those who believe in him Jesus gives life that overcomes the power of death. Nothing can destroy this life. Now Lazarus was dead. But he believed Jesus before his death. It means he was carrying Jesus' life even in the tomb. As long as a man carries Jesus' life, he can never die. So in Jesus' point of view Lazarus was not dead but was asleep. Jesus is going to wake him up from the four days' nice sleep. Yesterday my spiritual life may be worse and today it may be worst. But it doesn't matter. Today Jesus can raise me as the most faithful servant of God. Yesterday many of us dreamed to be noble fathers and someone's princesses. But today Jesus raised us to be the fathers and mothers of many nations. I can see new hope and vision in your hearts. In the past shepherdess Sarah used to spend much money to buy beautiful clothes. But now she spends her money to serve others as a mother of many nations. Jesus works not based on our condition but based on his resurrection power. Jesus who saved us yesterday can save us today. Jesus who will take us to his kingdom tomorrow can bring us his kingdom today. As we rejoiced in Jesus' grace and will rejoice in his coming, we can rejoice today in his resurrection power.
Look at verse 27. "Yes, Lord," Martha told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." What she said was correct. But she still could not accept Jesus as her today's resurrection and today's life. After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Then she began to weep and the Jews who had come along with her also wept. When Jesus saw them weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Jesus was before them as the resurrection and the life. But they thought Jesus could do nothing for their dead.
Look at verse 34. "Where have you laid him" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Then Jesus wept. He showed his deep compassion for those who were suffering under the power of death. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. A four days old dead man inside and a stone laid across the entrance. How fatalistic scene it was! The stone was the symbol of separation between the dead and the living. Lazarus was in another world. The living may die and go into the tomb. But the dead cannot come out of it. It was one-way traffic.
But look at verse 39. "Take away the stone," Jesus said. If anyone blocks our entrance door with a big stone what will we say? "Take away the stone," we will say because we are alive. It is a murder if anyone lays a door stone across the entrance to a tomb while a living is inside. Whoever believes in Jesus has already received his life that can never be destroyed either by sins or death. Sometimes he may be inside the tomb of his sins for four days or forty years. But he is still alive because Jesus is in him. People laid the stone across the entrance because they cut off their hope for Lazarus. But Jesus said to take away the stone because he had an undying hope for Lazarus. We see people who once believed in Jesus but now became worse than unbelievers. It may be someone or ourselves. We lay the stone across and say, "It is all over. No more hope." But Jesus says to us, "Take away the stone. Why did you lay it when the living is inside?"
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Worms already started to eat up his flesh. His body was terribly stinking. It has been already four days. There were many evidences that he indeed was dead. "What are you going to do with his dead body?" Martha was asking. Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Jesus was asking to take away the stone not to show them the horrible corpse but to show them the glory of God. He did not ask them to raise the dead. He only asked them to take away the stone. The stone was laid by them. So it could be removed by them. They could remove it when they really believed in Jesus.
Look at verses 41 and 42. So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." Many Jews in this passage did not have eternal life because they did not believe in Jesus. And they did not believe in him because they did not know who Jesus was. Jesus is God the Son whom God the Father had sent to save all men from their sins and death.
Look at verses 43 and 44. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." I believe if Jesus did not mention Lazarus' name, all the dead would have come out of their tombs. Jesus' voice woke up Lazarus from his four days sweet sleep. What had the people done to Lazarus? They had wrapped him with grave clothes, placed him in the tomb, blocked it with a big stone and wept for him last four days. But what did Jesus do for him? He went to his tomb, asked the people remove the stone and called him out by his name. Jesus treated him as a living because he was always alive in Jesus. For the living grave clothes is the worst one. So Jesus ordered the people to remove it and let him go. I think if it happened today, Jesus would have said, "Remove the grave clothes and buy for him the most colourful one in Forum. Then let's have football match with him in Christ College." How do we treat ourselves or others who are in Jesus? Sometimes as the living and sometimes as the dead according to condition? Jesus always treats us as the living. Not we were or we will be but we are alive in Jesus all the days of our lives and forever. When the unbelievers see Jesus living in us they will put their faith in him. Easter is the day Jesus rose to life. And today is the day we rise with him. Today is the day we can see the glory of God through Jesus, the resurrection and the life.

