Genesis 20:1-3 "You're a dead man, Abimelech!"

Genesis 20:1-3: Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.”

Our Genesis story now shifts back to the main character. We read that Abraham and at least Sarah his wife travel toward the land of the Negev, settling somewhere between Kadesh and Shur. We had heard of Negev twice before up to this point. In both chapters 12 and 13, when Abraham was first called to leave his country, we read that he traveled toward Negev and then from there to Bethel.

Kadesh was also referred to in Genesis 14 in reference to the battles of the various kings that are recorded and in Genesis 16 helping us locate the vicinity of the well where Hagar had a visit from the angel of the Lord. Shur likewise was referred to in chapter 16, again in reference to that same well.

From there the Bible says Abraham and his family ‘sojourned’ to Gerar. Sojourning when used in this case refers to a person who is a stranger deciding to stay awhile or tarry or abide in a particular place. Gerar was first introduced to us in Genesis 10 as part of the description of the land belonging to the Canaanites. It is translated as a “lodging place” and was actually a Philistine town south of Gaza and more modernly referred to as ‘Umm’.

What we do not know exactly is why Abraham left the area of Mamre where he had lived for some time and where God had promised that very soon his wife would have a child. In fact, Sarah’s pregnancy was probably quite evident at this point. Did he leave because he was terrified by what had happened to Sodom? Or was it that he was being persecuted and ridiculed himself as a result of Lot’s sin of incest? After all, they both had the same religion. We do not know why Abraham moved on at this time and the accounts we are about to read are not the greatest ones for our main man.

For some reason when Abraham arrived in Gerar, he felt he had to lie and state that his wife Sarah was his sister. But why? Was he trying to protect Sarah or was he trying to protect himself? And if so, how exactly? Is it also possible that he knew exactly what he was doing (since he had a similar experience in Genesis 12:13) and he had hoped to gain from it? And if that were the case, why didn’t he learn his lesson the last time? It appears that man is prone to repeat his sins especially when thrown unexpectedly into a very tempting circumstance because of the weakness of the flesh. While we need to be very cautious of such an occurrence and be prepared to stem it off, we can also realize that all is not lost and God still has a job for us to accomplish as part of His plan for mankind.

Yet Abraham’s twice repeated sin now put Sarah in grave danger as King Abimelech decides to take Abraham’s wife as part of his household with the ability to sleep with her as he wished. Why Abimelech took Sarah we do not know. Was it because he just made a habit of taking the wife of any stranger that came by? Or, was it because Sarah, even at the advanced age she was in, was indeed still a very strikingly beautiful woman? Whatever the reason, Abraham’s wife is now part of a foreign king’s harem and about to be forced to sleep with him.

And then once again that incredible, most hope bringing phrase in the entire Bible appears – “But God”! God Himself takes part in an unbeliever’s dream and speaks to him. And what He has to say is not gentle talk. When God warns or chastises, He does it in a way that make His feelings clearly known and void of any misunderstanding. “Abimelech, your’re a dead man if you sleep with this married woman!” And somehow, I believe I could hear the immediacy of the undesirable threat in God’s voice.

Abimelech’s actions warranted a visit by God in his dreams not because heathen kings had a practice of taking many wives to their bed but because God hates adultery, especially when His own people are involved. And even if they cannot prevent themselves from falling prey to it, He will often take necessary action working through others to stop the sin continuing or recurring. I am aware of one adulterous situation where I believe God stepped in and worked through the unbelieving party to prevent the Christian involved from ruining a family and taking irreparable action with respect to marriage and divorce. God worked in the conscious of the unbeliever causing them to admit their sin to their own spouse and expose the relationship. That individual’s marriage ended in divorce but God saved the marriage of the believer just in time. Somehow God got into the mind of the unbeliever and said, “you’re dead if you continue with this – you’re dealing with a married person and I hate adultery.”

This is the first time in the text that the word ‘dream’ is used. We should be aware that God can and does come to us in dreams and not only to His own people, but to unbelievers as we will see later in our story. The difficulty of course is that we cannot always discern whether or not a dream we believed came from God was indeed so. In this case, we have accepted the word of Scripture that God went to Abimelech in a “dream of the night”. But what about us? Was our dream really a dream from God? And what about all those charlatans out there who claim to have had dreams from God and somehow they manage to make millions of dollars off those dreams? The tragedy is that oftentimes our cynicism may dismiss the very means God chooses to communicate with us. Thankfully, there are ways to help us discern whether or not it is God speaking, most important of which is the fact that God would never contradict Himself or what He has told us in Scripture. Secondly, He will provide us with several sources of “confirming” information – either in our own life’s experiences or in the confidence of trusted Christian men and women who pour themselves into our lives. When God wants to speak to us, He will be clear and unequivocal. He is not a God of confusion and enigmas.

Our difficulty is not understanding what God wants to say to us. It is more often that we don’t readily accept what He wants to say or what He wants us to do.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:30-38 What a Difference A Night Makes

Genesis 19:30-38: And Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the first-born said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night, and the first-born went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. And it came about on the morrow, that the first-born said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. And the first-born bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. And as for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

Here we have an interesting scenario. God tells lot to flee to the mountains and he requested special permission to go to Zoar. On his way there, his wife turns to a pillar of salt because of her disobedience and the next thing we know is that Lot leaves Zoar and heads to the mountains. God’s way is best after all. The text indicates that Lot left Zoar because he was afraid to stay there. It is possible that the locals might have started putting everything together and figured out that he had a part to play in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, albeit perhaps indirect, and they weren’t going to take any chances having him around alive. Little did they know that it was because of him that they were spared in the first place. Men, both believers and unbelievers, often miss the real reasons why God has blessed them. So Lot with his two daughters ends up living in a cave in the mountains. Perhaps not unlike what Osama Bin Laden has been doing since September 11, 2001 after the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington that killed almost 3,000 individuals that infamous day.

So what do two daughters of age living alone with their father in the mountains do to make life more interesting? They plot to have a child through their father Lot by getting him drunk and sleeping with him.

I struggle with this considerably. It would not be acceptable behavior in our society today and most likely frowned upon even then. However, and without appearing to be in support of Lot’s daughters in any way, we need to notice that this was not a spur of the moment “let’s get drunk and have a wild incestual orgy with our father” type of rationale that led them to take the action. The daughters realized that they lived near no other man, their father was getting on in age and soon would likely not be able to impregnate a woman any longer, and they needed a family and a purpose to continue their own life after that. The text says they said they did this in order to “preserve our family”. They also realized that what they wanted to do was an unnatural thing and thus something that could only be brought about while their father was under the influence of alcohol.

