Genesis 19:15-29 (NLT)
¹⁵ At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”
¹⁶ When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful. ¹⁷ When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”
¹⁸ “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged. ¹⁹ “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. ²⁰ See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”
²¹ “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. ²² But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)
²³ Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon.²⁴ Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. ²⁵ He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. ²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.
²⁷ Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence. ²⁸ He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.
²⁹ But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 19:15-29 (NLT)
¹⁵ At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”

 Not as literal, but just as important.

Amos 5:14-15 (NLT)
¹⁴ Do what is good and run from evil
so that you may live!
Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper,
just as you have claimed.
¹⁵ Hate evil and love what is good;
turn your courts into true halls of justice.
Perhaps even yet the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies
will have mercy on the remnant of his people.

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

• Do what is good and run from evil.

• Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world.

Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction.

¹⁶ When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful. 

•  God is merciful.

Mercy

Withholding disserved punishment. (to be correctly punished for your mistakes or bad behavior)

“Mercy and grace are often confused. While the terms have similar meanings, grace and mercy are not the same. To summarize the difference: mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve, and grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy.”

Psalm 91:14 (NLT)
The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.

• God will rescue those who love Him.

Psalm 55:16  (NLT)
But I will call on God,
and the Lord will rescue me.

¹⁷ When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”

Don’t look back.

Philippians 3:13 (NLT)
¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

 Don’t be controlled by your past.                                                  

Luke 9:62 (NLT)
But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

 Isaiah 43:18-19 New International Version (NIV)
¹⁸ “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. 

• Forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead.

¹⁸ “Oh no, my lord!” Lot begged. ¹⁹ “You have been so gracious to me and saved my life, and you have shown such great kindness. But I cannot go to the mountains. Disaster would catch up to me there, and I would soon die. ²⁰ See, there is a small village nearby. Please let me go there instead; don’t you see how small it is? Then my life will be saved.”

Compromise

²¹ “All right,” the angel said, “I will grant your request. I will not destroy the little village. 

More mercy

²² But hurry! Escape to it, for I can do nothing until you arrive there.” (This explains why that village was known as Zoar, which means “little place.”)

Lingering, halting, and being dragged to safety.

Lot is not being a role model.

²³ Lot reached the village just as the sun was rising over the horizon.²⁴ Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah. ²⁵ He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, wiping out all the people and every bit of vegetation. 

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10  (NLT)
⁶ In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.
⁷ And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. ¹⁰ When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

Romans 2:6-10  (NLT)
⁶ He will judge everyone according to what they have done. ⁷ He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. ⁸ But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. ⁹ There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. ¹⁰ But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.

Galatians 6:7  (NLT)
⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

• You cannot mock the justice of God without receiving a consequence.

²⁶ But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.

             Unable to give up her past.

Matthew 10:39 (NLT)
If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

• Those who try to keep the life they have will lose it.

 ²⁷ Abraham got up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he had stood in the Lord’s presence. ²⁸ He looked out across the plain toward Sodom and Gomorrah and watched as columns of smoke rose from the cities like smoke from a furnace.

 ²⁹ But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe, removing him from the disaster that engulfed the cities on the plain.

James 5:16 (NLT)
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

• The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Genesis 19:1-14 (NLT)
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
¹ That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. ² “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”
“Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”
³ But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. ⁴ But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. ⁵ They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”
⁶ So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.⁷ “Please, my brothers,” he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing.⁸ Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish. But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”
⁹ “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge! We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.
¹⁰ But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. ¹¹ Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.
¹² Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. ¹³ For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the Lord, and he has sent us to destroy it.”
¹⁴ So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking.

 Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 19:1-14 (NLT)
Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed
¹ That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom.

 Lot was sitting there,

City officials and other prominent citizens conducted the community’s affairs at the gate.

 Lot had become involved with the politics of Sodom.

Proverbs 4:10-19 (NLT)
¹⁰ My child, listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
¹¹ I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
¹² When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
¹³ Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.
¹⁴ Don’t do as the wicked do,
and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
¹⁵ Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
Turn away and keep moving.
¹⁶ For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
¹⁷ They eat the food of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence!
¹⁸ The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NLT)
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?

