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…. Genesis 18-19. Lesson 11. “By Faith Abraham Obeyed”. God makes and keeps promises God’s people of old acted based on their faith God has made me a promise Based on my faith Achieved by my obedient actions. God appears to Abram. Review. God’s relationship to Abram Abram’s concern
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Genesis 18-19 Lesson 11
“By Faith Abraham Obeyed” • God makes and keeps promises • God’s people of old acted based on their faith • God has made me a promise • Based on my faith • Achieved by my obedient actions
God appears to Abram Review • God’s relationship to Abram • Abram’s concern • Very old • No offspring • An heir is coming • Can you count the stars?
God’s promise Review • I brought you out of Ur • To give you this land • How shall I know? • Sacrifices ordered and prepared • Covenant ratified • To your descendants I will give this land • From River of Egypt to Euphrates
Sarai’s plan Review • Offers her handmaid to Abram • To bring an heir • Genesis 2:24 • Not so from the beginning • Abram complies • Hagar conceives • Trouble begins
Sarai’s regret Review • Her plan backfires • Sarai is despised by Hagar • She blames Abram • Sarai deals harshly with Hagar • Hagar flees
Angel appears to Hagar Review • Referred to as “Hagar, Sarai’s maid” • Angel tells her to return to Sarai • Submit yourself under her hand • Promise to Hagar • Multiply your descendants • Child to be named Ishmael • To be a wild man • Abram is 86 when Ishmael is born
God appears to Abram Review • Abram is 99 years old • Thirteen years after Ishmael • Still no heir • God offers a covenant • Abram fell on his face • Talking with God!!!!
God’s covenant Review • Abram the father of many nations • Name changed • Abram – a high father • Abraham – the father of a multitude • Make many nations from you • Everlasting covenant • To you and your descendants
God’s covenant Review • I will be your God • I will give you the land • An everlasting possession • You shall keep my covenant • Throughout your generations • Circumcision of every male • Otherwise, cutoff
God’s covenant Review • Sarai changed to Sarah • Mother of nations • Abraham laughed at promise of child • Again, offered Ishmael • As a substitute heir • Abraham circumcises his household
Visitors For Abraham • To Abraham these appeared at first as men • But he entertained angels unawares • Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. • Washed feet, refreshments, rest, and a meal
Promise Of A Son • By this time next year a son • Sarah laughed • Is any thing too hard for the Lord? • Can any thing be too great a miracle for Him to effect? • Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”
Promise Of A Son • To correct Sarah's unbelief? • To strengthen her faith? • Human wisdom said she would not have a child • By nature she would not reproduce • Yet God has full sway, and by his own omnificent* power works all things after the counsel of his own will *creating all things; having unlimited powers of creation
Promise Of A Son • Abram is 99 years old • Sarah laughed within herself--Long delay seems to have weakened faith. Sarah treated the announcement as incredible • Genesis 18:14 "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."
Is God limited? • The births of John and Jesus • Luke 1:36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. "For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Is any thing too hard for the Lord? • God created the earth and everything in it and on it by His spoken word. • Why would Sarah doubt His power to do ‘anything?’ • What do you and I learn from this?
Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Lessons • Do we ever doubt God’s power? • Do we put our total trust in Him? • Do we ‘cast our cares on Him?’ • 1 Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Promise Of A Son • Genesis 18:15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!” • Acts 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?” • You can’t lie to God!! • You can’t deceive God!!
Looking Toward Sodom • Genesis 18:17 the Lord said, Shall I hide--The chief stranger, no other than the Lord, disclosed to Abraham the awful doom about to be inflicted on Sodom and the cities of the plain for their enormous wickedness. • 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Looking Toward Sodom • Genesis 18:20 And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave • Are God’s actions justified? • Abraham knows Lot is in Sodom • He ‘negotiates’ with the Lord to save the righteous in Sodom
Lot In Sodom • Remember Lot’s choice? • Genesis 13:12 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. But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. • Strangers come to Sodom • Lot shows hospitality • similar to Abraham
Men Of Sodom • Genesis 19:5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” • so that we may take our pleasure with them. (BBE) • have sex with them. (NIV)
Men Of Sodom • Depraved people • Genesis 18:20 • Crime was the deepest disgrace to human nature • Too bad to be described • Iniquity most abominable wretches • Sodomy
Lot ‘Protects’ His Guests • He offered his daughters to the men of the city • He esteemed the persons of his guests as sacred, and was willing to protect them at all costs. But in this proposal he did very wrong, and showed the weakness of his faith in God.
