Genesis #23 - Abraham #13 - The Patterns of the Past and the Grace of God (Gen 19:30-20:18)

The Patterns of the Past and the Grace of God

We turn our attention to the Word of God now and our sermon series that we've been in for the last few weeks now. I looked at my notes this week. This is part 13 of this series. Abraham's life covers a lot of time.

So I wasn't surprised it was that long but part 13 of a sermon series. We've been in that we've called the gospel according to Abraham. The gospel according to Abraham and our aim in this series has really been one.

To walk our way through the life of abraham because we are kind of in a long-term study of the book of genesis. So we're just marching our way chapter by chapter section by section through the life of abraham and the aim of our study in the life of abraham has been really for us to Not just learn about this great biblical character as important as that is.

But for us also to see the grace of god as it's made manifest in the life of abraham. And so we've been marching our way as we've seen some ups and some downs and I would love to tell you that this week we are looking at an up in the life of abraham.

Not so much. That being said there is still so much for god's word to teach us from this passage. And so if you have a bible and I hope you do take it and turn with me to genesis chapter 20. Genesis and chapter 20 eddie, would you mind grabbing my um bottle of water over there?

Thank you genesis chapter 20. We're actually going to start thank you. We're actually going to start in The end of chapter 19, but just to give us a slightly shorter reading but we're going to read just chapter 20.

So genesis chapter 20 if you grabbed one of the red hardback bibles that we give away there in the back. That's page 15. Genesis chapter 20 page 15. And as is our custom here Here at redeemer out of reverence for god's word if you're able to do so.

Can I invite you to stand with me as we read this portion of his word? Genesis chapter 20. Genesis chapter 20 page 15 brothers and sisters. These are god's words. From there abraham traveled to the region of the negev and settled between kadesh and shir.

While he was staying in gara abram said about his wife sarah. She is my sister. So king abimelech of gara brought had sarah brought to him. But god came to abimelech in a dream by night and said to him you are about to die.

Because of the woman you have taken for she is a married woman. Now abimelech had not approached her so he said lord, will you destroy a nation even though it is innocent? Didn't he say to me? She is my sister and she has also said he is my brother.

I did this with a clear conscience and clean hands. Then god said to him in the dream. Yes. I know that you did this with a clear conscience. I have also kept you from sinning against me. Therefore. I have not let you touch her.

Now return the man's wife for he is a prophet. And he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her know that you will certainly die you and all who are yours. Early in the morning abimelech got up called all his servants together and personally told them all these things.

And the men were terrified. Then abimelech said to called abraham in and said to him. What have you done to us? How did I sin against you that you have brought such enormous guilt on me and my kingdom?

You have done things to me that should never be done. Abimelech also asked abraham. What made you do this? Abraham replied I thought there is no fear of god in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.

It's actually she really is my sister the daughter of my father. Though not the daughter of my mother and she became my wife. So when god had me wander from my father's house, I said to her show your loyalty to me.

Wherever you go and say about me. He's my brother. Then abimelech took flocks and herds and male and female slaves gave them to abraham and returned his wife sarah to him. Abimelech said look my land is before you settle wherever you want.

And he said to sarah look i'm giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a vindication of your honor. To all who are with you you are fully vindicated. Then abraham prayed to god and god healed abimelech his wife and his female slaves so they could bear children.

For yahweh had completely closed all wombs in abimelech's household on account of sarah.

Abraham's wife.

Pray that god will bless that reading of his word and give us understanding of it. Let's pray ask for the lord's help and we will proceed in his word heavenly father. We are So grateful to you for Your just every mercy to us.

Thank you for another opportunity to hear you speak to us through your word. And father as we come to a portion of your word that on First consideration is not necessarily the most pleasant reading. It's not the most Happy and uplifting reading nevertheless.

It is your word. And there is something you desire for us to hear and to learn from this portion of scripture. And so father we would simply ask That as we come to this portion of your word, you would give us ears to hear.

Eyes to see and hearts that are receptive to hear what you have for us. Father, it's our custom to pray for another area church For their gospel witness and we take a moment to pray this afternoon for trinity presbyterian church.

We thank you for The ministry of pastor dustin there and all that you are doing in and through him. We thank you for pastor brian who has blessed our own congregation with the ministry of the word we pray for him as he is Serving in this very interesting arrangement of pulpit supply up in washington splitting his time between medford and this Congregation that currently doesn't have a pastor.

