Aug 19
4
Old Testament Reading: Genesis 18:16-33
“Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.’ Then the LORD said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.’ So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ And the LORD said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’ Abraham answered and said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’ Again he spoke to him and said, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of forty I will not do it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.’ He answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.” (Genesis 18:16–33, ESV)
New Testament Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1–15
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.” (1 Timothy 2:1–15, ESV)
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Introduction
One of the things that God promised to Abraham is that he and his descendents would be a blessing to the nations of the earth. That promise is familiar to you and me. We know it well, and we also know how it has played out with the passing of time. But that promise must have sounded incredible and even a bit mysterious to Abraham when God first uttered it. Abraham must have wondered, what does this mean that the nations of the earth will be blessed through me — who am I that I should have an impact upon them? He must have puzzled over what the fulfillment of this promise would be.
You and I know the answer because we live 4,000 years after the call of Abraham. God’s plan of redemption has progressed greatly since then. What began as a seed has grown into a mature tree! You and I have the benefit of looking upon something more developed and mature. But for Abraham, everything was in seed form. For him, everything was in the stage of promise. You and I are blessed to see the fulfillment.
So what did God mean when he promised that the nations would be blessed in Abraham?
Well, above all things, we know that the Christ, who is the Savior of the world, would come from him. Abraham would produce Issac; Isaac would produce Jacob; and from the sons of Jacob the nation of Israel would emerge. And it would be from Israel that the Christ would come into the world. While Issac was Abraham’s immediate seed, Jesus the Christ was his distant and most significant seed as it pertains to the promises of God. And this Christ would live, die and rise again as the lamb of God who takes away the sins, not only of the Hebrews, but of the world. The Christ that came through Abraham and his offspring was and is the Savior of the world. Indeed, “there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5, ESV). This was the ultimate and supreme fulfillment of that promise made to Abraham, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, ESV).
While it is indeed true that all of these promises ultimately find their fulfillment in Christ Jesus, more can said. Not only would Abraham and his offspring bless the nations with the Christ, he himself would be a blessing to the nations even in his own lifetime. His children and grandchildren were also to be a blessing to the nations. So too was the nation of Israel prior to the arrival of the Christ.
The story that we are considering today from Genesis 18:16-33 helps us to understand how Abraham and his descendents were to bless the nations of the earth. That they wouldbe a blessing to the nations was made clear in the promises that God made to Abraham. But this story brings some clarity to the question of how? How were Abraham and his offspring to be a blessing to the nations of the earth?
Two things are made clear in this story. One, Abraham and his offspring were set apart by God to intercede for the nations. And two, Abraham and his offspring were set apart by God to promote righteousness while living in the midst of the nations. Intercessions and righteous are the main themes of this story.
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Set Apart To Intercede
First of all, let us consider that Abraham and his offspring were set apart by God to intercede on behalf of the nations. Stated differently, Abraham was chosen, blessed, and set apart by God so that he might stand in the gap, being eager to see the nations reconciled to God. He was to be concerned for the nations that they might also come into a right relationship with God and give glory to his name. This principle is clearly seen in the intercessory role that Abraham takes in the story that is before us today.
Notice how the LORD enticed Abraham to intercede on behalf of the people of Sodom.
Verse 16: “Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?’ (Genesis 18:16–18, ESV).
The “men” that “set out from there” are the three “men” that Abraham and Sarah showed hospitality to in the previous story. Two of them were angels, the other was the LORD himself, though Abraham did not know it at first. These are the ones who “set out from there”, and Abraham joined them.
It is unclear if the LORD said what he said in verses 17 and 18 silently and to himself, to the two angels privately, or to the two angels in Abraham’s presence so that he could hear. I tend to think that Abraham heard the LORD ask the question, for the entire episode was for the purpose of revealing things to Abraham so that he might participate in his plan.
Listen yet again to the question. “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?’” (Genesis 18:16–18, ESV).
The vast majority of the plans and purposes of God are hidden from us. We do not know his plans for later today or for tomorrow. God knows, but his purposes are usually hidden from our sight. I say “usually” because there are rare instances where the LORD chooses to reveal his purposes to his people. In particular the LORD made a practice of revealing his plans to his holy prophets who lived in that Old Covenant era. Abraham was one of these unique individuals who received this kind of special revelation from the LORD. Given that “Abraham [would] surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth [would] be blessed in him,” the LORD determined to reveal these particulars to him.
And what did the LORD reveal? Verse 21: “Then the LORD said, ‘Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know’” (Genesis 18:20–21, ESV).
Notice five things about verses 20 and 21:
One, the LORD obviously did not need to “go down to see” anything. He sees all things all the time with perfect clarity. Indeed, he knows all things. Never has the LORD gained knowledge.
Two, this talk of LORD going down to see is to remind us of a previous story in the book of Genesis, namely, the story of the tower of Babel. Remember that before the LORD dispersed the peoples to disrupt their unified rebellion against him he, went “down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built” (Genesis 11:5, ESV). The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra and the story of the dispersion of the peoples from the tower of Babel are to be compared, therefore.
