These are simply footnotes from the following sermon: Click here.
First recorded prayer.
Abraham is not just praying he is priesting. He is praying to God on behalf of his
people. God invites him in to be a
priest and Abraham follows through.
3 Men show up at the door of Abraham and Sarah, these 3 men
are the lord and two angels. They walk
towards Sodom which is where lot lives.
Lord tells him he’s going down to judge them because they had become so vicious
and unjust that there was an outcry so great (Hebrew word for those who are oppressed, victims of
injustice) against them. This is why the
Lord is going to judge them. There are a lot of people who say I don’t
believe in a judging God. I only believe
in a merciful God. God is hearing the
cry of the oppressed; a God who never judges isn’t merciful. He allows Abraham to intervene, he allows his
opinion. “Should I hide what I’m about
to do from Abraham.” Also God is going
to go to see for himself it is as bad as the outcry he has heard.
Why is God going down to see if it is as bad as he
hears? Why does God have to go see? He is God.
God comes down to speak to us, to be accessible; he’s treating us as
people he wants interaction with.
Verse 25 “then Abraham approached him” approached is
significant because he was already standing in front of him. Approach in Hebrew means ‘approach the bench’
‘to plead a case’ Abraham is granted the right to ‘legally’ represent his
people. He pleads for them.
1
It is a universal prayer. He is not just asking that God would take his
family out (Lot.) Verse 24 he asks that the entire place is spared, not just
his family. Although he is thinking of
Lot, he never mentions them, he is pleading for Canaanites. All prior prophets pleaded for their people
only. Moses, etc. Abraham pleads for all people.
Theological- not just praying he’s being a
lawyer. A lawyer assumes a law. Abraham starts with the judge of law Verse
25. He says of course you’re a just God,
you demand righteousness. Will you not
spare (Hebrew word for spare is forgive) the many for the sake of the righteous
few? Could you value the righteous few
so much that it covers the unrighteousness of the many? Could the righteousness of one save
another.
The reason a lot of us missed the
jist of what Abraham is doing here is because we live in a western culture an individualistic
culture, especially as Americans, we deny the idea of corporate responsibility
we believe in individual responsibility .
We believe it doesn’t matter what my father or grandfather or race or my
people have done I am not responsible for what anyone else is done no one else’s
record affects me. That’s a very western
point of view. In most places they have
a more balanced view; the bible has a more balanced view. We still value individual behavior but there
is still corporate responsibility. You
do not make yourself rich by plundering others.
God said do not be imperialistic, when you defeat a town you do not keep
the money for yourself. You give it back
to the tabernacle for the Lord’s work.
In
Judges Chapter 7 Aiken takes a pile of money for himself when he defeated a
town and he was executed for his wrong doing.
Americans don’t see anything wrong with Aiken taking the money for the
town he devoured; in the bible this is wrong.
The record of someone else that I have some sort of solidarity with comes
back to me, this is how things work in the bible. African Americans have believed that whites are
able to participate in the privilege of being white, which stems from injustice
from years ago. Most whites do not believe in
that because then they are held to some sort of corporate responsibility for
something they individually have had no part of. Abraham is asking this
fantastic question, in reverse, if the sins of someone else could come onto me
and make me guilty, then couldn’t someone else who is a sinner have grace
because of my righteousness? Bold new
kind of corporate responsibility.
God’s will to save is greater
than his will to punish. Abraham didn’t
end up saving Sodom. We wait for Abraham
to say this “God you are an amazingly righteous and gracious God, would you save Sodom for 1
righteous person. “ Abraham instead goes
home at ten.
Lot is only relatively
righteous. Abraham went home knowing
that he didn’t have one totally righteous person living in Sodom. As great as Abraham was he wasn’t able to
save Sodom because we need one high priest, there is only one, Jesus is the
only one who can save people. Abraham
risks his life for the people he was praying for. Jesus give his life for those he prayed for.
Abraham discovered
the principle; the righteousness of someone else can save us. The righteousness of Jesus can save us. Jesus is the only truly righteous
person. Jesus is the only one who can fulfill
what Abraham was asking of God with relation to Sodom. When you believe in Jesus you enter into
solidarity with Him and His righteousness becomes yours.
Jesus says to Peter, you’re going to deny me three times but I’ve prayed
for you so when (not if but when) you recover strengthen the brethren. Jesus has prayed for Peter, Jesus is the high
priest that cannot be turned down, he is the one truly righteous who saves the
unrighteous by his righteousness.
A Priest is a bridge.
It stands on the side of people and the side of God. Deeply sympathetic to the needy, hurting and
broken, the poor. Priestly hood is no
longer reserved for Moses, Abraham, etc.
It is for all of us, every single Christian. It requires an intimate relationship with
God, great prayer life, be deeply sympathetic to all people even the oppressor,
look down your nose at NO ONE. Do you
just say your prayers or do you have a true relationship with your God? Do you have a sense of God? Is there anyone
you can’t be sympathetic with? Is there
anyone you can’t care for? You can never
be like Abraham if you can’t follow the one that Abraham points to.
It’s not just about following a set of rules, sending up
words as prayers, it’s about recognizing the one Abraham points to, the one who
fulfilled what Abraham could not. It’s
about having a real relationship with Christ.
About recognizing how imperfect you are and your need for Christ which
humbles you, while knowing that Christ makes you perfect which gives you a
boldness. It’s about recognizing both of
those facts at the same time.
Revelation 1:6 - and made us a kingdom, priests to his God
and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing this! I was looking for someone who had taken notes on this sermon so that I could use them for a small group discussion.
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