Lot ‘Protects’ His Guests • Of two moral evils we should choose neither, and should never commit sin to avoid any supposed evil, or obtain any supposed good. The only course of wisdom and safety is to trust in God and do right.
Choosing lesser of two evils;End justifies the means Lessons • Lot offering his daughters—of two moral evils we should choose neither, and should never commit sin to avoid any supposed evil, or obtain any supposed good. The only course of wisdom and safety is to trust in God and do right. • Lot’s daughters—Lot endeavored to sanctify the improper means used, by the goodness of the end at which they aimed
Destruction Announced • Genesis 19:13 "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."
Lot To Leave • Genesis 19:14 “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. • "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."
Escape To The Mountains • “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed (consumed-RSV).” • It is not an ordinary judgment that is coming; a fire from heaven shall burn up the cities, the plain, and all that remain in the cities and in the plain
Sodom Is Destroyed • Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
Lot’s Wife • God had commanded • Don’t look back • The wife of Lot disobeyed this command; she looked back • She became a pillar of salt • This is all the information the inspired historian has thought proper to give us on this subject • Commentators and critics have written much about this event
Aftermath • Abraham is anxious • Lot and daughters are in Zoar • Leave to live in a cave • They make Lot drink wine • They lay with him • From the older – Moab (Moabites) • From the younger – Ben-Ammi (Ammonites)
Why? • It does not appear that it was through any base or sensual desires that the daughters of Lot wished to deceive their father. • They might have thought that it would have been wrong to have married into any other family, and they knew that their husbands elect, who were probably of the same kindred, had perished in the overthrow of Sodom.
Why? • They might have supposed that there was no other way left to preserve the family, and consequently that righteousness for which had been remarkable (delivered from Sodom because of their righteousness), but the way which they now took. • “Reasoning” to convince themselves this was ‘OK’
Why? • They knew their father would not commit such an act with them. They got him drunk because he would have considered it as profane (sin); yet, judging the measure to be expedient and necessary…
Why? Lessons • …they endeavored to sanctify the improper means used, by the goodness of the end at which they aimed; a doctrine which, though resorted to by many, should be reprobated by all. Acting on this bad principle they caused their father to drink the wine.
Is wrong ever right? Lessons • The end (result) justifies the means (sinful action). • When? • Never • Why? • “sinful action” • Always wrong • Applications to this point???
Is wrong ever right? Lessons • Singing sound better with music • Ball team to get people to attend ‘church’ • Women preachers/elders because of their education or ability
Is wrong ever right? Lessons • Fellowship rooms (meals) to promote unity (or convenience) • Church sponsored schools to do the work of parents • Both parents working—not enough time
Summary • Lot left influence of Abraham • Lot moved into Sodom • Wickedness of Sodom – God knew • Judgment of God • Righteousness of God – mercy on Lot • Sins of Lot and daughters
Sodomy—homosexuality • Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Sodomy—homosexuality • How happy must such a state be where God's institution is properly regarded, where the parties are married, as the apostle expresses it, in the Lord; where each, by acts of the most tender kindness, lives only to fulfill the wishes and contribute in every possible way to the comfort and happiness of the other! Marriage might still be what it was in its original institution, pure and suitable; and in its first exercise, affectionate and happy; but how few such marriages are there to be found!
Sodomy—homosexuality • Romans 1:26-32 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Sodomy—homosexuality • And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters…
Sodomy—homosexuality • haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
God appears to Hagar Lessons • Referred to as “Hagar, Sarai’s maid” • Angel tells her to return to Sarai • Submit yourself under her hand • Promise to Hagar • Multiply your descendants • Child to be named Ishmael • To be a wild man • Abram is 86 when Ishmael is born Circumstances are not always pleasant
