I am amazed at how little human nature has changed since the beginning of man. Abraham is going to do exactly what we tend to do when faced with a tough challenge or trial. He repeats what worked in the past, even though it is not representative of his new self under God’s guidance. When we are in a tight situation, we keep resorting to what worked in the past, but that is not always in our best interests. Sometimes I think God lets the same situation repeat in our lives until we finally get it and take a different path. God is for us passing our tests, and he will give us a test over and over until we finally pass with an “A”.

Genesis 20 Abraham (King of Jewish nation) and Abimelech (King of the Philistines).

Abraham is going to journey to the South (an area south of the Gaza strip).

Here are the meanings of names: KADESH – means holy
                                                  SHUR – means wall
                                                  GERAR – means a lodging place, from the root of a 
                                                                  word meaning to catch, destroy, chew, saw
                                                                  continue.
                                                  SARAH – noblewoman
                                                  ABIMELECH – my father is king
We will see that Abraham did not learn from his previous mistake, he will repeat it again with Abimelech. Interesting that in Genesis 20:1 Abraham goes South (never a good direction when you are in the Promised Land), and dwells between Kadesh (Holy) and Shur (a wall). How many times have we vacillated between God and the wall that we are facing? I have been guilty of hugging the wall instead of reaching out toward God – the wall will get me nowhere, but God holds a promise.

Anyway, he is in the land of the Philistines, and he tells King Abimelech that Sarah is his sister. Now at this time she is in her 90′s, she must be very beautiful even at that age. The king takes Sarah thinking that she is available. God protected not only Abraham and Sarah, but also the Philistine king.  He sends a dream to the king telling him Genesis 20:3 “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken for she is a man’s wife.”  In this case dead means impotent. And the king asks God (interceding for his nation), verse 4 “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also?” The Philistines were not a righteous nation, but in this particular situation they acted righteously, and we will see that it is God who helps them to be righteous. He goes on to inform God that Abraham told him that she was his sister, and Sarah even confirmed that Abraham was her brother. He felt that he acted with integrity.

God lets Abilemech know that God prevented him from verse 6, “sinning against Me.” Notice, it was sinning against God. Remember that David used these words in his Psalm 51:4 Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight…” This after he killed a guy, committed adultery, etc. Granted those were acts against people, but acts against people are also acts against God, and when we hurt another person we also hurt God.

One bit of prophesy here is that Abimelech, a Philistine, if he had been able to have relations with Sarah, would have corrupted the line toward the Messiah, so God’s intervention not only protected Sarah and Abraham – but ultimately the birth of Jesus Christ.

Boy, in my own way of thinking, what Abraham did was awful – lying and having his wife lie. And in this case  it is a half truth for we will find that Sarah is Abraham’s 1/2 sister, but a half truth is a lie in God’s economy. Anyway, after doing this action twice I probably, if I were God, would have been pretty angry with Abraham. But God does not deal with people the way that we do. I think He sees us as we will become, and helps to move us toward becoming His vision, and he gently guides us along our path, and pushes us towards the truth, when we step astray. Listen to how he talks about Abraham:

Genesis 20: 7 “Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. but if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

Proof positive that God can use us flawed creatures. If God can use a liar, have him be a prophet and the father of all Nations, what can He do with us, when we learn to love and obey Him.

The living that God is talking about has to do with impotence again. Abimelech calls to Abraham and says, verse 9 “…What have you done to us? How have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done.” Thoroughly puzzled Abimelech asks Abraham, Verse 10 “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

Abraham says that he felt that the fear of God was not in this place, and that he would be killed because of his wife. We can see that Abraham was wrong in the first count, because the king heard from God, and did not want to sin against God. We can also see that Abraham did not trust that God would protect him, and he built up an elaborate scenario where he would be killed because of Sarah. He also hid behind Sarah’s skirts.

I am guilty of doing this sort of thing. Thinking of a situation, looking at the worst case scenario, building up the situation, making my actions fit the scenario, then finding out that what I feared would happen did not happen. God does not want us living in fear, but in trusting Him. He certainly has led Abraham safely, so why does Abraham not think God would be there for him. Could it be that Abraham strayed a bit too far South, and felt that God would not provide a cover of protection? God may choose not to protect us when we stray from His path for us, or go into deliberate disobedience. I don’t know why Abraham was so fearful, but I think that as time goes on, and his relationship with God grows, that Abraham will become a mighty father of faith. We will see that when He takes Isaac up the mountain – takes great faith to do that.