 Psalm 37:27 (NLT)
Turn from evil and do good,
and you will live in the land forever.

 Lot was teaming up with unbelievers (the wicked).

• Lot had become a part of the political system of Sodom.
• Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers.

 and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground. 

Like Abraham

Hebrews 13:2 (NLT)
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 

² “My lords,” he said, “come to my home to wash your feet, and be my guests for the night. You may then get up early in the morning and be on your way again.”

Good host
(note: It doesn’t say that Lot would wash their feet.)

No indication that Lot knew these men were angels.  (See verse 13)

 “Oh no,” they replied. “We’ll just spend the night out here in the city square.”

 Lot was certainly aware of the perversity of the Sodomites.

Lot wanted to protect these men (angels) from the perversity of the Sodomites.

 ³ But Lot insisted, so at last they went home with him. Lot prepared a feast for them, complete with fresh bread made without yeast, and they ate. 

 ⁴ But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 

•  The perversity in Sodom was widespread.

 ⁵ They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”

 Blatant homosexuality

What is a root cause of homosexuality?

Romans 1:18-27
God’s Anger at Sin
¹⁸ But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. ¹⁹ They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
²¹ Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. ²² Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. ²³ And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
²⁴ So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. ²⁵ They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. ²⁶ That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. ²⁷ And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other.

• Wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
• They knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.
• God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired.

 ⁶ So Lot stepped outside to talk to them, shutting the door behind him.⁷ “Please, my brothers,”

My brothers

My friends

Don’t team up with unbelievers. 

he begged, “don’t do such a wicked thing.⁸ Look, I have two virgin daughters. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do with them as you wish.

Don’t try to rationalize this behavior in any way.

 But please, leave these men alone, for they are my guests and are under my protection.”

                 Again, being a good host.

 ⁹ “Stand back!” they shouted. “This fellow came to town as an outsider, and now he’s acting like our judge!

 We’ll treat you far worse than those other men!” And they lunged toward Lot to break down the door.

The men of Sodom turned against Lot.

John 15:19 (NLT)
The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

• The world hates those who God chose to come out of the world.

¹⁰ But the two angels reached out, pulled Lot into the house, and bolted the door. 

 The two angels saved Lot.

 ¹¹ Then they blinded all the men, young and old, who were at the door of the house, so they gave up trying to get inside.

 Exodus 23:20  (NLT)
A Promise of the Lord’s Presence
“See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you.

•  God uses angels to carry out His plans.

  ¹² Meanwhile, the angels questioned Lot. “Do you have any other relatives here in the city?” they asked. “Get them out of this place—your sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone else. 

The angels warned Lot to leave Sodom.

 ¹³ For we are about to destroy this city completely. The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the Lord, and he has sent us to destroy it.”

 By this time it would have been clear to Lot that these men were angels sent by God.

•  God sent angels to destroy Sodom because of all the wickedness present in the city.

Divine judgment.

Romans 1:18
God’s Anger at Sin
But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Psalm 34:16 (NLT)
But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
he will erase their memory from the earth.

 Psalm 94:23 (NLT)
God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.
He will destroy them for their sins.
The Lord our God will destroy them.

 Malachi 4:1 (NLT)
The Coming Day of Judgment
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all.

•  God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

  ¹⁴ So Lot rushed out to tell his daughters’ fiancés, “Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.”

 But the young men thought he was only joking.

Lot had lost all of his credibility.

Genesis 18:16-33 (NLT)
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
¹⁶ Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.
¹⁷ “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. ¹⁸ “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. ¹⁹ I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”
²⁰ So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. ²¹ I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”
²² The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. ²³ Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? ²⁴ Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? ²⁵ Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”
²⁶ And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”
²⁷ Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord, even though I am but dust and ashes. ²⁸ 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.”
²⁹ 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.”
³⁰ “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”
³¹ Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
³² Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”
And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
³³ When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 18:16-33 (NLT)
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

¹⁶ Then the men

The Lord and two angels. (last lesson)

got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.

¹⁷ “Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked. ¹⁸ “For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. 

My plan

Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. (God’s plan repeated.) Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 22:18, 26:4 Acts 3:25

Galatians 3:8 (NLT)
What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.”

