Genesis 18: Intercession

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

- Genesis 18:22-33

Absolutely. Insane. Passage.

Abraham speaks to God and actually takes the courage to make requests, of the God who created him and holds the whole universe in His hands. And God actually listens to his requests.

Bizarre. Crazy. 

I wonder if sometimes we forget who we speak to when we pray. I think sometimes we take it for granted and forget to take off our spiritual shoes since we stand on holy ground when before Him. 

Intercessory prayer is bold, it’s exhausting, and the Scriptures are full of examples of men and women, seeking after the lost and fearing God in reverence, interceding.

Here’s a few points to take away and remember about intercession:

• Appeal to God’s nature, as He will be true to Himself. Notice that Abraham presents his requests to God not by asking God to please him, but by praising God for who He is. “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the  Judge of all the earth do what is just?”  When you are in intercessory prayer, remember that it’s not about trying to convince God that He should answer your prayers because you are great or deserving, but that intercession is about appealing to His own nature and glory. It’s about reminding God of His steadfast love, of His mercy. When I pray in intercession, I praise God for His mercy and blessing extended to me, when I was so undeserving. As His people, we know that He is good. It’s not about manipulating or convincing God, it’s simply reminding ourselves and praising Him for who He is. I often pray this prayer for others, as I do for myself: “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?” (Psalm 30:9). Remember that we intercede for others for His glory, and that is the purpose, that He would be glorified through our prayers and though the answers He so generously gives. 
• Recognise who you are before God in humility.  Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.  Every moment you speak to the Mighty LORD is an incredible privilege. Intercession is not about demanding a list of requests. It’s about coming before the LORD, praising Him for the joy of prayer, that we can approach Him and make our desire for others to experience His blessing known to Him. Remind yourself of that, for there is no other way to speak to the Lord of Lords.
• Be BOLD. Abraham makes bold request after bold request. Each made in humility, recognising that he is in no way more powerful than God. We see in this snapshot of their conversation that God does respond and listen to what Abraham is asking of Him. Recognise that while God is great, and mighty, He loves you, His child, greatly, and He will always be true to His character. Make your requests bold, and specific, and trust that God is listening.
• Be patient. Be still, and be focused.  …but Abraham still stood before the Lord. This is a really painful one. Intercessory prayer takes time. It’s exhausting. Other things are all too distracting. But know this. Intercessory prayer is about praying until you are certain that the request has been heard, that the answer has been given. And until then, you commit yourself to praying and praying and praying. You need to be focused. If you find yourself getting distracted, quietly bring your mind back, ask the Spirit to help you fix your eyes on Christ, and continue back in prayer. You cannot get on your knees in intercession when you are watching TV. Intercession in this case is not just a quick arrow prayer. It will take energy, but it will be worth it. He is glorified when we commit to prayer to honour Him with all our hearts.

It’s not easy, but I do feel that we are losing sight of how great a mission we’ve been given, and how much help we are granted through prayer. May we remember always the words of Christ:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” - John 14:12-14

Genesis 14

I love reading Genesis. All these stories that you’ve forgotten. 

Seriously, this one is worth reading. Pick up your Bible right now! Or click this link, and read with me!

In chapter 14, Lot’s been abducted by a bunch of kings, and so Abram, with his 318 trained men, go in the night and defeat the kings and bring back Lot and all the others who were abducted, as well as all the possessions that were stolen.

What.

Whenever I think of Abram in the Bible, all I really remember is the old man Abraham, great in his faith. It’s wonderful to read more about how God works in his life.

What’s even more amazing, though, is what happens in verses 17-24. The king of Sodom, and Melchizedek (the King of Salem but also the high priest) come to greet Abram, especially since Abram’s just defeated his enemies. Melchizedek blesses Abram, and attributes his victory to the Lord. Abram gives him a tenth of all his belongings, affirming the truthfulness of these words. Then the king of Sodom is a pretty ungrateful man who demands to have all the people back, saying that he’ll let Abram keep all the material possessions.

And then Abram says no.

I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’

Abram was promised by God that he was going to be made into a great nation and that his name would be great. Abram had relied on his own plans before rather than trusting God before, and he knew that when his own plans backfired, it was God who rescued him. So this time he says no. He says no to the plans of man. He seems no to what seems logical, seems comfortable. He says no to relying on the gifts of earthly kings and yes to relying on God, so that should people even try to attribute his future greatness to man, they would not have adequate evidence to do so. He says no, because he trusts that when God makes a promise, He has the power to carry it through. I pray that you and I would do the same! 

[ adonai ]

Day 02: Adonai, LORD GOD, The Master (Genesis 15:2)

Genesis 15:1-5
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
       “Do not be afraid, Abram.
       I am your shield,  
       your very great reward. “

But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Adonai. The Master. The One to whom I owe all my obedience and devotion. I had to whisper His name because I am currently in a library. But the name didn’t hold any less authority or power. Adonai. Lord of all.

This passage is a bit tricky. I didn’t understand it at first, but I used a couple of commentaries, and here are my thoughts. I found a quote: “Adonai was teaching Abraham two truths - Adonai owns and controls everything, and we must obey Adonai in everything. Since God has possession of me, I must be in submission to Him. Since He is God, I must live under His leadership. Since He is the owner of everything, I am but a manager of the resources He has given me. I exist for Adonai; He doesn’t exist for me.”

Do I trust my Master? When my loving, generous, patient, kind Master tells me He will provide for  Him, do I balk at Him or do I trust that the Master who has led me and and been delighted with me each time I trust and obey Him, will pull me through again and fulfill His promises? I forget sometimes that I actually owe my Master obedience. That He is actually the only one worthy of my total obedience, that He deserves it. Thank You, Adonai, for opening my eyes to this truth.

I think about what Abraham’s obedience actually looked like. It started off with some shaky ground (“what, this pretty lady? Uh…she’s my sister…”) and doubts but it developed into something absolutely astonishing, God-given and remarkable:

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him… “Take your son,” He said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
Genesis 22:1-3 (CSB)

“If it seems barbaric to command Abraham to offer his beloved son, Isaac, God did not ask any more than He would do in sacrificing His beloved Son for the sins of the world.” (via beagarcera)

For those who are unfamiliar with the story, God intervenes when Abraham goes to sacrifice his son. He provides another sacrifice on the mountain and Isaac is unharmed. I can only imagine the pain in Abraham’s heart as he is forced to tie his son down and raise a knife to prepare to plunge into his only heir, his only beloved son’s heart. That’s what obedience is meant to look like. At times it will be painful. At times, purity will be difficult because everything about being in love makes you want to be close and it feels like hitting a wall. At times, not being able to vent will be frustrating and you’ll actually be worried your brain will implode. But each time you obey Him He is so delighted with you. And thanks to His generosity and love, you will be delighted in return.

But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.