Abraham also affirms in verse 12 that Sarah is truly his sister, the daughter of his father, but not of his mother – so she is his 1/2 sister. Then we find out in Verse 13 that Abraham and Sarah cooked up this ruse when they wandered from his father’s house. That Sarah would do the kindness of claiming that she was his sister. This is kind of like premeditated sin.

Notice a few things about the above passages. In verse 11, Abraham says, “Because I thought.” It does not say that the Lord led me, or because I prayed and was told to do this by God. Our thoughts can get us into a lot of difficulties. Our intellectual ability is so puny in comparison to God. The key is to pray first, and that will save a LOT of difficulty. (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Notice, that he left his land 25 years ago, and made this plan with Sarah, and it became as natural as breathing. We don’t fall into sin, we go one step at a time toward it.

Abimelech gives a rebuke to Abraham, even though he will do what is right. First he gives Abraham sheep, oxen, male and female servants, and gives Abraham Sarah back. He also allows Abraham to pick wherever he pleases to settle. Seems rather profitable to Abraham, this lying. Each time he comes away richer in possessions, poorer in spirit though. And remember, he picked up Hagar as one of the servants when he went down south the last time. Hagar and her son are still a trouble to Israel.

Then Abimelech says to Sarah, verse 16 “Then to Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother, a thousand pieces of silver; indeed this vindicates you before all who are with you and before everybody.” Thus she was rebuked.” Notice the slam when Abimelech says, “YOUR BROTHER”, and points out that Abraham should not be exposing her to such danger. Remember that people watch what we do, and how we act. Abraham and Sarah were not a good testimony about God by their lies.

Yet, Abraham will pray to God and God will heal Abimelech, his wife, his female servants so that they bear children. God had closed all their wombs because of Sarah, and notice in verse 18, she is called ABRAHAM’S WIFE. Hagar was not given that distinction by God, and also she is not Abraham’s sister (albeit she is a half sister), she is his wife.

In Chapter 20 is one time when God reveals something through a dream – and in this case it is to a pagan king, that he is infertile because of Abraham’s wife.

A bit of history about Gerar – they had dispossessed the original inhabitants of the land and instead of wandering as shepherds, they were settling down in the area, the land that will much later be named Palestine – or land of the Philistines.

Because God revealed to a pagan king a dream we can infer that God is concerned with all the nations, not just Christians or Jews, but all nations.

I think that God might have been making Abraham face the consequence of his lie, when he had to pray for the king and his people. It would have underscored the fact that Abraham caused the situation, and that his lie affected many, many people. That God held him responsible.

The only way we can break free from repeated patterns of sin, of repeating the same situation over and over when it isn’t a good situation is to renew our minds with the Word of God.

Beth Moore, in her study, the Patriarchs says on page 62 that she prays, “God, invade my dream life, my thoughts when I sleep, and every closet in my brain! Put your truth in the innermost places of my mind, even those I don’t know exist.” She wants God to be in every part of her being, conscious and unconscious. I need to pray a similar prayer, for often I find my thoughts to be undisciplined, and should be thinking different thoughts. On the same page she gives this exciting quote:

“While I was teaching the video sessions for Living Beyond Yourself, God led me to discover the Greek word horme as I researched various passions and their power to motivate. According to the New Testament Lexical Aids, “Horme, is an impulse or urge, a strong and forceful movement toward something, and connotes the ideas of thrusting, propulsion, and suddenness. It is not unlike a sudden thought, whim, or dictating inclination.” After praying that God would invade every part of my thought life, I added this new dimension to my prayers: “God, fill me so completely with Your Holy Spirit that even my reactions and sudden impulses are godly!: I want to be like Peter when he saw Jesus on the shore and impulsively jumped in the water and swam to Him with all his might (See John 21).

Horme is a root of the word hormone.

I think that Abraham and Sarah reacted to their fears with impulses that weren’t Godly. I am hoping that as I walk through life and face situations that send me back to the past, or fill me with fear, that like Beth Moore, I choose Godly Horme impulses. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a Godly response, than an ungodly reaction. I pray that God changes me in this.

Have a blessed day!
Heather

Here is an old one that I saw before, but it still has a ring of truth. Enjoy.

 THE DOG’S DIARY:

I took my two sons and a friend of theirs to see the new Superman movie tonight. Had some good points, and a lot of so-so points. How come Superman can fly with clunky boots and Lois Lane has to fly barefooted? Can’t figure that one out. Anyway coming home the rains were so bad that I considered pulling the car over, and one stretch of the road was flooded. We are in a massive rain pattern that seems stuck. I keep thinking about my daughter who is in camp right now in the heart of the heavy rains.

