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By James L. Thornton In This Study #3 God Visited With Abraham And Assures Him That He Will Take Care Of Him. Also The Birth Of Ishmael Takes Place, And God Visiting With Abraham In The Plains Of Mamre, And Abraham Cooked Dinner For Him. God Reveals To Him That Sarah Shall Have A Son. . ****************************************************************** Study #4, On The Bottom Of This Page Takes Up The Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah And The Deliverance Of Lot Because Of Abraham's Intercessory Prayer. STUDY #4In This Lesson Study #3 We Are Continuing The Study Of The Life Of Abraham And Will Be Covering The Following Events.
A. Faith Conquering FearGenesis 15:1-6 There Is A Rule Used In Bible Study Which Says That The First Time A Word Or Phrase Is Used In The Bible, It Is Used In Such A Way As To Fix It's Basic Meaning Throughout Scriptures. In The Opening Paragraph Of Genesis 15, There Are Four Such Phrases Which Appear For The First Time In The Bible. They Are Repeated Many, Many, Times Afterward In The Scripture. We Will Discuss Each In Turn. Sometime After Returning From The Defeat Of The Kings Which Had Plundered Sodom, Abram Was Having A Sleepless Night. Tossing And Turning On His Cot, Burdened With Fears And Apprehensions. Fear Of The Return Of The Armies.
All These Things, And More, Weighed Heavily Upon Abram's Mind In The Night Hours. Then He Became Aware Of A Presence With Him There In His Tent, And His Heart Quickened. Then A Sense Of Relief Flooded Over Him As He Recognized The Familiar Voice. Genesis 15:1. After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. (KJV) "The Word Of The Lord."It's The First Occurrence Of This Remarkable Phrase, Afterwards So Common In Hebrew Scripture. It Appears 370 Times In The Scripture. This Was A Personal Designation Of The Pre-Incarnate Logos. The Lord Manifesting Himself By Speech To Abram. "Came Unto Abram In A Vision,"
"Saying, Fear Not, Abram." This Is The Second Phrase Which Appears For The First Time In Scriptures, And Which Would Be Used By The Lord To Alleviate The Fears Of His People, And To Console Them In Times Of Trouble. It Appears 385 Times In The Scriptures. God Knew The Apprehensions Of Abram's Heart, And He Visited Him In The Night To Let Him Know That He Was Watching Over Him. "I Am Thy Shield,.." This Is The Third Phrase Which Appears For The First Time. "I Am Thy Protection." "You Are Under My Care."
God Wanted Abram To Know That None Of The Armies Of The Kings Could Do Harm To Him While He Was Watching Over Him. "I Am... Thy Exceeding Great Reward."
God Also Wanted Abram To Know That He Did Not Make A Wrong Decision By Not Accepting The Offer Of The King Of Sodom. Here We Have Abram, Apprehensive Of Danger, Disappointed In Hope, Anxious About The Promise, The Years Are Passing, And He And Sarai Are Old, And They Have No Child To Leave Their Possessions To. He Wonders If God's Promise Will Be Fulfilled. That's The Reason God Came To His Tent That Night, To Be A Solace For His Heavy Heart. "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Happy As The Birth Of An Heir In Sarai's Tent Would Make Him, Jehovah Wanted Abram To Understand That It Would Not Be His Recompense For The Trials He Had Passed Through, The Sacrifices He Had Made, And The Feats He Had Performed Since Leaving Ur, But Jehovah Himself Would Be His Reward. God's Saints Are Prone To Seek Their Happiness In God's Gifts, Rather Than In The Giver. Genesis 15:2. And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
We Have A Very Pathetic Utterance By Abram To Call God's Attention To His Longing To Have An Heir. In Response To Which He Received An Assurance That Must Have Thrilled His Anxious Heart. Genesis 15:4. And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
God Told Abram To Come Out Of The Tent And Look Up Towards The Heavens, And Count The Stars. I Feel That God Miraculously Quickened His Vision To Penetrate The Depth Of Space And Gaze Upon The Vastness Of The Stellar World, Since The Stars Visible To The Naked Eye Would Not Represent An Innumerable Multitude. Genesis 15:6. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (KJV) The Substance Of This Chapter Is The Special Intercourse Between Jehovah And Abram. This May Well Be The Most Important Event In Abram's Life, Some Say In The Entire Old Testament. In This Chapter Faith Comes To Full Fruit In Abram's Life. This Is The Fourth Time That God Has Come To Abram, And This Time Reaffirming His Promises. But This Time, After Looking Into The Heavens At The Innumerable Multitude Of Stars, Abram's Faith Grasped Hold Of The Promises God Had Been Making To Him. His Faith Came To Full Fruit. 6. "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." It Was A Faith In The Personal, Revealed, Covenant Jehovah; Not Merely In A Word, Or In A Sign, Or In An Expectation, But "In The Lord." It Was On That Foundation Abram's Faith Rests. "and he counted it to him for righteousness." In Other Words It Was At This Instance That Abram's Heart Laid Hold On God, And God Put It Into His Account. I Feel That Every True Christian Can Look Back To A Particular Experience, A Particular Event, Or A Particular Time, When Your Faith Brought You To A Full And True Realization Of God. And You, Along With Abram, Believed In The Lord; And He Counted It To You For Righteousness. On This Incident, In The Life Of Abram, The Entire Old Testament Rests. The Jewish Nation, The Kings And Prophets, The Psalms And Words Of Wisdom, The Law And Commandments, None Of This Would Have Existed In The Manner In Which We Are So Familiar, If It Were Not For Abram Believing In The Lord. All Of This Sprang From Abram, Because, "he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." O Yes, God Would Have Fulfilled His Promise To Eve And Brought Forth A Redeemer, But It Would Have Come Through A Different Family. All The Familiar Names, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Would Have Been Different, As These Would Have Never Lived If Abram Had Not "Believed In The Lord." So It Is Simply Astonishing To See How The History Of The World Was Affected By One Man's Belief In God. No Wonder Abram Is Called The Father Of Faith.
The Apostle Paul Tells Us That This Incident In The Life Of Abram Also Plays A Significant Part In Our Own Salvation. Romans 4:23. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Paul Tells Us That The Same Faith Which Imputed Abram, Also Imputes Those Who Believe On The Lord Jesus Christ. B. Faith Grows By Use.Faith Is The Gift Of God, But It Is Given According To Laws. Romans 12:3b.,… according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (KJV) Sometimes It Springs Up Suddenly,
But Usually It Is Like The Growth Of A Seed, Hardly To Be Traced, A Gradual Growth From Efforts To Live By Faith. Do Not Despise The Training Which Prepares The Soul To Believe. It May Seem To Be Labor In Vain Yet The Holy Spirit May Be Working Unseen To Prepare The Soul For Life And Peace. Jesus Called Twelve Men To Be With Him. Each Of These Twelve Had A Measure Of Faith, Some More Than Others. Day By Day, For Three And One-Half Years, Jesus Worked And Labored With Them, Teaching, And Showing Them The Things Concerning The Kingdom Of God. At Times It Would Have Seemed Like His Training Of Them Was A Fruitless Endeavor. Like The Time When Peter Was Sinking In The Waves.Matthew 14:31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (KJV) This Was After Two Years Of Following Jesus. Then There Would Be Times When They Reached Great Heights Of Faith. Luke 10:17. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. Only To Fall Back Into The Depths Of Unbelief, Like When A Distraught Father Brought His Afflicted Son To Them To Be Healed, And They Could Not Help. (Matthew 17:16) At This Jesus Showed His Humanity In His Dealings With Them. Mark 9:19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. (KJV) This Continued For Three And One-Half Years, Their Faith Up And Down, But All The Time There Was Something Taking Place In Them. A Germ Of Faith Was Growing. They Witnessed The Crucifixion, The Resurrection, And The Ascension Of Our Lord, Then They Experienced The Infilling Of The Holy Spirit, And Somewhere, At Sometime, That Small Germ Of Faith Became A Mountain, Filling Their Lives Completely. And So It Is With Our Own Lives, Faith Cultivated, Faith Held On To, Faith Exercised, Faith Used, Until We Can Say With Abram, Genesis 15:6. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. (KJV) God Renews His Covenant With Abram In This Same Chapter. (Genesis 15:18-21) It Seems That The Vision And Conversation With God Lasted All-Night And All Through The Next Day. (Genesis 15:12) God Showed Him That His Descendants Would Be In Bondage For Four-Hundred Years, And That They Would Come Out Of That Bondage To Live In This Land. Genesis 15:18. In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: (KJV) C. It All Depends On MeGenesis 16:1-16 Many Times We Think God Is Slow About Answering Our Prayers, Or Coming To Our Aid, When We Have A Problem. We Echo The Words Of Martha When Jesus Lingered Two Days After She Had Sent Word To Him That Lazarus Was Sick. John 11:21. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. (KJV) So Many Times When God Lingers, We Take Things Into Our Own Hands. Abram Had Been In The Land For Ten Years, And Had, On Several Occasions, Asked For A Son, And Had Received The Promise Of An Heir From God Himself. This Was A Well Known Fact In Abram's Household, And No Doubt It Had Been Discussed Over And Over, And As The Years Passed It Seemed That God Needed Help In Fulfilling His Promise. Sarai's Advancing Age, Now Seventy-Five, And Her Desire To Please Her Husband, Prompted Her To Initiate A Plan To Help God To Fulfill The Promise. Genesis 16:1. Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
We Should Note That As Yet It Had Not Been Clearly Intimated That Sarai Was To Be The Mother Of Abram's Child. This Was Stated Thirteen Years Later. So Sarai Turned To The Common Practice Of The Times, And Proposed To Abram That She Give Her Handmaid To Him, That Maybe Children Would Be Born Through Her. This Is The First Of Only Five Times That Sarah Spoke For Our Benefit. "And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai."