Genesis 19:1-38

Genesis Study 101

GOD'S JUDGMENT ON SODOM

Genesis 19:1-38
Key verse 19:17
"As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, 'Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!'"

Last week we studied about Abraham's earnest prayer for the Sodomites. God promised that he would not destroy Sodom if there were ten righteous people. Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. In ancient, only ruling authorities could sit in the gateway of a city. We don't know how and what ruling position Lot had in Sodom. But he indeed was one of the ruling authorities. Perhaps he got such position because Abraham rescued the Sodomites. Now he got up to meet the new visitors and bowed down with his face to the ground. The angels wanted to spend the night in the square to check spiritual condition of the city. But Lot insisted so strongly that they went with him and entered his house. Lot served them with few chappatis. And that was all. He was rich, famous and powerful in the city. His invitation manner was excellent. But his actual serving was very poor because his heart was very poor.
Look at verse 4. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. Did they come to greet the angels and seek their blessings? They came to commit the most immoral sin with the holy servants of God. This was the spiritual and moral standard of the Sodomites. Isaiah 3:9 says, "…they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it." They felt no shame. Rather they boasted about what they were doing. Sodom had been Lot's dream city. But his actual life in the city was a nightmare.
When the men kept on shouting and banging the door, he went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him. He said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." Lot rebuked the men of Sodom not to do a wicked thing against his guests. In return he proposed to give his daughters to their sinful desire. When his daughters heard his words inside the house they couldn't believe their ears. Suppose a son stole DVDs. Then his father rebukes him saying, "No, my son. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, you must steal CDs because they are cheaper." Does it make sense? If Lot was really against their sin he must have rebuked them very strictly. We know Jesus is full of love. But do you know how he rebuked those who refused to repent of their sins? He said, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" (Matthew 23:33) But Lot could not rebuke like Jesus because his life was a compromise.
Look at verse 9. "Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept brining pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. Lot had much money and political power. But he did not have spiritual power. So no one listened to his words. Instead his words made them all the more sinful. The angels pulled him back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness so that they could not find the door. Now the situation was under control.
The angels said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." It was finally confirmed that there were not even ten righteous people in Sodom. However the angels wanted to save all the God-fearing people though less than ten. So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. They were not gays. They did not sleep with their fiancées before wedding. They were the best young men Lot chose for his daughters. He said to them, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!" This one sentence could have saved their lives if they listened to it. But they thought their father-in-law was joking. They asked Lot, "Father, where did you get such information?" "Two men came to my house and told us," said Lot. They asked again, "Who are they? What are their names?" "I don't know," Lot replied. Then they laughed hard and said, "Father, they are making fool of us. When we vacate the city they want to steal our treasures. After the war with the four kings of Mesopotamia this city has been fortified with more weapons and thicker walls. You know it very well. Who then can destroy us within a day?" Their words made more sense to Lot. When he came back home he began to doubt the words of his guests. He said to himself, "These men are from no where. Why should I listen to them? What about my daughters' upcoming wedding? What about my official meeting with the king tomorrow morning?" However he could not simply ignore them because he saw how they made the men of Sodom blind. "If what they said was true…." in big confusion Lot spent the whole night.
Look at verse 15. With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." If the earth was shaking it could have been much easier for Lot to make his decision. But everything was as usual. A rooster crowed at five o'clock. Milk was delivered at five thirty and a newspaper at six. So he could not understand why these men were so much hurry.