¹⁹ I have singled him out

• God had a plan for Abraham.

1 Corinthians 12 (NLT)
One Body with Many Parts
¹² The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.
¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

• God has a plan for us.

so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.

• Abraham’s role:

Be a good father and grandfather.

He will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.

Do what is right and just.

What scriptures pop into your minds?

Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)
Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Deuteronomy 6  (NLT)
A Call for Wholehearted Commitment
¹ “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, ² and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. ³ Listen closely, Israel, and be careful to obey. Then all will go well with you, and you will have many children in the land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
⁴ “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. ⁵ And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. ⁶ And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Psalm 78:4-7 (NLT)
⁴ We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
⁵ For he issued his laws to Jacob;  he gave his instructions to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,
⁶ so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born—
and they in turn will teach their own children.
⁷ So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

Summarize the above.

Redeemer Day School. (One of the school’s core values)

Redeemer Day School partners with parents and comes alongside them as they rear their children. We believe that a child’s home, church, and school should work together to “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6). Teachers and parents must rely on the Holy Spirit to develop Christ-like character in these precious children. We are looking down the road at what each child will become as they grow into the person that the Lord has created them to be. Our prayer is that they will never know a time that they do not love, serve, and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”

Deuteronomy 30:15-18 (NLT)
¹⁵ “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. ¹⁶ For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
¹⁷ “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸ then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy.

• God carries out His promises.

²⁰ So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant. ²¹ I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard.

Jeremiah 23:24 (NLT)
Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?
Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?”
says the Lord.

Job 34:21 (NLT)
“For God watches how people live;
he sees everything they do.

Psalm 139
¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
² You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
³ You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.

• God knows everything we do.

If not, I want to know.”

Genesis 13:13 (NLT)
But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

Contrast

Blessings and curses

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (NLT)
²⁶ “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! ²⁷ You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. ²⁸ But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.

• You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord. You will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord.

²² The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. ²³ Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? 

• The Lord remained with Abraham.

Abraham approached God

Hebrews 4:14-16  (NLT)
Christ Is Our High Priest
¹⁴ So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. ¹⁵ This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

• Because of all that Jesus has done for us we can come boldly to God’s throne of grace.

²⁴ Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? 

Proverbs 14:34 (NIV)
Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin condemns any people.

²⁵ Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same!

• Abraham was genuinely concerned for the righteous. (Lot)

Genesis 14:16 (NLT)
Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”

Psalm 11:7 (NLT)
For the righteous Lord loves justice.
The virtuous will see his face.

Psalm 89:14 (NLT)
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.

Psalm 7:11 (NLT)
God is an honest judge.
He is angry with the wicked every day.

Psalm 7:11 (NIV)
God is a righteous judge,
a God who displays his wrath every day.

• God is a righteous judge. He does what is right.

²⁶ And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”

²⁷ Then Abraham spoke again. “Since I have begun, let me speak further to my Lord,
 even though I am but dust and ashes. 

            Insignificant compared to God.

²⁸ 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.”

²⁹ 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.”

³⁰ “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”

And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”

³¹ Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”

³² Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?”

It was turning out that Sodom was truly an intensely wicked city.

Genesis 13:13 (NLT)
But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

Genesis 19:16 (NLT)
When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.

And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”

³³ When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.

 

 

Hebrews 13:2 (NLT)
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 

Commentaries cross-reference this verse with Genesis 18:1-15

Genesis 18:1-15 (NLT)
A Son Is Promised to Sarah
¹ The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. ² He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
³ “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. ⁴ Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. ⁵ And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
⁶ So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” ⁷ Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. ⁸ When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
⁹ “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. ¹² So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 18:1-15 (NLT)
A Son Is Promised to Sarah
¹ The Lord appeared again to Abraham

 The Lord and two angels.  (This will be clear shortly.)

• The Lord and two angles appeared to Abraham and Sarah in human form.

God came to Abraham.

 Various roles of angels in the Scriptures:

Communicate information

Luke 2:8-14 (NLT)
⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

John 20:11-12 (NLT)
¹¹ Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. ¹² She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.

Matthew 28:6  (NLT)
⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.