Genesis 16:3. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. (KJV) Hagar Would Have Afterward Been Called A Concubine, And Could Never Have Displaced Sarai As Abram's Wife. She Is Here Improperly Called A Wife, Which Differed Greatly From A Concubine. In Power Over The Family. Which Belonged Solely To The True Wife, Sarai. In The Manner Of Espousal. Which In Case Of The True Wife, Sarai, Was Accompanied With Solemn Rites Of Espousal And Liberal Gifts Of Dowry. In Privilege Of Children. The Off-Springs Of Concubine Having No Title To Inherit. Genesis 16:4. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. (KJV) Supposing She Had Won The Favor Of Abram, And Would Be Elevated In His Household Above Sarai, Hagar Became Insolent Towards Sarai. She, No Doubt, Began By Being Disrespectful, Making Slight Remarks To Sarai, Followed By Arrogance And Insults. Sarai Complained To Abram.Genesis 16:5. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. (KJV) "My Injury Is Upon Thee--Thou Art The Cause Of It." It Is The Language Of Passionate Irritation, Indicating Repentance Of Her Previous Action And A Desire To Impute Its Guilt To, And Lay Its Bitter Consequences, On Her Husband. But Each Of Them, Sarai, Abram, And Hagar, Were Involved In The Sin, And Each Would Bear Their Own Consequences Of Their Part. Though Elevated To The Role Of Secondary Wife To Himself, Abram Still Regarded Hagar As One Of Sarai's Servants. Genesis 16:6. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. (KJV) The Result Was That The Favored Maiden Was At Once Thrust Back Into Her Original Condition Of Servitude, Deprived Of Whatever Tokens Of Honor And Affection She Had Received As Abram's Wife, And Subjected To Injurious Treatment By Sarai. From All Of This Hagar Ultimately Sought Refuge By Fleeing From Sarai's Tent. D. An Angel In The WildernessGenesis 16:7-16 Genesis 16:7. And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. Hagar Was Clearly Directing Her Flight Back To Egypt When The Angel Of The Lord Came To Her. This Divine Being Is Recognized, As In Other Appearances In The Old Testament, As Jehovah Himself. This Is More Than Hinted At In Genesis 16:10 Where This Divine Being Assumes Power Which Only Belongs To The Almighty. Hagar Was On Her Way Back To Egypt, And Many Miles From Abram's Tent, When She Came Upon A Well Of Water In The Wilderness Of Shur. An Uninhabited Place, Sandy Country, Desert-Like. The Child Which She Was Carrying Would Come Back To Live In This Wilderness, And Make It His Land, And Here He Would Be Buried. (Genesis 25:12-18) The Angel Came To Rescue Her, As She Stood Little Chance Of Reaching Egypt, Considering That She Was Several Months Pregnant. Why Did The Angel Come To Rescue An Egyptian Woman Who Was Wandering In This Wilderness? It Was Because Of Abram. This Woman Was Caring His Child, Regardless Of Whether It Was Right Or Wrong. The Angel Called Her Name. Hagar Was No Stranger To Him Because She Was From Abram's Household. Genesis 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
Ishmael = "God Shall Hear," Or "Whom God Hears." The First Instance Of The Naming Of A Child Before It Was Born. Genesis 16:15. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
There Must Have Been Great Joy In Abram's Heart When Ishmael Was Born. That's My Boy! Abram Took Heed To What Hagar Told Him Concerning The Angel.
F. Almighty GodGenesis 17:1-27 It Was Thirteen Years After The Birth Of Ishmael Before Abram Heard From God Again. At Long Last The Lord Appeared Unto Abram Lest He Should Regard Ishmael's Birth As A Complete Fulfillment Of The Promise, And Be Satisfied With Hagar's Child As The Expected Seed. The Long Delay On The Part Of God Being Probably Designed As Chastisement For Abram's Undue Haste In Providing For Himself An Heir. Genesis 17:1a. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; (KJV) "The Almighty God;" (El-Shaddai)
Almighty--- Most Powerful God.
This Is The Third Name, Or Description, That God Had Revealed Himself By.
And As ELO-HIM, The God Who Creates Nature As It Is, And Established, And Upholds The Laws It Operates By. And Now As EL-SHADDAI, The God Who Compels Nature To Do What Is Contrary To Itself, And Subdues It To Bow And Minister To Grace. This Characterizes Jehovah, The Covenant God, As Possessing The Power To Realize His Promises, Even When The Order Of Nature Presented No Prospect Of Their Fulfillment, And The Powers Of Nature Were Insufficient To Secure It. Why Did God, At This Particular Time, Identify Himself As "EL-SHADDAI," Or "GOD-ALMIGHTY?" We Will Answer That Question, And The Answer Will Help Explain Some Of The Other Things We Have Said. God, In This Chapter, Was Going To Tell Abram Something That Was Going To Happen, Which, According To The Laws Of Nature, Would Be Impossible To Happen. God Wanted Abram To Know That Nothing Was Impossible With Him. (The All Competent God) (The God Who Is Sufficient) He Was Going To Tell Him That Sarai Would Have A Son. Sarai Was 89 Years Old, Many Years Past The Child Bearing Age. It Was Impossible, According To Nature, For Her To Bear Children At Her Age. EL-SHADDAI Would Compel Nature To Do What Is Contrary To Itself, And Subdue It To Bow And Minister To Sarai And Abram, That The Covenant May Be Fulfilled. Genesis 17:1b. ......; walk before me, and be thou perfect. (KJV) This May Have Been A Gentle Rebuke For Abram's Lack Of Faith In God's Might Which Brought About The Birth Of Ishmael. In Chapter Fifteen Verse Six, We Talked About Abram's Faith Reaching Great Heights And God Counted It To Him For Righteousness. In Chapter Sixteen Abram's Faith Waned And He Fell Back From That Exalted Position, And Walked Through A Period When He Followed God "Afar Off." It Had Been Many Years Since We Read About Him Building An Altar. It Was Not God Moving Away From Abram, But Abram Drew Back From God. Abram Must Have Been Satisfied With Ishmael, But Ishmael Caused A Distance To Come Between Abram And God. Thank God For His Mercy, And Long Suffering Towards Men. God Waited Thirteen Years Then Came Back To Speak To Abram. "walk before me, and be thou perfect." "Be Wholehearted" "Return To Thy First Faith; Let It Be Perfect, Not Partial." This Is The Condition Which God Set Before Abraham In Order For Him To Receive The Promise. It Was Conditioned By Obedience... Not Faith Alone. Hebrews 6:15. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. (KJV) A Lesson For All Believers.
Proverbs 3:5. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (KJV) We Have Here A Perfect Picture Of God Reaching Down For One Of His Own, Picking Them Up, And Placing Them Where They Once Were. Matthew 14:31. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (KJV) This Very Much Like Our Own Faith, Which At Times We Feel Like We Could Move Mountains, Then We Enter A Period That Our Faith Is Weak, And We Find Ourselves Walking At A Distance From God. Genesis 17:2. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. (KJV) This Is Not A New Covenant Which God Is Making With Abraham, But God Is Declaring That He Was Ready To Bring It To Fulfillment, Not Through Ishmael, But By A Son Which Would Be Born To Sarai. Genesis 17:3. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,
God Is Saying, "As Far As I Am Concerned,.."
Genesis 17:4b.. .., behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. (KJV)
This Covenant Has Great Spiritual Significance.
This Is A Symbol Of A New Position Before God Which Abraham Occupied, And A New Nature, Which As A Believer In God, Abraham Possessed. This Was To Signify Abraham's Justification By Faith, And Regeneration As A Child Of God. Genesis 17:7. And I will establish my covenant between me and theeand thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. (KJV) "To Be A God Unto Thee, And Thy Seed After Thee."