Look at verse 16. When Lot hesitated, the angels grasped not only his hand but also the hands of his wife and of his two daughters. Why? It was because the whole family was hesitating. When I was young my father ran a pig farm. A pigpen had to be washed with water time to time. But though it was very dirty and smelly pigs never wanted to come out of it. Then my father and workers had to drive them out one by one. One person would pull a pig by its ears and others would push it and beat it from its back. During this battle some workers used to fall over the dung. Definitely pigs are very stupid. But here we see Lot's family worse than pigs. If they remained in Sodom they would be destroyed. The angels tried hard to save them. But they resisted throughout the night. They loved such a wicked city more than the word of God. It must have been very difficult for the angels to pull them out of the city. However the Lord was still merciful to them.
Look at verse 17. As soon as the angels had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" By God's mercy Lot's family was brought out of the city. But it was not safe because God would destroy its entire plain too. Compared with the mountains the city of Sodom was much more attractive and its plain much more comfortable. So while fleeing for his life it was easy for Lot to look back and stop anywhere in the plain. Especially he might look back the gateway—the symbol of power and fame. His wife might look back her luxurious house. His daughters might look back their fiancés. But they must flee to the mountains without looking back or stopping anywhere. This was a race for life. This short race would determine their eternal lives.
How did Lot run his race? Look at verses 18 to 22. This was his only prayer recorded in the Bible. Unlike Abraham he did not pray for the Sodomites. He prayed only for himself. He asked the angels to allow him to run to a town called Zoar. He still could not give up city life.
By the time Lot's family reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Eye clinics in Sodom were jammed with the husbands who lost their sights last night. Their wives were drinking alcohols at home. Their children went to bed just now after surfing the internet overnight. Lot's sons-in-law were busy making more jokes on the message of judgment. The weather forecast said it would be fine that day. But look at verses 24 and 25. Then the Lord rained down burning sulphur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. It took many centuries for the cities to be developed. But they were turned into ashes just in one morning. All the living things were burnt alive within few seconds. Indeed it was God's great mercy that Lot's family was saved from this terrible judgment. But Lot's wife looked back. She was just few steps away from the town gate of Zoar. But her heart was still in Sodom. So she looked back and became a pillar of salt.
The next morning Abraham saw dense smoke rising from the land. He realized that God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. His prayer seemed to be in vain. But God remembered him and saved Lot.
Look at verse 30. Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. The people of Zoar saw what had happened to Sodom and Gomorrah because the cities were very near to them. But they considered it not as God's judgment but as a bad luck. They saw Lot's wife who became a pillar of salt in front of their city. They did not take any warning from the pillar. Instead they considered it as a mysterious statue and some people even worshipped it. When Lot saw the people of Zoar committing the same sins of the Sodomites, he was afraid of God's judgment and fled to the mountains. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. There his two sons were born through none other but his own daughters. This was their reasoning: "Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." These two girls were virgins in body, but they were already corrupt in mind. They learned making such mean excuse from their father. Their sons became the ancestors of the Moabites and the Ammonites. But the Lord Almighty declared in Zephaniah 2:9a, "…surely Moab will become like Sodom, the Ammonites like Gomorrah—a place of weeds and salt pits, a wasteland forever." Earlier Lot had moved to Sodom with confidence. He was sure to get best security and prosperity. He was confident to make his wife happy and give the best education to his daughters. But at the end what did he get? He became a man in a cave. Next to his cave was living a mountain goat family. Had he lived like Abraham his wife could have been a mother of nations. But now she became a pillar of salt. Sodom education made his daughters freely commit sins with mean excuses. Without God Lot desired to gain everything. So he kept on adding to his life one after another. But at the end he lost everything. How was Abraham who was still living in a tent? He desired nothing but God himself. So he kept on cutting off his worldly dreams and desires. Then God gave him everything.
Security and prosperity people expect from good education and good jobs. Joy and happiness they seek from marrying handsome husbands and beautiful wives. But without God they get nothing. The only thing they will get is God's terrible judgment. Today God says to us, "Flee for your lives. Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere! Flee to the Bible everyday!" The Bible is God's mountains. There God raised Jesus' cross to save sinners like us. Whoever flees to it will be saved and live the most glorious life. May God bless us to flee to the Bible and Jesus' cross everyday!