Pray that you give him strength give him wisdom as he seeks to Disciple that body and prepare the way for the person that you would bring there. We also pray for their church plant in klamath falls. I pray that that body there would continue to grow and to be united together in the things of god and that in your time you would establish that body and They would have just a faithful witness there in the klamath falls area.

Thank you for all that you are doing through them pray your blessing upon them and pray your blessing upon us now as we come to your word. For we ask it in jesus name and for his sake. Amen.

Amen.

Please be seated I have tagged our text.

When We Respond Faithlessly After Divine Deliverance

This.

Afternoon. The patterns of the past. And the grace of god. The patterns of the past and the grace of god. Does god's work of redeeming us? Does that work eliminate sinful patterns in choices that are? ingrained in us.

Does becoming a christian automatically make you perfect never ever to grapple with your past ever?

Again.

That might seem like a straightforward question. But if you've been around church for any length of time You may discover that that question isn't quite as straightforward as we might. Think at least if we take how some christians behave when such a question or such a situation arises.

You you'd almost get the impression that becoming a christian is basically a journey towards Perfection and enlightenment in this life, you know. It's really no different if they were honest to buddhists and the endless pursuit of nirvana.

Not the seattle band, but the state of perfect enlightenment.

Yes.

Jesus forgives your sins and he you know, we might even say he gives you his righteousness, but that deals with the past now. Kind of get it straight bucko. Like figure it out.

Now.

You've heard me say before that there is this thing called church brain that some christians have When they've been in church for way too long. We start thinking with things with very Weird religious lenses, but when you actually read the bible comes apparently actually that's not quite a simple question.

Is it? That question came to mind as I was studying this text this week as we come to genesis chapters 19 and 20. I couldn't help but ask the question What do we do? When we find ourselves reverting to the patterns of the past.

Really that's the link between these, uh, two scenes that we're going to see end of chapter 19 and then chapter 20. Both of these men lot and later abraham. Make bad decisions based on patterns of the past and here's the thing.

They're making these decisions after God has had dealings with them. So if you remember last time we ended with lot's deliverance out of sodom him and his family god has dealt graciously with lot. That's the context of the section We're about to come into and of course we've been looking at the life of abraham for quite some time and we have seen.

At length.

God's goodness and mercy to abraham both have had dealings with god. And yet as we come to this portion of his word both of these men make bad decisions based on patterns of the past. And so that question of The patterns of the past and the grace of god in the present.

That becomes quite important for us to understand this passage. And if that question seems like a bit of a stretch. Well, I invite you for a moment to put yourself in the shoes of the original audience who would have heard these words.

Think of that generation of israelites who are on the plains of moab who are preparing to enter the land of promise. They came from a line of people who had spent 40 years rebelling and fighting and going their own way instead of gods.

In fact the end of that generation was god basically saying You will all die in this wilderness. The children that you said would basically be eaten up by the land. They're the ones who will go into the land.

Now their kids are on the verge of entering and you can't help but think that one of the questions that they would have had is What if we are no different to our parents. And so this might seem like intellectual speculation or just one of those questions i'm using to fill up time in this sermon.

But actually it's a critical question. It was critical for them. And if we are honest It is critical for us.

Too.

And so I ask that question again. Do the patterns of the past? Frustrate or fail the grace of god in the lives of his people.

Is it that.

Our struggles with patterns that are ingrained in us means that we're basically written off and there's nothing that can be done. Here's my big idea from for this sermon today, it's very simple. My big idea is this the grace of god is always accessible Even when we revert to the patterns of the past.

The the grace of god is always accessible Even when we revert to the patterns of the past. For some of us we may find ourselves at times Falling back on the way that we have always thought of the way we have always done things.

But here is the good news even with that reality We are not slaves to the patterns of the past. Actually the grace of god is present Even when we revert To the patterns of the past. So once again my big idea for this message the grace of god is always accessible Even when we revert to the patterns of the past.

For the rest of our time this afternoon. I want to consider two bad reactions two situations and two bad reactions that betray sinful patterns. And point to our need for the grace of god. Two bad reactions that betray sinful patterns.

And point to our need for the grace of god. Do the patterns of the past frustrate or fail the grace of god? Well, I have to be honest and say they might just if point number one. They might just point number one when we respond faithlessly after divine deliverance.