Anyway, back to Lot and his two daughters. Genesis Chapter 19: 30-38. This will be the beginning of the birth of several nations who will cause torment to the Israelites, and their descendants to today. Some days I wish that Abram had left Lot home, like God told him to, when he moved from his home country. Had he done that, there might be different political systems today.

Sodom and Gomorrah have been destroyed, Lot had pled for permission to dwell in a little town (a town God had planned on destroying) the town of Zoar – which translated means insignificant. Why Lot would want to dwell in insignificance instead of the mountains is beyond me, but then again there are times when I choose the same old same old stuff, dwell on the little things instead of looking at the grand scheme of things, instead of stepping out in faith in the path that God has for me. Whenever I stay in my own way, in the old patterns, in disobedience to God, it will ultimately end up in insignificance. We see this with many of the Old Testament people, disobedience means that what God’s original grand plan is, won’t come to full fruition.

But, guess where Lot ended up? The mountains (verse 30). Why? He was afraid to dwell in Zoar. Afraid???? God preserved the city for Lot, so why was he afraid? Lot ends up hiding with his two daughters in a cave. This brings to mind Revelation 6:15 when the sixth seal was broken and there were great earthquakes, the sun becomes black, and the moon like blood, and heaven falls to earth (sounds a bit like Sodom doesn’t it) and in verse 15-16 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.”

There is destruction, and I wonder at Lot’s hiding – were there still residents in that small city that were spared because of Lot? Were all people destroyed completely? Did Lot feel that he was the only one left? I don’t know why the following actions occurred, but notice that one of the key elements is alcohol – the daughters will get Lot drunk, and then do what they did. There is danger in letting any substance control our behavior, alcohol or drugs, or any other thing, because then we are not fully aware of what we are doing. It seems like a convenient excuse to say, “I was so drunk/stoned I didn’t know what I was doing.” But, truth be told, it is our decision about what we ingest, and we have a choice to not ingest something that will release our inhibitions.

The two daughters talk among themselves (remember their husbands mocked Lot’s warning and stayed in Sodom to their destruction), so the daughters are without child. They see that their father is old, and assume that they will not have another man to produce a child with.

I don’t know how desolate the area was that they were in, I can only infer, but it sure seems that they didn’t wait too long before making this decision. Have you ever acted in desperation? Figured that you had to accept anyone in a relationship because no one else would accept you? I made many choices like that in my past, and regretted them. To make a decision in impulse is dangerous, and has far reaching consequences.

Perhaps, had they gone to God and trusted God they would have made a different choice. (Hindsight is great isn’t it?) But they acted on their own limited vision and sinned against God, for God does not like incest. They let their passions take hold of them and acted. There is a shade of what Abram and Sarai did, when they allowed Hagar to marry Abram and “help” God. If these two girls had thought about it first, they might have realized that God got them out of Sodom before it was destroyed, God preserved them, and that God cared about Lot because of Abraham – so they could have asked themselves, wouldn’t God provide for their future. That said, I was not in their situation, and it is easy to judge another person’s actions – but I have found myself making rash decisions in the past too.

They decide to make their father drink wine and then go in to him to preserve their lineage. The next day the first born daughter had laid with her father, and he did not know what happened. So the next night the youngest daughter will make the same decision and action.  The conclusion being verse  36-38 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab, he is the father of the Moabites to this day. And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben Ammi, he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.

As you continue to read in the Bible those two groups of people, the Moabites and the Ammonites will cause endless trouble for the Israelites.

Beth Moore adds some insight to the above passage, in her study The Patriarchs on page 55 “For whatever reason, Sodom was the death of Lot’s wife. Strangely, it was also the death of dignity and propriety in Lot’s daughters’ lives. Rather than cherishing the lives they’d mercifully gained, their insistence on dwelling on what they had lost (“there is no man around here”) weakened them toward heinous sin. As a young person, I saw sins one so young should never have to witness. I came into my adolescent years bitter and determined not to fall into the same kinds of sin. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my chief reason for making these choices was not pleasing God. It was pride, I wanted to be better than “them”. Because my intentions were not pure, my integrity was unguarded, and I ended up heaped in sins. Some were different from those I had observed…but no less serious.”

I sure can relate to this. I saw much sin as a child, and felt polluted by what had happened to me. (my testimony).  I chose to be totally different. In my day it meant that since Christians were the ones who hurt me so much, I rejected anything and everything Christian. I chose a lifestyle that was full of sin, figuring that at least I was in control (fat chance of that). And it was not choices pleasing to God. Since I came to God, I still felt (and at times feel) that it is me that has to do things – to be in control, to make the proper choices, to change my perception of the past. Yes, I have to be obedient to God, but I cannot do it in my own strength – I need God to help me. His grace is what is sufficient for me.