Here was Lot thinking he was having just a great old father-daughters evening after dinner drinking wine reminiscing perhaps about the good old days when mom was alive and all the while his daughters were getting him drunk in order to sleep with him. The text says, perhaps in Lot’s defense, “he did not know when (either of them) lay down or arose”. Perhaps then we can only fault him for allowing himself to get drunk. In any case, both daughters get pregnant in just one attempt each and they both ultimately bore sons. That, based on probability, is a spectacular occurrence in itself. The name of the eldest daughter’s son was Moab and the name of the younger daughter’s son was Ben-ammi. Moab was the father of the Moabites and Ben-ammi the father of the sons of Ammon. Hebrew lexicographers tell us that Moab is interpreted “of the father” given that the daughter bore her father a son. Ben-ammi is interpreted as “son of my people” as again this daughter bore him through ‘her own people’ and in this case, her father Lot.

We need to wait to see what became of these two sons and how at least one of them played a role in a lineage that was the most significant in the history of mankind. But for now let’s focus our attention on Lot. This is the last time we hear about him. No one knows how he really felt as the first recorded combined “father-grandfather” of two baby boys and later young men. Did he realize his sin? Did he even know the boys were his? I would think so as he and his daughters lived in constant hiding and fear and likely no one else every came near them.

As I think of Lot I think of the myriads of men and women whose lives are impacted so dramatically by one mere moment or night of sin; one mere relaxing of morals or standards; one mere giving in to the senses rather than to following the mind God gave us to do right and the soul that longs for Him.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:27-29 God Makes Good

Genesis 19:27-29: Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord; and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of he valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

We leave Lot abruptly in verse 26. His wife had just turned into a pillar of salt. And the scene shifts quickly back to our current main character, Abraham. The first thing we notice is that he arose early in the morning. Perhaps this was a habit of Abraham’s. There was nothing slothful about him. He was probably one of the first recorded “early to bed, early to rise” men in civilization. But he did not just get up early – he got up early with a purpose. Although we do not know if this was a habit of his, we know that this day he went to the place where he had stood before the Lord. Does it not make sense that when one knows God he/she wants to keep going back to the place where he/she last saw God or where they had the greatest interchange or experience with God? Oh, that it would be our desire each day to go where we have best experienced God and meet Him there.

Abraham looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and the rest of the cities in the valley that God had overthrown the day before. And the smoke was still rising as if the fire was still burning. What a sign for Abraham. God had said He was going to do something and once again He did it. Although the text says that “God remembered Abraham” in all of this by seeing to it that He saved Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and his family before He destroyed the valley, I think that Abraham also remembered God in a different way that day.

As I write these words, I can share with you that today was a particularly difficult day for me on two counts – one personal and one family-related. But I take great strength in the fact that God does what He says He will do. And I delight in meeting with Him alone daily. No matter what I am or will go through, I know He is there. Today as I listened to my medical specialist he reported that in my particular situation there were three things that determined whether a doctor recommends option A or B, and two of those indicated I should follow option B. When I got home my wife and I reviewed the mathematics a little differently. We calculated that one factor plus God indicates option A. That is what faith is all about. And Abraham was all about faith.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:23-26 Finishing Well

Genesis 19:23-26: The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife, from behind him, looked back; and she became a pillar of salt.

The day’s activities began back in verse 15 when the morning had dawn. It took Lot until about noon to plea his case for not escaping to the mountains and then to get to Zoar. It was only after he and his family safely arrived there that God commenced His destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The text says He rained down brimstone and fire from heaven. Those two cities along with all the others in the valley and their inhabitants and vegetation were completely destroyed save and except those in the city of Zoar including Lot, his two daughters, and his wife. God took them to safety.

And then man’s “But” comes once again into the picture. Though safety was hers to enjoy, Lot’s wife decided to give in to her human curiosity or desire or stubbornness and she disobeyed the command of God’s angels. She looked back, unbeknown to Lot, and she was swept away becoming a pillar of salt. Lot’s wife obeyed her husband, left Sodom, took refuge as allowed by God, but she did not finish well. She had the future she needed within her reach, but she did not hold on.

Many fail in the same way. We often hear of people who “had it all, but blew it”. As I face my seventh decade of life, my greatest fear is, that because of all the possibilities that are beyond my control – health, loss of a loved one, financial difficulty, relationship breakdown, etc. (all either my own or that of those I love), – I will lose it. I will turn to my own way just when I am so close to finishing with Him. Throughout modern history, the true Christian’s desire is to finish well. Lot’s wife has always served as a vivid reminder of our need to stay focused on Him who delivers us to the safety and life we need.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:18-22 Partial Obedience

Genesis 19:18-22: But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your lovingkindness, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest the disaster overtake me and I die; now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) that my life may be saved.” And he said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the town was called Zoar.

The angels had just ushered Lot and his family out of his house and urged them to “escape for their lives to the mountains” and Lot has the audacity to say, “No, I can’t escape to the mountains.” It seems he felt that the trip to the mountains might have finished him off. Or perhaps he felt he could not survive sufficiently in the mountainous environment. Instead, he begged the angels to let him escape to a nearby little town. Lot even suggested that this town “was small” with the implication possibly being that “it can’t be as bad as Sodom, could it?” There he would have more of the comforts of life.

I am reminded of the young man who desperately wanted to obey and serve God, perhaps as a missionary if that’s what God wanted. His only request, however, was “please don’t send me to Africa.” Sometimes we feel like that, don’t we? Sometimes we want so much to do what God wants. We know it is best for us. But we allow our human limitations to define the options. We say, “God I’ll do this, but please don’t make me do that. Surely, I’ll still be obeying if I do this?” I would like to say “no, you would not be obeying if you didn’t do exactly what God said,” but I am not sure it is that black and white an issue. This passage gives us an insight into how God works with men and women, and it is not always the way we would predict or expect.
Through His angels, God allowed Lot his request. He agreed not to overthrow that town to which Lot wanted to go. The plan apparently was that He in fact do so, as it was all part and parcel of the ‘Greater Sodom Area’. Although ten righteous ones could not be found in Sodom, God was willing to save this town for the sake of one righteous man and his family. While we as Christians are to flee and escape places of iniquity, our presence often influences God to save or keep back His punishment of a particular place. Christians have an incredible opportunity to impact a town’s, city’s, or country’s future.

Lastly we note the angels indicate that “until Lot moved out of Sodom and arrived safely in the new town”, they could not implement the destruction they needed to undertake. Clearly, God protects and keeps us in time of trouble and disaster in accordance with His plan. The passage ends with the naming of the town Lot’s family would be staying as being Zoar. It was located at the southeast end of the Dead Sea. We first heard of Zoar back in Genesis 13:10 when Abraham was telling Lot to select the land he wanted so that they would separate from each other. Lot looked over the valley of Jordan and scripture says he noticed that it was “well watered . . . like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.” While it too was to be destroyed, it seems God saved it, allowing Lot to dwell in a place he had once felt very desirous. In Genesis 14:2 and 14:8 we also learn that Zoar was known as Bela and its king had joined the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim in the war against Ellasar, Elam, and Goiim. (For more details on this, see comments under Genesis 14.) Because of this grouping, it is possible that the destruction might have been intended to impact all five of these areas, although now we see that Zoar (because of Lot) was saved.