To Be Their God Means That Jehovah Was Making A Commitment To Abraham And His Descendants By Giving Him A Son, And The Land, And By Being Their Liberator, Their Protector, And Their Sustainer In The Land. F. The Covenant Of CircumcisionGenesis 17:9-14 Abraham And His Descendant's Part Of The Covenant.Genesis 17:9. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt .... (KJV)
"Thou Shalt..." This Carries The Force Of A Command. This Was A Commandment To Abraham And His Seed. "Every Man Child Among You Shall Be Circumcised..." 1. This Was To Distinguish The Seed Of Abraham From The Gentiles. (Exodus 2:6)
Genesis 17:11b. ...; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. (KJV) "A Token.." A Visible Sign, Like The Rainbow Was a Visible Token Of God's Covenant With Noah. (Genesis 9:12-13) Genesis 17:23. And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
There Was No Delay, No Reluctance, No Considering The Question, But Instantaneous Compliance With The Divine Directions... "The Selfsame Day." And From That Day Forth The Uncircumcised Hebrew, Whether Child Or Adult, Forfeited His Standing In The Congregation Of Israel. Genesis 17:14. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. (KJV) Among The Arabs The Ceremony Is Usually Delayed Until The Thirteenth Year, Because Ishmael Was Thirteen Years Old When He Was Circumcised. The Covenant CompletedGenesis 17:15-27 Genesis 17:15. And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. (KJV) Sarai, Who Had Not Been Mentioned Before In Any Of The Promises, Is Now Expressly Taken Into the Covenant, And Accordingly Receives A New Name. Sarai, Meaning, "My Princess, Or Princely, Noble."
Whereas, Formerly She Was Abram's Princess Only, She Was Henceforth To Be Recognized As A Princess Generally. Recognized As The Mother Of The Church, And As The Example Of All Women, In Faith, In Holiness, In Submission. 1 Peter 3:5. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
Genesis 17:16. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. (KJV) This Is The First Indication From God That The Promised Seed Was To Be Born To Sarah. From This Let Us Note That The Eternal Never Hastens. His Plans Are Ever Slow, Gradual, Progressive, And Mostly Regulated By The Faith Of The Recipients. God In His Own Good Time, Or, "When the Fullness Of Time Is Come," He Is Able To Be Minute, Explicit, Emphatic, As He Was In Making Known Isaac's Birth. 1. By The Time... "A Year from Hence." (Verse 21)
G. The Covenant CompletedThe Name Change, Along With The Promise Of A Son, Proclaimed That, Like Abraham, Sarah Was Now A Justified, And Regenerated, Believer In The Divine Promise, God Making Her A Part Of The Covenant. Isaac Was Of Royal Blood, Born Of A Princess,
Genesis 17:17. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? We Must Not Construe Abraham's Laughter As A Laugh Of Unbelief, But A Laugh Of Joy, A Laugh Of Gladness. It Was The Joy Of A Husband In The Happiness Of A Beloved Wife, Long Tried, But At Length, About To Be Rewarded. Romans 4:19. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
What Reason Declared Impossible, Was Possible To Faith. Genesis 17:21. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. (KJV) Within A Year Your Son Shall Be Born To Sarah.
Genesis 18:14. Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (KJV) H. Ishmael And The Heavenly BlessingGenesis 17:18-22 Genesis 17:18. And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! (KJV) Now That God Had Said That Sarah Would Have A Son, And That The Blessing Of The Promised Covenant Would Rest Upon Him, Abraham Expressed His Concern For Ishmael. For Thirteen Years He Had No Other Thought Than That Ishmael Might Be The Promised Seed, And Now He Cannot Put Aside The Cherished Hope Without Regret. (Verse 13) So Abraham Breathes An Earnest Prayer On Ishmael's Behalf. Deeply Concerned For The Welfare Of His Son, Abraham Was Filled With Longing That God Would Listen To His Prayer. He Desired That Ishmael Might Not Only Live And Prosper, But Would Share With Sarah's Son In The Blessings Of The Covenant. If There Is Anything About Which A Parent's Heart Should Be Sincerely Passionate, And Filled With Strong Emotion About, It Is When Pleading For His Children At The Throne Of Grace. The Chief Ambition Of A Parent Should Be The Conversion And Spiritual Advancement Of His Children. Though Ishmael Was To Be Denied The Honor Of Serving As A Medium For The Transmission Of The Blessings Of The Covenant To Future Ages, Abraham Bought Him Exceeding Great Material Blessings From Jehovah. (Verse 20) I. When God Comes To DinnerGenesis 18:1-8 Genesis 18:1. And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (KJV) This Was Very Soon After The Incidents Described In The Previous Chapter. Abraham Now Stands on A Higher Plane Of Spiritual Life. Endeavoring To Fulfill The Commandment Given To Him By Jehovah. "Walk Before Me, And Be Thou Perfect." (Genesis 17:1) The Appearances And Communications Are More Frequent, And More Full. So It Is In Our Own lives As We Consecrate Ourselves To "Walk Before Him," He Comes More Often And Speaks More Comfortingly. Abraham Had Pitched His Tent In The Shade Of The Oaks Of Mamre. It Was High Noon And The Heat Bore Down From The Sun. He Had, No Doubt, Dined And Was Resting After Dinner, Looking Out His Tent Door, Maybe Thinking On The Promises The Lord Had Made To Him. Genesis 18:2a. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: .. (KJV) Seemingly Three Men, They Were In Reality, Jehovah Accompanied By Two Celestial Attendants, Who, At This Moment, Were Making Their Way Towards Abraham's Tent. Three Persons, Yet One Having The Preeminence.
They Did Not Come In Angelic Glory, But In Human Form.
So Are The Homes Of Saints Oftentimes Visited By Angels Unawares, And Greater Honor Still, By Him Who Claims The Angels As His Ministers. (Hebrews 13:2) Genesis 18:2b. ..: and when he saw them, ... (KJV) This Last Expression, Translated, "When He Saw Them," In The KJV, Implies A Mental Perception. The First Part Of The Verse, "He Lift Up His Eyes And Looked," Is A Normal Sight With His Bodily Vision, Or Eyesight. In The Last Expression, "He Saw Them," His Mental Perception Recognized That One Of Them Was Jehovah. Genesis 18:2c. .., he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, ... (KJV) Recognizing Jehovah, Abraham Fell On His Knees, And Bowing Till His Head Touched The Ground, In Reverential Self-Abasement Before God, Offering An Invitation To Him To Stop And Spend Some Time With Him. Genesis 18:3. And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: (KJV) "Stay, My Lord, Stay," With This Request Abraham Begins To Offer His Hospitality To Them. Genesis 18:4a. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet,.. (KJV) In Bible Times It Was Considered A Necessary Part Of Hospitality To Wash The Feet And Ankles Of Those Who Came As Guests In Their Tent Or Home. Abraham Was Quick To Offer This Hospitality, And We Must Believe That He Himself Performed This Service For His Lord. Genesis 18:4b. .., and rest yourselves under the tree: (KJV) They Were Invited To Relax Under The Cool Shade Of The Oak Tree, And Refresh Themselves As Much As His Well Furnished Tent Might Be Able To Afford. Genesis 18:5a. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, ... (KJV) This Was A Modest Description Of What Proved To Be A Sumptuous Meal. Genesis 18:5b. .., and comfort ye your hearts; ... (KJV) Literally, Strengthen Yourselves By Eating And Drinking. Genesis 18:5c. ..; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. .. (KJV) Abraham Felt That God Had Ordered This Journey So As To Give Him The Opportunity To Minister To Them. Genesis 18:5d. ... And they said, So do, as thou hast said. (KJV) Therefore We Must Believe That Abraham Washed Their Feet, And They Did Eat. (Verse 8) Here Is One Of Those Great Mysteries Of The Spirit World, That They Partook Of Natural Food, Even As The Resurrected Christ Broke Bread, (Luke 24:30) And Ate A Portion Of Fish, And A Honeycomb. (Luke 24:41-43) The Next Three Verses, (Genesis 18:6,7, 8,) Are Among The Grandest Of All The Old Testament Which Tell Of Abraham Making A Feast For Jehovah, And His Ministers. Gabriel? Michael? Three Things In This Story Should Be Studied By All Who Would Practice Hospitality. First It Was Done Cheerfully, Willingly, And Eagerly. The Patriarch's Invitation Was No Mere Passing Remark Which Was Meant To Pass Unheeded By Those To Whom It Was Addressed. There Was No Reluctance Or Half-Heartiness With Abraham In The Work Of Kindness Which God Had Offered Him. So Ought All Christians To Manifest A Spirit Of Cheerfulness And Promptness In Doing Good. (2 Corinthians 9:1-15) Genesis 18:6. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. (KJV) "Three Measures" = 1/3 Of A Bushel.
