ABRAHAM 2 FAITH THAT ACCEPTS Genesis 13:1-18 Remember we are being selective in the Bible s account of Abraham s life. (Abraham s failure in 12:11-20 we will touch on in the next sermon, no. 3). Now we add together Abram, Lot and the two cities Sodom and Gomorrah. Basically chapters 13, 14, 18, 19, though not all of each chapter. Faith that ACCEPTS. To accept means to receive, to take on, to consider as true or believe it, to say yes to an invitation offered. In our Bible narrative we will see six things Abram s faith took on board proposition: Six things Abraham received as from the Lord. Application: The challenge to us is to look at our own lives and see if we are saying Yes to God. If we are not it means we are saying No to God a very serious thing to do. See Job 2:9 shall we accept good from God and not trouble? And Paul in Philippians 4:11 I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. One of the impressive points about our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, is how the gospels record He set His face resolutely to go toward His death in Jerusalem, knowing the suffering and rejection He faced. He said Yes to God His father s will. Since you and I are Christians, we should follow our Master s example. Are you ready to take on board all God brings in to your life? In Islam FATALISM says what will happen will happen. But in Christianity FAITH says what happens is allowed by Almighty God for a purpose. Some things are easier to accept than others! 1. Abram accepted God s blessing. In Genesis 12:2 God had said I will bless you. In vs5 we learn Abram had accumulated possessions. By 13:2 He was very heavy with wealth, the literal Hebrew meaning. The NIV says very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 1
Like the Dinka and Nuere tribes here in Sudan Abram s wealth was in flocks and herds more than in banks, stocks and shares! 13:6 describes his possessions as so great. He was a mega-rich man. Application: There is nothing unchristian about wealth! Maybe Abram s business profited from the famine that drove him to Egypt? 12:16 describes sheep, cattle, donkeys and camels as well as human servants. The camels and asses imply shipping business caravans of goods bought, transported and sold for profit. God blessed Abram and he accepted it. I guess he was tempted. He may have thought God has so blessed me in Egypt, I ll stay here. But for Abram the promise of God meant more than any material possessions. He must get back to the place of promise. He left Egypt, becoming a nomadic trader again, and 13:3,4, after travelling from place to place he returned to where he began between Bethel and Ai. (N.W. of Dead Sea). He demonstrated he had nothing in common with the people around and about by outwardly worshipping the God he constantly inwardly worshipped. Application: Appearances may not mean everything, but they do count. Especially in a minority situation as here in Khartoum. Our outward Christian worship is a visible testimony to all who look on. 2. Abram accepted changing circumstances. 13:6 states a fact. The land could not support them. The very blessing of God brought problems between the workers of Abram and Lot. John Calvin makes an interesting comment that God gave Abram this problem to stop his wealth becoming too sweet! He concludes, So let us be content with few servants, or even to be entirely without. J Application: God s material blessing on your life and your ministry could be the beginning your downfall! You could think it was your doing, not God s. You could be pressured for better results year after year opening the door to dishonesty. You could evaluate by the world s standards of success, not by God s. 2
Abram faced the facts. And he made two proposals to Lot. 13:8 and 13:9 (1) Let s not quarrel. (2) Let s part company. The second half of vs9 shows him generously forfeiting (giving up) his right of first choice. Application: When you hear talk of human rights: in persecution, suffering, war, conflict resolution, reconciliation etc. look in your Bible very carefully! You will find little, if any, emphasis on rights. All the emphasis is on human responsibilities. Abram did not exert his traditional right, as eldest family member. Abram chose to give the best chance to his nephew Lot. He knew he could not live with himself if he sent Lot off into the hard hill country. He trusted God for what would happen. 3. Abram accepted the personal consequences. 13:10,11. By giving Lot the choice between the desirable river basin and the dry desert hills Abram s own faith was tested sorely. Was he ready to give up the promised land? For Abraham one area had the fertility of Eden. Pasturing would be easy, work light. The other the land of Canaan vs12, sustainable for his needs but only by tough hard graft. Today the choice may be over valuable oil or essential water in world s future. Application: God does have the right to test our faith you know! Abram may have been hurt by Lot s choice. He had considered others, Lot had only thought of himself (may be excusing himself on the grounds of responsibility to family, or his employees etc). Abram silently bore the troubles. Lot trusted his own eyes he could see the benefits of this way. Abram trusted his God - He could see the benefits of relying on God s word beyond apparent circumstances. 13:14-17 As soon as Abram surrenders the best part of the promised land, God says Don t forget I m giving it ALL to you, Abram (vs15 especially). In fact, he enlarges the promise! Not just 12:7 the land around Shechem (the last time the Lord appeared). This time, from a high vantage point, Abram is to Lift up his eyes, north, south, east 3