So not only can God sometimes grant us our desire, but He also saves others in the process. However, we must be most careful to ensure that it is truly God and not us that has brought about this change in plans. In Lot’s case, the angelic visitors verbally granted him his request. We need similar assurance before we try to second-guess God’s best for us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:15-17 When God says, "Get out of Dodge now!"

Genesis 19:15-17: And when the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters, who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. And it came about that when they had brought them outside, that one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, lest you be swept away.”

In the previous passage, Lot is told what he must do to save his family and he goes about doing it, even though they think he’s joking. He returns home most likely as a disappointed man unable to convince his relatives of what is about to happen to the city and to them if they don’t flee. Everyone in his house either goes to bed or stays up all night planning their flight out of the city. We don’t know, but the scripture tells us that when the morning dawned, the angels basically said, “It’s time. Let’s go. Take your wife and your two daughters and go, lest you be swept away in the punishment God is about to release on the city.” Great advice and one would think Lot would act on it without question, especially since he had seen their power exhibited the night before on the men from the city right outside his house.

Then, once again the text adds that famous word that changes so much -- “But” only this time with respect to Lot’s reaction to what God was saying. “But he hesitated.” It is not clear exactly why he did that. Perhaps it was because all of a sudden he just did not want to let go of what was familiar to him. How many times do we hesitate when God says, “Up. Move out. Now.” And how many times does God have to do with us what the angels did with Lot – they seized his hand and that of his wife and daughters and brought them “outside the city.” When God arranges for us to “move out” of a situation He does not want us in, even against our hesitation or perhaps against our will, it is because “the compassion of the Lord” is upon us as it was upon Lot that day. God knows what is coming and we may know too – but only God knows the real impact or consequences on us. He wants us out of that place wherever it may be or that sin whatever it be, because He loves us unconditionally and He has great compassion for us. Yet we often pay Him less heed than men and women pay their commanding officers in the armed forces when they issue similar orders. Still His love won’t leave us there – He forcibly moves us.

But here’s the condition. It’s very similar to the condition that one of the angels placed on Lot and his immediate family. “Escape for your life! But don’t look back. Don’t stay or go anywhere nearby but flee to the mountains because the impact of what I’m going to do to what you left behind may still reach you if you’re anywhere nearby.” What’s He saying to us as we read these verses?

I believe it is this: If we’re involved in sin, He wants us out for our sake. And if we resist, He may forcibly take us out, but once He does, He does not want us wishing we could be back there, longing for the good old sinful times. He wants us removed from the scene so far that there is no way we could re-associate ourselves with it again through the lure of the Enemy. He hates the sin so much He will destroy those involved with it. Let me give you a couple of examples of what God wants may look like in real life. If you are reading or watching pornography and you want to stop, you do not just put the magazines or the books or films away on a shelf or even in a box and store them in your basement. No, you burn them or destroy and make sure they’re gone from the house. If you are involved in a sinful relationship, you do not keep the person’s telephone number in your wallet, just in case. You throw it away along with everything else that belongs to or came from that person. God wants you as far away from the scene of the sin – whatever it be – as possible. You can do nothing less.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:12-14 Our Part in Winning Our Family for God

Genesis 19:12-14: Then the men said to Lot, “Whom else have you here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy the city.” But he appeared to his son-in-law to be jesting.

The two angels understood the gravity of the situation. This recent act of the men of Sodom (see comments on previous verses) was what we would refer to as the last straw as far as God was concerned. God’s messengers had to take immediate action, evacuating those that were righteous and their family. It turns out only Lot was the righteous one. So they asked a question to which they already knew the answer. “Who else is here with you, Lot? You need to take them out of this place.” The list they rhyme off as possible kin is simply provided to indicate that all in the family were to be included. It turns out Lot had more than one son-in-law to be, but we have no other reference to Lot having sons. What is important here is that Lot was allowed to take his family out of danger with him because of his righteousness. However, there is no evidence we can transfer this concept of “familial salvation” to the case of salvation of the believer for eternity.

We know that Lot understood his responsibility to advise his family of the situation and encourage them to escape with him. He was in essence to do all he could to bring them out with him. That’s our role as well when it comes to the salvation of our children and relatives. We can only share the Gospel and then allow God to work in their hearts.

In this short passage, there are three references to the destruction of Sodom: first, the angels say they are about to destroy it; then, they say the Lord sent them to destroy it; and finally, they say the Lord will destroy it. Sometimes we miss the fact that God uses angels, often disguised as men, to do His work. Sometimes He uses fellow believers. But let us not miss the fact that it must be God’s work that needs to be done, not that of the angels, not that of others, not even our own. When we know what God wants to do as Lot did in this case, then we can believe and expect to see it done through whatever means or whomever God chooses. We just need to be ready for it.

So Lot heads out of the house and looks up his sons-in-law who were to marry his daughters. He tells them to get up from whatever they’re doing and get out of Sodom because the Lord will destroy it. That’s the simple message we’re asked to pass on to our relatives, friends, and anyone that God puts in our path today – “repent, change your way, be saved, for God hates evil and will destroy it, punishing those that remain in its grasp.” It is a simple message. Yet, as in the days of Lot, so today – people just don’t readily believe it. Scripture says Lot’s sons-in-law thought he was kidding. As we’ll see in the verses that follow, the fact that people do not believe us does not change what God has said He will do. The difficulty for us is how we deal with that very fact.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:10-11 First recorded physical blindness!

Genesis 19:10-11: But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.

Just in time, my favorite sentence-starting word in the Bible appears – “But”. This time the text does not say “But God” but the reference to “the men” is indeed to the two angels which were referred to in verse one of chapter nineteen. Clearly these were men completely under the control of God, bidding his business and doing his works. They were focused on Him in such a way that they saw things the way God sees them and thus were totally inclined to do as He said.

Attending Beach Church, Myrtle Beach, while visiting my daughter and family, I heard Pastor Dan Grider speak on being “totally engaged to the point of being fully captivated by God”. He said, when that happens we end up “seeing things the way God sees them and thus are inclined to do as He says.” What a goal for a believer! In my opinion, these men, God’s angels, already exhibited that incredible asset.

They reached out their hands (and we assume while the door was still open so all in the house could have heard the conversation Lot was having with the men of Sodom) and brought Lot back into the house with them, and they shut the door. I love that verse. It paints a picture that I believe is akin to how God standing beside us, hears and understands all that is happening to us, and if we let Him, He can and will “pull us back out” of whatever trouble, concern, worry, or mire of sin we may be in. And then He shuts the door on it. Whatever it is that is going on cannot have a permanent negative impact on us. It’s a done deal. The door is shut.

