This week’s lesson gives us applications from three people: Sarah, Abraham and Lot. We’ll start with Sarah.
Abraham probably told Sarah about God’s promise (Genesis 17:19), but Sarah had to believe the promise herself. This reminds us that we can’t have faith for other people. Each of us makes our own decisions and chooses whether to accept or reject God and His promises.
Three men visit Abraham. (One is the pre-incarnate Jesus.) He welcomes them and shows them hospitality. The men eventually ask for Sarah, and they tell her that she will have a son by this time next year. Sarah laughs to herself and thinks to herself about the impossibility of this, due to her age. But the Lord knew Sarah’s thoughts and rebukes her for them. At this point, Sarah and Abraham realize that one of the men is God Himself.
If God knew Sarah’s thoughts and private emotions, she believed He could fulfill His promise of a son. God knows everything, even our inmost thoughts. We can’t hide anything from Him.
This immediately points us to our own private thought lives. Are my thoughts pleasing to God? What kinds of things am I putting in my heart and mind? What effect are these things having on my life? Do I stop ungodly thoughts when they enter my mind? Do I truly realize that God knows everything I am thinking? This verse is a great reminder: “…For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34
Now, let’s move on to Abraham’s example for us. The three men eventually left Abraham’s tent to turn toward their mission of judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham went with them. He didn’t want to leave God’s presence! I also should have a heart that desires to continue in the Lord’s presence.
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were involved in sexual sins. These sins included homosexuality as well as pagan worship. But these sins also involved moral and social corruption (brutality, suppression, denial of basic human rights, etc.). Ezekiel 16:49 says Sodom was destroyed because of the people’s arrogance and pride against the Lord. It was a lifestyle that cared about no one but self.
Abraham humbly and respectfully approaches God. Abraham probably didn’t understand the depth of sin in these cities and couldn’t believe that his nephew Lot was living in the midst of such sin. God is teaching Abraham about holiness.
Abraham repeatedly asks God not to destroy Sodom. His requests are based on His character of perfect righteousness and justice. Abraham had such an intimate relationship with God that he could approach Him with this sincere prayer.
Do I approach God with such boldness and confidence in His character? Do I humbly intercede with God for others in my life? Real intimacy comes only when I spend time with God.
And finally we see Lot’s wasted life as an example of what not to do. Lot, a righteous man (II Peter 2:7), chose to live in Sodom. The world had a strong hold on him. The world influenced him more than he could influence it.
The Lord’s angels deliver Lot and his daughters from the judgment on the cities. But Lot’s wife hesitates. She looks back at the city and turns into a pillar of salt.
We cannot walk in the ways of the world and expect not to be affected by sin. But God provides His mercy and forgiveness when we do sin. As Christians, we are called to live in the world but not of the world (John 17:13-19). By whose standards am I living? God’s or the world’s? And how am I aligning myself with the world? Will I willingly choose to live separate from the world?
Which of these three examples are you following? Are you like Sarah, realizing the truth of God when you see His character? Are you like Abraham, knowing God intimately and boldly approaching Him in prayer and service? Or are you like Lot, keeping your eyes on the world and having no influence on it because of your wasted Christian life?
Avery’s verse this week was:
Genesis 16:13 NIV