God Reveals Himself
Notes
Transcript
God appeared to Abraham in Genesis 18 and in their ensuing engagement, He reveals much about His nature.
God Stops By, Genesis 18: 1-15
God Stops By, Genesis 18: 1-15
It is interesting to note that Abraham knew God for who He was: God in the flesh. We would know Him as Jesus. But it highlights the level of familiarity that Abraham had with God.
Not a short visit, meal prep takes time, 1-8
Not a casual visit, He was there for a reason, 9-15
the message to Abraham and Sarah: You will have a son together in one year
the message to us: “Is anything to hard for the Lord”, 14
God Reveals Himself to be personal (relational) and powerful
God Reveals Himself to be personal (relational) and powerful
God Moves On, Genesis 18:16-33
God Moves On, Genesis 18:16-33
God was present to do more than just visit Abraham, He also was going to investigate Sodom and Gomorrah. His angelic attendants move on while He converse with Abraham.
God states His purpose and intent, 16-21
His purpose was confirmation (more for our sake than his own)
His intention was judgment
God allows Abraham to speak to His intent, 22-33
Abraham appealed to God’s nature, 22-26
Abraham negotiated down to 10 people
12 Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!
God reveals Himself to be personal (thorough) and partial (to His own)
God reveals Himself to be personal (thorough) and partial (to His own)
One of the accusations people sometimes make against God is that He is impersonal. To believe that, you have to ignore His nature that is revealed in Scripture as well as in life. God wanted to talk with Abraham and He wanted Abraham to talk to Him. He wanted Abraham to know that He would fulfill His promise in a supernatural way because nature poses no challenge to Him. He wanted Abraham to know that He knew what was going on in Sodom. He wanted Abraham to know that He takes care of His own and does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.
And He wants us to know Him in these ways too.