Three, this talk of the LORD going down to see as if he were on a kind of reconnaissance mission is to be understood as an act of condescension and revelation. The LORD came down to see, not because he could not see from where he was seated in the heavenly places, but in order to kindly reveal his purposes to Abraham so as to bring him along.
Four, the “grave sin” of Sodom and Gomorra produced an outcry that reached the ears of the LORD. Where did this outcry come from? It came from those who suffered as a result of the sin of the people of Sodom and Gomorra. Sin, though it might produce a kind of momentary pleasure, also results in suffering.
Five, the remark “I will go down to see whether they have done” these things, “and if not, I will know”, is meant to show the patience of the LORD and his perfect justice. He does not act rashly. He does not explode in anger. When he does pour out his wrath he does so having perfectly considered the situation.
But the thing to notice is that all of this information that LORD revealed to Abraham concerning his intent to deal with the terrible sin of Sodom and Gomorra compelled Abraham to intercede on behalf these people. Though it was not stated so directly, Abraham knew what the LORD was about to do. He was about to pour out his wrath! And so Abraham began to plead with the LORD in prayer.
Verse 22: “So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ And the LORD said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake’” (Genesis 18:22–26, ESV).
We will return to consider Abraham’s prayer more carefully in the second point of this sermon. For now I want you to consider this: Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorra. His attitude was one of concern for the people of that place, and so he interceded on their behalf, asking LORD to show mercy. Put differently, his attitude was not one of hatred for or indifference towards the wicked. As he looked down upon those cities — those cites that were indeed filled with wicked sinners — he felt concerned for them, and so he interceded on their behalf.
APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters I ask you, are you as concerned for the lost as Abraham was? When you look out upon the world do you feel compelled to pray, to ask that the Lord would have mercy upon them.
Notice that Abraham was faithful to intercede.
This means that the his descendents were also to be faithful to intercede on behalf of the nations.
The nations of Israel was to take this intercessory role. They were to have this understanding of themselves — they existed not only to be blessed, but to be a blessing to the nations. As you know Israel often fell short of this calling. They often acted in pride assuming that God was only concerned for them — that they were somehow superior to the nations — that God was impressed with them, but not others. But this concern for the nations was not interlay lost within Israel there was always a remnant that retained a proper understanding of God’s will for them.
Psalm 67 is a testament to this. Israel was to sing this song, which is in fact a prayer: “TO THE CHOIRMASTER: WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. A PSALM. A SONG. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!” (Psalm 67, ESV)
God’s will for Abraham and his offspring was that they intercede on behalf of the nations of the earth. Abraham was faithful to do it. Israel did it, though not always. And let us not forget that Christ, who was the true son of Abraham, was also concerned for the nations.
Listen to the words of Christ: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:14–16, ESV).
Consider John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV).
And consider Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV).
Friends, if Abraham was to intercede for the nations, if Israel was to intercede, and if Christ interceded — more than that, if Christ died and rose again not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2, ESV), then does it not follow that we too are to take up the role of intercession for the lost?
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:1–6, ESV)
Abraham was called to intercede. Let us be faithful to intercede if we are his children.
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Called To Promote Righteousness
The second observation that we must make concerning this story is that Abraham was called to promote and preserve righteousness by the LORD who always does what is right.
Let us consider again that question that LORD asked concerning Abraham in verses 17-19. “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him” (Genesis 18:17–19, ESV).
Abraham and his offspring were to intercede on behalf of the nations, but they were also to “keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice”. Abraham and Israel after him, were set apart as a holy people. They were to keep God’s law. This they were to do personally, and this Israel was to do nationally. Here is yet another way in which the nations of the earth would be blessed in them. Abraham and Israel were to preserve and promote righteousness in the world.
Let me say just a few things about righteousness.
One, notice that Abraham and Israel were to “do righteousness and justice” because the LORD who called them is himself perfectly righteous and just. If the LORD is their God, and if he is righteous, then they as his people should be righteous too. This is the principle that Peter stated when he wrote to the Christians saying, “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16, ESV). The people of God are to do right (be holy) because they belong to a God who always does right (he is perfectly holy).
That Abraham was to “do righteousness and justice” because the LORD who called them is himself perfectly righteous and just is seen in two places in this text.
One, notice that Abraham was chosen by God “that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice. Righteousness and justice is the way of the LORD, and as his people Abraham and Israel were to keep it.
Two, notice how Abraham pleaded with the LORD concerning Sodom and Gomorra. He pleaded with the LORD on the basis of his righteousness. Look again at verse 23: “Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ And the LORD said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake’” (Genesis 18:23–26, ESV).
Abraham knew that the LORD was the “Judge of all the earth” and that he was perfectly righteous and just, and so appealed to God on this basis.