"Fine Meal," Probably Wheat Or Barley, As Corn Was Unknown In The Ancient World, Having Come From The New World After The Discovery Of The Americas By Columbus. This Was To Be Kneaded By Sarah's Own Hands. Kneed It And Bake It. It Was Not A Job Assigned To Hagar, Or Any Other Servant, But To Sarah Alone Was This Task Given. Abraham Wanted The Touch That He Knew Only She Could Give. Maybe Add A Bit Of Her Homemade Preserves, Or Honey, With It. Second, It Was Done With Unstinting Liberality. Genesis 18:7. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. (KJV) "Abraham Ran..." "A Calf Tender And Good,.." This Showed The Greatness Of The Honor Done To These Heavenly Visitors, By Abraham's Personal Activity, And The Preparation Of Fresh Meat Which Was Not A Common Part Of A Meal Among The People Of Those Days. This Was Given To A Servant In Attendance To Dress, Which Was Done In Haste. Genesis 18:8. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. (KJV) Abraham Set Before Them The Best That He Could Offer, Which Was A Sumptuous Banquet. Fresh Baked Bread With Butter, Fresh Milk, Veal Roasted Over The Fire, And Served By The Host Himself. There Was No Stinginess, Or Grudgingness, But, Abraham Was More That Liberal In His Hospitality. All Saints Are Urged To Practice Such Hospitality, With Diligence, By Our Lord Himself And By His Apostle. (Luke 14:12-14; Romans 12:13) The Third Thing We Learn Is The Personal Activity Which Abraham Involved Himself In This Hospitality. Though The Master Of A Large Household With More Than 300 Trained Servants, With The Noble Eliezer At Their Head, Abraham Does Not Think Of Relegating The Important Work Of Preparing The Entertainment To His Subordinates, But Himself Attends To Its Immediate Execution. In All The Bustling Activity Which Pervades The Scene His Figure Is Always, And Everywhere Conspicuous, And When The Meal Is Ready He Reverently Serves It With His Own Hand. This Is A True Pattern Of Humility And Followed The Pattern Which Was Latter Enjoined By Jesus Himself To His Disciples. (Matthew 20:25-28) Every Christian Should Learn That In God's Work Personal Service Is Ever Better Than Laboring By Proxy. This Is Especially True In The Ministry. Genesis 18:8b. ... and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. (KJV) Abraham Stood By To Wait On Them As They Ate, Thus Proving To Him That Their Visit Was Not A Dream Or A Vision. J. Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord?Genesis 18:9--15 Genesis 18:9a. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? ... (KJV) At The End Of The Meal Jehovah Asked Abraham, "Where Is Sarah Thy Wife?" Thus Indicating That Their Visit Had A Special Reference To Her. Genesis 18:9b ...And he said, Behold, in the tent. (KJV) To This Point, Sarah, According To The Custom, Had Stayed Hidden In The Tent. Genesis 18:10a. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son... (KJV) Then Once Again Jehovah Informs Abraham That He Would Return Within The Allowed Time And Sarah Would Have A Son. More Than Likely In Nine Months. This Announcement Was Specially Intended For Sarah Who Was Listening Behind The Fold Of The Tent Door. Genesis 18:10b. ... And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Naturally Speaking Both Abraham And Sarah Were Much Too Old To Have Children. Sarah Realizing This, Could Not, At This Point, Muster Enough Faith To Believe It Would Come To Pass. Genesis 18:12a. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, ... (KJV) The Laugh Of Sarah Was Altogether Different From That Of Abraham (Genesis 17:17). While Abraham's Was The Outcome Of Faith, Her Laugh Was The Fruit Of Doubt And Disbelief. Even Though Not Outwardly Expressed, Latent Doubts And Unbelief, Which May Be Lurking In Our Own Hearts, Are A Hindrance To God Fulfilling His Promises In Our Own Lives. Genesis 18:12b. .., saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? (KJV) Sarah Laughed Because She Had The Disposition To Judge The Divine Promise By A Human, Or Earthly Standard. Genesis 18:13. And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? (KJV) Not Only Had He Heard The Silent, Inaudible, Laugh Of Sarah's, But Had Read Her Thoughts, And Revealed Her Reasoning Behind Her Laugh. Then Jehovah Directed Her Attention, Along With Her Husband's, To The Divine Omnipotence As The All-Sufficient Guarantee For The Accomplishment Of The Promise. Genesis 18:14a. Is any thing too hard for the LORD? (KJV) The Question Was Directed To Sarah And Abraham, And To Let Them Know That The Thing Promised Was Not Beyond The Resources Of Jehovah To Accomplish, Then The Lord Repeated The Promise To Them. Genesis 18:14b. ...At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (KJV) Sarah, Who Had Overheard The Conversation, At This Time Probably Came Out Of The Tent, To Defend Herself. Genesis 18:15a. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. (KJV) Sarah's Conduct Can Only Be Explained By What The Scripture Tells Us. "For She Was Afraid." By This Time Sarah Must Have Realized That This Was Jehovah Who Was Speaking To Them. When Even Her Secret Thoughts Were Revealed, A Sense Of Guilt, Which Arose In Her Conscience, Began To Assail Her. The Result Was That Sarah's Unbelief Was Transformed Into Faith. Then Her Silence Was An Evidence Of Her Conviction; Her Conception Was A Proof Of Her Repentance And Forgiveness. Hebrews 11:11. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. (KJV) We Hope You Gleaned Something From Reading This Study #3 Of Abraham.
We Invite You To Read The Other Studies On This Web Site
Visit Bible Quizzing On Web #06 E-Mail, Godsgrazingfield@att.net James L. Thornton Study Number Four Of AbrahamABRAHAM, A STUDY OF HIS LIFEBy James L. Thornton This Is The Fourth Lesson In A Series On The Study Of The Life Of Abraham. We Will Take Up Where We Left Off In Study #3. We Will Look At The Destruction Of Sodom And The Reason God Destroyed It. Also We Will Talk About The Birth Of Isaac And Ishmael Being Cast Out.
A. Sodom's Doom RevealedGenesis 18:16-22 The Meal And Conversation Concerning Sarah And The Birth Of Isaac Being Finished, The Heavenly Visitors Then Reveal Another Reason For Their Visit. Genesis 18:16a. And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: ... (KJV) After The Meal They Rose Up And Looked Out Towards The Mountains Over Which Sodom Lay, And Began To Move In That Direction. They Had Spent Nearly A Half A Day With Abraham, But He Was Reluctant To Let Them Go. Genesis 18:16b. ..and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. So Abraham, To Prolong The Visit, Walked Along With Them For A Ways. And As They Walked, God Took Abraham Into His Confidence And Revealed His Intentions Towards Sodom And Gomorrah. Genesis 18:17. And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (KJV) Having Been Taken In Covenant With God, Abraham Would Henceforth Be Known As "The Friend Of God," And Would Share An Intimacy With Him Like Few Mortals Would Ever Share. Psalm 25:14. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. (KJV) Then The Lord Revealed Why He Would Confide In Abraham.Genesis 18:18. Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
About To Become The Head Of A Great Nation, It Was Natural To Suppose That Abraham Would Be Interested In Everything That Concerned Mankind. As The Head Of The Old Testament Church, And, "Father Of The Faithful," There Was a Special Reason For Him To Be Properly Instructed Concerning The Impending Doom Of Sodom. For Upon Him Would Fall The Responsibility Of Interpreting To The People Of His Day The Reason Why Judgment Fell Upon Sodom. This Is Also The Responsibility Of The Church On Earth Today, To Explain God's Judgments To The Unbelieving World. Amos 3:7. Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Abraham Was To Be Not Merely The Ancestor Of A Nation, But The Father Of A Spiritual Family, Which He Would Lead By Influence And Example. Abraham Had No Written Book To Aid Him In His Work, Nor Did He Leave Written Records For His Descendants. But He Left Them An Example Of His Walk With God.Genesis 18:19a. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. (KJV) "I Know Him,.." "I Can Trust Him,.."He Could Trust Abraham, For He Would "Command," Not In The Dictatorial Tones Of A Tyrant, But By The Power Of A Consistent Life. God Made The Bestowment Of Intended Blessings Contingent On The Faithful Discharge Of Duty. "...that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." If Abraham Had Not Been Faithful, His Name Would Have Died Out, And There Would Have Been No Handing Down Of The Story Of His Devoted Life, And Persistent Hold Of The Divine Promise. Children And Servants Alike Learned From Abraham, And Were Brought Under Spiritual Influence. (Genesis 22:7; 24:26; 26:25) Isaac Followed In His Father's Steps And Was A Meditative Man. (Genesis 24:63) Jacob Cherished The Promises And Handed Them On To His Sons. (Genesis 49:1-33) The Jews Preserved A Knowledge Of One True God When All Other Races Were Sunk In Idolatry, And Polytheism. From Them Came The One Who Was To Be The Savior Of The World. All, However, Depended On The Right Training Of Isaac. This Should Speak To Us Of The Inestimable Value Of Spiritual Training In The Home. (Proverbs 22:6) Ephesians 6:4. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Parents Are Held Accountable For Failure, And Should Therefore Be Firm And Loving In Training. The Heart Will Not Become Pure Naturally, But Must Be Trained. The Set Of The World-Tide Is In An Evil Direction. Parents Should Not Readily Delegate To Others The Work Of Training, Either In Secular Or Religious Knowledge. Sunday School Teaching Should Supplement, Not Supplant, Home Training.Genesis 18:20. And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
