Abraham bargains with God- Genesis 18-19
Abraham in the Old Testament is known as the “Father of faith,” because through his lineage came the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths. The Jews came through his son, Isaac whose mother was Sarah and the Arabs came through Ismael, whose mother was Hagar. Jesus Christ came through the lineage of Isaac, and thus Christians through faith were promised the blessings of Abraham.
Abraham had a nephew called Lot who was a righteous man who made poor decisions. Lot moved his family to a prosperous but wicked city called Sodom. Sodom and its close-by neighbor, Gomorrah, were filled with people who were sexually immoral, very proud and arrogant, and did not care for the poor and needy. God told Abraham that he was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness and sin. Knowing that Lot lived in that area, Abraham asked God to spare the cities if there were 50 righteous people. God agreed. Then, Abraham asked for that number to be 45, then 40, then 30, then 20, and finally he said one more time, 10. God agreed and then left Abraham.
God sent two angels who appeared as human men to the city of Sodom. Lot saw them as they entered the city and came to them. When he found out that the men were going to spend the night in the city square, he asked them to come and stay at his house because it was very dangerous at night. The angels agreed. That night old and young men came to Lot’s house and banged on the door and called out to Lot. They asked Lot to send the two strangers out so they could gang rape them. Lot went outside and pleaded with them to leave them alone. Lot even offered his daughters to them, but they wanted the men. Finally, the angels pulled Lot back inside, closed the door, and struck the men with blindness. They instructed Lot to get his family ready to leave in the morning because God’s judgment was coming to destroy the city.
Lot went to his married daughters and sons-in-law and asked them to leave with him. The sons-in-law laughed at him as if he were joking. When morning came the angels had to take Lot, his wife, and two daughters by the hand and lead them out of the city because they were lingering too long. They instructed them not to look back at all. They headed out of the city and when they were safe, fire and brimstone began to fall on the cities. Lot’s wife was disobedient and looked back. She was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. The cities were utterly destroyed and everything in it. Only Lot and his two daughters were spared.
From a distance, Abraham could see the smoke coming from Sodom and Gomorrah. Although God did not find 10 righteous people in order to spare the cities, He had grace and mercy and saved Lot, his wife, and two daughters. The destruction of the cities because of great wickedness and sin reminds us of the days of Noah when he and his family were saved.
Abraham could bargain with God because he had a covenant relationship with Him. Abraham knew God was willing to show His mercy and grace, however, he stopped short at 10. When we have a relationship with Jesus, we become righteous (in good standing with God, holy), not because we are morally good in ourselves, but because Jesus is perfect, sinless, and He took our punishment on the cross. When we receive Jesus through faith, we become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21; Phil 3:9; Romans 4:3)
The good news today is that we don't have to bargain with God. In Hebrews 4:16 it says “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The Bible is full of promises for our good and as a child of God, we have access to all of them. (John 3:16; I Cor. 15:57)
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Personal Development Tip of the week:
Do you ever struggle to stay focused when reading your bible?
I used to struggle to read my bible consistently until I found a new approach that has worked well not only for my focus but also my comprehension that I wanted to share with you today.
How I study the bible today is I read the bible and listen to the bible being read to me at the same time. I do this because not only does this stimulate my visual senses through reading but also my auditory senes since I’m listening as well.
This has greatly improved my comprehension and ability to focus while reading which I absolutely love. Try this out for yourself this week especially if you want a new way to stay focused during your bible study.
Question for you? What’s one thing that helps you when reading your bible to learn and comprehend it more affectively?
Prayer for the week:
Father God, thank you for the new day and week ahead of me. Bless me to make good decisions this week and to treat people right. Bless me to keep making progress towards the purpose you have for my life so I can impact others and make a difference. Thank you for caring about my life and for everything great you have coming my way this week in Jesus name Amen.
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Do you know Jesus?
If you have never asked Jesus to be the leader of your life and forgive you of all your sins, this is the right time to act. Pray this simple prayer and believe it in your heart: “Dear God, Your Word says that You loved me so much that You sent Your Son Jesus to die on the cross for me. I want to be saved and have all my sins forgiven, past, present, and future. Forgive me now as I receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. You promised me salvation and an abundant life. I believe and receive Your free gift. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and help me grow stronger in You each day, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.” (John 3:16)
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