When we respond faithlessly after divine deliverance. The verses at the conclusion of chapter 19 are really the conclusion to the story of lot after this we are not going to hear from lot.

Again.

Well some clearly some time has passed when we come to verse 30. So again have that portion of god's word open in front of you. Chapter 19 verse 30. It says lot departed from zoar. Remember he asks he gets told to go into the mountains.

He says no. Can I go to this town? It's a really small one. So he goes to this town. The town is called zoar small or insignificant. Lots departed from zoar and lived in the mountains along with his two daughters because he was afraid to live in zoar.

Instead he and his two daughters lived in a cave. It's interesting to note that the Angels actually if you remember this back in verse 17 the angels had told lot originally. Go to the mountains. It was lot who said I don't want to do that.

Can I go to this town and they were gracious and heard his request? But initially that's where he was supposed to go. So he's told to go there, but rather than believe them out of fear lot asked for an alternative and again God graciously gave it.

But again, it's out of fear that he asked that fear motivated his decision making then. And as we come to verse 30 some time has passed but fear is still motivating his decision making right now because he's afraid to live in zoar even though God had graciously said yes, you can go then clearly god's protection would have been there.

Out of fear. He says I can't live here. No doubt thinking whatever happens to sodom will probably happen here. And so he goes to live in the cave with his two daughters. Well, this fear driven somewhat backwards logic is met with quite frankly one of the most disturbing vignettes in all the word of god.

I draw your attention to verse 31. Then the firstborn said to the younger Our father is old and there is no man in the land to sleep with us as is the custom of all the land. Come. Let's get our father to drink wine so that we can sleep with him and preserve our father's line.

A few just basic observations before we dig any further. First of all note that their motivation for doing this is. Look at verse 31. There is no man to sleep with us as is the custom of all the land.

Why is that significant? Why do we need to pause and pay attention to that phrase because if you know anything about israel's history. That phrase and that language comes up again and again and again one of israel's great temptations.

Ends up being that they're constantly trying to be like all the other nations around them and it usually leads them to really bad decisions. The second thing that's noting here Is that they say that they should get their father to drink wine so that we can sleep with him and preserve our father's line.

Now on the surface that might sound like a noble thing. Well, we don't want our father's line to die out. Until you understand how this works in the context of the ancient near east. You see in the in the world of the ancient near east.

Yes, you could marry into a line to ensure that a father's line continues. But the reason you did that wasn't so much love or family. It was financial. These are two women. The way that they're going to be cared for and protected Is by being married to someone and having children.

What they seem to have forgotten is that this is their father first and foremost, so this doesn't work. But more importantly than that this doesn't actually preserve their father's line. The third thing you have to notice is where do they get this idea from.

What kind of logic leads you to this? Kind of action. As much as our society if I can pause for a moment says that people make decisions and they don't think about them. I'm, sorry. I just don't believe that.

Actually every decision we make we think about we just either think wisely or we think poorly. So we have to ask what kind of thinking leads to this sort of action and can I put it to you that? Maybe these girls had been around sodom just a little too long.

As it were you could take the ladies out of sodom. But not even fire and brimstone from heaven could take sodom out of the hearts of these ladies. There's a if I can pause there's a lesson right there for us for the one who wants to hear it temporal deliverance can't Necessarily transform the human heart.

How many folks you know them? I know them. How many folks have prayed to get out of a jam and made a bargain with god? They got out of the situation that they were in and then they proceeded to pretend like they had never made a deal with god.

How many people have said? Oh, I you know lord if you get me out of this, I promise i'll do this. I promise i'll do this and then they god was gracious. He got them out of that situation and they proceeded not to do a single thing.

They had said they just carried on with life as normal. Sometimes it's easy to believe that temporal blessings will make people turn to god but the reality is. The bible teaches us that faith is a work of god not a work of temporal circumstances.

Faith is a work that god does as we hear his promises and we believe them. He is the one who gives us the faith that we lack.

And.

This is painfully apparent by the actions of these young ladies that they did not have faith in god. And in fact, they have been so close to this world so close to sodom and so close to its values. That when faced with a difficult situation, what was their response?

Well, it was no different to their fathers if you think about it. They responded out of fear not faith and because where have they grown up basically and where have they been sodom? The thinking of sodom the perversity of sodom had clearly gotten into their minds.