Scripture tells us that God’s men then went on to strike “the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness”. Given the order of the two sentences, I have to assume that this was done from inside the house with the door closed. This was indeed a God thing. Can you imagine what the men outside felt as all of a sudden they were unable to see? Here was recorded the first case of physical blindness in the Scripture. All of them were struck, both small and great, and they became unable to find the doorway. The text implies that they kept trying, even in their blindness, to achieve their own evil intention of harming Lot and the immorality they wished to take part in with those they thought were mere men.

I believe God is prepared to do the same for each and every one of us, if we let Him. When we’ve wandered out into the night, He’ll come and stand with you, then pull you back into His safety at just the right moment. Then He’ll do whatever is necessary to protect you from the situation you were in. Don’t you just love it when God inserts the word “But” in your life. Oh, that we would allow Him to do so more often.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:4-9 "Worst father of the Bible" award?

Genesis 19:4-9: Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them to us that we may have relations with them.” But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.” But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against Lot and came near to break the door.

This is probably one of the most futuristic scenes in all of scripture, or so it seems when we consider the immorality of today’s society. Lot, his family, and the angel visitors that he convinced to stay the night are just getting ready for bed when young and old men from every part of the city surround the house and start calling out loud to Lot. Certainly somebody had been hunting for “new men sightings” in the city and knew exactly that Lot had just received two male visitors. The news got passed on quickly.

The question arises as to whether this mob represented all the men of the city or just some. Clearly the text reads “the men” as compared to “some men”. When you consider this in light of the fact that both God and Abraham believed fewer than ten people in Sodom were righteous and you divide that by half for the purpose of gender and then half again for the purpose of dividing the ‘of age’ males from young boys, then you are left with very few, if any, righteous men – an explanation which supports the idea that this was indeed all “the men” of the city. So here they all are, wanting to have homosexual relations with Lot’s two visitors.

If indeed these men were all of the men in the city, then we could safely assume that Lot in his day to day dealings knew some or all of them. As a minimum, we note that he calls them brothers because that was the custom of the day as neighbors were more closely associated in those days, or because he in fact was a member of their group when it came to certain business or social activities. So he begged them not to insist on violating his guests. His words certainly indicate that he knew what they wanted to do was wicked.

It’s the next part that really puzzles me. Does Lot deserve the “worse father in the Bible” award? Today we would ask, “How can he offer his virgin daughters to the men for sex in order to protect his guests’ honor?” Was hospitality so important that it trumped the sexual purity of one’s children? Was he just as warped in his thinking as the men that banged on his door? Scripture does not tell us. It is possible he thought homosexuality was a worse sin than heterosexual abuse and that falsity continues to this day for many. Did he have an idea that these guests were not just men? Perhaps.

Whatever his thinking and rationale for trying to negotiate with the men of the city the way he did, it was to no avail. Given his opposition to their idea, the men turned against him and jeered him with remarks to one another referring to Lot himself being a stranger among them and now judging them. Their anger intensified and they prepared to treat Lot even worse then they were going to treat his guests. With this intention, they came up to the door of his house.

The whole sight would make a great movie scene – late at night, everyone about ready to go to bed, and the mobs pounding on the door with an unreasonable demand. The landlord goes out and pleads with them, offering an alternative of which they’ll have no part in. Instead, they get more violent and the landlord is now about to be assaulted.

There are at least four lessons here we should not miss. First, we cannot be effective in our own ministry as strangers. Aliens do not sway people permanently. This is something that those working with indigenous peoples around the world are finally realizing. The best type of lasting influence comes from a person’s own kind. That is why missions are turning their efforts more and more towards raising up native Christians to minister to their own people. At the very least, one has to have earned the respect and trust of the locals, before he or she can minister to them.

Second, judging does not go over too well. We so often forget that. We need to get our message across without being perceived as judgmental to the best of our ability. It is important to demonstrate care for the individual without supporting their behavior. Even the best arguments do not work if they appear to be judgmental.

Third, timing is everything. One wonders what impact Lot had on these men prior to this evening. What stand did he take when similar issues arose in day-to-day life? To leave the appeal to one’s sense of morality in a heated moment in the middle of the night may be too late. We must not miss the opportunities we have to make wise inputs into the lives of others as we watch them embarking on a road which leads to destruction.

Finally, let us not forget just who is standing nearby. God’s angels had not yet gone to bed.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 19:1-3 Being Available for Service

Genesis 19:1-3: Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” The said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.


The King James Version does not specify who these two angels were but the New American Standard refers to them as the same ones that visited Abraham (two out of the three referred to in Genesis 18:2). They approach Sodom and Lot is sitting at the gate of the city. This is reminiscent of Abraham sitting at the door of his tent in the previous chapter. When Lot saw them and realized they were strangers, he rose to meet them as was the custom. But he also must have determined that there was something more to them than just travelers for he bowed down with his faced to the ground. He called them “my lords” not unlike Abraham called them and he, like Abraham, invited them to stay at his house to refresh, eat, and spend the night before going on their way.

The first thing to note is that this time there were only two angels, not all of the three that had visited Abraham. Since Genesis 18 talks about the Lord being among them, we can assume that the Lord was not present in this case.

Interesting also is the fact that they initially declined his offer indicating they would spend the night in the city square. There is no reason given for that and anything we say is purely conjecture. It is possible that they had a lot on their minds as they may have known God’s intention with respect to Sodom and they wanted to pray for the city. It is also possible that they did not want to spend the night in Lot’s house because of his daughters and propriety. We can only assume, but not know. What we do know is that Lot, again like a good host, urged them strongly to accept his offer. They did so on his strong insistence and he prepared a feast for them to enjoy.

When we consider what happened next, the decision to stay with Lot was indeed a good one. The point here is that if we do our part, even if it is simply to be hospitable, God will do His. As we become available to Him, He works on our behalf directly and/or through others.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:26-33 Negotiating with God

Genesis 18:26-33: So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.” And Abraham answered and said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, wilt Thou detroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once: suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” And as soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed; and Abraham returned to his place.

Perhaps the notion that many of us carry that Jewish people are great negotiators able to squeeze the best deal from any transaction originated with this story from the life of Abraham. God somehow conveys to Abraham that He will be destroying Sodom and Abraham commences to negotiate how the city might be saved.

He asks for God to refrain from taking His planned action if fifty righteous people could be found in Sodom. God agrees. Seeing how easy that was, Abraham takes his chances, admitting that he is nothing before God but dust and ashes, and asks the Almighty to spare the city for the sake of five fewer righteous people. God agrees to not destroying Sodom for the sake of forty-five righteous ones.

Well, that five was easy, so let’s try another five thinks Abraham and goes for it. And God, once more agrees. Well, thinks Abraham, if we can get two fives, we can get a ten all in one shot. But he knows by now he is really testing God’s patience and so he said, “Please don’t get angry, but would you save the city for the sake of thirty righteous people?”

