Nothing is too hard with God
Genesis 18
Gensis 18:14
Good morning. Happy snow Sunday. Last week, in chapter 17, we learned that God made his covenant with Abraham. In his covenant, he changed Aram’s name to Abraham (a noble father to a father of many), Sarai’s name to Sarah (a princess to a mother of many). God had a vision for them that through them, many godly offsprings would come out, and God would be their God and they God’s people. Abraham was circumcised as the sign of the covenant even though he was 99 years old. In today’s passage, there will be three parts: Abraham and Sarah’s serving attitude toward the three visitors, Abraham’s teaching his children the way of the Lord, and Abraham’s intercessory prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah. Through this message, let us continue to learn about Abraham and more importantly the God of Abraham.
First, Abraham served the three men.
In the heat of day, (other Bible versions said twelve noon), near the great trees of Mamre, Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent. In a hot day, he was enjoying the cool, breezing wind. Then, he saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, what did he do? In his time, the culture was to rise and wait for the guest to approach his home. But instead of waiting, he hurried to meet them and even bowed low to the ground. He invited them to his house. He said “if I have found favor in your eyes, do not pass your servants by”. Then, in verse 4, he brought a little water to wash their feet, in verse 6, he hurried to Sarah to use the finest flour to bake some bread, in verse 7, he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf, in verse 8, he brought some curds, milk, and the calf for the three men, in verse 8, while they ate, he stood near them like a servant. At that time, he was 99 years old. He had many servants. It was the heat of the day. Yet, his attitude was very impressive.
What can we learn from him? We can see that his inner character, as a father of many, how to serve people genuinely. He welcomed and served them with his heart. He brought the finest flour and choice meat. He did not spare best even though they were just visitors.
His attitude reminds me of how M. Esther serves people. Whenever I visited her house, she always welcomed me warmly. She brought me very good foods. Sometimes, I was wondering, ‘how could she all the time serve me without any complaint?’. I do not think she treated only me like this, but every visitor to her house. Now, I see how? She might learn from Abraham and Sarah’s serving attitude. Ruth and I would like to learn their serving attitude too: serve people with genuine hospitality. Hebrew 13:2 says “do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
Speaking of hospitality, who welcomes us warmly and serves us best in the Bible? It is Jesus. Even though he is the Lord, when we come to him, he welcomes us as we are, wash our dirty conscience with his blood, and provides us the beat food: the living words of God. He said in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” How can we learn Abraham’s serving attitude? How can we learn Jesus’ serving attitude? Through serving others. I pray we all may learn such a serving attitude through serving others this year.
Second, Abraham teaches his children the way of the LORD.
In verse 10, one of the three men said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, your wife Sarah will have a son”. When Sarah heard of it, what was her response? In verse 12, she laughed to herself as she thought “after I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Her response was quite surprising. Because in chapter 17, God changed her name to Sarah: a mother of many. He also promised her that she would bear a son. He even gave her son’s name: Isaac. When she heard of it, she must have been happy. ‘Finally, I could have a son’. However, in this chapter, when God confirmed his promise once again, she laughed to herself. Why? Because she looked at her human circumstances. Verse 11 said she was already past the age of childbearing. Verse 12 said I am worn out. She knew the fact that her body was as good as dead that she doubted.
Nevertheless, how did God help her? He was not mad at her. He did not rebuke her. Instead, he was patient with her. Let’s see how he helped her overcome doubt. Can we read verse 14 together? “Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” God helped her look up to God. “Is anything too hard for God?” When she looked at her own circumstance, having a baby at age 89 was impossible. There was no hope and no miracle. However, in spite of the fact, God helped her look up to God, because God is the almighty God. He created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. With men, it is impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.
This is very similar to how God helped Abrahm have faith in God. In Genesis 15, Abraham was depressed. It has been 10 years since he moved to Canaan by faith, yet, he did not even have a son. But in Genesis 15:5, God took him outside and said to him, “look up at the sky and count the starts, if indeed you can count them.”
We see here, how God helped Sarah. Before he blessed her to have a son, he first planted faith in her heart. He helped her remove unbelief from her heart. Then, God granted her a son.
This year, 2024, I pray we all may experience God’s almighty power in person and ministry. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Of course not. As he promised to Sarah, at the appointed time next year, Sarah will have a son, at the appointed time this year, God will grant us five undergraduate students that we can reach out more students on campus for the kingdom of God.