Beth Moore continues on page 55 “Lot’s mistake on behalf of his family was pitching “his tents near Sodom”. When believers are totally outnumbered and no one stands with us in godliness, few are strong enough to resist lowering the standard to relativity. Proverbs 23:10 warns us not to “move an ancient boundary stone.” Somewhere along the way, an ancient boundary stone got moved on Lot’s lot – even if not by him.  No, the Lot family didn’t participate in homosexual sin, but the line dividing right from wrong and healthy from unhealthy got blurred. When desperation came, alternatives that should have been shocking simply were not.”

In my life, whenever I make an excuse to do what I know is wrong I move a boundary stone. And in this day and age, the Church seems to be moving boundary stones, trying to get God’s Word to fit today’s morals. It will not work, and the line between right and wrong is getting blurred. I pray that God gives us clarity in our walk and in the walk of the Church. God will not change His opinion because of public opinion. He knows what is right and best for us. When we try to make Him fit our way of thinking we open up the way for disaster in our lives and in the world.

Praying that you have a blessed day.
Heather

Genesis 19 continued.

The two angels have spent time with Lot, and we left them at Lot’s house, after striking the townsmen blind – yet the townsmen were still looking for Lot’s door so that they could act carnally with the two men (angels).

There are a LOT of lessons to learn from the description of the events of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Verse 12. The men ask Lot if he has any family there, a son-in-law, sons, daughters, and whomever. Lot is told to TAKE THEM OUT OF THIS PLACE. They tell Lot that they are going to destroy this place, because verse 13, “the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”

Remember in the previous chapter, Abraham had a discussion with God, asking Him to spare the city, and God promised not to destroy the city if there were 10 righteous men in it. Lot will now go on a quest to find people to flee the city with him.

He goes to his sons-in-law who married his daughters. He tells them what the angels told him about the immanent destruction of Sodom. The sons-in-law thought he was just joking.

Doesn’t that sound just like today? We tell people about salvation, about how God has predicted the events of today, how God will one day judge the world and the people. And they think it is one big joke. They feel that they have things under control, that they will deal with salvation tomorrow or later, that God REALLY wouldn’t do it, that there are many paths that lead to God, God is too exclusive, Christians are too repressive, Christians have checked their mind at the door, etc. They think that the warnings that God has given us, the prophesies, the end time prophesies do not have any basis in fact. As the people in Sodom who heard the message to flee will find out, God was serious.

Today people make the mistake of thinking that God’s silence in regard to what is going on in the world, in some of the churches, in people’s life is His condoning of the behaviors. Really it is God wanting no one to be lost – and yet at some point God will say ENOUGH and He WILL act. It saddens me to think of how many of  my friends still do not believe the message of Jesus, how many of those in the New Age that I know that think that God is one of many. I can just hope and pray that some of the seeds that I plant will take root before it is too late.

Some say that God is taking a long time to come, and as Paul wrote about, it is a good thing he waits, I know that if He came years ago, I would have been one of the lost ones, so I am hoping he tarries, so that more can be saved.

Anyway, off the soapbox, and back to Genesis 19:15 The morning dawns, and the angels tell Lot to hurry, saying “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” Lot lingers, and the two men take the hands of him, his wife and daughter, and bring him out and set him outside the city because the LORD is merciful to Lot.

Isn’t that just like us, when we have to leave a situation in our life, we linger, just one last this or that, not coming out of our Sodoms? Sometimes God has to forcibly move us out of the area, close a door, cause something to fail just so we get off our duff and move where God knows it is best for us to be.

Anyway, the angels give specific instructions in verse 17 “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”

What does Lot do? I find it hard to believe, but I am certain I have done some of the same things. Let’s look at a few facts. 1. the angels struck all the townspeople blind, 2. The angels tell him that God is going to destroy the city. 3. The angels, when Lot drags his feet, grab him and his wife and daughters, pull them out of the city. 4. The angels give him specific, scary instructions, not to look behind them, flee lest they be destroyed, and go to the mountains.

Lot says, verse 18-19 “…”Please, no, my lords! Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains lest some evil overtake me and I die. See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.”

Well, the angels grant Lot this request, saying that they will not overthrow the city that Lot speaks about, the city is called Zoar.

Isn’t it just like us? God gives us an instruction and we try to bargain with Him. We will not make a clean break of it, we think we know better (by the way, Lot will end up in the mountains). Now listen to his feeble argument – he is afraid that he will die – hey if he stayed in Sodom,he also would die. God would not give us a task we couldn’t perform – when God wants to send Lot to the mountains (the height), Lot wants to stay on the plain, and in a city called Zoar. ZOAR means insignificant. Why would Lot choose to be in a place of insignificance?

