Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRO

Is there anyone that you would not pray for?

Politicians

Foringers

Terrorists

TITLE & TEXT

The Privilege of the Pardoned

Genesis 18.16-33

THEME

The people of God are to use their position to plead for the people of God.

ISRAEL

Wicked Nations Around Them

Oppressive Nations That Took Them

US

The Times We Live In

PRAY

TEXT

READ FULL

The author brings us suddenly back into the account before us and with masterful transitions gets us ready for the next part of this story which is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The two men, who we know to be angels that were supping with the LORD at Abrahams home are now turning aside from Abraham to continue on their way to the original errand they were on before the meal was given them.

We as readers might have almost forgotten they were there as they fade into the background of the conversation between God and Abraham regarding his laughing wife at the announcement of their promised child Isaac.

But now here we are.

The two men now set off again and the text says that they "look down" toward Sodom.

We do know that this is a literal looking down because the city resided in a valley as we see previously in...

As well as in the next chapter we will see...

So we know that these men literally looked down toward Sodom but some scholars think that their is a figurative meaning here also foreshadowing the wrath of God upon it.

That very well may be, but let us move forward with what we can know for sure.

It says that Abraham,

"set them on their way"

Like any good host he was in essence walking them out, seeing them to the door if you will.

We do that don't we?

When we have guests over for a meal we don't just sit at the table as they get ready to leave, no, we often will come with them even sometimes as far as walking them out to their cars.

Maybe that is just to make sure they are really leaving!

In any case this is what Abraham does with these three but then as the two move on farther the LORD seems to terry for a moment to have a private discussion with Abraham as we see in V22.

So here we have Abraham and the LORD and the way the syntax is in the Hebrew we are given a kind of inward dialog of God with himself or perhaps the angels in the section of verses 17-19 as it says...

God knows all things and sees all things, we know that based on the whole of scripture but more specifically by the context of this section in Genesis where He just proved that to both Abraham and Sarah by publicly calling her out.

So God decides He will not hide this next activity from Abraham but instead will tell him of what is about to happen to his neighbors.

What is the reason Abraham is given this inside scoop from the LORD?

Payback from the meal?

Just in a good mood and feels like sharing?

No, well maybe, but ultimately no.Look at the text, Abraham is a man of God, he is the man God has chosen, he is the man God will use to impact the nations.

Through this man all the earth shall be blessed!

The gospel of Christ was present even then as it says...

God is going to share with Abraham because Abraham has been chosen by God, see what it says in V19?

Because Abraham was chosen he gets the inside scoop.

God is going to give Abraham an inside scoop into His character and holiness, of His righteousness and justice, of His mercy and grace, of His power and majesty and why is that?

So that Abraham could...Notice with me.

"command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice"

Why must Abraham have this inside scoop and see and know these things?

So that he might teach it to the next generation.

So that he might be able to point to this event and say BEWARE!

Do not turn aside!

Do not forsake the LORD!

Pursue righteousness and do justice so that you do not end up as Sodom and Gomorrah.

Are you oh beloved; oh chosen ones of God, are you seeking to teach and train this coming generation or even those in your household to keep the way of the LORD?

Are you aware that you, yes even you are called to make disciples?

Are we actively seeking to be obedient to this call in our own lives?

Do we even know where to begin?

Do you like coffee?

Do you like food?

Do you like sports?

Do you like shopping?

Do you like ice-cream?

Do you like hunting, or fishing, or biking, or video games?

Do you like anything in this whole wide world that you might be able to share with one other person?

Will you make a conscious decision to seek out someone to share that thing with?

Abraham just shared a meal with God and spent that time together talking about the things of God together.

Let us meet with other Christians and non-christians alike and talk about keeping the way of the LORD, and righteousness, and justice.

Let us seek to be and make disciples!

As we go back to the text why was Abraham, why are we to do this?

Because destruction is coming!

But was that it, do justice and pursue righteousness just so that you do not get punished by some angry and frighteningly powerful deity?

Yes, but No, do justice and pursue righteousness because if he does, if they do, when you do...

As it says here.

"the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has promised him"

The gospel of God is good news.

News of salvation and regeneration not of destruction and dereliction.

The obedience we give to God is not given out of fear but driven by our love.

We LOVE God, don't we!?

We have been told of the promise He gave to us haven't we? Don't you want this promise for yourself?

Don't you want everyone to know about the fame and glory our God deserves not to mention the blessed promise we have in Christ Jesus?

Promises of freedom, forgiveness, peace, joy, patience, love and gentleness.

Promises of life eternal, inheritance immeasurable, and heaven unimaginable.

Don't you burst at the seams to herald the glory of a God whose righteousness and justice still allows for the sinner to be forgiven and for the wretch to be redeemed!? Boy, I do.

Then God speaks out loud to Abraham in V20-21 as the text says...

The wickedness and the sin of these sister cities was so outrageous before the LORD that they deserved special attention from God. God had seen and heard enough and was now going to act.

His action would be both righteous and just.

His actions are always righteous and just, let us remember that.

These cities, like many people in our country today scoff at God.

They scoff at truth, at morality, at justice, at righteousness.

But just as Abraham in his day, we too have been warned have we not?

We like Abraham have the inside scoop as to what the end will bring for this world.

We know as Abraham did that God cannot be hidden from, that He sees and hears the hearts of all men.

Abraham understands, as we should, that when God reigns down His wrath it is no less just.

Does this not remind you of God's interactions with Adam in the expulsion, Noah before the flood and with His interactions with those at Babylon before the scattering.

Beloved we live in a world where all of mankind has been twisted and misshaped by sin.

When any people are left alone their hearts will always bend away from God. Adam, Noah's generation, his offspring at Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah, The roman empire, and now our very own nation.

All mankind everywhere continues to turn their hearts away from God and will continue to do so without intervention.

As Romans says in 3:10 and following...

"None are righteous, no one seeks God, no one does good, not even one"