Now being who He was, God knew the end result. He knew there were not sufficient righteous people in Sodom to save the city. So what was going on here? Was He playing with Abraham? I do not think so. He agrees to save Sodom for the sake of thirty, and later for the sake of twenty, righteous people because He wants Abraham to realize the situation the city is in. Sometimes we have to come to grips with the depravity of our society ourselves before we can watch God work through us. Sometimes we have to realize that God has to do it His way and not our way. That is also true for our own lives as well as the lives of our loved ones. As a natural father, I would not allow my children to go through some of the trials they are facing, but then I realize that our Heavenly Father has attributes I lack – like ultimate wisdom and the ability to see the end and not just the present. Yet He allows me to implore Him for the sake of my children, but importantly to establish and strengthen my own faith and trust in Him. I do not think God was angry with Abraham or He would have said so.

Still, Abraham asks Him not to be angry and dares to speak to Him again, although this time, he said it would be his last. Abraham asks God to save the city for the sake of just ten righteous people thinking “surely, there must be ten like that there.” God agrees once more, takes Abraham at his word that he would not ask again, and immediately departs once He finished saying He would agree. And the scripture says, “Abraham returned to his place.”

We can do all the bargaining we want with God. But in the end, we realize that God’s plan was the right one, and often the only one. Yet, in the process of our negotiating, we are able to talk it out with Him. We are able to grow in our relationship with Him. We are able to learn more about Him. When we’re done, He’s done and then He holds us to that agreement. He goes about carrying out His part. All we can do is “return to our rightful place”, wait for Him to work it out, and come to the realization that we are safe in His care.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:22-25 On Challenging God

Genesis 18:22-25: Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord. And Abraham came near and said, “Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from Thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”

The Lord agrees to go down to Sodom to check out the outcry He has heard and Abraham quickly steps in to capitalize on that. As the men turn away, eager to move on to their destination, Abraham remains in his spot before the Lord. He approaches Him and asks whether God really intends to destroy the righteous with the wicked.

Interestingly, the text in this or the previous verses gives no indication whatsoever as to what God intended to do when He got to Sodom. All we know is that He was not happy with what He had heard in their outcry. So, one of three things happened which led to this question. First, perhaps Abraham knew God well enough to know what He would do when He called someone’s sin ‘exceedingly grave’ as He did in verse twenty. Secondly, Abraham may simply have assumed what God would do. Thirdly, there was more conversation between them than what the text indicates.

If the third possibility was indeed the case and there was more conversation than what we are provided with, then clearly this can also be true of the rest of scripture. That is, we may only have the highlights and critical aspects of any conversation in scripture and indeed there may be more in the account we have of any given incidence. That is a real and most probable possibility. Those of us who to try to understand scripture and interpret it for our own use must be careful to base our interpretation on what we have in scripture and to clearly indicate when we are extrapolating our interpretation based on what else we ‘assume’ was taking place or may have been said.

For whatever reason, Abraham asks God to consider sparing the city if there were fifty righteous people He could find. What I find most strange is that here is Abraham speaking to the all mighty God and saying, “Surely it is not like you to destroy the righteous with the wicked. Surely, you are not going to treat them the same. That’s not you at all, God. You are the Supreme Judge and you must deal with justice.”

Wow. That reminds me of getting sass from my children when they were young and would find some inconsistency in my life or thinking. How dare they? It reminded me of accusing my father of lying in front of my uncle. Boy, was I sore for days after that. How dared I? Yet Abraham was somehow able to question or challenge God in this manner. Perhaps it was due to his friendship with God. Perhaps he felt that as the Lord’s recent host, he could be so bold. Perhaps because of the covenant God had made with Abraham, this mortal felt he could appeal to God in the way that he did.

How would you have reacted to such a challenge if you were in God’s shoes? I would be taken aback and probably react negatively as I did when my young children challenged me or as did my dad when I challenged him in public. The next few verses reveal God’s reaction.

The point here though is the thinking behind Abraham’s challenge. When studied more closely, we see that very question indicates Abraham had an understanding about God’s character. God was a fair and just Judge who loved the righteous and would punish the unrighteous. Abraham also felt that God would deal with those that approached Him on behalf of others. Because he both asked a question and also made observations about what God would not do, it is not clear whether Abraham was hoping to point out to God that He made an error in His approach to this matter, or whether Abraham was actually hoping to change God’s mind. In any case, Abraham felt he could approach God.

We may not always have a case to present before God, but how wonderful it is to know that we can have a relationship with Him like Abraham did. We can approach our God as freely as Abraham did. I know people that feel they cannot, that God has no time for them because of their past. When they need Him most and when He is most willing to listen and care, they themselves make that impossible. That is indeed tragic.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Who's Faith Is It Anyway OR How the Press Impacts Evangelicals

Who’s Faith Is It Anyway or How the Press Impacts Evangelicals

I recently realized that many of us Christians are indeed “sheep”. And I don’t necessarily mean the kind that Christ calls His own (although He calls us that). I mean the kind that are dumb, willing to be led around by anyone and everyone that wants to ‘shepherd’ us. The latest example is how the media and some politicians, rather than we ourselves, are defining the role that evangelicals and others have played in the past and will be playing in the next American election. Here are a few examples I’ve picked up from both the media and partisans on this very point:

• “Jesus Christ would not vote for Barack Obama.” – Alan Keyes, Republican Senate candidate in 2004.
• “Obama is emerging as the candidate with the greatest chance in decades to coax at least some Christian evangelicals and other churchgoing voters away from the Republican fold.” – MacLean’s magazine, July 7, 2008.
• “If this election turns out to be as close (as the one in 2004), religious groups could make a big difference.” – John Green, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
• “There are signs of a potentially historic shift.” – MacLean’s magazine, July 7, 2008.
• “Evangelicals are waking up to the idea that abortion is not the only moral issue.” – Stephen Mansfield, author, The Faith of George W. Bush.

With Jerry Falwell and D. James Kennedy dead, and Pat Robertson awfully quiet at age 78, the press (again not us) points to popular preachers of today and tells us Joel Osteen simply urges people to vote, T. D. Jakes has not endorsed any candidate, and Rick Warren is not openly partisan and seems to be embracing broader social concerns than what evangelicals have traditionally worried about. It tells us that more and more Christians feel that neither political party made a difference on abortion, but the Bush administration was immoral on the issue of war and terror. It tells us that evangelical organizations like Sojourners out of Washington are devoted to fighting poverty and ending the war in Iraq. It (not us) tells us younger evangelicals care more about the environment than their elders. The implication is clearly, “What’s the matter with the rest of us?”

The Pew Forum tells us that the greatest loss of support for George Bush between 2001 and 2007 came from white evangelicals aged 18 to 29. A recent Pew poll says that only 57 per cent of white evangelical Protestants support the Republicans, down from 62 per cent in 2004. The press says this is an opportunity for the Democrats and Obama to gain votes – enough to win the election.