Genesis 18:1-33

Genesis Study 100

ABRAHAM'S SERVING AND PRAYER

Genesis 18:1-33
Key verse 18:32
"Then he said, 'May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?' He answered, 'For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.'"

Today we are going to study one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible. God had made Abraham a father of many nations. What does it mean to be a father of many nations? Is it just to have numerous descendants? We can find the answer in this passage.

Look at verses 1 to 3. The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. This time the Lord was with his two angels but all of them appeared in human form. So when Abraham looked up he saw 'three men' standing nearby. What do we do when we see three strangers standing nearby our house entrances? First, we suspect. Second, we observe. Third, we question. Fourth, we shut the door. Bangalore police has put many notice boards that read, "Do not take strangers to your home." But when Abraham saw the three strangers how did he react? He hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them, perhaps with bare feet. Being an old man, he had rheumatism on his knees and back. The ground was dirty and dusty. But he bowed low to the ground like a servant receiving his master. He said, "If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by." The letter 'L' in 'lord' is not capital which means Abraham still could not recognize the one standing before him.
He said, "Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant." Abraham did not ask their names. He did ask their business. All he wanted was to refresh them. He considered himself as their servant. At this, what did they say? Did they say, "Sir, thank you very much. How can we ever repay your kindness?" No, they answered, "Very well do as you say." Such answer was strange to a custom. But Abraham did not mind. He was just happy to get a privilege to serve them.
Look at verses 6 to 8. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." Three seahs of fine flour is equal to 22 kg of rice which can serve hundred people. Once I worked in a restaurant in Korea. The owner taught me a secret how to turn a half bowl of cooked rice into a full bowl. It means serving two people out of one person's food. But Abraham served three people out of hundred people's food. Then he himself ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He did not ask his servant to take out a leftover mutton curry from a refrigerator and warm it. One chicken would have been just enough to serve the three. But Abraham prepared a choice and tender calf which could serve again hundred people. He also brought some curds and milk. No doubt these two must be in great quality and quantity. The words "hurried", "ran" and "quick" appear several times in this short passage. No one complained to work hard in the heat of the day to serve the strangers. Everyone was glad and well trained. In a record of time such a sumptuous lunch was prepared. While they ate, Abraham stood near them under a tree just like a waiter. He still did not know their names. When they left he would not be able to see them again. But he served them with all his heart and with all his strength without sparing anything.
How could Abraham have such a wonderful character? It was because God had made him a father of many nations. What does it mean to be a father of many nations? It means to be a father to all kinds of people. Other people saw these three men as strangers. But Abraham saw them as his beloved children. When a father sees his children coming home being completely worn out and exhausted after a long and hard journey what will he do? He will surely hurry to meet them. He will wash them and give them the best clothes and the best meals in abundance. Even if he does not eat anything just by looking at his children eating and refreshing themselves he will feel so happy. If his children are so sick that they cannot eat the food their father prepared, he will immediately take them to a doctor. He will not stop his labour until he sees his children fully refreshed. The father finds joy not from having everything for himself but from giving everything to his children. Earlier Abraham was so sad that he did not have even one child. And life without a child was so boring. But after becoming a father of many nations he began to see everyone as his beloved child. Then life became very busy. Not only the three men in this passage but also whoever passed by his tent received the same welcome. Abraham had no time to enjoy siesta inside his tent. Even in the heat of the day he was outside his tent to find out people to whom he could show his fatherly love. A father of many nations is not a matter of having many children but a matter of serving all people with fatherly love. God has already made us fathers and mothers of many nations. I pray we may show our parental love to the wandering campus souls everyday.