I find it awesome that God would spare an insignificant city for Lot, and it will turn out that Lot will not stay there. I know God knew that, but he was so concerned that Lot, whom God considered righteous, would leave the city. There are many discussions in the Bible regarding the rapture, and where the Church will be during the Tribulation period of Revelation. I believe, based on my readings and study that the Church will be off the earth before the real trials begin, and the following verse is one of many that support that theory for me. (And I know that there are many who hold different opinions – I will be honest, God is Sovereign, no matter what we think with our intellect, God will do what He will do. If we are believing something wrong, God will do what is right and it will happen as He has said it will happen – even if we get it wrong in interpretation). Anyway, the angels could not act until Lot was removed from the city – don’t forget one of the instructions was to not look back.

Genesis 19:22 “Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do ANYTHING until you arrive there.” I am pretty certain that Sodom could have been destroyed until Lot was removed.

Now God will rain down brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from out of the heavens. Notice that God had promised Noah that He would not destroy the earth with rain again, He hasn’t. Here he rains down fire and brimstone – the same method that will also be used in Revelation.

Lot’s wife looks back, and becomes a pillar of salt. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was complete, God overthrew the cities, the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. Desolation.

Lot, after the event looks at the destruction, and saw the smoke of the land like the smoke of a furnace. (We have seen before that that is the wrath of God – Remember God cutting covenant with Abraham). Lot was saved because of Abraham – for God remembered Abraham when he overthrew the cities that Lot dwelt in.

This chapter is full of so much that is sinful, I want to deal with Lot’s daughters and their sinful actions tomorrow.

But now a few words about Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot. I know that I don’t know what I would do if I were in a similar situation – but when I look at what Lot did, knowing what he knew I feel he had a LOT of Nerve (sorry for the pun). Yet, I know how easy it is to turn a blind eye to the truth, and keep doing what I want to do. I also know that the consequences of turning that blind eye is far worse than obedience would have been. I am glad God puts in information like this about Lot, so that maybe I can learn from his experience, instead of my mistakes.

Jesus gives us warning of what the signs of the coming of the Kingdom will be – Luke 17: 26-30 “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot; They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

I just noticed that Jesus said, “But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom”, it did not happen before Lot was removed. The flood did not happen until Noah and his family was removed and put in the ark. God preserves his remnant. Jesus also gives us the picture of two men sleeping – one taken, one left, two women grinding grain – one taken one left, and two men in the field, one taken, one left. So not all will be removed before destruction rains down because some will remain. One other interesting point is that people sleep at night, women grind grain in the morning, and men work in the field in mid-day – this kind of gives a picture of the earth as a whole – rotating around it’s axis – and people from all time periods will be removed – in the twinkling of an eye.

Luke 17:32 Jesus also says, ““Remember Lot’s wife.”  He tells the people to flee and to not turn back. In this instance, Jesus is talking about the Jews for he tells them to pray that this does not happen on the Sabbath.

I think it is chilling to think that Lot’s wife looked back – sometimes we all look back, backslide, but there are times when that has deadly consequences, and this is one of them. Josephus writes about Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt – and imagine what her daughters must have thought.  Truth is, she was disobedient to the command of the angels.

Beth Moore, on page 55 of her study, The Patriarchs, says, “I can think of few things more dangerous than looking back with attachment to an old life surrounded by wickedness from which God mercifully delivered us. After God delivered me from deep bondage to sin, I recall sensing a stern warning in my soul that in view of His mercy and grace, I’d be very wise never to entertain a single longing to go back. We may not turn into pillars of salt, but we can most certainly turn into monuments of the living dead.”

Oh, I can so relate to that. God saved me from so much stuff, and if I dared to go back, I think I would sink into the mire and that would be it. Sometimes we have to fully cut our ties with our sinful past. I kept the church’s burn barrel busy with tons of books from my occult past – had I held onto anything from the past, it would have pulled me down. And it also isn’t safe to straddle the fence, sometimes a clean break is necessary. I pray that if there are any who are flirting with the past, please lay it to rest and don’t look back. There is life, light and truth in Christ, to look back is foolish, when there is so much more joy in walking forward, trusting God’s best for us.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to point out to me that when I did things in my own strength and power, I blew it. My life was a mess. I now know that it is only with Christ in my life that joy came, and that my life started being fruitful. I would be a fool to think that I could do this on my own, my past failures are ample evidence for that.