Why is this happening? Well, for starters all of the above are true. Bush has lost many Americans over the war. Current popular preachers are staying silent. Christians are giving up on winning certain issues, and focusing on those for which the Democratic Party seems to have a stronger platform. The ‘moral majority’ is dead and the Christian left is starting to take charge once more. But there’s another reason.

Barack Obama is speaking more openly about his ‘faith’ and feeling at ease doing so. John McCain considers it a personal matter. In addition, he has alienated many Christians on his stance on certain traditional Christian issues. With nothing to gain in those areas by sticking with McCain, many are investigating the move to the left.

Here’s what the press wants us to think and believe and they say it through the words of Douglas Kmiec, a pro-life conservative Roman Catholic: “You should not have blinders on about the rest of your obligations to your fellow neighbors: addressing the needs of health care, to provide a family wage for a working person, and it certainly requires that you pay attention to the use of warfare, and whether it has been justifiably applied in a limited circumstance.”

However, they clearly seem to also be telling us, by their silence, that Christians, especially evangelicals, can have blinders on about the very “faith” of the candidates in the upcoming election. Take a closer look.

I believe there’s enough evidence that Barack Obama is not a Muslim. But he also takes a postmodern, theologically liberal approach to scripture putting less weight on some of Paul’s instructions on lifestyle and more on the Sermon on the Mount. While the press admits this approach is not for everyone, it points out that it is gaining popularity. It then suggests that Obama’s type of faith may be just the ticket at this time when the face of evangelicalism is changing.

Okay, so how does all this relate to church leadership? I believe as leaders we have a responsibility to encourage our congregants to think for themselves and not be led like sheep by anyone else, including the press. I believe we also have a responsibility to help them ask some questions, in fact some of the same questions the press asks. For example, “Regardless of a candidate’s own faith, what is his attitude towards Islam?” Some of Bush’s troubles with evangelicals started when he spoke of the Muslim and the Christian God as one. Or “What is the value of a candidate’s faith when he totally misunderstands the difference between O.T. law and N.T. grace?” as Obama did in his famous June 2006 speech in which he said it is difficult to translate the Bible into secular law. He spoke as follows: “Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is okay and that eating shellfish is an abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith?” I, for one, place no value on any man’s comments about his own faith when he talks like that. His very questions indicate he has very little of any true understanding of Scripture and God’s plan for man. He wants us to allow our faith to inspire, but not to dictate, public policy.

Hopefully, we don’t want just an inspiring faith that cannot be applied to life and reflected in public policy in a nation that is predominantly Judeo-Christian. And besides, tell the Muslims that their faith should only inspire, and not dictate. Tell them that Sharia law is no good. In Obama’s thinking, being against abortion because God is against it is not good enough; he wants us to explain to everybody’s satisfaction, including an atheist’s, why abortion violates moral principle. As for John McCain we may well ask, “Why is he so silent about his faith? Could it be he really does not have anything substantial to offer in that department?”

I also believe we have a responsibility to get together and speak with one mind on this topic authoritatively for ourselves. If not, we should at least get together and say, “what’s going on in American politics today, or at least the abuse and misuse of true faith in American politics today, really does not concern us because it does not change the Truth!”

But then again, that’s my take. What’s yours? Are we really in a “damned if we do and damned if we don’t” situation? What are you telling your congregation as the election nears? Although I do not for a minute believe any of us have an in on what our Lord would say or do in any situation, the famous adage “WWJD?” seems to fit well here. And most importantly why has there not been a definitive voice for Christian church? Is it because we’re to not bother with all this? Help me out.

Until next time,

Ken Godevenos

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:20-21 "God Will Go Down"

Genesis 18:20-21: And the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. I will go down, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

Since God decided in the previous verses that He would let Abraham in on His plans for Sodom and Gomorrah, He now shares what is about to happen. First, He indicates that He has heard an “outcry” from the two cities. The Hebrew word used here is ‘za’aq’ and it normally refers to a cry for aid. Whether this actually came from the more God-conscious citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah or whether it came from the heart of God Himself is not known at this point in the text although later evidence points to the fact that it was more likely the latter. In fact, this crying that God reacts to may be something similar to what was referenced in Genesis 4:10 when God, after Cain killed Abel said to him “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” Yet another interpretation may be that since verse 21 refers to “its outcry”, there is an implication that the outcry originated from the inanimate cities themselves, and perhaps not the people in the cities. In any case, God had to do something.

As we watch the world today we cannot help but wonder how much more God’s eyes and heart can withstand as truly our own generation’s “sin is exceedingly grave” as was that of Sodom and Gomorrah. God will act in due time. In the case before us here, God indicated that He personally would go down to the cities to see if indeed the facts match His sensed outcry. And He added that He would not be fooled. He would know whether or not it does. Man does not ultimately get away with sin.

His “going down” may refer to God simply moving along from Abraham’s place to Sodom and Gomorrah, since these words seem to have been uttered as God was leaving Abraham’s tent. On the other hand, the Hebrew words seem to indicate a translation that includes some descending from above or on high. Either way, God finds His way to where inequities abound and He deals with them.

But before we leave these verses there is one slight glimmer of hope. God still wants to check out if indeed there is any chance that it is not as bad as He has heard or felt. Perhaps there are some there that have not partaken in the great sin of the two cities. God always looks for those wherever trouble or unrighteousness abounds.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:16-19 On Gaining God's Confidence

Genesis 18:16-19: Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? For I have chosen him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”

God had the final word and then He and the men with him left Abraham’s home. When God speaks, He does not sit around to argue with you or me. It is up to us to decide what to do with what He has said. Sarah was left with God’s final word on her actions.

Abraham’s visitors looked down toward Sodom and moved in that direction. Again, like a model host, Abraham walked with them part way to see them off. Abraham was exhibiting the honor his guests deserve. And it is because of this honor and love that he extended to them, that clearly God paused long enough to consider whether or not He should share with Abraham what was about to happen with respect to Sodom. God takes those that love Him dearly into His confidence on certain matters. That is why sometimes we hear devoted people say, “I have a peace in my heart about what God is going to do here.” In Abraham’s case, the Lord speaks again, but it is not clear whether he spoke to Himself or to those that were with Him, or openly so that Abraham could hear Him. Nevertheless, because of who Abraham is and what he will be, God decides to let him in on the future of a land that is dear to Abraham, if only for the fact that his nephew Lot and his family had settled there.

Part of God’s reasoning in sharing the future with Abraham was the phrase, “For I have chosen him.” When God chooses us, He has great plans for us and He works with us on those plans if we let Him. He was doing that earlier with Abraham with respect to an heir and here in this passage, He is about to do it with respect to Sodom’s future. But tucked away in these verses is part of the on-going relationship requirement between God and His chosen ones. The text says God chose Abraham “in order that” he “commands” his children and household (which included Abraham’s business in those days) to keep God’s way by doing what is righteous and just. But it does not stop there, it continues to say, that all this is required “in order that” God brings to Abraham the blessings or covenant He has made with him.