After Giving The Reason Why He Would Give The Revelation To Abraham, God Gave Him The Reason Why He Would Destroy Sodom And Gomorrah. "Because The Cry Of Sodom And Gomorrah Is Great, And Because Their Sin Is Very Grievous;"" All Sin Is Open And Unhidden To The Eyes Of God, And When Sin Is Concentrated In An Area, A Nation, A City, A People, An Individual, It Draws Greater Attention From God. Revelation 18:5. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (KJV) The Sin Of Sodom Is Detailed In The Next Chapter, And Some Very Heinous Sins Are Made Known. Genesis 18:21. I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. (KJV) Though God Speaks Of Making Investigation Into The Sins Of Sodom, This Was Really Unnecessary. Proverbs 15:3. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (KJV) The Moral Degeneracy Of The Inhabitants Of The Jordan Valley Was One Of The "All Things" That Are Ever "Naked And Manifest" Unto His Eyes. I Feel That He Went To Seek Repentance. Hebrews 4:13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (KJV)
The Reason That God Visited Sodom And Gomorrah Is Because Of His Exceeding Patience With Mankind Before Unleashing His Judgments. 2 Peter 3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (KJV) Was There A Chance That Sodom Would Come To Repentance? We Note That God Was Long-suffering In The Days Of Noah While He Prepared The Ark. (1 Peter 3:20) Genesis 6:5. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (KJV) For 100 Years, While Noah Prepared The Ark, God Waited, With Patience, Giving Mankind A Chance To Repent. God Allowed Nineveh To Repent At The Preaching Of Jonah, Even After Declaring Their Destruction. (Jonah 3:9-10) One-Hundred Years Later Nineveh's Wickedness Came Again Before God, And There Was No Repentance, And No Holding Back The Wrath Of God, And It Was Completely Destroyed. (Nahum 3:7) So It Is Today, God Visits Before Judgment, That Mankind Might Have Every Opportunity To Come To Repentance. Individuals Are Visited In Various Ways, Cities, Nations, And Races Of Mankind, Are Visited By Storm, Flood, Earthquake, And Other Natural Disasters To Turn Them Back From Sin. God Sends Prophets, Preachers, Evangelists, And Sometimes Heavenly Messengers, To Warn Of Impending Judgment, Yet People Go On In Their Wicked Ways. When The, "Iniquity Is Full," (Genesis15:16)
He Is Merciful And Kind Where He Can Be, But Just And Stern Where He Must Be.But As With The Case Of Sodom And Gomorrah, Nothing Would Be Done In Haste, But With Judicial Calmness. B. Abraham Intercedes For Sodom(Genesis 18:22-33) Genesis 18:22. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. Two Of The Three Proceeded On Their Way Towards The Jordan Valley While The Third Was Detained By The Patriarch, Probably On The Heights Overlooking The Plains. It Is As Though Abraham Reached Out And Took Hold Of His Arm To Hold Him As He Spoke To Him. Then Abraham Begins The First Intercessory Prayer Which We Have Recorded In The Bible. Genesis 18:23a. And Abraham drew near, And said... (KJV) Not Simply Physically, But Spiritually, Or A Pious Turning Of The Mind To God. James 4:8. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (KJV) Abraham Begins His Prayer, Which Contains One Of The Most Sublime Examples Of Hunan Intercession Of Which Scripture Preserves A Record. When Abraham Learned Of The Possibility Of Sodom Being Destroyed, His Mind Must Have Turned Immediately To His Nephew Lot Which Was Living In Sodom. Ultimately Abraham Hoped To Rescue Not Only Lot, But The Cities, Along With Their Inhabitants. Genesis 18:23b. .., Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? (KJV) In Genesis The Wickedness Of Sodom Is Set Forth So Emphatically That Its Name Has Become Proverbial To This Day. Yet Here Is Abraham Interceding For Sodom. The Good Man Pleads For Mercy On Behalf Of The Wicked. Who Is Most Likely To Come To The Help Of The Wicked? Can Bad Men When In Trouble Expect Help More Certainly From Other Bad Men? No. Men Who Are Thoroughly Bad Are As Merciless To Others Of Their Kind As A Wolf Pack Is Merciless To The Wounded Wolf. The Most Merciful Men All Through The Bible Are The Best Men-- Joseph, Moses, David, Stephen, Barnabas. Above All Was Jesus, Who In His Perfect Righteousness Could Be The Friend Of Publicans And Sinners. There Is No More Corrupting Sin Than Censoriousness And Self Righteousness. Let Church Members Examine Their Own Hearts. Abraham Did Not Shut His Eyes And His Ears To The Calamities Which Was Coming Upon The Sodomites, As Many Would Have Done, On The Argument That It Was Richly Deserved, Or That It Was No Concern Of His, Or That It Was Little He Could Do To Stop It. But Abraham Actively Bestirs Himself, That, If Possible, To Prevent The Calamity. Genesis 18:24. Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? (KJV) Not Content With Asking Lot's Deliverance, Or The Rescue Of The Righteous, He Aims At Nothing Short Of The Complete Preservation Of The Cities. He Realized That Jehovah Was a Merciful God, Because He Was Tolerant With The Amorites, For Their Iniquity Was Not Yet Full. (Genesis 15:16b) Genesis 18:25. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? (KJV) Abraham Began His Entreaty, Not On The Deserving Of Mercy On The Part Of Sodomites, But On The Grounds Of The Righteousness Of The Judge. Pitching His Hypothetical Number Of Pious Sodomites So High As To Insure A Favorable Response, And Gradually Reducing The Number As Grace Was Extended. Genesis 18:26. And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within The city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.(KJV) Thus Jehovah Accepted The Test Proposed By Abraham, Solely On The Grounds Of Mercy. Notice How That Abraham Acknowledges His Personal Unworthiness As He Takes His Petition To Jehovah Again. Genesis 18:27. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
The Patriarch, Not Sure That There Were Fifty Righteous Souls In The Cities, Petitions The Lord Again. Let Us Look At The Success Of His Intercession.1. He Got All He Asked For. Genesis 18:29. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
2. He Ceased Asking Before God Stopped Giving. We May Speculate As To What May Have Happened Had Abraham Continued To Reduce The Number On Which He Staked The Salvation Of Sodom. For God's Glory It Is Only Just To Notice That It Was Not He, Who Discontinued Answering The Patriarch's Petitions, So Much As The Patriarch Himself. Maybe Abraham Felt That He Had Reached The Limit Of That Liberty Which God Allows To The Believing Supplicants At His Throne. Here Are Some Lessons We Learn In This Intercession With God By Abraham.1. The Liberty Which Saints Have To Approach God In Prayer. (Hebrews 4:16) 2. The Art Of Wrestling With God In Prayer. (Genesis 32:24-28) 3. The Great Encouragement Which Saints Have to Pray Without Ceasing. (James 5:16b) 4. The Deep Interest Which Saints Should Always Take In The Welfare Of Their Fellow-Men. (1 Timothy 2:1) C. The Last Day Of SodomGenesis 19:1-29 Genesis 19:1a. And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: (KJV) The Two Men Of The Preceding Chapter Who Had Accompanied Jehovah To Mamre, And Having Left The Tent Of Abraham In The Afternoon, Arrive In Sodom Near Sunset. Lot, Who We Last Heard Of When He Returned To Sodom After Being Rescued From The Asiatic Kings By His Uncle Abraham (Genesis 14:12-16), Was Sitting In The Gate. What Capacity Or Position He Occupied In The City Of Sodom Is Unknown. Considering His Relationship To Abraham, To Whom The City Owed Its Entire Being, It Is Likely That He Occupied A Position Of Honor, Maybe As A Judge, Which Verse 9 Hints At. As The Two Angels Approached The Gate, Lot Became Their Welcoming Committee. Genesis 19:1b. ..: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; (KJV) Lot Recognizing Them As Strangers, By Their Dress And Looks, And Having Not Yet Abandoned The Practice Of Hospitality, Or Forgotten, Despite His Mingling With The Sodomites, The Respectful Courtesy Towards Strangers, Bowed To Them As Abraham Had Done When They Visited His Tent. (Genesis 18:2) This Indicates That The Light Of Lot's Piety Still Flickered. Genesis 19:2. And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. (KJV) Though An Act Of Kindness On The Part Of Lot, His Invitation Was Not Accepted By The Angels, Probably To Try His Character To See If It Was Genuine. (Luke 24:28) Genesis 19:3. And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. (KJV) Lot Proved To Be As Pressing In His Invitation As His Uncle Abraham, And The Angels Went To His Home. The Meal He Set Before Them, Though Not As Elaborate As The Sumptuous Meal Which Abraham Served Them, Was, Never-The-Less, Sincere And Earnest. It Clearly Testifies That Lot Had Not Yet Lost Much Of The Religious Training He Had From His Early Relationship With Abraham. This Lets Us Know That Early Religious Training Is Difficult To Eradicate.Proverbs 22:6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (KJV) Even Though We Do Not Understand, Nor Approve, Of All That Lot Said, And Did, That Last Night In Sodom, God Evidently Looked At Him From A Different View, As The New Testament Calls Him A Just Man. (2 Peter 2:7) The Next Several Verses (4-11) Reveal To What Depth Of Wickedness The Citizens Of Sodom Had Sunk To. In Their Unbridled Lusts They Had Far Outstripped Common Sinners, And Become "As Natural Brute Beasts." (2 Peter 2:12) They Were Shameless, Disgusting, And Repulsive. They Openly Proclaimed Their Filthiness, And Would Have Gratified Their Lusts In Public (Verse 5). They Became Violent In Their Attack On Lot, And The House Wherein The Two Strangers Were. (Verse 9) They Were Obstinate. Even When Struck With Blindness They Were Relentless In Their Attempt To Invade The Decency Of Lot And His Guests. (Verse 11) It Was A Universal Attack By The Entire Population Of Sodom, Both Old And Young, And From Every Quarter (Verse 4). They Were All Of One Mind. Could Anything More Signify And Attest Sodom's Ripeness For Destruction? The Verdict Was In, Sodom Was Found Guilty, And The City Was To Be Destroyed. The Cup Of Its Iniquity Was Full. The Angels Would Be The Ministers Of Its Execution. But They Would Be Merciful To Lot And His Family. Genesis 19:12. And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