I am hoping you have a blessed day.

Heather

There are times when salt is desirable – last night I made my famous Freedom Fries (French fries) from scratch and took the Kosher salt and put a bit on them, and my family raved about them, funny how a little bit of salt will doctor up those foods.

Jesus wanted us to be salt and light – salt is a preservative, an antiseptic, and a component of tears. Yet, if salt loses its savor it is worthless. Salt in a field can destroy the crops. Lot’s wife also shows us another way in which to avoid salt as we shall see in Genesis 19.

Please note that God includes many things in the Bible – He condensed 4000 years of history into 1,819 pages (in my Bible), so what God includes is important – it is to be heeded to prevent us from falling into the same traps. Sometimes, as we will see in Exodus, passages are repeated almost verbatim, and that is also for a reason, to make sure that it is underscored.

Remember in Chapter 18, Abraham and Sarah received three special visitors, one of which was probably a pre-incarnate Jesus (God) and two angels. God decided to talk with Abraham about the immanent destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham interceded for the city, asking God if he would destroy it if there were 50 righteous men in the city, and ultimately he got God to promise that He would not destroy the city if 10 righteous men were found. What ends up happening is that only four people escape from the city, and one of them does not fully escape, as we shall see. God looks for intercessors, and so, that is why it is so important in this day and age for us to be praying for our countries, praying for a change in people’s hearts. Too much of the same stuff that is going on in Sodom and Gomorrah is still happening here.

Genesis 19:

Two angels leave God and Abraham, and come to Sodom in the evening. They see Lot who is sitting in the gate of Sodom. Remember, Lot chose the plain for his place of residence because there were cities there (Abraham chose to search for a city that had God as a foundation), Lot chose the easy path. Now Lot is in the gate – that means that Lot is part of the leadership of the city. People would bring their grievances to the gate to have the leaders decide about the issues. We will see that Lot is pained about the behaviors going on in Sodom, but he still chose to live and govern there.

When Lot saw those angels (in men’s form) he rose and met them, bowed himself to  them, and asked them to come to his house and spend the night, wash their feet, and then rise early to go their way. Lot offered them hospitality, and in that tradition, hospitality also entailed protecting the guests from harm (and we will see just how far Lot was willing to go for that). The two angels told Lot that they would spend the night in the open square, but Lot insisted that they come to his house. Lot knew what might have befallen ordinary men in Sodom if they were not protected. He makes them a feast with unleavened bread and they ate. (Remember that leaven is a symbol of sin).

Verse 4 Before the angels could lay down, the men of the city – old and young, people from every quarter surrounded Lot’s house. They asked, verse 5 “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.”

It is pretty sad that it was the old and the young, from every quarter of the city that ask that. The city had gone to debauchery, and that is why it was so dis-pleasing to God. Notice it was the men of the city asking for the men visitors.

Lot asks the men to not do so wickedly, and he offers up his two daughters who are virgins to the men, that they could do what they pleased with the daughters. (I take exception to that, that is an awful way to protect visitors in my book). But the men of the city did not want that.

Verse 9 “And they (the men old and young) said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” And the men old and young, pressed hard against Lot and tried to break down the door.

Then the two visitors (angels), pulled Lot into the house and shut the door, they struck the men who were at the doorway with blindness, both small and great, and the men became weary trying to find the door.

Geesh, these people of Sodom were persistent. Imagine, trying to attack two visitors, they are prevented because they are struck blind (subtle hint), and they still wearied themselves trying to find Lot’s door.

This blindness was probably physical, but we suffer today with a spiritual blindness, as we keep trying to do things that are against God, we try to change the Word to fit our philosophical, sexual, wishful thinking, ideas. We are blind to the fact that God takes a dim view of disobedience, and that even though he has not acted yet – he didn’t destroy Sodom and Gomorrah immediately, He gave them time to repent. He gave Lot a chance to find good people, and after a time, when it was shown there was no hope for the city, then He destroyed it. There is no Sodom II or Gomorrah II rebuilt, but in Revelation Jerusalem is described as Sodom (type). See, this is a picture of what we are seeing today and also what went on in Israel over and over and over again.

Imagine doing something, and an act of God (through the angels) happens, and people are struck blind – that should be a wake-up call – but instead, the people still persisted in their agendas that obviously were not the right course to take. As we walk through life and do a little sin, we become desensitized to sin in that area, so we move the border a bit broader, become desensitized until we are caught in full-blown sin. We have those areas of Sodom in us that we are blind to, those areas of sin that we are comfortable with, those areas that we rationalize. It takes a death and destruction of those patterns, for us to break free and move on.