It is truly remarkable that Abraham knew this of the LORD. How did he know it? He must of known it because God reveled it to him. The gods of the nations were not known for their righteousness, holiness or justice. The gods of the nations did as they pleased. They were capricious and fickle. But Abraham knew the character of the LORD. He knew that the LORD, the one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth who had entered into covenant with him, was a righteous, holy and just God. This God was bound act according to his character, and so Abraham pleaded with him on that basis.
APPLICATION: Friends, did you know that there are some things that God cannot do? We are accustomed to saying that God can do anything, and that nothing is impossible for him. And generally speaking, that is right. But there are actually many things that he cannot do. Hebrews 6:18 says that it is impossible for him to lie, for example. It is impossible for God to break his promises, or to act in any way that his contrary to his character. God cannot sin. He cannot be less than perfectly holy. And here is a rock solid anchor for the soul. The would is so filled witty wickedness. And sometimes it can be difficult to make sense of what we see happening around us. But we have this solid foundation got stand upon. We belong to the LORD who holy and just, who always does what is right.
Three, consider this about the righteousness of the LORD. Because the LORD is righteous he must punish sin. God does not do wrong when he pours out his wrath upon the wicked. Did you notice that Abraham did not intercede for Sodom in the way that many modern evangelicals would intercede. Many Christians today would plead with LORD to refrain from judgement in this way, saying, “Shall not the LORD who is nothing but love only show grace?” But that was not what Abraham said. He knew that it was right for the LORD to judge the wicked — this he did not deny. His appeal was that the LORD refrain from pouring out his wrath upon the righteous along with the wicked.
But here is where Abraham received an education. He though there were fifty righteous in Sodom, but there were not. Then forty-five, but no. Maybe forty? Thirty? Twenty? Nope, not even twenty there. The pleading stops at the number ten. Verse 32: “Then [Abraham] said, ‘Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.’ [The LORD] answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place” (Genesis 18:32–33, ESV).
Abraham did not appeal the LORD by saying, how can a God who is love pour out wrath? for Abraham knew that it was right for the LORD to judge the wicked. Instead he appealed to the LORD in this way: it would be unjust for you to sweep away the righteous along with the wicked. And the LORD agreed. He would not do it. The lesson that Abraham learned was that there were far less righteous in Sodom than he thought. Not fifty, forty-five, forty, thirty, or twenty. As the story unfolds we will learn that there were not even 10. Only four were led out of Sodom as the LORD poured out his wrath upon that place. And even these four did not possess a righteousness of their own. If they were righteous it was because they had been made righteous by faith — the righteousness of another having been imputed to them.
Friends, no mere human is righteous. “As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.’ ‘The venom of asps is under their lips.’ ‘Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.” (Romans 3:10–19, ESV)
Friends, we are not righteous. We are in fact deserving of God’s wrath. If that sounds strange to you, then you have not comprehended the severity of our sin. The fact that God would show mercy to us at all is truly amazing.
Four, do you see, therefore, that the righteousness of God is a terror to the wicked. If you are still in your sins and not cleansed by the blood of Christ then the fact that God is righteous should terrify you. It means that God will rightly respond to your sin. He will act in justice. He pour out the just penetrably. And do not forget that the wages of sin is death.
Five, the righteousness of God is a comfort to those who have been made right through faith in Christ. The one who has had their sins washed away need not fear the righteous judgements of God. Also, the one who has been made righteous can take solas in the fact that God will make all things right in the end. He will judge with perfect equity. The Christian should not rejoice over the death of the wicked, but there is a degree comfort that comes with knowing that God will set things straight. This is especially comforting to the one who has been wronged by evil doers. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19, ESV).
Do you see, brothers and sisters, that Abraham was called to promote and preserve righteousness by the LORD who always does what is right. God is righteous and his people are to do righteousness and justice.
Abraham was being prepared for this calling as the LORD involved him in his deliberations concerning Sodom and Gomorra.
Israel was to do right as she kept God’s law. She was to shine as a light to the nations.
Christ did this perfectly. Never did he violate God’s law! Christ was righteous, and died in the place of sinners like you and me. His righteousness is given to all who believe upon his name.
You and I, having been made righteous through faith in Christ, are now to promote and preserve righteousness as we live as exiles in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation.
Have you ever thought about the effect that your holy living has upon those around you?
APPLICATION: The LORD might use it in a number of ways. As an example. To convict of sin. To restrain the spread of wickedness. To delay the outpouring of God’s wrath upon a place. Let us “be holy in all [our] conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16, ESV).
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Conclusion
In conclusion, what did mean that Abraham would be a blessing to the nations?
Ultimately this promise found it’s yes and amen in the coming of the Christ who came from Abrahams loins. But Abraham and his offspring were also called to intercede for the nations, and to promote righteousness as they lived in the midst of them.
Is we are Abrahams offspring, having been clothed with the righteousness of Christ through faith in his name, let us also be faithful to intercede for the lost, and to preserve and promote righteousness in the world until the LORD returns.