There's another layer to all this as well, let's leave the young ladies alone for a moment. Let's talk about lot for a second. In our growth group this week a question came up and rightfully so about Second peter and the fact that peter refers to lot as a righteous man.

And what are we supposed to do with that given the actions of lot? I mean second p chapter two. He's indeed called a righteous man. And the point I made in our growth group is well, first of all peter is inspired scripture.

So he's definitely not wrong. So the question is what? How does that make sense to us? Not is lot truly righteous clearly he is because peter calls him that not just once but twice. But if there's something and I kind of said this last week, I want to reiterate it.

If there's something we can learn from this is very simple even righteous men even the most godly person. If they're not careful can live a little too close to the world. And end up being burned by worldly choices because of where their influence comes from.

R. Kent hughes excellent commentator. He spells this out quite poignantly in his sermon on this text. He said quote though the wilderness of sodom vexed his righteous soul. He lived as close to the world as he could hanging on to it for dear life until the bitter end.

And the result was that though god judged all of sodom except lot and his daughters. Sodom was reborn in their very lives. So we see that it is possible for believing people like us who are truly distressed by the course of this world to live lives.

That are so profoundly influenced by culture. That sodom is reborn. In the lives of those we love the most. I did warn you in advance. It was not going to be the most happy sermon in the world. Well, can I can I push it a little further for a moment?

As I read this text a question just grabbed me wouldn't let go. Think about this with me for a moment. Oh, by the way, it's not by accident that well, it's not by divine accident. I didn't plan this but it's interesting this month's table talk that we gave away.

By the way, if you didn't grab one grab one on your way out. This month's table talk deals with commonly. I think what's the title they gave it this month commonly misunderstood sins or something along that line.

Tolerated thank you commonly tolerated sins. Some of you who like to read remember there was a book that came out a few years ago. By an excellent author jerry bridges. Respectable sins. There are kinds of worldliness.

There's a term you don't hear often in church these days, but I think we need to bring it back. There are kinds of worldliness that we think are perfectly acceptable. You all know how much I hate the phrase.

It's not that big a deal. There are kinds of worldliness that we think are perfectly acceptable kinds of accommodation to the world's values that are reasonable flirtations with the world's standards that are more that we are more than happy to make excuses for.

And I fear that for a lot of believers. Since they are religious enough to do the church thing just enough to assuage their consciences as it were. Since they're able to do that. They feel like it gives them a get out of jail free card from asking some tough questions for themselves.

You know since I have the microphone for a few minutes allow me to leave you with one of those tough questions. How much messing with the world is acceptable. Before you get burned. How much playing around with the world's values.

How much closeness to the world's values is acceptable before you get burned. Lot is a victim here. Let's be clear. But I have to hold lots somewhat accountable here. Yes, his daughters are accountable for this into let's be clear.

I do not subscribe to the modern idea that there are people who are unaccountable for their actions, but we have to ask lot. You expose those children for years to those values. What did you think would happen?

How much messing with the world is? Acceptable before you get. Come back to our text. Well. The girls make a plan and clearly by the way the text I think it's three times in this passage. You're gonna hit that language of the firstborn.

It's the older girl who kind of leads the way with this so verse 36, so they got their father to drink wine that night and The firstborn came and slept with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she got up.

The next day the first one said to the younger look I slept with my father last night. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight so you can go sleep with him and we can preserve our father's line. That night they again got their father to drink wine and the younger went and slept with him.

He did not know when she laid down or when she got up. So both of lots daughters became pregnant by their father. In the world the ancient Near East incest was one of the most heinous crimes you could ever commit.

You can just imagine this being read and hearing the palpable gasps for that first-time audience. The solemn affair has just been tough to read. We saw Homosexuality. We saw a wanton disregard for other people.

We've now seen incest as a result of that and the sad thing is Just like all sin. It leaves some consequences. Verse 37. The firstborn gave birth to a son and named him Moab. He is the father of the Moabites of today.

The younger also gave birth to a son and she named him Ben-Ami. He is the father of the Ammonites of today. Before we come to those two nations, even the names are disturbing if you know what they mean Moab means from my father.

Ben-Ami means son of my father's people.

You.

Get the sense by the names they've given these children. They're somewhat proud of what they've done. Imagine being that boy for a moment. Your name is Moab. From my father you forever carry a Reminder of your sordid origin.