Accompany Jesus

Matthew 16:27 (NLT)
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.

 2 Thessalonians 1:7 (NLT)
And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels,

 Protection/Care

Matthew 4:11 (NLT)
Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Luke 4:10 (NLT)
For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you.

Hebrews 1:14 (NLT)
Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.

 Psalm 91:11 (NLT)
For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.

 Matthew 18:10 (NLT)
“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.

 Matthew 26:53 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?

Worship/Praise God

Luke 2:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Revelation 5:11 (NLT)
Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders.

Luke 15:10 (NLT)
In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”

Gather the chosen

Matthew 24:31 (NLT)
And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

• Angels are real and play many different roles throughout the scriptures.

 near the oak grove belonging to Mamre.

This is where Abraham moved to after he and Lot split up.

Genesis 13:18 (NLT)
So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord.

 One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. ² He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby.

 In previous encounters, the Lord simply “appeared”.

 When he saw them, he ran to meet them

 1 Peter 4:9 (NLT)
Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

Hebrews 13:2 (NLT)
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

 He ran – In the Middle East an elderly socially prominent man normally would not run

•  Abraham did not hesitate to show hospitality to his three visitors.

and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

 ³ “My lord,” he said,

             A common way of speaking to special guests.

•  Abraham treated his guests with respect.

 Refer to the use of “Lord” later in the chapter.

Initially, Abraham may or may not have known this was Yahweh but he certainly knew before too long.

Genesis 18:22 (NLT)
The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham.

Genesis 18:30-31 (NLT)
³⁰ “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”
³¹ Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”

  “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. ⁴ Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 

 Typical greeting.

 ⁵ And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”

 In reality, what happened here was that the Lord came to Abraham.

 Revelation 3:20 (NLT)
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

 Share a meal as friends – more intimate

• Jesus makes it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with Him.

 Jesus comes to us.

How do we respond?

Do we even recognize Jesus?

 “All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

⁶ So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” ⁷ Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 

•  Abraham was generous with his guests.

A period of time to “visit”.

 ⁸ When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.

 A significant amount of food.

 Abraham had servants, but here he did the serving.

• Abraham displayed a servant’s heart.

 The reason for the visit.

 ⁹ “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.

¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”

 A repetition, with more details, of the promise made in 17:16.

God was making his message crystal clear.

 Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 

 Long past the age of having children.

 ¹² So she laughed silently to herself and said,

 Genesis 17:17 (NLT)
Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”

 “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 

Sarah was still not receptive to God’s plan for her life.

There is a lesson here for us.

 ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 

 ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

 Repetition of the promise.

• Nothing is too hard for the Lord.

 ¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”

 Repentance vs. denial

 But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”

•  It doesn’t make sense to lie to God. He knows our hearts.

Previous lesson:

the Lord appeared to him (Abraham) and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’

“I (God Almighty) will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants ….”

• God is omnipotent.
  •  God is “The Overpowerer,” meaning He will do what He purposes to do, overpowering   all opposition.
  •  God is “The All Sufficient One…” He doesn’t need our help!
  • God is the Almighty One who supplies and satisfies our every need.
  • God nourishes and supplies the needs of His people.
  • God is more than sufficient to meet any need. He is power and provision.
  • God would be sufficient for Abram’s every need.

Today’s lesson

God tells of His plans for Sarah, Isaac, and Ishmael.

The sovereignty of God: all things are under His control.

Genesis 17:15-27 (NLT)
¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. ¹⁶ And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
¹⁷ Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” ¹⁸ So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”
¹⁹ But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. ²⁰ As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. ²¹ But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” ²² When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.
²³ On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. ²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, ²⁵ and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. ²⁶ Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, ²⁷ along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 17:15-27 (NLT)
Sarai Is Named Sarah
¹⁵ Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. 

“my princess” changed to “princess”

Princess – one whose seed would produce kings.

 ¹⁶ And I will bless her and give you a son from her!

Genesis 21:2-3 (NLT)
² She (Sarah) became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. ³ And Abraham named their son Isaac.

 Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”

Sarah is blessed with a son.

Sarah is richly blessed by becoming the mother of many nations.  Kings will be among her descendants.

Much like the promise made to Abraham.

