Learning to Trust and Obey

04Jul09

Today’s Reading:  Genesis 19-21

Gen. 19.  Judgment falls on Sodom and other cities in the valley

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.” But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. ~ Gen. 19:1-3

Lot must have realized right away that these men were special in some way, and perhaps he even knew that they were angels; nevertheless, he feared for them because of the evil in Sodom. He treated them with the utmost respect, care, and consideration.

Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” ~ Gen. 19:4-5

Puritan-influenced thought has historically condemned the men of Sodom because of their sexual orientation.  While it is true that the Word clearly states that God is against same-sex relationships, His Word also shows that these people in Sodom had much bigger problems. They had no sense or sensibility; no subtlety or self-control. Their words were brutally violent, and directed toward visitors to the city, whom should have been received with hospitality and kindness. Notice what the Word says about Sodom in the book of Ezekiel:

“As I live,” says the Lord GOD, “neither your sister Sodom nor her daughters have done as you and your daughters have done. Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit. ~ Ezekiel 16:48

And what does Paul say in Romans?

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

 

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. ~ Romans 1:18-32

The people of Sodom and the cities in the surrounding valley had chosen evil over good, and as a result their lives were totally consumed by “all unrighteousness”. These passages in Ezekiel and Romans should give all believers food for thought. When we are overflowing with riches and luxury, yet do not reach out to help those in need; arrogant and proud of our possessions, our accomplishments, and our success, yet blind to the millions who are hungry, hurting, or unhealthy around the globe… we are as guilty as the citizens of Sodom. When we boast; when we are disobedient to our parents; when we are unforgiving (or any of the behaviors mentioned above)… we are behaving like those who hate God and have completely turned their back on Him.  Let’s think about that.  I need to think hard about that.

So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.” And they said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door. But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. ~ Gen. 19:6-10

Lot attempts to reason with the unruly mob outside his home, but they turn his pleas into opportunities to criticize him. This is so like the world today, isn’t it?  That’s why you can’t win souls by telling people how wicked they are. You can’t influence them for good when you’ve been acting as if you are better than they are. And God knows the truth: Without Jesus, we are all wicked sinners, and our righteousness is no better than used toilet paper. Even with Jesus, we continually fall down into the gutter, and have to run back to the Cross for His gracious forgiveness.

Then the men (angels) said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. ~ Gen. 19:12-14

If there was any doubt in Lot’s mind, it should be gone, since the angels have now told him outright who they are, why they are there, and Who sent them. But when he tries to convince his married daughters and their husbands, his pleas fall on deaf ears. God isn’t real to them, so they think that Lot is a crazy old fool — good for a laugh, anyway.

When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” ~ Gen. 19:15-17

Even though the time of judgment was imminent, Lot lingered. Was he thinking about the daughters he had to leave behind? Or was he worrying about the important business deals he had to abandon, his costly slaves and animals in Sodom, or the collection of fine furnishings in his home? But the angels literally took hold of Lot and his family and physically pulled them outside the city. The words of the angel reveal that Lot and each person in his family had reached a crossroads. They had to make a choice. In essence, the angel was telling them that to save their spiritual lives, they had to be willing to relinquish everything that belonged to this earthly life. Let’s compare this to the words of our Lord.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ~ Matthew 16:24-26

Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords! Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.” ~ Gen. 19:18-20

Poor Lot still does not get the big picture, and he reveals his lack of faith in his fearful words; but God is merciful and patient with him.

And he (the angel) said to him, “See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. ~ Gen. 19:21-22

The name “Zoar” means “small, little”, and this city was spared only because of Lot’s request.

The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. ~ Gen. 19:23-26

After being so merciful, why did God punish Lot’s wife just for looking back? It seems like such a natural, curious thing to do; yet, her action must have revealed where her heart was and therefore, what her choice was.

