The Old Testament God

God is ‘All Ears’: He Welcomes Honest SEEKING and SEARCHING

-Genesis 18.16-33-

[GENESIS 18.16-33] 16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 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? 25 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?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 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.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 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.” 31 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.” 32 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.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Abraham - ‘Friend of God’

Friendship (relationship) with the Lord involves ministry; for Abraham:

• To (with) the Lord

• To a lost world

[EXODUS 28.1] - 1 “Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons…set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests.

[GENESIS 13.13] - 13 But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord.

[JOB 9.14] - 

14 “So who am I, that I should try to answer God

    or even reason with him?

[ISAIAH 1.18] - 

18 “Come now, let’s settle this,”

    says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

    I will make them as white as snow.

Though they are red like crimson,

    I will make them as white as wool.

The Condition of Sodom:

The (outcries) indicate the anguished cry of the oppressed, the agonized plea of the victim for help in the face of some great injustice. In the Bible these terms are [filled]...with moral outrage and soul-stirring passion.... The sin of Sodom, then, is heinous moral and social corruption, an arrogant disregard of basic human rights, a cynical insensitivity to the sufferings of others.

The JUSTice of God

[DEUTERONOMY 32.4] - 

4 He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.

    Everything he does is just and fair.

He is a faithful God who does no wrong;

    how just and upright he is!

Give Mercy to Get Mercy:

[MATTHEW 5.7] - 

7 God blesses those who are merciful,

    for they will be shown mercy.

[JAMES 2.13] - 13 There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

[1 TIMOTHY 1.16] - 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners.

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It would be easy to say that this prayer of pleading comes close to haggling, but the right word [a better word] would be ‘exploring’ (searching); Abraham is feeling his way forward in a spirit of faith.

-Derek Kidner

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Every saved person on this side of heaven owes the gospel to every unsaved person on this side of hell.

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If they [a lost world separated from God] will not hear you speak, they cannot prevent your praying…they cannot disturb you at your prayers. Are they far away so that you cannot reach them? Your prayers can reach them. Have they declared that they will never listen to you again, nor see your face? Never mind, God has a voice which they must hear. Speak to Him, and He will make them feel. Though they now treat you spitefully…follow them with your prayers. Never let them perish for lack of your praying.

-Charles Spurgeon

Ask GOD | Ask FOR THE SAKE of OTHERS | Ask BIG | Ask PERSISTENTLY

[ISAIAH 55.6-7] - 

6 Seek the Lord while you can find him.

    Call on him now while he is near.

7 Let the wicked change their ways

    and banish the very thought of doing wrong.

Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.

    Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.