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38th Street Church of Christ 3904 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44718 330-492-5523 Fax: 330-493-7119 |
“Speaking To The Lord: Abraham” |
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I. Introduction.
A. The patriarch Abraham had no difficulty making contact
with God. In fact, he never really needed to try to do so.
Throughout his long life, God made contact with Abraham.
1. We’re not specifically told how God did this. In the
Bible we read, “The Lord said to Abraham, . . .” and
it doesn’t explain to us whether God spoke to him in
an audible voice, or in the stillness of Abraham’s
heart.2. One time, God spoke in a vision (Genesis 15:1) on
another occasion, He “appeared” to Abraham
(Genesis 17:1). And, that’s what happens, also, at
the start of Genesis 18: “Then the Lord appeared to
him [Abraham] by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as
he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the
day.” (verse 1).3. But, here’s the important point: each time
communion, and communication, between God and
Abraham is mentioned, God took the initiative.
God spoke – Abraham responded. Our prayer lives
can improve if we let God take the initiative as well.B. We describe prayer – quite rightly – as talking to – or with-
God. Communication is involved. Communion is
involved. The quality of that communication and
communion can be determined by the one who starts it.1. If you find yourself in a group of strangers, isn’t it
comforting if someone in the group greets us and
shows a friendly interest in us? Isn’t it difficult for
us to start a conversation among strangers –
especially if what we say is met with silence?2. For prayer to be effective, for communication to be
comfortable, we first have to listen. And, God is
always speaking to us. To hear Him is not a
mystical experience. It requires merely that we pay
attention to God; to single out His voice from the
babble that comes to us each day.3. It’s interesting that, in the New Testament, word
“hear” does not commonly refer to the actual
process – the physical way we receive verbal
communication. In other words, it has nothing to
do with how our ears receive sound.a. It has to do, rather, with how we receive
instruction, and ideas. It means “to pay
heed.”b. There’s a saying: “There’s none so deaf as
those who won’t hear.” Jesus once quoted
from the prophet Isaiah and told His
disciples: “ ‘Hearing you will hear and shall
not understand . . . For the hearts of this
people have grown dull. Their ears are hard
of hearing . . .’ But, blessed are your eyes
for they see, and your ears for they hear.”
(Matthew 13:14-16).C. Abraham was not unique. God approaches all of us, speaks
to us, and expects us to listen and “pay heed.” He expects
us to respond. Our experiences in communicating, and
communing with, God may not be as dramatic as
Abraham’s, but, remember, Abraham could not “hear”, and
heed, God through scripture. He never read a word from
the Bible.D. Here, in Genesis 18, we’re given a vivid picture of what
happened when God appeared to Abraham.1. Three men, no doubt dressed like nomad tribesmen,
approached Abraham’s tent in the heat of the day.
Abraham saw them coming, rose, and went out to
greet them. At that time, there is no indication
Abraham suspected who these visitors were. When
did this suspicion of their true identity come to him?
That’s hard to know.2. After enjoying Abraham’s hospitality (and
Abraham’s receiving the news that he and Sarah
will have a son), “ . . . the men rose from there and
looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with
them to send them on the way” (Genesis 18:16).
And, the Lord (God revealed in the flesh) says:
“ ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?’ ”
(18:17).3. This introduces a very interesting part of Scripture,
depicting God as walking, and talking, and thinking,
as we do.II. Abraham: God’s Confidant.
A. We know, of course, that God’s way of thinking is beyond
our ability to understand. God, Who created, and sustains,
whole galaxies with His awesome power; God Who
numbers the hairs on our heads and knows when even a
sparrow dies; that God doesn’t “think” in the limited way
we do. Yet, here, His whole attention is directed to
Abraham.1. But, why? Why should the All-Powerful, All-
Knowing judge of the universe take Abraham
into His confidence? Why does He feel a sense
of obligation to Abraham?
2. God gives His own reason in verse 19 (READ).a. God knew Abraham. He knew Abraham
would order his household in the right way.
He knew Abraham would instruct his
children properly.b. In the Hebrew, the word translated “known”
in verse 19 means “chosen” or “made . . .my
friend.” So, God says: “I’ve chosen
Abraham to be My friend. I also want him
as My partner, to have a part in My plans.
But, I’ve given him a will, also, that allows
him to make his own judgments.”3. It may seem inconceivable to us that the God who
dealt with Abraham this way wants the same kind
of relationship with us. We, too, are His creation.