A few interesting meanings of words: LOT means covering.
                                                        SODOM – means burning.

I find it interesting that 2 Peter 2:4-9 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgement; and did not spare the ancient worked, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterword would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked, (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)–then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgement…”

I find it interesting that Lot is termed righteous. What was Lot doing in Sodom? Can you dwell safely in Sodom? What was Lot doing in a leadership position? I would guess Lot was righteous because he was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked.

In her study, The Patriarchs, Beth Moore has some telling points about Sodom and Gomorrah. She says on pages 52 – 53  “Without God’s constant help, intervention, and restraining Holy Spirit, our evil and dysfunctional human inclinations know no bounds.” She points out that the distance from Abraham’s tent to Sodom was a likely journey of 40 miles, so the angels must have flown to get there so quickly.

And then she talks about Ephesians 4:18-19  “…having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleaness with greediness.”

Beth Moore then goes on to say on page 53, “Our enemy, the Devil, and our own flesh deceive us when we think that we can relieve our ungodly desires by momentarily giving into them. Our indulgence only awakens “a continual lust for more.” The Sodomites had obviously given themselves over to such impurity that they wanted whatever they could get and whatever they hadn’t had. “No “ is a very dangerous word to cease saying to ourselves. Quite possibly the angels were also beautiful, and the townsmen were too ignorant and godless to discern the difference between godly radiance and human attractiveness.”

This entry is so long that I think I will save the rest of the chapter for tomorrow, it saddens me though to realize that after all of Abraham’s bargaining with God, there will not be found 10 righteous men in Sodom. Sure hope that there are intercessors for our country, for our Churches. Where would our country be without righteous intercessors?

Heather
                                                       

Until I can get a block of time to type here, I thought you might enjoy a good chuckle, the rain here is so intense that it is hard on the two boys who are here and housebound. Unfortunately their being bored doesn’t respond well to my suggestions of things to do like clean your room, do dishes, do a load of laundry, etc. They want to go out, and I don’t like driving in this kind of rain, our area usually has big pockets of flooded areas.

Anyway, here are a few more plays on word for fun.

Are you a word lover? Check out these FUN PUNS

A good pun is its own reword.

Energizer Bunny arrested – charged with battery.

A man’s home is his castle, in a manor of speaking.

A pessimist’s blood type is always b-negative.

My wife really likes to make pottery, but to me it’s just kiln time.

Dijon vu – the same mustard as before.

I fired my masseuse today. She just rubbed me the wrong way.

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.

Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.

I used to work in a blanket factory, but it folded.

I used to be a lumberjack, but I just couldn’t hack it, so they gave me the axe.

Marriage is the mourning after the knot b! efore.

A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

Corduroy pillows are making headlines.

Banning the bra was a big flop.

Sea captains don’t like crew cuts.

Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?

A successful diet is the triumph of mind over platter.

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumor.

Without geometry, life is pointless.

When you dream in color, it’s a pigment of your imagination.

Reading whilst sunbathing makes you well-red.

When two egotists meet, it’s an I for an I.

Hope you enjoyed,

Heather

Back from dropping my daughter off, it took so long to drive there, and the check in was pretty archaic. I am certain she is having fun at this camp, it is an environmental camp. Of course, with the kind of rain we are having, I am wondering if her environmental activities might include ark building and saving the animals two by two. I am praying she has a few sunny days or she will be cold, wet and not having so much fun.

Have a blessed day,

Heather

I keep wanting to start off my writing on Genesis 18 by saying, “This is one of my favorite chapters.” Problem is, that would be getting rather repetitive, for lately every chapter I encounter is one of my favorites.

Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.”

I use the Thompson Chain Link Reference Study Bible New King James Version and that verse was listed under the chapter heading. I know that most of you know this, but when the Bible was first written on scrolls, there were no chapters and verses, that was added later for reference purposes, so sometimes in the reading of a chapter, the chapter can really end a few verses into the next chapter. And occasionally the division of chapters actually interrupts the flow of a passage, so it is often a good idea to check what went on before the chapter you read and what goes on a few verses afterward.

Again notice that in Chapter 17, Abram was given the instruction to circumcise himself and all the males of his house. Abraham (note the name change) IMMEDIATELY followed those instructions, so chapter 18 comes after an act of obedience on Abraham’s part.

Chapter 18 verse 1 begins with “then” and that then implies an action done before the “then”. “Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.” Abraham then offers to wash their feet and give them bread to refresh their hearts. and they said, “Do as you have said.”

