Genesis 18 v. 16 - 33 Abraham's prayer over Sodom
James 5 v. 16 "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
1. ABRAHAM WAS A PRACTIAL MAN
(a) His Haste v. 1 & 2 "And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,"
(b) His Humility "bowed himself toward the ground,"
Note:-
(1) The Reality of his Humility
(2) The Reason for his Humility i.e. he was nothing
Ivor Powell - Abraham and a bunch of rouges -
v. 27 "And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:"
Job - Job 40 v. 4 "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth."
David - Psalm 51 v. 5 "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me."
Ezra - Ezra 9 v. 6 "And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens."
Isaiah - Isaiah 6 v. 5 "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."
Simon Peter - Luke 5 v. 8 "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord."
The Centurion - Luke 7 v. 6 "Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:"
Paul - 1 Timothy 1 v. 15 "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
(a) Abraham had seen God, (b) Abraham had seen himself
(c) Abraham had seen his sin, (d) Abraham had seen his salvation
"Boasting excluded, pride I abase, I'm only a sinner saved by grace
(3) The Result of his Humility - v. 5 "And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said."
It was a positive response, a prompt response and a profitable response
(c) His Hospitality v. 6 - 8 "And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat." i.e.
Abraham was quick to see the opportunity, quick to seize the opportunity, and quick to serve it in contrast to Lot
in ch 19 v. 16 "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city."
2. ABRAHAM WAS A PRIVILEGED MAN v. 9 - 15 Note:- He enjoyed:-
(a) The Lord's Presence - Lord turned aside to eat with him
(b) The Lord's Promise - v. 10 "And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him."
(c) The Lord's Purpose - Note -
God's plan is specific - v. 10 "Sarah thy wife shall have a son"
God's power is sufficient - v. 14 "Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."
God's purpose is sure - "Sarah shall have a son"
3. ABRAHAM WAS A PROVEN MAN - v. 16 - 22
v. 19 "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." Known by his:-
Faith in God - "for I know him",Faithfulness to God - "he will command his children and his household after him, ",Fruitfulness from God - "that the LORD may bring upon Abraham "
v. 18 "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"
4. ABRAHAM WAS A PRAYING MAN - v. 17 "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;" v. 23 - 33 Note:-
(A) The Background to his Praying v. 23 "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
Ezekiel 16 v. 49 & 50 "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, 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 good."
v. 20 "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;"
Note 3 things about Sodom
(1) The cry of their sin was great - Proverbs 11 v. 21 "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered."
(2) The consequence of their sin was grief - i.e. to God, to grace and to goodness
Ephesians 4 v. 30 "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
(3) The condemnation of their sin was grave - The judgement was soon, sure, and severe
ch 19 v. 24 "Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;"
Note 3 things - Sodom had but:-
(a) A Little Time - ch 19 v. 1 "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;" - evening
ch 19 v. 15 "And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city." Morning arose
(b) A Little Truth - Sodom had no Bible
(c) A Little Test - 1 Samuel 16 v 7 "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."
(B) The Basis for his Praying - v. 23 "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" On the basis of:-
(1) Redemption - drew near because of Calvary
(2) Revelation - v. 17 "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;"
The Lord showed His plan to a person, The Lord showed His plan at a price
The Lord showed His plan for a purpose
2 Corinthians 5 v. 20 "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
(3) Reflection - i.e. Did God want to destroy Sodom? No, God had to destroy Sodom
Isaiah 28 v. 21 "For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act."
(C) The Boldness in his Praying - v. 23 "And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"
From 50 in verse 24 - 10 in verse 32 "And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake."
(D) The Benefit of his Praying i.e. Where Abraham stopped, judgement started
James 5 v. 16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
How much the world owes to the prayers of God's people
There was:-
(1) Purpose in his Praying v. 24 "Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?" Praying for the city e.g.
Jonah 4 v. 11 "And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"
i.e. God had numbered everyone and the cattle."
Exodus 10 v. 26 "Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither."
John Knox "Give me Scotland or I die"
(2) Passion in his Praying - Joel 2 v. 17 - 19 "Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:"
(3) Persistence in his Praying - 50 - 10 souls
(4) Perservence in his Praying - Lot saved
Genesis 19 v. 29 "And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."