Look at verse 17. When the three men were about to leave, God said, “shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” Whom do you share your secret? With your friends. God considered Abraham as his friend. He shared his plan with Abraham. How close they were to each other. What was God’s plan? There are two things; one is to bless all nations on earth through Abraham. Another thing is to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
Let’s look at the first one. In verse 18, God promised that he will make Abraham a great and powerful nation. All nations on earth will be blessed through him. Then, how will all peoples on earth be blessed through Abraham? Shall we read verse 19 together? “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring out for Abraham what he has promised him.” God chose Abrahm out of many people. God saved him from his idol worshipping life. God called him to Canaan, his mission land. God has shown his care, his power to Abraham. Most importantly, God chose him to direct his children and his household to keep God’s way. Here ‘direct’ in other Bible versions, ‘teach or command’. So, in other words, God chose him to teach the words of God to his children and his household. Thus, they would fear God, honor God, and obey God’s commands. Then, they would be God’s people, God become their God. In this way, all peoples on earth will be blessed through one man Abraham. And Abrahm become a father of many.
These days, the daily bread is the book of Judges. When I read chapter 1 and 2, I could see how important it is to teach the way of God to young people. In chapter 2, Israel served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the elders. However, after that whole generation died, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. As a result, they did evil in the eyes of God and worshipped idols. Thus, God gave them into the invasions of foreign countries. Why did this happen? Because God chose the parent to teach the words of God to their children, but they did not.
Teaching the words of God is a great privilege. Not everyone does this. As God chose Abraham to teach the way of God to his generation, God chose us to teach the words of God to people, especially, college students at UD campus. Believe or not, their future is in our hands. Out of thankfulness, if we teach the way of God to them, they will be saved and become God’s people. However, if we ignore it, they will be like people in the book of Judges. May God use us to teach the Bible so that young people may repent their sins, taste God’s forgiveness, and have eternal life. In that way, we can be a blessing to many.
Third, Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah.
In verse 20, God said to Abraham “the outcry again Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grievous”. What was their sin? According to chapter 19, it was the same sex. In America, sadly, same sex marriage is legal. Probably in Abraham’s time, it was legal too. However, verse 20 says the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah. Outwardly it looks ok, but inwardly, – the outcry – all kinds of problems – crying, pains, diseases, and agonies. God determined to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
In verse 23, when Abraham heard of God’s plan, what did he do? Shall we read verse 23 and 24? Then Abraham approached him and said, “will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” what if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the whole place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
Abraham was genuinely concerned about people in Sodom. Especially the righteous. He thought it is unfair for God to destroy the righteous with the wicked together. He agreed that the wicked in Sodom deserved God’s punishments. But how about some righteous people living in the city including his nephew Lot and his family?
Then in verse 26, God answered Abraham, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake?” Then, Abraham began to think out, ’maybe fifty are too many, probably at least 45, then 40, 30, 20, and then down to 10”. So, in verse 32, he said “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” God answered, “for the sake of ten, I will no destroy it”.
What can we learn from Abraham? His intercessory prayer for people. No one knew about his prayer. People in Sodom did not know Abraham was praying for them. Lot did not know Abraham was praying for him. They said “peace, peace”. They enjoyed their sinful life. But they had no idea that God’s judgement was imminent. Next week, in chapter 19, as normal, the sun had risen over the land, then, suddenly, God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying all those living in the cities. But Lot was saved. Because of Abraham’s intercessory prayer. Genesis 19:29 says when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe.
As we see here, Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their sins. However, if we approach this other way around, because they did not have ten righteous people, thus they were destroyed. Based on this, let us remember how important the righteous are in the eyes of God. Jesus said, “you are the light of the world. You are the salt of this world.” We are called to be righteous people. I heard in the sea, the waters contain only 3.5% salt. Yet, because of the 3.5% salt, the whole waters are maintained well. In a sense, we are called the salt (few but dominant influence) at the UD campus.
Also, more importantly the reason we live on earth is that someone is praying for us; your parents or your bible teachers. You may not know, but they are praying for you. Also they are not the only ones praying for you. In the Bible, Jesus is interceding for you. Romans 8:34 says “Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Hebrews 7:25 says “he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Surprisingly, in heaven, Jesus does intercessory prayer for us.
Now, when we look at college students on campus or same sex people, what should we do? Like Abraham, with a shepherd’s heart, praying for them. They do not know they are in the darkness. perishing because of their sins. But we know they are under God’s wrath. If no one prays for them, they will be destroyed in their sins. However, like Abraham, when we do intercessory prayer for them, God will remember our prayers, he will save people by his grace.
In conclusion, in this message, we have learned Abraham’s serving attitude toward the three visitors. He and Sarah did not complain but genuinely served them wholeheartedly. God also helped Sarah overcome her doubt and put her faith in God. So, let us not look at our human circumstances, but look up to God because nothing is too hard for him. Also, God chose Abraham to teach the way of the LORD that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him. in the same way, God chose each of us to teach the words of God that we can be a blessing to many young people. Lastly, let us pray for those who are perishing in their sins that God may remember our intercessory prayer and save young people from their destruction.