and west. All the land. Walk through its length and breadth. 13: 15-17. One commentator suggests Abram was to walk the land to confirm he still had not one settled area for his home. His faith was in the unseen, yet real, promise of God. Hebrew 11:1, 8-10. His God would provide. Illustration: Christians say sometimes God is good. He has given us this answer, that property, the other victory. To which I have an obvious question. If the answer was No, and the property was lost, and the victory was a defeat has God stopped being good? Real faith shines in the darkest situations. Application: We can always follow God without regard to what we must leave behind. He can always be trusted for absolutely everything. 4. Abram accepted common responsibility. Chapter14 sees him caught up in rebellion and conflict. Application: A man or woman of God is not immune from world circumstances. This was in the valley of Siddim, vs10, (an ancient name for the Jordan Valley south of the Dead Sea) and ended with Lot being taken prisoner. For family reasons, and with his commercial partners, and using the private army who usually protected his camel and donkey fleets, Abram and 318 men defeated 5 kings and their collaborating armies by a surprise night attack AND by the gracious favour of God! Application: Abram s faith accepted his responsibility for Lot even though he had earlier given away his rights to Lot! Selfishness by Lot did not stop him being Abram s nephew. The encounter with Melchisedek, in 14:18-20 we pass just mentioning there was a priesthood before the Levitical priesthood Hebrews 7:1-13, Psalm 110:14. This is the first encounter between EL ELYON God most High (of Jerusalem) and YAHWEH EL ELYON the Lord (saving) God most High (the creator God of Abram), vs18, vs22. 4
Abram had not fought a mercenary war, and here avoids indebtedness may be an unequal yoke by paying his own way, vs23, 24. But he secures right recompense for his friends. Chapter 15 begins with God telling Abram Do not be afraid. He had made enemies, who may seek revenge. But God would be two things to him: a shield for safety, and a reward enough to satisfy his every need. Application: When you serve God and only God you will never lack inner security. 5. Abraham accepts God s character. Genesis 18:16-19:38 the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah so complete archaeologists tell us they are covered by the southern end of the Dead Sea. In 18:18 God reiterates the gospel in advance to Abraham all nations on earth will be blessed through (Abraham). It is based on God s Sovereign choice vs 19 I have chosen him. We learn from vs17 God doesn t always share everything even with His chosen people. Here He is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for their insatiable and unrestrained wickedness. The key for us is in Abraham s prayer for the people of the city. Would God stop His plan if 50 good people were in the city? Vs24. Can a righteous minority justify the cancellation of judgement on a wicked majority? Would God deal with the wicked and the righteous the same way? Surely there must be differentiation. Abraham s prayer was based on the character of God vs25 Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? Abraham may have thought Me and my 318 men risked our lives to rescue these people God is now going to destroy! He stops his bargaining with God at ten righteous people having thought of Lot, his wife, two married daughters and their husbands, two virgin daughters, and the two men (angels) who had visited him and left for Sodom, Genesis 19:8,14-15.. 6. ABRAHAM ACCEPTS GOD S JUDGEMENT 19:27,28 Abraham looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah and saw dense smoke 5
arising, vs29 God destroyed the cities. Vs24 describes the Lord rained down burning sulphur out of the heavens. God sometimes destroys. With all the petroleum gas and oil on the ground in that region God directed a spark from heaven, and His holy and righteous judgement was done. God used his angels (as OT refers to more than once plagues etc.) to execute His judgement 19:13. See also this OT testimony: Deuteronomy 29:23, Isaiah 1:9, 13:9, Jeremiah 49:18, Ezekiel 16:46, Amos 4:11, Psalm 11:6. So this episode ends with Lot, in greatly reduced circumstances, living in a hill cave. He had chosen the fertile valley and ended up in poverty. The rot started when he parted from the man of blessing: Uncle Abraham! In a drunken stupor he brought the Moabites and the Ammonites into the world who were to plague Israel for centuries. See Judges 3:12-14, Genesis 19:36-38. Abraham witnessed the awesome wrath of a Holy God, whose love and mercy brought some to salvation while those who chose to remain in sin, or to look back to sin, perished. True faith accepts God s wrath and judgement, as well as His love and mercy. A partial God is a disabled God! Application: Is your faith able to accept these things in your God? Preached by Colin Salter to Khartoum International Church 13 th November 2000. Audio link available from this site online. 6