Genesis 17:5 (NLT)
What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations.

 ¹⁷ Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief.

Abraham laughed in disbelief.

Review: the Lord appeared to him (Abraham) and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’

 Abraham did not fully grasp what God was telling him.  Isn’t this also true for us?

He (we) had a partial understanding of what God was saying.

 

• Abraham did not fully grasp all that God was telling him.

This all sounded incredible to Abraham.  He had assumed that his descendants would come through Ishmael.

Abraham knew (believed) that he would be the father of many nations.  This was the first mention that his barren, old wife was to be the mother.

 “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” 

 Isaiah 46:9-11 (NLT)
⁹ Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
¹¹ I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
and I will do it.

•  God does what He says He will do.

 ¹⁸ So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”

Abraham still saw Ishmael as special.

Abraham asked that Ishmael would receive the special blessing from God.

Still willing to help God with an alternate solution “to the problem”.

 ¹⁹ But God replied, “No—

•  God often says “No” to His people.

Luke 22:42 (NLT)
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 

God’s plan

Isaac means “he laughs”

Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

• God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Mark 10:27 (NLT)
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

 ²⁰ As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 

God partially honors Abraham’s request in verse 18.

²¹ But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.” 

 God’s covenant will continue through Isaac.

 ²² When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.

²³ On that very day

 Obedience

 Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. ²⁴ Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, ²⁵ and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. ²⁶ Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, ²⁷ along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.

 Trust and obey

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
⁶ Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 16:20 (NLT)
²⁰ Those who listen to instruction will prosper;
those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

• Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

“I (God Almighty) will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants …. ‘

Genesis 17:1-14 (NLT)
Abram Is Named Abraham
¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. ² I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”
³ At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, ⁴ “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! ⁵ What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!
⁷ “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. ⁸ And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

The Mark of the Covenant

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. ¹⁰ This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. ¹¹ You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. ¹² From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. ¹³ All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.¹⁴ Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”

Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 17:1-14 (NLT)
Abram Is Named Abraham
¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old,

 13 years after the birth of Ishmael.

Sarai had not yet given birth to a son.

the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’

One of the most well-known names for the Lord, El Shaddai,

English as “God Almighty,” and it is found in Job more than any other book in Scripture.

This title would be used to describe His power.

• God is omnipotent.
  • God is the Almighty One who supplies and satisfies our every need.
  • God nourishes and supplies the needs of His people.
  • God is “The All Sufficient One…” He doesn’t need our help!
  • God is more than sufficient to meet any need. He is power and provision.
  • God is “The Overpowerer,” meaning He will do what He purposes to do, overpowering all opposition.
  • God would be sufficient for Abram’s every need.

Exodus 15:6 (NLT)
“Your right hand, O Lord,
is glorious in power.
Your right hand, O Lord,
smashes the enemy.

Matthew 19:26 (NLT)
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Luke 1:37 (NLT)
For the word of God will never fail.”

Psalm 115:3 (NLT)
Our God is in the heavens,
and he does as he wishes.

Job 42:2(NLT)
“I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.”

Jeremiah 32:27 (NLT)
“I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?”

•  God’s power is a resource for Christians.

Ephesians 1:19-23 (NLT)
¹⁹ I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. ²¹ Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. ²² God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. ²³ And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

 Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

 Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 

 Expectations for Abram.

Called to a higher standard of living.

Expectations for Christians.

Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

 Philippians 1:9-10 (NLT)
⁹ I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰ For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

Holy, without fault, pure, and blameless.
(What God has begun in the past will be completed in the future.)

Holy- set apart

Pure – Not weakened or diluted (metal – wine)

Blameless –Free from accusation. Used to describe sacrificial lambs.
Above reproach
Right relationship with God and others.
Not causing others to stumble.

2 Peter 3:14 (NLT)
And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

Desire to live the life God called you to live. (Remember God’s power.)

• God chose us (Christians) to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

² I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”

 ³ At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him,

 Postures give expression to the attitudes of our hearts.

 ⁴ “This is my covenant with you:

 I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! 

 Previously
Genesis 15:5 (NLT)
Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

 ⁵ What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. 

Abram –      High father or “exalted father.”