This passage certainly gives rise to questions. What does the word ‘command’ mean here? What if Abraham does his part, but the children do not? What about God’s promise to Abraham? Why won’t God help Abraham if the children or household do not live righteously and justly? And so on.

Today we may use the word command in two ways, both to order others to do something (as in “I command you to leave”) or to take charge and be responsible for the operation of something (as in “he was in command of the ship”). The Hebrew word used in our current text is tsavah and translators seem to favor the first of our two modern uses of the word. I know I will be in contentious waters here, but I believe God wants us as parents and heads of households and businesses to command those under our authority to follow God’s way but only as long as they want to remain in our authority. We cannot allow our children living at home to do things that are unrighteous or unjust. They cannot break the laws of God or the laws of the land. Employees in our employ and our entire business must be run in a righteous, fair, and ethical manner. But at the same time, we must also note that doing righteous things and acting justly does not constitute a total relationship with God. God wants us to love Him and desire Him as a God and Father.

Based on those two ideas then, a parent or a business owner can only expect that in his household and business, those under his authority will act righteously and justly. He cannot control their hearts or minds. Once they leave his authority, as children get older and get married, as employees leave the business, etc., the father or owner is no longer responsible for them. Clearly, should they continue to live righteously and justly, it will stand the head of the household well, but I believe it is not a requirement for him to receive his promised blessing from God.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:13-15 God Knows When You Scorn

Genesis 18:13-15: And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

These three verses are packed with lessons. First, we notice that the “Lord” asks Abraham “Why did Sarah laugh?” This very question explains the significance of Sarah’s laughing “to herself” as we read in verse 12. If she had laughed out loud, the question would not be as surprising. But only the “Lord” could have been able to hear an internal laugh and also the thinking behind the laugh, so as He could say Sarah was “saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’” Clearly, there’s no escaping the fact that God knows our every thought and feeling.

Secondly, further to our thoughts on the earlier verses, this verse definitely says, “And the Lord said…” Now again, there are two possibilities here. The most likely one is that the Lord God was indeed one of the visitors. The less likely is that He joined the discussion at that point and spoke to Abraham as He done before. I find this is what happens in our own lives. God uses others to direct and guide us, even to test us and grow us. But He is always present. Yet there are times, when He Himself directly enters the process and speaks to us, perhaps not like He spoke to Abraham that day, but certainly clearly enough so that if we were listening for His voice, we would hear it.

And what did God say when He spoke. “Abraham (and maybe Sarah), what’s too difficult for me?” Well, of course, God knows the answering is “Nothing.” But He wants to know what we think. He wants us to believe the answer. The Bible is silent on any direct answer that Abraham or Sarah gave God on His direct question. Was the answer too obvious? Were they too ashamed to state it? Did they not believe the answer? How much more insight would we have into the character of both Abraham and Sarah if we were provided a direct answer to that question. Yet, sometimes, in similar circumstances we behave the same way. We stay silent and do not give God the answer He wants to hear.

Instead of getting upset with our behavior and silence, God reaffirms. In this passage He indicates to Abraham (and to Sarah listening at the side of the tent) that He will return in exactly one year’s time and then, or by then, Sarah will have a son. That’s the loving God that we have.

Now you would think Sarah would have learned her lesson, got the message God was trying to give both of them, and have a change in heart that would result in praising God. Instead, she takes on behavior similar to Eve’s in the garden and denies what God told her she had done. “I did not laugh.” Wow. That takes a lot of guts. How do you deny something God has said you have done? Of course He knows. He would not be saying you did it, if you had not. And why would anyone deny something like that? Well, the Bible tells us she did because she was afraid.

Fear is an emotion that God built into our nature as human beings. In fact, I would venture to say that all of God’s creatures to my knowledge have the emotion of fear. It was intended as a means of helping us survive. Yet, it sometimes causes us to take inappropriate actions and make poor decisions, as it did here in Sarah’s case. It is interesting to note that God (capital He in our text) does not accept it as an excuse and He says, “No, but you did.”

Having lived over six decades at this point, I have come across at least three people that I can clearly say, “there’s no point in arguing” with them. I just cannot win and trying to is not worth it. Once in a while very early in any discussion, I may get a point across to each of them and there may be a momentary concession on their part. It’s very frustrating. I’ve also learned that when it comes to my own life, there is absolutely no purpose in arguing with God. But in the case of God, I would not have it any other way.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:11-12 Why Sarah Laughed

Genesis 18:11-12: Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

In the previous chapter, we learned that Abraham was ninety-nine years old. We may assume that his bride was younger, but not necessarily decades younger than himself, although at this point, we do not know. We also do not know the length of time between chapter 17 and this chapter. The Bible simply states that both Abraham and Sarah were “old, advanced in age” at this point in time. To be perfectly frank, Sarah was no longer menstruating and thus, under normal natural circumstances, she was not capable of having any children. In chapter 16 when she suggested that Abraham sleep with Hagar, Sarah knew God was somehow not blessing her with a child, although it may have been possible for her to become pregnant. But here we get the added knowledge that, for all intent and purposes, it would take a miracle for Sarah to conceive. Now imagine yourself in that situation. The one illustration that comes to mind is this: Imagine Prince Phillip (now eighty-seven years old) and Queen Elizabeth of England (now almost 75) had no children to succeed the Queen on the throne. And along come a few dignitaries from somewhere, get entertained at the palace, and after dinner, as it is the custom for men to hang around and enjoy a drink and swap stories while the women retire to the parlor to do likewise, the Queen in passing by the dining room overhears one of the guests informing Phillip that she will have a child this time next year.

Can you imagine the reaction? Having been in some old palaces in England, I can assure you that you would have been able to hear the Queen’s hysterical laughter throughout the royal abode. If you don’t believe the reaction would be thus try telling an elderly matron at a party that she will be pregnant next year and see what happens.

What I find interesting is that Sarah could have laughed out loud herself. But she did not. The scriptures say she “laughed to herself”. We do not know why, except that she did. She was still thinking straight, however, as she was able to logically talk herself out of any possible belief in the suggestion. She asked herself a logical question, but one to which she already thought she had the answer. “Is there any chance that Abraham who is old could possibly, physically, give me the natural pleasure of intercourse, at my age?” “No way!” she thought, “That would take a miracle.”

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:9-10 Who Visited Abraham?

Genesis 18:9-10: Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Behold, in the tent.” And he said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.

Consider the situation. Visitors are at your place enjoying some well-prepared food. You’re standing by ready to serve them should they need anything. As they’re eating, it occurs to them that there may be something wrong with this picture. “Where in the world is your wife?” may be a very reasonable question. What may be less reasonable to expect is that these guests, believed to be perfect strangers to this point, know Abraham’s wife by name and call her thus. It is possible that these were not mere ordinary strangers. Now here is where the text gets a little complicated, at least for the layman.