Lot Went Out Into The Night To Make A Last And Final Appeal To Sodom, Especially To Those Men Who Had Married Into His Family, But Was Mocked And Laughed At When He Warned Them Of The Impending Doom Of Sodom. There Are Still Mockers And Scoffers Today Which Make Light Of People Who Speak Of The Coming Of The Lord. 2 Peter 3:3. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (KJV) Lot Had Been In The City More Than Fifteen Years Yet Had Made No Converts To Jehovah. We Do Not Know To What Extent That He Practiced The Form Of Worship He Had Learned From Abraham, But We Do Know That He Had Not Gained The Respect Of His Sons-In-Laws. Before We Make Too Hasty Judgment Against Lot, We Must Realize That When Lot First Went To Sodom, That Sodom Was Recognized As Wicked, And Exceedingly Sinful. (Genesis 13:13) There Are Pastors And Churches Which Are Located In A Very Sinful And Wicked Environment Which Have Won No Converts, And Have A Very Hard Struggle, That Is No Sign They Have Lost Their Place With God. One Thing We Do Know, When The Final Appeal Is Given, And Judgment Day Arrives, And Fire Falls From Heaven, God Has Promised That He Will Not Destroy The Righteous With The Wicked. D. Angels Hasten LotGenesis 19:15. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. (KJV) All Appeals Were Over, The Patience Of God Was Exhausted, Time Had Run Out For Sodom, The Angels Hurried Lot To Evacuate His Family From The City. Genesis 19:16a. And while he lingered, ... (KJV) Lot Was A Wealthy Man When He Went Down To Sodom, With Flocks And Herds And Tents And Servants And Herdsmen, And We Have No Reason To Believe That He Was Not Still Wealthy While We Have No Record Of Him Attempting To Save A Portion Of His Great Wealth, His Heart Must Have Clung To The Earthly Possessions He Was Leaving. Lot's Hesitation Indicates Indecision, And Without The Angel's Firm Hand It Would Have Been His Ruin. Genesis 19:16b. ..., the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. (KJV) Literally, In The Mercy, Or Gentleness, Of Jehovah To Him; The Primary Idea Of The Words Being That Of Softness. They Carried Them Out Of The City And With Ominous Warning To Flee. Genesis 19:17a. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; ... (KJV) It Was Only By The Earnest Admonition Of The Angels That Lot Was Saved. "Up, Get You Out Of This Place;" "Arise!" "Escape For Thy Life;" And Then Only After Physically Carrying Them From The City Did Lot Escape. Genesis 19:17b. ...; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.(KJV) Do Not Look Back! It Was A Solemn Warning Given By The Angels, And Heard By All. That Beautiful Plain Which Lot Had Looked Upon Fifteen Years Before, And Chosen As The Place He Wanted To Dwell, Was No Longer A Safe Place To Be. "Escape To The Mountains." The Plain, Along With All the Cities Around There, Was To Be Consumed By The Fire Storm Which God Sent. Today It Is A Waste Land Dotted With Thousands Of Salt Dunes And Pillars. Genesis 19:22. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. (KJV) This Is The Fifth Time That The Angels Pleaded With Lot To Make Haste, Because He Lingered And Trifled Like Many Today Thinking There Is Plenty Of Time. God's Wrath Will Not Fall Until The Last Righteous Person Is Safely Brought Out. E. Fire And Brimstone From HeavenGenesis 19:23. The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
The Overthrow Of The Entire Region, Included Sodom And Gomorrah And Other Smaller Cities Which Were Close By, And Also Included The Beautiful Plain Which Was So Well Watered When Lot First Went There. It Was Swift. It Came Without Warning. It Does Not Appear That The Inhabitants Of Sodom Were Warned Of The Approaching Fire-Storm. Luke 17:29. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. It Was Complete Destruction. The Cities With Their Inhabitants, Along With The Fields And It's Vegetation, Were Engulfed In The Sulfurous Baptism And "Turned Into Ashes". The Story Of The Overthrow Of Sodom And Gomorrah Is A Constant Reminder To Us Of A Greater Firestorm Which Will Come Upon The Entire Earth, Of Which We Have Ample Warning To Save Ourselves From. 2 Peter 3:12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? F. The Danger Of Looking BackGenesis 19:17b. ...; look not behind thee, ... (KJV) This Injunction Was Given To Lot, And His Wife And Daughters, To Guard Against Any Desire Rising Up To Return. Genesis 19:26. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (KJV) Lot, His Wife And Two Daughters, Were Safely Out Of Sodom And On Their Way To The Little City Of Zoar. Lot Led The Way, With The Two Daughters, And His Wife Following Behind Him. I'm Sure That Lot Urged Them On By Calling Out To Them To Hurry. Then After A Time He Called Back To Them And His Daughters Answered, But There Was No Answer From His Wife. No Doubt He Called Several Times, Each Time Louder Than The Last, But Still No Answer. Fearing To Look Around, He Went On. The Scriptures Tell Us The Story In A Few Words. Genesis 19:26. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (KJV) It Does Not Say She Stopped, But Merely Looked Back, And Was Overtaken By The Storm, She Was Transfixed Where She Stood, And In A Moment Forever Wrapped In A Sheet Of Salt. Her Doom Was Rendered All the More Shocking From The Circumstances That She Had So Nearly Escaped. Contrary To The Angel's Instructions, She Had Looked Behind, Thus She Had Brought Her Tragic Fate Upon Herself. Obedience Would Have Saved Her; Disobedience Proved Her Ruin. Whether She Was Lost Eternally It Is Not Safe To Say, But Her Temporal Destruction Had Been Righteously Incurred. Her Fate Has Been Forever Memorialized By Our Lord. Luke 17:32. Remember Lot's wife. (KJV) Lot's Wife Was Not Deaf To The Call; And Did Not Think It A Whim Of The Imagination; She Really Believed; Felt The Danger, And Fled. But The Sun Arose; The Valley Was Beautiful; Home Attractive; There Was No Sign Of Danger. Must She Leave All? And, All At Once? Surely Some Of You Can Remember Times Of Earnestness. Perhaps In Hours Of Anxious Watching At The Bedside Of A Loved One, Or During A Revival God Has Spoken Directly To The Soul And Made You Feel His Presence. (Genesis 28:16-17) Then The Blessedness Of Accepting Salvation Was Felt. The Message Was So Real, The Bible And Prayer Were Precious Then. But Time Went On. The Immediate Influence Gone. All Was As Before. Old Ways Asserted Their Power; Hard To Give Them Up. In Mercy The Hand Reaches Out Once More. Awake; The Storm Is At Hand, Though Thou Seeth It Not. Pray That The Holy Spirit May Transform Thy Heart. Genesis 19:27. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: (KJV) Abraham Was Up Early And Standing At The Place Where He Had Interceded To God For Sodom. This Shows Us The Extreme Interest Abraham Had In His Prayers. And As The Sun Was Beginning To Rise He Saw A Sight Which He Would Never Forget. Genesis 19:28. And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
Abraham Knew When He Saw The Smoke That God Had Not Found Ten Righteous Souls In The Cities. Abraham Probably Did Not Know To What Extent That God Had Answered His Prayer Until Some Time Later. The Last Days Of Lot Were A Far Cry From The Wonderful Days He Had Enjoyed When In The Company Of His Uncle Abraham. He Dwelt In A Cave. (Genesis 19:30) Haunted By Terrors. Terror Of Divine Judgment. The Terror Of Men. The Terror Of Conscience. Conscience Makes Cowards Of Us All. His Daughters Became The Incestuous Mothers Of Nations Which Afterwards Greatly Troubled The People Of God. Lot Died An Unnoticed Death. Buried In An Unknown Grave. G. The Sins Of SodomThe Bible Has Painted A Very Vivid Picture Of The Last Night Of Sodom And Some Of The Sins With Which It Was So Taken Up In. We Want To Take A Few Moments And Look Farther In The Scriptures And See How The Holy Spirit Views The Sins Which Caused Sodom's Doom. First Our Lord's Teachings Concerning The Destruction Of Sodom.Luke 17:27. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Let Us Take A Look At The Things Which Our Lord Said Were Going On In Sodom When It Was Destroyed.