After the meal they asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?" Abraham must have been surprised to hear these men mentioning the new name of his wife which was given by the Lord very recently. "There, in the tent," he said. Then the Lord said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." At this time, Abraham must have realized it was the Lord. He had thought he was serving the strangers accepting them as his beloved children. But in fact he was serving the Lord and his angels. Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent. The Bible says that Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself and she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" What she thought was quite reasonable. Her teeth were gone. Her back was bent. She had to lean upon a stick to stand. After baking the bread she was dead tired. Romans 4:19 says that Abraham's body was as good as dead and Sarah's womb was also dead. How can a life come out from the dead? But the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." After becoming a mother of nations Sarah's inner character was also changed to serve anyone as her own children. But regarding the birth of her own son she still could not believe. "Whoever Abraham invites I will serve with all my heart. But I cannot have a son of my own." She silently laughed to herself but her laughter was so sad. God knew her unspoken sorrow. He gave one word to cure her sorrow and doubt completely. He said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Sarah was too old to bear a son. But is God too old to give her a son? It is impossible for a woman to have a son when her womb is closed. But is it too hard for the Lord who created the womb to open it again? It is easier for him to open a closed womb than for us to open a closed window. Sarah would surely have her own son at the appointed time next year. Now she was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But the Lord said, "Yes, you did laugh." After this she must have pondered upon the words of the Lord. Then she deeply repented of her doubt. She stopped looking at her dead womb. Instead she looked up to the Lord for whom nothing is too hard. Then before bearing a son she could laugh with joy and confidence.
Look at verses 16 to 19. When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 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." This plan of God was not hidden from Abraham. From the beginning of his life of faith it was known to him. But in the next two verses God revealed his secret plan to Abraham. The Lord said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 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." God hears everything and sees everything from heaven. He did not need to come down to investigate Sodom and Gomorrah. But why did he come down and reveal his plan to Abraham? It was because God did not want to destroy them. He wanted to find out any possible way to save them. He wanted to discuss this matter with someone who had the same heart. It was Abraham, a father of many nations. People cursed Sodom and Gomorrah. But Abraham had deep compassion on them. He accepted the people in the cities as his beloved children. There was a criminal who killed several innocent people including nursery children. Everyone demanded him to be executed. But there was one person who pleaded with the judge, "Sir, please forgive him and let me die on his behalf." It was his mother. As for her he was still her beloved son. He was more previous than her life.
Now begins Abraham's plea for the perishing souls in Sodom and Gomorrah. The two angels turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. He could not let the Lord just go. Then he approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 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 of all the earth do right?" Abraham was pleading not just for the fifty righteous people but for all the people in Sodom. He was saying, "Lord, forgive them at least for the sake of the fifty righteous people. Give them one more chance to repent." If Abraham's concern was only on Lot he could have asked, "Lord, destroy all those wicked people but please do save Lot on my behalf." But this was not his prayer.
Look at verse 26. The Lord said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." Abraham was so glad that his prayer was granted. In fact God was very glad to hear such a prayer filled with compassion. But what if there were less than fifty righteous people in Sodom? Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," the Lord said, "I will not destroy it." 2 Peter 3:9b says about the Lord, "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." More than Abraham God himself never wanted anyone in Sodom to perish. He wanted everyone there to repent and be saved. So he immediately said 'yes' to Abraham's prayer. Now the number went down to ten: "What if only forty are found there?" "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" "I will not do it if I find thirty there." "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." Just ten righteous people were more than enough to save the entire city from God's judgment. This reveals how much the Lord and Abraham did not want the people to be destroyed. In his prayer Abraham begged for God's mercy without ignoring his righteousness. While praying Abraham did not identify himself with the righteous but identified himself with the wicked calling himself dust and ashes. His prayer was very bold not based on his self righteousness but based on God's love. His prayer was offered not as a duty but as a broken heart for his perishing children. Greatly refreshed by his prayer the Lord left and Abraham returned home.
Never wanting anyone to perish God sent his one and only Son Jesus to this world. If Abraham offered such a wonderful prayer for the Sodomites, Jesus offered this prayer on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." There was no one righteous not even one. (Romans 3:10) But hearing Jesus' prayer offered with his life blood God forgave us and made us his children forever. Now he gave us all campus students as our beloved children. Their eternal destiny depends on our prayer. God is so much willing to hear our prayer and save them. May God bless us to be the fathers and mothers of prayer for our campus children.