To begin with Scripture indicates that the enquirers of that question were plural in number for it says, “they said to him (or asked him).” At face value of the text, we would think that all the visitors asked the question. Alternatively, it is possible that a spokesman was identified and that he asked on every guest’s part, thus “they asked”. The singular Abraham replies with the truth, “Why, she’s in the tent.” It is possible that Abraham’s tone was one of surprise in that most guests should know that the women of those days were in fact always waiting, on the sidelines, in the tent. And it is possible, given who these strangers might be, and where they are from even if just ordinary people, that they knew that as well, and that their question was only facilitative in nature, enabling them to get to the point of the news they wanted to share.

And here’s the tricky part, the text next says “And he (singular) said, ‘I will surely return to you….’” Is this the spokesman on behalf of everybody? Or is it someone else speaking on his own initiative? Clearly, the response is “I will surely return….” The question for us then is who exactly the “he” in this phrase refers to. Who can be so certain that he will surely return at the same time next year and that Sarah will have a son? Some would argue only God could say that. They are backed by the fact that it is God who has been having the discussion with Abraham about the promise prior to this visit, so this may very well be Him again.

To make matters more complex, in my New American Standard Bible (NASB) that I consider quite strong in direct word translation, the word “he” here is not capitalized. NASB capitalizes the pronoun He in both the Old and New Testaments when it refers to God. Yet, here it is not capitalized. Further the singular visitor replies that “he will return at the same time next year and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” As a layman, there is no clue in the Hebrew translation that can help us either. In fact, most commentators simply assume that one of the visitors was God and stay clear of the issue of number in the text. Clearly, the text does not tell us that for sure.

On the other hand, however, the news shared by this stranger is very much in keeping with what we believe only God knew at that point. The story continues to unfold with the text’s next revelation; simply that Sarah heard all this as she was listening at the tent door (and one assumes out of sight behind the tent canvas). Now imagine a very old woman who had been barren all her life hearing from some perfect stranger that she would have a son in a year’s time. As far as scripture shows us up to this point, we have no proof that Abraham had in fact shared God’s earlier promise to him with her. In Chapter 16, verse 1, all we have is that she clearly talks about her thinking God would not give her children. How she reacts to hearing this incredible, or rather, unbelievable news in the verses that follow, support the notion that she was hearing it for the first time. On the other hand, there would be many who would argue that there is no way even a man like Abraham could keep such a secret from his wife. And while we have no knowledge of God saying not to tell anyone, we also have no proof that Abraham had told Sarah.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:6-8 -- "Hospitality cont."

Genesis 18:6-8: So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread cakes.” Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf, and gave it to the servant; and he hurried to prepare it. And he took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.

We have no record of Abraham’s actual inner thoughts, reaction or feelings in response to the agreement of his guests to stay a while and take him up on his offer. We do know that sometimes people offer things just to be polite and secretly hope that the offer is not accepted. Coming from a European background, expected to be hospitable by society, I have often extended an invitation at the spur of the moment relying heavily on the great probability that the offer would not be accepted. I am usually right. My wife on the other hand will not play those games. She argues if you really do not want people to accept, do not offer. I suppose some people, like Chrysogon, are free of ‘desired appearances’ and some of us are still bound by them. As I get older, I do feel freer to follow my wife’s approach. I think, however, that God would have us be both hospitable and sincere. Nevertheless, in Abraham’s case, all we know is that he acted right away to please his guests and deliver the goods he promised in his offer. So, like a good, or perhaps, wise husband, Abraham hurried into the tent and engaged Sarah in helping him.
She would take care of the baking. Abraham himself selected the young calf that was to become the steaks for their guests. He gave up the opportunity to be recorded as the world’s first ‘backyard griller’ however when he asked his servant to prepare the meat. Once cooked, all the food was presented to the guests by the host himself and with great respect to them, he stood as they ate.

At one of SCA International’s (the Mission I have the privilege of serving), I remember my wife and I being hosted for dinner by two of our missionary families that originated from Fiji. The ladies, after working very hard to prepare an incredible meal, proceeded to stand by the table serving us, their families, and at least one other couple. It was not until we had finished eating, that they decided to have something themselves in the kitchen. I tried unsuccessfully to object. I was simply informed this was their custom and it had to be that way. At his advanced age, Abraham simply stood by as his guests ate.

Perhaps one lesson for us from these verses is to learn the importance of hospitality and serving others, including perfect strangers, and hopefully with true sincerity. If God brings them to us, He wants us to engage with them and to offer whatever we can in accordance with His blessing of us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Genesis 18:4-5 -- Giving & Receiving Hospitality

Genesis 18:4-5: “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.”

There are several indications here that this is a very “physical” visit and that the visitors are plural in number. The Hebrew words referring to the visitors are translated as “yourselves” twice and as “they” once in the two-verse passage. Water for washing their feet was to be brought either by Abraham himself or his servants. No further reference is provided later in the chapter as to what actually happened. However, the direct translation implies that he himself was going to get some of the victuals for the visitors and later verses support this as being what actually happened although the servants were also involved, under his direction. What is interesting is that the visitors agreed.

Here we have not only the gift of hospitality so wonderfully displayed by Abraham, but also the complementary gift of gracious acceptance displayed by his visitors. God would have us at times be hospitable and at other times be accepting of hospitality. Some of us find it easier to be hospitable but struggle with accepting the hospitality of others, especially if it is not what we are used to. Others find it to easy to receive the hospitality of others, but very reluctant to offer it. I believe God wants us to exercise both well, according to what material means He has granted us. We are not to use our lack of means as an excuse for not extending hospitability, as He will provide; and we are not to use our over-abundance as a sub-conscious reason for avoiding the hospitality of those who have much less yet offer what they have with such humility. In short, it may be best that all of us, regardless of our standing in life, should be mindful of the fact that every good thing comes from God – the abundance He gives us is His, so is the scarcity!

One more thing to note: While Abraham acknowledges his guests and invites them to join him Sarah remains in the tent, silent. We have no knowledge as to how big Abraham’s tent really was and whether or not there were compartments in it, which is very possible. His invitation to the guests was made unilaterally even though his wife might have a significant role to play in fulfilling what Abraham offered. I grew up in a household where that was the norm. Mother was always ready to supply what father had offered. I married into a household where my wife was willing to do so, but would much rather have preferred advance warning or knowledge that I was going to offer something requiring her presence and involvement. Even as I write this, I am aware of those that will examine every single word to see where I may fall on this issue. I think a lot depends on the culture and the society in which one lives. I also believe that a husband and wife, living for God, should be in tune with and sensitive to each other that one does not make such unannounced expectations unnecessarily and that in the event they are made for good reasons, the other spouse will rise to the occasion. Hospitality is often ministry and husbands and wives should do much of their ministry together, having worked out necessary signals, arrangements, or understandings in advance, not only for the sake of their ministry, but also for the purpose of being blessed.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.