He Mentions Nothing Of The Gross Depravity And Immorality. The Things Which Our Lord Mentioned Are A Part Of Every Normal Society. In Fact They Are A Part Of The Life Of Almost Every Individual In The Church. Our Lord Himself Ate And Drank On Many Occasions, And He Loved To Attend Banquets. (John 12:2; Luke 5:29) He Also Sanctioned Weddings By His Presence. (John 2:1-2) There Is Nothing Inherently Wrong With Buying And Selling And Planting And Building. It Is An Essential Part Of An Ordered Society. Then Why Would Jesus Use These Things To Condemn Sodom? There Must Be Something Deeper In The Meaning Of The Things That Jesus Said Concerning Sodom. Let Us Read In Another Place What The Holy Spirit Said About The Sins Of Sodom. Ezekiel 16:49. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Once Again We Will List The Sins In Order.1. Pride. 2. Fullness Of Bread. 3. Abundance Of Idleness. 4. She Did Not Help The Poor. 5. They Were Haughty. 6. They Committed Abomination. We Are Well Aware Of The Depravity And Abominations Which Were Taking Place In The City Of Sodom. One Of The Definitions Of The Word "Abominations" Is "The Quality Of Being Shockingly Wicked." (A.H.D.) Paul Speaks Of This Kind Of People In His Day.Romans 1:26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
The Greco-Roman Empire Was Filled With Cities Which Was Given Over To This Type Of Abominations. Rome, Athens, Philippi, Corinth, And Especially Ephesus Which Was Known The World Over For The Temple Of Diana That Was Served By Tens Of Thousands Of Prostitutes. We Know That God Has Already Passed Judgment Upon Most Of These Ancient Cities, And Their Ruins Stand As A Memorial To This Judgment. These Abominations Are In Our Nation, Even In Our City, But In No Where Near The Proportions As It Was In Some Of The Cities Of Paul's Day. We Do Not Want To Minimize This Shocking, Wicked And Depraved Nature Of These People. But What We Want To Do Now In This Chapter Is To Take Note Of The Other Sins Which The Scriptures Says Were Responsible For Sodom's Destruction. The Things Which Are Listed In Luke 17 Are Not Sins In Themselves, As We Have Already Stated, But We Will Come Back To This Later. Ezekiel Was a Little Sharper In His Criticism. We Do Not Like To See Pride In An Individual, Nor Do We Like To Be Near A Person Who Is Haughty, And God Hates It Even More. Proverbs 16:18. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (KJV) This Brings Us To Two More Things Which Ezekiel Says Are The Things Which Caused The Fall Of Sodom, And Are The Things Which We All Have To Be Careful Lest We Also Are Carried Away In These Sins. "Fullness Of Bread, And Abundance Of Idleness." The People Of Sodom Were Self Sufficient, They Did Not Need Anything.
The Plains Of Jordan Were Well Watered, And Compared To The Rest Of Palestine Was Like A Paradise, And The Food Supply Was Plentiful. They Were Wealthy And Had Plenty Of Time To Play And Enjoy All The Pleasures That Wealth Could Give Them. It Was This Combination Of Wealth, And The Time That It Afforded Them To Spend On The Pursuit Of Pleasure, That Caused Their Destruction. So The Inhabitants Of Sodom Ate, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold, They Builded, They Planted, They Married, They Gave Their Sons And Daughters In Marriage, Their Entire Time Was Taken Up In Money Making Or Pleasure Seeking. They Did Not Need God Any Longer Because They Were Self Sufficient. They Had Forgotten That Fifteen Years Before One Of The Worshipers Of Jehovah God Had Rescued Them From The Four Marauders Which Had Invaded And Sacked Sodom.(Genesis 14) H. Not Hungry, God.A Great Danger Lies Ahead When We Become Self Sufficient And No Longer Have To Pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." One Of The Woes Jesus Pronounced To His Disciples, Luke 6:25. Woe unto you that are full! (KJV) One Of The Curses Of The Laodicean Church Was, Revelation 3:17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (KJV) It Is Possible That We Also Can Get So Wrapped Up In Buying And Selling, Eating And Drinking, Marrying And Giving In Marriage, Building And Planting, That We Have No Room For God In Our Lives. Luke 14:16. Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
We See That It Is Not Necessarily The Gross Immoral, Or Depraved Sins Which Condemns A Nation, Or An Individual, But A Neglect Of God In Our Lives. I. The Birth Of IsaacGenesis 21:1-8 Genesis 21:1. And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
God Kept His Promise To Sarah And Abraham, And Within The Year Sarah Conceived And Bore A Son. This Was Sarah's Own Child Of Abraham's Old Age. The Child Of Promise, The Fruit Of Faith, The Gift Of Grace, And The Heaven Appointed Heir Of The Covenant Blessing. Motherhood At Ninety Was Certainly Unusual Even In The Millennium In Which Abraham Lived. The Holy Scriptures Make It Plain In A Number Of Places That The Birth Of Isaac Was A Miraculous Occurrence Brought About By The Power Of God. The Key To This Miracle Is In The Last Five Words
When God Speaks, Worlds Are Created.
So, God Spoke, And Sarah Received Strength To Conceive And Bear A Son. God Had Made It Plain To Abraham And Sarah That Nothing Was Impossible With Him. But It Took The Faith Of Both Of Them To Bring It To Pass. (Hebrew 11:11-12) Genesis 21:3. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
Now The Long Looked-For Child Had Arrived And There Was Joy In Abraham And Sarah's Tent, And Abraham Called His Name Isaac, Meaning, 'Laughter'. Abraham Had Waited Twenty Five Years For The Fulfillment Of The Promise. A Remarkable Instance Of Faith And Patience. (Romans 4:16-21) Abraham Was Obedient To God's Command And Performed The Ritual Of Circumcision On Isaac. Sarah Burst Out In Laughter And Joyous Inspiration Like Unto Elisabeth And Mary At The Anticipated Birth Of Our Lord. (Luke 1:43-55) Genesis 21:6. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.
We See The Spiritual Elevation Of Her Soul Indicated In The Poetical Form Of Her Speech. Sarah's Song, Is the First Cradle Hymn Of A Mother's Thankful Joy, Representing The Divine Delight In The Pure And Simple Happiness Of Those Who Are Children Of God. Her Laughter Was Of A Different Character Now From What It Had Previously Been (Genesis 18:12); And Her Acknowledgment Of Jehovah Proved Her Faith In Him. The First Duty Of A Mother Is To Her Baby, And Sarah, Even Though A Princess, Was Not Above Discharging The Duties Of A Nurse, And Gave Of The Sustenance God Had Provided For Her Baby's Necessities. Genesis 21:8. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned. (KJV) When Isaac Was Three Years Old, Which was the Customary Age When Children Were Weaned, Abraham Made A Great Feast, And Invited People Far And Near To Come To The Festive Occasion. It Is Estimated That By This Time Abraham's Household, Including Servants, Herdsmen, Camel-Drivers, Women, And Children, Must Have Numbered Between Five And Six Thousand People. Everybody Was Invited, Maybe Melchisedek, And King Abimelech Of Gerar, And Others Of The Nations Around Them, Were There. In This We See Abraham Expressing Joy And Rejoicing In The Future As His Son Was Weaned. John 8:56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. (KJV) From The Moment Of Weaning A Child May Be Said To Enter On A Separate, And As It Were, Independent Existence, Attaining Then For The First Time To A Distinct Individuality Of Being. It Is Still Customary In The East To Have A Festive Gathering At The Time A Child Is Weaned. J. Cast Out The BondwomanGenesis 21:9-21 Sometime During The Feast, (Genesis 21:8) And Probably On Other Occasions, Sarah Saw Ishmael Mocking And Scoffing And Making Faces At Isaac. That This Was No Mere Sportive Pleasantry May Be Inferred From The Deep Feeling It Aroused In Sarah, The Subsequent Chastisement It Brought On Ishmael, And The Severe Language In Which It Is Characterized By Paul. (Galations 4:22-31) It Roused The Anger In Sarah, To The Extent That She Decided That Ishmael And His Mother Had To Go. So Once Again She Went To Abraham With Her Grievance. Genesis 21:9. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Was Sarah Apprehensive Least Ishmael Should Scheme To Disinherit Isaac, Notwithstanding The Assurance That The Covenant Was Made With Isaac? Was This Was An Act Of Unbelief On Sarah's Part Into Which She Was Obviously Betrayed By Her Maternal Fears And Womanly Jealousy? It Is More Satisfactory To Attribute Her Seemingly Harsh Counsel To The Clearness With Which She Recognized That Isaac Alone Was The Heaven-Appointed Heir, And That Nothing Must Be Allowed To Either Damage His Position Or Endanger His Prospects. Sarah Said To Abraham That This Bondwoman And Her Son Must Be "Cast Out." By "Casting Out," Sarah Was Meaning That Abraham Must Ensure The Disinheriting Of Ishmael. Ishmael's Separation From Isaac Prefigured The Ultimate Removal Of Unbelievers From Believers, Of The World From The Church, Of Those In A State Of Natural, Or Of Legal Bondage, From Those Who Are Children Of The Promise And Of The Heavenly Jerusalem. (Galations 4:22-31) It Shows The Impossibility Of Any Compromise Existing Between The World And The Church. Separation Brings Pain And Anguish, And In The Case Of Abraham And Ishmael It Was No Exception. Genesis 21:11. And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son. (KJV) Ishmael Was Now Seventeen Years Old, And Who, Besides Being Bound To Him By Natural Affection, Had Long Been Regarded By Abraham As The Heaven-Appointed Heir Of The Promise. The Separation Was Painful To The Father, But Was Part Of The Gracious Work Of God For Isaac. Genesis 21:12. And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Considering The Patriarch's Former Experience Of "Hearkening To Sarah" (Genesis 16:5-6), It Is Doubtful He Would Have Yielded To Her Demands, Had God Not Intervened. It Was Necessary That The Separation Should Take Place For The Accomplishment Of The Divine Purpose. Abraham Was Comforted Somewhat By God Ensuring Him That Ishmael Would Not Perish, But Would, Because That He Was Abraham's Seed, Make Him Prosper, And Become A Great Nation. Genesis 21:14a. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, ... (KJV) The Moment The Mind Of God Was Known Of Certainty, Internal Controversy Ceased And Resolved, And Abraham Hastened To Put Into Effect The Divine Instructions, With Complete Submission To The Will Of God. Genesis 21:14b....and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. (KJV) Making Provisions For Their Immediate Necessities, Abraham Sends Them Away, Doubtless With Many Prayers And Tears. We See The Master And The Servant At The Door Of The House In The Early Morning; The Master Himself Placing The Bottle Of Water On The Bondwoman's Shoulder As A Sign Of Continued Kinship. This Could Not But Help Being An Emotional Parting, Because For Many Years Ishmael Was His Only Child, And Presumed Heir, And To Ishmael, Abraham Was His Loving Father. K. God Pities The OutcastGenesis 21:14-21 Genesis 21:14c. ..: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
The "Wilderness" Was The Uncultivated Wasteland Between Palestine And Egypt, Which Was Very Hot And Dry, And It Was Not Long Before She Had Lost Her Way. The Bottle Of Water Was Soon Drained, And The Wanderers Became Exhausted, And Were In Danger Of Fainting Because Of Thirst. Happiness And Home Was Behind Them; Desolateness, Dreariness, Lonely Journeying, Imminent Dangers From The Wild Beasts And Fierce Hordes Of Men, Were Before Them. Unable To Proceed, She And Her Son Sunk Down To Die, To Perish In The Scorching Heat From The Most Fearful Of All Deprivations, Water. Genesis 21:16. And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. (KJV) In This Verse We See A Mother's Anguish, Having Supported Her Son To The Limit Of Her Strength, And Not Physically Able To Do More, She Separates Herself From Him Not Being Able To Bear The Thought Of Watching Him Die. Let Us Follow The Fortunes Of The Outcast. 1. Banished From Home.Up To This Time The Household Of Abraham Had Been To Hagar And Her Son Such A Pleasant And Doubtless Much-Prized Abode; But Henceforth Their Connections With The Patriarch's Encampment Was To Be Completely Severed. So God In His Mysterious Providence, And In Many Ways, Frequently Dispossess Men Of The Shelter And Society Of Home. 2. Separated From The Church.For All Practical Purposes The Expulsion Of This Egyptian Slave-Mother And Her Son From The Household Of Abraham, If It Did Not Involve A Casting Off From God's Mercy, Amounted To Separation From The Patriarchal Church. No One Is To Be More Pitied Than That Soul Which Has Been Separated From God's People. 3. Lost In The Wilderness.The Region Through Which They Traveled Was Unfamiliar, And Having No Guide, And Propelled By Exasperation And Excitement, They Simply Drifted On With Aimless Feet, And "Wandered" Until They Became Lost. This Scene Touchingly Portrays The Sad Condition Of Thousands Of Homeless And Church-Less Wanderers Today, Roaming Purposelessly And Perplexed Across The Trackless Wastes Of Life. The Way From God Through The Wilderness Is A Hard Way, A Way Of Suffering, A Way Of Danger. 4. Perishing From Thirst.Extreme Thirst Is One Of The Most Excruciating Torments To Which The Human Body Can Be Subjected. A Fellow Creature Dying From Lack Of Water Is As Sad A Spectacle As Any On Which The Eye Of Man Can Gaze. Lamentations 4:4. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. (KJV) Isaiah 41:17. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. (KJV The Soul That Is Estranged From The Church, And God, Is The Saddest Spectacle In Human Existence. The Psalmist Describes The Soul Seeking For God. Psalm 42:1. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
5. Sobbing In Anguish.Exhausted And Weeping Aloud, The Poor Disheartened Boy And His Mother Moan Out Their Misery. To Recognize And Make Complaint Of One's Spiritual Destitution Is Better Than To Be Callous And Indifferent To One's Dying Condition. 6. Praying To God.Though Not Certain That The "Voice Of The Lad" Meant More Than The Rude Cry Of His Distress, We Would Hope That In The Day Of His Calamity He Directed His Prayer To God. Prayer Usually Precedes Deliverance. 7. The Comforting God.The Angel Of Deliverance Follows Even The Bondwoman And Her Son. Genesis 21:17. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
We Notice God's Care For Ishmael, Even For One Who Would Appear To Be Outside All Covenant Blessings. He Was One Whose "Hand Was To Be Against Every Man, And Every Man's Against Him" (Genesis 16:12). God Manifested Care, However To Ishmael.
God Always Knows Our Needs, Whence To Supply Them, And Where To Find Us Even In The Wilderness. Our God Cares For Those Outside The Rampart Of The Church, Even As Those Within. "What Aileth Thee, Hagar?" What A Glimpse Into The Infinite Pitifulness Of Divine Nature! Only When Christ Came Was It Surpassed In Clearness And Fullness. As The Cry Of Ishmael Came Up Into the Wakeful Ear Of God, So The Cries Of Dying Men And Perishing Souls Never Fail To Do. They Are Suffering Great Loss, And Are In Danger Of Further Loss, But God Cares For, And Pities, Them. God Wills Not The Death Of A Sinner, "Not Willing That Any Should Perish..." (2 Peter 3:9) God Pittied The People Of Ninevah, Sent Them A Warning, And Gave Them Space For Repentance. He Healed A Naaman; Sent His Prophet To Dwell With A Woman Of Sarepta, And So Conferred Honor Upon Her; And He Brought A Nebuchadnezzar To His Right Mind By A Judicious Infliction. All This Was Mercy Shown Outside The Pale Of Israel To Those Who Would Be Accounted As Ishmaelites. Oh, How Much More Widely Flows The Channel Of Divine Mercy And Love Than We Imagine. How Little We Conceive Of The Depth Of The Father's Love To All His Creatures! In Every Heart He Is Seeking To Find A Reflection Of His Image. To All Those Who Think Yourselves Too Sinful To Have A Share In Divine Compassion, Look Upon God's Treatment Of Ishmael. Remember That Jesus Came "Not To Call The Righteous, But Sinners To Repentance." (Matthew 9:13) In The Case Of Hagar, The Well Was Near Her, But She Saw It Not. So It Is With The Water Of Life. Why Are So Many Without Peace? The Well Is Beside Them, The Sound Of The Gospel Is Familiar To Them.
Christ Died For All. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
There Is No Sin Too Deep For Cleansing, No Sorrow Too Great For Comfort, Nothing Is Required To Give A Right To Trust Him. Why Are There Then So Many Without Peace?
It Is Disbelief That Keeps So Many From Finding The Well. To Them The Well Is Not There. It Is Important To Know That What Really Is Needed Is Spiritual Discernment. "God Opened Her Eyes. And She Saw a Well Of Water." The Well Was There All The Time. The Water Of Life Flows, But If We See It God Must Open Our Eyes. Genesis 21:20. And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
We Must Not Think That God Had Cast Off Ishmael, And Left Him To Utterly And Everlastingly To Perish, For God Furnished Ishmael With A Place Of Habitation, He Gave Him the Desert For His Domain. Not Only That, God Furnished Him With The Skills, The Knowledge, And The Tenaciousness To Dominate It. Further, He Seems To Have Kept Up His Union With His Brother, For His Daughter, Bashemath (Genesis 36:3), Married Esau, Isaac's Son. Thus Two Families In The Line Of Promise, But Who Had Cast Themselves Out, Esau By His Indifference, And Ishmael By His Mocking, Were United. Ishmael United With Isaac In The Funeral Ceremony Of Their Father Abraham. (Genesis 25:9) "God Was With Him," And All Because Of Abraham. Genesis 25:16. These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
In This Study Number 4, And In The Previous Studies, 1, 2, 3, We Have Traced The Life Of Abraham From His Call By God When He Was A Pagan In Ur Of The Chaldees To Canaan And Down Into Egypt And Back To Canaan. We Have Seen How He Built Altars, Talked With God, And Fought And Struggled With Forces Both Within Himself And Amongst His Family, Along With Forces Of The Nations Around Him. God Always Making And Keeping Promises To Him Concerning A Family. In The Next Few Studies We Will Witness That His Greatest Struggles Still Lay Ahead Of Him. It Would Seem He Would Have Reached The Age, Now One Hundred And Twenty, And Had Reached A Spiritual Standpoint Where All Struggles Would Have Become Unnecessary. But We Shall Find That In The Life Of Abraham, Along With Out Own Life, That We Never Reach An Age, Or A Spiritual Standing Where There Are No Struggles. We Will Deal With These Issues In The Next Study, Number 5, Of The Life Of Abraham. We Hope You Are Enjoying These Studies Of The Life Of Abraham, And Can Find Something In Them That Will Help You With Your Own Life. We Invite You To Read The Other Articles On The Home Page Of This Web Site And Will Visit Our Other Web Sites By Clicking On The Links Below. Leave Us Your Comments In The Guest Book Or Send Us An E-Mail. |