Abraham – Father of many, father of a multitude

Romans 4:17 (NLT)
That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

 Belief vs. keeping the law

⁶ I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!

 ⁷ “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation.

 God confirms His covenant.

God repeats His covenant.

God’s covenant is everlasting.

 This is the everlasting covenant:

 I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 

 ⁸ And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

 The Mark of the Covenant

⁹ Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant.

 Acts 7:5 (NLT)
“But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet.

 You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. 

 Zephaniah 3:12-13 (NLT)
¹² Those who are left will be the lowly and humble,
for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.
¹³ The remnant of Israel will do no wrong;
they will never tell lies or deceive one another.
They will eat and sleep in safety,
and no one will make them afraid.”

 ¹⁰ This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. ¹¹ You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. 

Not a Hebrew invention – used in Egypt as an act of ritual purity

A new meaning here.

• Physical circumcision was a reminder of God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants.

Separation

Purity (cut away sin)

Loyalty

• True circumcision is a change of heart produced by the Spirit.

Deuteronomy 30:6 (NLT)
“The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!

Romans 2:28-29 (NLT)
²⁸ For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹ No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Romans 4:11 (NLT)
 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith.

¹² From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. 

•  Circumcision has nothing to do with racial purity.

¹³ All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.¹⁴ Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”

The Council of Jerusalem did not include religious male circumcision as a requirement for new Gentile converts. Acts 15.

 

Life gets complicated when we do things our way rather than trusting God to do things His way.

Genesis 16 (NLT)
The Birth of Ishmael
¹ Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. ² So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. ³ So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)

⁴ So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!” ⁶ Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.” Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.
⁷ The angel of the Lord found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. ⁸ The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied. ⁹ The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” ¹⁰ Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.” ¹¹ And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. ¹² This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”
¹³ Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” ¹⁴ So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.
¹⁵ So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 16 (NLT)
The Birth of Ishmael
¹ Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him.
        More than 20 years

But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. ² So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.”

Man’s way vs. God’s way.

***Galatians 4:22-23 (NLT)
²² The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. ²³ The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

Sarai was impatient.

A custom of the day.  (Man’s way)  May appear to be a good solution.
This behavior was not wrong in the eyes of the secular world.
A barren women could give her maid to her husband as a wife.  The child would be regarded as the first wife’s child.
If the husband said to the slave-wife’s son, “You are my son” then he was the adopted son and heir.

• Man’s efforts to resolve problems may appear to be good solutions.

God’s way

Genesis 15:2-5 (NLT)
² But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. ³ You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”
⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” ⁵ Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)
⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways
and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Throughout the scriptures multiple wives caused problems.

Jacob married Leah and Rachel

El-ka-nah married Hannah and Pen-in-nah

(and many others)

And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. 

 Reminds me of Adam and Eve.

 ³ So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) ⁴ So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant.

 Hagar’s status changes from servant to wife.

Genesis 2:24 (NLT)
This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

• Life gets complicated when we do things our way rather than trusting God to do things His way.

But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. 

Conflict between Hagar and Sarai.

Sarai’s proposal brought about conflict.

 ⁵ Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!”

Conflict between Sarai and Abram.

⁶ Abram replied, “Look, she is your servant, so deal with her as you see fit.”

             Abram transferred his responsibility to Sarai.

 Then Sarai treated Hagar so harshly that she finally ran away.

Hagar may have been heading back to her homeland of Egypt.

⁷ The angel of the Lord

 Messenger of the Lord

Preincarnate manifestation of Christ

The Lord Himself. (Verse 10)

 found Hagar beside a spring of water in the wilderness, along the road to Shur. 

 An angel (God) found Hagar.

But she had obviously become a believer in the God of Abram, and she has a place in God’s Holy Word.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT),
The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

⁸ The angel said to her, “Hagar, Sarai’s servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?”  “I’m running away from my mistress, Sarai,” she replied. ⁹ The angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority.” 

Submit to authority.

 In Genesis chapter 21, after Isaac was born, Hagar was sent away.

 ¹⁰ Then he added, “I will give you more descendants than you can count.”

