Thursday, February 12, 2009

Today's Passage: Genesis 18

This chapter is loaded with things to unpack, so we are going to try to hit three main parts: a God sized task, Abraham’s heart for the lost, and Abraham’s hospitality. There is so much more in this great chapter, and I hope you will take the time to search it out and even share with the blog what you got out of it.

Here at Bear Creek we like to talk about seeing things that only God can do, and this chapter does as well. Again it is promised that Sarah, Abraham’s wife, will have a child. If you remember from yesterday’s passage, she is ninety years old. With all the medical advancements we have today the oldest woman on record to give birth is 70 years old. Sarah is twenty years older than that...that is something that only God can do! Sarah is going to allow herself to be used by God, and in return she is going to see a God sized task tackled.

The second thing that this passage pointed out to me was Abraham’s heart for the wicked and lost people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He pleads with God to let them live. I think God wanted to see if Abraham really loved people, no matter their condition. I think he proves to us, and to God that he does really love people and cherish life. He does everything in his power to convince God to spare these unrighteous people. I think Abraham is a great example for us on how our heart is to be broken for those who are lost and trying to find peace in the way of the world. We need to be pleading to God for those that do not know him, and then we need to go to those people and share God with them.

Finally we get to Abraham’s hospitality. Something I did not notice the first time I read this chapter is that Abraham is sitting outside in the heat of the day. He very easily could have been inside trying to get out of the desert sun, but he is outside waiting for travelers to pass. He is searching out people to give water to and a place to rest. It just so happens that he gets heavenly visitors. I think his hospitality would have been equally as genuine and inviting had he received a normal traveler as he was with his heavenly visitors. We are in a completely different culture and situation than that of Abraham, but we still need to be looking for ways to be hospitable for strangers.

You probably do not get many people walking past your house looking for a place to grab a drink and sit down, but you might see that person who is standing next to their broken down car on the side of 377. Last Saturday I was leaving the church and there was a car on the side of 377 and I wanted so badly to drive past it... I actually did... but then a voice inside of me said turn around, and it was fairly stern about that, so I did. I am by no means a mechanic, but that is no excuse for me to ignore people in need. So I pulled up to the car, and walk up to the side and find two people, who apparently were just tired and decided to take a nap on the side of one of the busiest roads in the area. They were not in need of help, but they were so thankful that I was willing to stop and check on them. Sometimes we are not going to have to jump into action to help and sometimes we are, but we have to be open to it. That is what God taught me in this passage and through my experience last Saturday.

If you are looking for more passages on hospitality check out Hebrews 13:1-3. Be ready to be stretched, as it is an eye opening set of verses.