Genesis 18: 20-33 - Persistent Prayer & Appropriate Fear

... the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 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?”
And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”
Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. Suppose there are only forty-five righteous people rather than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”
And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five righteous people there.”
Then 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.”
“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.”
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.”
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.”
When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

Genesis 18: 20-33 [ESV]

 

Commentary: There are many lessons to be learned from this passage. But, two in particular strike me:

1)    The consistent and persistent prayer Abraham has with the LORD GOD. Abraham asked the LORD to spare a certain number of righteous if the LORD found such a number. Throughout the conversation Abraham continued to plead with the LORD. This is a lesson for all of us, never to give up praying for something which is on our hearts. GOD listens!

2)    When Abraham approached the LORD, he did so knowing with whom he was talking: the Almighty Creator of the universe! Each time Abraham addressed GOD, he acknowledged who GOD is and who he was in relation to GOD: “… let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes.” (v27). There seems to be a foreshadowing reference to Isaiah 6 when the prophet Isaiah approached the LORD GOD and he bowed before the LORD with the cry, “Woe is me!”; and it took an angel to cover his lips with a touch of coal in order to cleanse him before the perfect GOD. There is definitely the same fear in both men as they approached and spoke with the LORD GOD. For GOD “delights in those who fear Him, and put their hope in His unfailing love.” (Psalm 147: 11).

Lastly, remember prayer is not something we may do to persuade or bargain with the LORD, it is something we may do to align ourselves with His will.

Genesis 11: 1-9 -- The Tower of Babel

At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” But the LORD came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” In that way, the LORD scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the LORD confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.

Genesis 11: 1-9 [NLT]


Commentary: Several generations passed since the time of the great Flood. Noah’s sons obeyed God and were fruitful and multiplied, and began to fill the earth. This was God’s command to Adam and Eve, but man became wicked and within a millennium God sent a flood to reset His plan. The aforementioned was also God’s command to Noah and his sons, but within a few generations – after some “filling” of the earth had occurred – began to migrate back to their origin: east. This displeased God as the people began to unite under their own accord, and not within the plan of God. See, God does want mankind to be united but within His plan, abiding with Him. The tower of Babel was the people’s symbol of uniting under their own strength, as pride was their motivation. So God forced the people to scatter as He had originally planned. Even scattered – whether speaking one language or hundreds – we can still be united, but only united in God through His Son, Jesus the Christ. Even before Jesus came to earth as a man, the workings of God and eventually His Scripture point toward a Messiah – One who showed us perfect humility, the opposite of pride. It is through Him we can abide with God and with each other. 

(At first glance, v6 seems to imply that with the people united nothing "will be impossible for them!" God was not saying to His Son and Spirit that all things would be possible for them, but looking at the language of the Scripture, it's clear that what is being said is: man will believe all is possible and they won't need God. It is only through the power of God that all things are possible, hence the passage in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Never of our own strength can we do the seemingly impossible.)

GOD's Favor - Genesis 6

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.

But Noah found favor with the Lord.

Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt. So God said to Noah, “I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior."

“Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. So enter the boat—you and your wife and your sons and their wives."

"And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals.” So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

- Genesis 6: 5, 8, 11-14, 17-18, 21-22


Commentary: In spite of all the lawlessness, wrongdoing and -- let's call it what it is -- evil and wickedness that goes on in this modern world, it is important to remain faithful to the Creator of the universe. The creation will pass away. The created will fail us. The created will deny us. GOD will never forsake us. "But Noah found favor with the LORD." In spite of all the evil around him, Noah and his family were blessed with a saving covenant from their LORD GOD -- their provider, their Creator -- because of their faithfulness. GOD gave them detailed instructions. "So Noah did everything exactly as GOD had commanded him." And because of his obedience, GOD demonstrated a miracle far beyond the finite. The miracle can be seen in the infinite. The spiritual connection we as believers have with our LORD GOD. That relationship with the Creator is magnified through our obedience! "[For] He delights in those who fear Him and put their hope in His unfailing love." (Psalm 147: 11)
 

Genesis 2:15-17

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

-- Genesis 2:15-17


Commentary: Some say, including Satan, that GOD lied when He said man would die if he ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree because Adam and Eve remained alive. But they indeed experienced death. The Garden of Eden was GOD's first temple. A temple is where GOD dwells. GOD placed man in the garden, in His temple -- where GOD dwelt. This is the picture of life. When man disobeyed, GOD removed him from the garden, from the temple, from the place where GOD dwells. This equated to death, spiritual death. Therefore, Adam and Eve indeed experienced death. This is why all their descendants, including every person currently living, is born dead -- spiritually dead.  
This is why the perfect GOD had to come to our world and defeat death by dying on cross and rising from the grave. In this act of pure love, and by the power of GOD's Holy Spirit He can now dwell in His new temple, the temple of those who acknowledge he/she is born into death and is in need of a Savior, Jesus the Christ. This cannot be accomplished on our own, but only through GOD's power. 

Genesis 3:14-15

Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

- Genesis 3:14-15


Commentary: This is the first recorded prophecy, and it was foretold by GOD. He was in control. He still is in control. He will always be in control. In spite of the fall of mankind, in spite of the serpent tempting the woman, GOD is in control. And from this beginning He knew He would have to make the greatest sacrifice. Not because He wasn't aware of man's or the serpent's pending actions, but because GOD is in control. In that control, in His plan, He knows the serpent -- Satan -- is defeated through Jesus the Christ, in spite of the seeming victory of Satan by the death of Jesus -- hence, the "strike your heel" reference. "He will strike your head, ..." A strike to the head is an image of GOD's victory over Satan, over darkness and over evil and over death. This is the first hope given to man. The first two humans were now GOD's ambassadors, to proclaim this hope to their offspring for generation to generation, looking forward to the coming of this hope. The hope of Jesus the Christ! The one who defeated death by His resurrection so we do not have face everlasting death but may have everlasting life.

Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

- Genesis 1:1-2


Commentary: "In the beginning God"; the first four words say it all. Removing mankind's finite timeline, there is just God. Infinite. All-powerful. All-wise. God. And, we're introduced to His Spirit. God the Father, the Holy Spirit -- and knowing other scripture -- the Son of God. Three persons, one God. Communing with each other during the formation of the universe. Who knows how long the "hovering" took place. Maybe long enough for the light of the billions of stars and galaxies to reach the earth -- just as He said next, "Let there be light." The love shared between the three persons of God for perhaps billions of years pales in comparison to the love shared in eternity-past. This is the same love God bestows on us. I desire this love.

Revelation 22:16, 20

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star." ... He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Revelation 19:9-10

And the angel said to me [the Apostle John] , "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, "These are true words that come from God." Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus."

- Revelation 19:9-10

Revelation 6

As I [the Apostle John] watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory. When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come!" Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere. When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "Come!" I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, "A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day's pay. And don't waste the olive oil and wine." When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, "Come!" I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?" Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters-their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred-had joined them. I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places. Then everyone-the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person-all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?"

Revelation 2:7

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

- Revelation 2:7

Revelation 1:3

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.

- Revelation 1:3

[Similar to Ecclesiastes]

Jude 1:3-4 & 10-11a

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ...

But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother.

- Jude 1:3-4 & 10-11a