Notice the two forms of “lord” one is in all caps, that is Jehovah, the other is Lord – which is a title of honor and respect, not necessarily applied to God. But we will see that one of the three visitors is a pre-incarnate form of Jesus, who will linger to talk with Abraham.

God can appear anytime and in any way He wants to appear. To Adam and Eve He appeared in the cool of the day, here to Abraham He appears in the heat of the day. I think we often make a mistake in believing that once God has appeared to us one way, that will be the only way He will appear to us. God is versatile, He can appear any way He wants, and sometimes I think He is big on surprises. I know that there are many opinions on who the three visitors are. Some think all three are angels, others think that one is the LORD revealing Himself. I kind of tend toward the later – because, if you glance ahead, you see in Chapter 19 that two angels go to Sodom, and the Lord stays with Abraham, and Abraham will intercede for Sodom to Him.

Abraham goes to give Sarah instruction and it is here that we realize that he suspects that these are no ordinary visitors. He tells Sarah to take three measures of meal and make it into cakes (this is a time consuming process – so the guests will tarry awhile). He takes a tender and good calf to prepare for meat. What I find interesting is that he takes butter and milk (this is not exactly Kosher) and he serves them, standing under the tree as they ate.

They ask where Sarah is, and Abraham tells them she is in the tent. And, within her hearing they give her the wonderful words of promise, verse 10 “And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)

Sarah laughed within herself (It was an inward laugh not audible on the outside). In delight she says, in verse 12 “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

Genesis 18: 13-15 “And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, “Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?” Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

I take so much comfort in these verses, especially the line “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” You know, so often when I come to God with my problems and concerns there is a fear that this will be the situation that is too hard for Him to deal with. But there is nothing that the Almighty God can’t deal with. And it is also important to realize that Sarah did not laugh out loud, our thoughts are not hidden from God. Perhaps that is why Jesus, in talking about the commandments, took them a notch higher – for example – adultery is not just the physical act, but also lustful thoughts toward another that aren’t acted out. One other thing that strikes me is that when the LORD gets involved in our lives often joy and laughter follow. I never had so much joy as I have now – that doesn’t mean that circumstances and things aren’t hard, but there is also joy in the midst of the hard things.

Now the Hebrew word for “too hard” is “Pala” and it means to separate, distinguish, to be wonderful, do wonderful things, wondrous things, miracles. Yes, God can do miracles, and so often we limit Him and His actions to what is within our understanding. Yet, I think god delights in miracles. Beth Moore puts it beautifully on page 51 of the Patriarchs “Beloved, is anything “too hard” for you right now? If so, you have the perfect setting for a miracle.” Now sometimes God will say “no”, but that often is because He has something better planned for you. But God is in the miracle business.

What is amazing in Chapter 18, is that we actually hear the Lord talking to Himself! Verses 17 – 10 “And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Why is Abraham going to be privy to these plans of God? Because he commands his children and household to obey God. This is something for me to take to heart. God sees how I raise my children, what I do with them, and so often I long for things outside of the house to minister to, but really my primary field right now is my children and household – and God does know what goes on there. I think our households are a primary missionary field, and what goes on there is important to God.

I love how Abraham talks with God, bargaining, interceding. God tells Abraham that because of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah he will destroy the city. And Abraham asks God, verse 23 “Would you destroy the righteous with the wicked?” For those who do not believe in the rapture, this is a passage to consider. Abraham asks God, in verse 25 “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” and Abraham tries to find out how many righteous ones it would take to preserve a city, asking God if there were 50 righteous, would he destroy the city?  45? 40? 30? 20? 10? God says that He would not destroy it for the sake of ten. As it turns out there are four that are removed from the city Lot (because of Abraham), Lot’s wife, and his two daughters.

Sodom and Gomorrah have been doing evil things for quite some time. Perhaps it is a good warning that just because God does not act immediately, does not mean that He is not displeased with the sin going on in a situation. God loves us so much that He wants to give us chances to repent, but at some point God will say “ENOUGH”.

I sometimes wonder about intercession, but God is looking for intercessors. Moses stood between God and the people of Israel. And there are times when God wants an intercessor. Isaiah 59: 16 It mentions that God”…wondered that there was no intercessor…” Sometimes before utter destruction, an intercessor will step forward. Sometimes God will say “no” to them, other times He will delay action.

Today I take my daughter to camp for a week, but after I get back I will try to check in on you. I ask for some prayer for Jim, he is in the midst of a mega computer challenge – and needs clarity of mind and hoping that all works out well. He is working hard, but is very stressed, and realizes that this has to be done in a very limited point of time.

Have a blessed Sunday, it is soon off to church for me.

Heather