And, we are sinners redeemed by the blood of His
Own Son. We are also His children by our spiritual
re-birth. But, He calls us to be His partners and
friends, as well.a. John 15:15: “No longer do I call you
servants, for a servant does not know what
his master is doing; but I have called you
friends, for all things that I heard from My
Father I have made known to you.”b. Two facts follow from this: if we are God’s,
and Christ’s, friend He will share His
thoughts with us. And, if we are God’s and
Christ’s partner, He will be concerned about
our needs, our plans, and our futures.B. Prayer, looked at this way, is a sharing of thoughts, and
consulting with God on matters of importance. God
appeals to us to deliberate with Him on matters of destiny.1. How this raises the level of prayer! It’s not
intended to be centered primarily on my petty
needs and woes. Yet, God is interested in these,
because He cares about me.2. But, the real agenda has been drawn up in heaven,
and involves greater things than me.C. God discussed with Abraham the destiny of Sodom. He
discussed with Abraham a matter which far exceeds
Abraham’s personal concerns about a son. And, as
Abraham sees what God’s agenda is – the destruction of a
whole population – he is seized with dismay.1. To us, Sodom is a name, a city long-gone,
remembered only for its wickedness and
perversions. To Abraham, it was much more. It
was living people – people of all ages, all types, and
people not all corrupt and evil.2. Abraham says to God: “. . . ‘would You also
destroy the righteous with the wicked?’ ”
(Genesis 18:23).a. Abraham knew of Sodom, but he also knew
Sodom. His own nephew, Lot, lived there
with his family. He’d met the king. He’d
rescued many of its citizens when disaster
in war had overtaken them (Genesis 14).b. God had enabled Abraham to deliver Sodom
from the ravages of defeat – and now, God
was proposing to obliterate the city and all
who inhabited it.D. A blend of horror, and boldness, characterizes Abraham’s
appeal, his prayer, for Sodom.1. It is not a “Save-Sodom-if-it-be-Your-will” prayer.
It is a real-issues, facts-and-figures prayer, very
specific.2. Because, Abraham also knew, God meant what He
said. Abraham knew God would keep a promise –
no matter what the promise was.3. Prayer has to do with accomplishing God’s will.
But, what about “if-it-be-your-will?”a. We pray to collaborate with God to
accomplish a desired end. (“Call upon God,
but row away from the rocks”). We also
pray to get a greater vision of what God is
like.b. Here we see Abraham speaking to God.
Terrified though he may be, he wants to get
the facts straight. His prayer is not just
bargaining or haggling with God. He has
nothing to offer in trade. He’s just desperate
to understand.4. The very foundation of Abraham’s life is being
challenged. He believes in the justice, and
faithfulness, of the God he obeys and serves.
Speaking to God he communicates the sentiment:
“I just don’t understand.” “Would You also destroy
the righteous with the wicked? . . . Far be it from
You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous
with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as
the wicked: far be it from You! Shall not the Judge
of all the earth do right?” (verses 23; 25).5. Abraham speaks not as a servant, but as a friend –
but speaks fearful he may have gone too far.6. In the end, his yearning that God be just overcomes
his fear – “Suppose there were fifty righteous within
the city . . . ?” (verse 24).III. Conclusion.
A. God never defends Himself when we come to Him in our
perplexity. Maybe we can understand Abraham’s emotions
because we’ve “. . . stood before the Lord” and asked
questions, too. Maybe we’ve wondered even whether it
was proper to raise such questions with the Almighty God
of the universe.1. Through tears of pain, or frustration, or anxiety, we
ask: “Lord, how could You be like that?” How
could You let that happen? Where is Your power,
and why didn’t You use it to change things?2. And, God lets us ask Him these things – and then
reveals Himself to us even more fully. What is
important is not the specific issue we pray about,
but the very nature of God.B. Abraham was fully aware of what he was doing: “I who
am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak
to the Lord” (verse 27). But, without such an awareness
of the greatness of God, the power of God, the justice and
righteousness of God – our prayers are mere words with no
substance, or hope, of answer.C. Why did Abraham stop at ten? We may never know. But,
Abraham was reassured – at each point from fifty to ten,
God said “. . . I will not do it.” And, at each point, to
Abraham, God gets bigger.D. God’s will was done, but Abraham talked with Him and
found Him an even more just and righteous God than he’d
ever imagined. The issue was no longer whether Sodom
was spared or consumed; it was that the universe was in
the hands of a righteous God, who listens to us, and allows
us to persuade Him.E. With earnest prayer, we grow larger, too. We grow in our
relationship with Him. Prayer is responding to the true
God as He reveals Himself to us in His word.