I wonder what she was thinking…  

Did I lock the doors?  …I forgot to tell the servants what vegetables to serve for dinner…   The goat was marinated and ready to roast, and the mayor himself was coming to dine…  Whatever will he think of our sudden departure…   I should have brought the shawl my mother gave me…   And my jewelry!   If only I had brought a supply of nuts and dates, a little honey and wine…   And my lovely new indigo gown with the golden trim…   

“He who desires to save his life shall lose it.”

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Gen. 20.  Another look at the marriage relationship

And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” ~ Gen. 20:1-3

What kind of a man allows his wife to be taken by another man just to save his own skin?  What if he never saw her again?  Was he OKAY with that?  And to me, it seems that Abraham, when he acted in fear, was demonstrating a lack of faith in God’s promises — the promise of a son who would produce innumerable descendants (one of whom would be the Messiah), and the promise of resurrection after his temporary sojourn in this life.

But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” ~ Gen. 20:4-5

Abimelech referred to the evil cities that were destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah when he asked God, “Will you destroy another city also?”, so even though he lived a distance away, in “the South”, he was aware of what had happened and why.  God does not contradict Abimelech’s statement that his nation is “righteous”.

And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” ~ Gen. 20: 6-7

God testifies to the integrity and innocence of Abimelech; but isn’t it interesting that God says that He withheld Abimelech from sinning against Him? In the Lord’s Prayer when we say “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, do our words indicate that we relinquish our own rebellious choices and want Him to withhold us from sinning against him? May it be so!

 

Then Abimelech took sheep, oxen, and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham; and he restored Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, “See, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked. ~ Gen. 20:14-16

I didn’t really get what this passage was saying, why such a huge payment had to be made and how that rebuked Sarah, so I looked it up in some other versions. This translation is much more clear:

NLT: And he said to Sarah, “Look, I am giving your ‘brother’ 1,000 pieces of silver in the presence of all these witnesses. This is to compensate you for any wrong I may have done to you. This will settle any claim against me, and your reputation is cleared.”

Still odd, since I don’t really know the customs and beliefs of that time so many millenia ago; but evidently that was the right response.

So Abraham prayed to God; and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants. Then they bore children; for the LORD had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. ~ Gen. 20:17-18

This is evidence of God’s faithfulness, of his close relationship with Abraham, and his care and concern for Abraham’s family. Why was God so concerned that no other man lay with Sarah, specifically? Read on…
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Gen. 21. The birth of Isaac and the expulsion of Ishmael

And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. ~ Gen. 21:1-4

God demonstrated His faithfulness and His ability to do the impossible. Then, in obedience, they named the child Isaac and had him circumcised as instructed, for he was the child of promise, the one through whom the Messiah would be born. And looking on, Hagar, who had already produced a son for Abraham, must have felt slighted, rejected, and wronged. It may have been hard for her to remember that she was not the wife, but merely a servant.

So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned. And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.” ~ Gen. 21:8-13

Abraham was not happy about the strife between Sarah and Hagar. Perhaps he was willing to let both boys inherit, even though Isaac was given a special destiny by God. But God knew that the strife would continue; so he told Abraham that he had to send Ishmael away. This must have been heartbreaking for Abraham, but he was learning to obey God in all things.

 

So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. ~ Gen. 21:14-16

 

Perhaps Hagar did not know of God’s promise regarding Ishmael, because she honestly thought that the two of them were bound to die there in the Wilderness. Life as a servant was probably looking pretty good right about then; but God had other plans for her and the boy.

And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. ~ Gen. 21:17-21

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Isn’t it funny how we rely so on our human senses, when so much is going on that we are unable to detect?  There was a well of life-giving water there; but she was not able to see it until God opened her eyes.  What blessings are all around us, right under our noses, yet we wail and cry out to God to bless us? What solutions to problems has God already provided, but we fail to notice because we are too busy complaining about the status quo?

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Tags: Abimelech, Abraham, Angels, Circumcision, Creation, Dream, Egypt, Feast, Gomorrah, Hagar, Isaac, Ishmael, Lord's Prayer, Lot, Pillar of Salt, Sarah, Silver, Sodom, Unleavened bread, Water, Wilderness, Zoar