Sermon – Genesis 18 – Prayer & Righteousness

  • 2 … Last week, we looked at Genesis 18:1-15.  In this passage Abraham received three visitors – one being the Lord and the other two being angels.  He provided them with refreshments and was told that he would have a son within the year.  Sarah was also brought face to face with the Lord for the first time and face to face with His promises.

  • 3 … The biggest takeaway from last week is that nothing that is too hard for the Lord.

  • 4 … Sermon Schedule       October 28 (next week)                      Halloween

November 4 (two weeks)                   Politics

November 11 (three weeks)               Veteran’s Day

November 18 (four weeks)                 Sodom and Gomorrah

  • 5 … Genesis 18:16-17 … (16) Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom.  As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.  (17) “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. 

  • 6 … Genesis 18:18-19 … (18) “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.  (19) I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.  Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.” 

  • 7 … Genesis 18:20-22 … (20) So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.  (21) I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard.  If not, I want to know.”  (22) The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. 

  • 8 … Genesis 18:23-24 … (23) Abraham approached Him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?  (24) Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city – will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 

  • 9 … Genesis 18:25 … Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked.  Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same!  Surely you wouldn’t do that!  Should not the judge of all the earth do what is right?” 

  • 10 … Genesis 18:26-27 … (26) And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”  (27) Then Abraham spoke again, “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am just dust and ashes. 

  • 11 … Genesis 18:28-29 … (28) Suppose there are only 45 righteous people rather than 50?  Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?  And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find 45 righteous people there.”  (29) The Abraham pressed his request further.  “Suppose there are only forty?”  And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the forty.” 
  • 12 … Genesis 18:30-31 … (30) “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded.  “Let me speak – suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”  And the Lord replied, ‘I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”  (31) Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue – suppose there are only twenty?”  And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.” 

  • 13 … Genesis 18:32-33 … (32) Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time.  Suppose only ten are found there?”  And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”  (33) When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

  • 14 … After extending the hospitality of his home – feeding these “men” and providing water for their feet and place to rest on their journey, Abraham continues being a great host and walks with these men as he sees them on their way.

  • 15 … When do we usually say this?  Is it when we are going keep or share information?  Usually, it is when we are going to share information; and this is an opener to get dialogue started.  The Lord asks this question, and who knows if He as expected an answer from either the angels or even Abraham himself, assuming he was within earshot.

  • 16 … The Lord knew Abraham would be a great and mighty nation because He had already told Him that this would happen.

  • 17 … How would the nations be blessed through him?  The Israelites – were to be a shining light that was to draw people to God.  Jesus was also a descendant from Abraham and through Him we can be blessed in this life and the one to come.

  • 18 … Of all the people in the world at that time and before, God chose Abraham to be the father of the Jewish people.  God called Abraham out of a pagan region and to follow Him and serve Him.  If Abraham was not chosen by God, then he would have stayed in Ur with the pagans and if he had children there they would not have been raised to keep the ways of the Lord and they would not be doing what is right and just.

  • 19 … What is right and just? … whatever God says it is!

  • 20 … When did Abraham become the father of many nations? … When did Abraham’s descendants receive what was promised? … It was after Abraham had raised Isaac – not before – not during – but after.  Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born … Isaac was 40 when he was married … Isaac was 60 when Jacob and Esau were born … so, Abraham would have been 160 years old, which would have been 15 years before he died at the age of 175.  Jacob and Esau were two nations … Jacob eventually had his named changed to Israel and his children became the 12 tribes of Israel … Esau became the father of the Edomites.  It was well after Abraham had raised Isaac and taught him to follow the ways of the LORD that He (the LORD) fulfilled all of the promises.
  • 21 … If God knows everything, then why did He choose to personally visit Sodom and Gomorrah? … There may not be a good answer or a better answer than He wanted to; and it gave Him the opportunity to visit Abraham and talk with him and Sarah.

  • 22 … In Genesis 11, we can read that the LORD came down to the city where the Tower of Babel was being built and found what they were doing.  Couldn’t He just know what they were up from Heaven?  He did, but in both cases, it shows how God is against and opposed to the wickedness of man.  It also shows that He will not stand – at least not forever – for people to be wicked and in rebellion to Him.  Those building the Tower of Babel refused to spread out and populate the world; and they didn’t believe that God wouldn’t send another flood and/or dared Him to by coating the tower with water-proof pitch.  We will discuss the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah when we get to chapter 19 in a few weeks.

  • 23 … We will catch up with these “men” again in a few weeks when we look at chapter 19 and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

  • 24 … We’ve already covered that the Lord will not contend with wickedness forever and that they – those who do and love and promote evil – will be destroyed; and that it will happen when people least expect it.  In a few weeks when we discuss Sodom and Gomorrah we will go over how this relates to the end of time.

  • 25 … For the remainder of our time, I want us to look at how bold Abraham was – and also humble – in what he prayed for and about.  He asks if the Lord would sweep away the righteous and the wicked; and that this was something surely that the Lord would not do.

  • 26 … Abraham starts out with asking the Lord not to destroy the entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah if there are 50 righteous people and the Lord says that He would not do that — this happens for some time until Abraham gets all the way down to only 10 righteous people.

  • 27 … Why did Abraham pray for those in Sodom and Gomorrah?
    • Abraham wanted the Lord to spare the righteous people that lived in Sodom and Gomorrah.
    • Abraham wanted the Lord to spare his nephew Lot (and God did this with the two angels).  Lot and his two daughters survived; and Lot’s wife would have if she had not looked back (and more on that later).
    • Abraham may have had compassion on the people of those cities, but since not even ten righteous people could be found those cities would be destroyed.

  • 28 … Even though the people of the cities were wicked, and wickedness deserves punishment Abraham still prayed for their salvation.  Abraham cared about that area and those people – otherwise why take the time and why be so bold to speak directly with the Lord about it?
  • 29 … We too, should care so much about our wicked world that we are praying for others – even those who are not following God’s ways – even our enemies. 

  • 30 … Even though we want the Lord to return – to deal out punishment – to bring rewards – to make all things right – for us to enter eternity without death … the flip side is that there are many that will perish unto eternal damnation upon death or the return of the Lord with no remedy afterwards.

  • 31 … We need to pray for others – especially their salvation – and we also need to work for that as well – preaching – teaching – inviting them to church – sharing our witness – and allowing our life to be a walking billboard for God.

  • 32 … We also need to be bold and actually pray with fervor and faith that God will work – that He will answer, but like Abraham we also need to be humble … Abraham said he was nothing except for dust and ashes and that God would not be angry with him but allow him to speak.

  • 33 … I’m not going to belabor the closing but want to leave you with this.  Abraham was bold and humble, and so should we be.  Abraham approached the Lord to have a conversation and to share the intimate details and concerns that were on his mind, and so should we.  Abraham had compassion and concern and prayed for the salvation of people that were not like him, and so should we. 

  • 34 … Abraham is persistent in prayer and so should we be – just like the widow mentioned in Luke 18 – we need to pray and seek God until an answer is given.

  • 35 … God’s answer will be the best – be it “yes” or “no” “wait” or “something better”
  • 36 … God’s Will is what we should pray for as we work to build His Kingdom here and as we wait for Jesus to return.