 Genesis 17:20 (NLT)
As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

 Arabs (hostile to the Jews)

 Genesis 25:13-16 (NLT)
¹³ Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael’s descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped.

 ¹¹ And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. 

• God heard Hagar’s cry of distress.

 ¹² This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives.”

 Arabs (hostile to the Jews)

• There are negative consequences for doing things outside of God’s will.

 ¹³ Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?” 

 Hagar recognized God as the one who hears the afflicted and recognizes their needs.

Hagar renames God.

• The living God sees and hears.

¹⁴ So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means “well of the Living One who sees me”). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.

 ¹⁵ So Hagar gave Abram a son, and Abram named him Ishmael. 

Abraham named Ishmael, acknowledging him as his son and heir.

• The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise.

 ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born.

11 years after Abram settled in Canaan.

• God’s servants are to trust His Word and wait patiently for its fulfillment.
• Human efforts will not help.

 

 

 

How Can I Be Sure? (How Can I Know?)

Who’s asking?

Abram (Abraham) A man of faith.  (Hebrews 11:8-10 (NLT))

 

Genesis 15:7-21 (NLT)
⁷ Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.”

God promised to give Abram “this land.” (Descendants were promise in verses 4-5)

• God promised to give Abram descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Genesis 15:5)
• God promised to give Abram the land He was showing to him.  (Land identified in Genesis 15:18-21).

⁸ But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I be sure that I will actually possess it?”

 How can I be sure?  How can I know?

A genuine request for information and assurance.  It’s a legitimate question.

Is it o.k. to question God?

• Numerous people of faith (Hebrews 11) asked for and received signs from God. (Abraham, Gideon, David (Psalm 86:7), Moses)

God responded, using an ancient tradition.

⁹ The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”¹⁰ So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half. 

 ¹¹ Some vultures swooped down to eat the carcasses, but Abram chased them away.

Evil omen

• God’s promises of blessings do not negate hard times.

¹² As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep,

A unilateral covenant. Abram was sleeping.

 and a terrifying darkness came down over him. ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land,

 “You can be sure ….”

 where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 

400 years of oppression.

 ¹⁴ But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 

¹⁵ (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) 

 ¹⁶ After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

 God’s timing

•  God tells us that we can know for certain that His promises will come true. (“You can be sure …”)
• God’s promises might not be fulfilled in our lifetime.

The ritual (the sign)

¹⁷ After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch (symbolized the presence of God) pass between the halves of the carcasses.

Abram did not walk through the halves of the carcasses.

Ancient tradition

Referred to in scripture:

Jeremiah 34:18-19 (NLT)

¹⁸ Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows. ¹⁹ Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people—for you have broken your oath.

 ¹⁸ So the Lord made a covenant with Abram

•  God’s promises must be taken seriously.

that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— ¹⁹ the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, ²⁰ Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites,²¹ Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Unilateral covenant

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

•  God does not lie.  God keeps his promises.

P.S.
Genesis 24:1-7 (NLT)
A Wife for Isaac
¹ Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. ² One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. ³ Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. ⁴ Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”
⁵ The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”
⁶ “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. ⁷ For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.

Abram believed.

Hebrews 11:13 (NLT)
¹³ All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.

How can we be sure that we can live a godly life?

Pray

Ephesians 1:18 (NLT)
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Colossians 1:9 (NLT)
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Spend time in the Word

Acts 17:11 (NLT)
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

John 8:31-32 (NLT)
³¹ Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Remain faithful: hold to my teaching, If you continue to accept and obey my teaching, If you abide in my word,

God’s promises to us.

2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT)
Growing in Faith
³ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴ And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

 

• God has given us great and precious promises.
  • God gives us everything we need for living a godly life
• • God’s promises enable us to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption.

Genesis 15:1-6 (NLT)

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to Abram

¹ Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”  ² But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.  ³ You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”   ⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” ⁵ Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”  ⁶ And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

 

• Believers in Christ do not need to be afraid.
• Do not depend on your own understanding.
• Don’t play the blame game, especially with God.
• God’s promises are beyond our imagination.
• The only work God wants from us is to believe in Jesus.
• Abram had a right relationship with God because of his faith, not because of his works.
• Christians have a right relationship with God because of their faith, not because of their works.