These two sisters are proud of what they've done. But for the original audience who would have read this their hands would have been in their heads because two nations arise From this sordid act if you know your Old Testament, you know them.

Well the Moabites and the Ammonites. Moab and Ammon these two nations would become perennial thorns in the side of Abraham's children. In fact, if you're taking those numbers 25 numbers 25 the worst single act of seduction in Israel's history takes place and who is the one who Manipulates the situation to make it happen.

It's Moab on the suggestion of Balaam the weird prophet to be sure. But it's Moab. Ammon would be the nation that introduced Israel to arguably one of the worst forms of worship in human history. The cult of Molech if you don't know much about the cult of Molech allow me to gross you out for just a moment.

I don't do this on purpose, but I do this just to illustrate the heinousness of this. You eat your those of you who read your Testament, you know that phrase causing your children to pass through the fire.

Do you know what that actually means? If you don't I apologize if you are of squeamish Constitution, I'll do my best to make this quick. Typical statues. There's one of them in London at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies.

That's why I've seen it. Typical statues of Molech pictured Molech standing erect with his arms out like this and they were metal. They were metal Idols quite tall and They were hollow, do you know why they were hollow?

Because you would put fire inside and you would heat up. The statue the worship of Molech involved taking babies putting them on this red hot statue.

And.

Offering to Molech putting on them. What does the baby do. Starts to burn and would combust. So when you read in your Old Testament that they cause their children to pass through the fire, that's what that means.

That's why God is horrified. By his people engaging in the act of worship. In fact, he says multiple times in numbers in Deuteronomy. The reason that you are going to dispossess these people is because they cause their children to pass through the fire.

That's what that means. But you know the sad thing Israel started engaging in that act of worship, too. Oh, that was a religion that started with the people of Ammon, but you know, you know, what's heartbreaking about this narrative?

It's not even that. This isn't the worst thing about it. It's not that they that they lot and his daughters are reduced to a living death in a cave. It's not the purely carnal motivation of the two sisters.

It's not even the incest disgusting as that is to us as 21st century Westerners. You know the most disturbing thing about this narrative. It's the absence of God and his will from pretty much not just this narrative but the entirety of lot story more or less.

So think back with me for a moment those of you who've been here we first meet lot back in Genesis chapter 13. They have this decision to make about where they're going to live because Clearly the two men were somewhat rich already and couldn't afford to live near each other.

And you see lots decision-making God is absent. Last week we saw his hospitality to the angels. No, God doesn't come with them. Like he does to Abraham and Lot doesn't even mention God's name once in that whole affair.

He was God was clearly absent from his family. That's why his love get his wife can have such a love of Sodom that she's willing to look back and return to a pillar. Clearly absent from the minds and thoughts of his daughters.

I mean we just read it. This text screams to us. Where is God and if I can be so bold for a moment God is exactly where lot wanted him to be. Like I said, I agree with Peter lot. He was a righteous man and yet Like so many of God's people we are all prone to this.

He walks by his flesh not by faith. Pretty much every time we see him. Even when he's being delivered remember he's being delivered. The angels tell him go somewhere. He's like, no, I'm afraid that's not gonna work.

Can I go here instead? Lot walks by his flesh and not by faith. And that's this. What we've just read is the tragic end of his story. We will not hear about lots again in our study of Genesis even after divine deliverance.

He responds.

Faithlessly.

Unless we get all uppity and you know self-righteous and ask and say, you know, well, I don't understand. Like a lot possibly do that. Can I ask you to pause for a moment and just simply ask it's a simple question.

But it's a painful one. Could this be me? Oh. Let's be clear. I'm not saying it could get as bad as this narrative gets. Let me be painfully clear on that. This is disturbing. It's supposed to shock you.

It's supposed to seem abnormal because this is very abnormal. But I do want you to ask yourself the question. Am I capable of responding faithlessly? This does make the transition from Abraham to us for a moment.

Am I capable of responding faithlessly? Even in light of God's deliverance of me. Even as somebody who has come to know the grace of God in Christ Is it still possible for me to respond faithlessly and to receive the consequences of my poor decisions?

And yet for us there's good news even in that. You think coffee where on earth you're gonna find good news from this passage. No, very simple actually.

Yes.

This is a very bleak scene and.

Yet.

For us who are in Christ who have experienced the greatest deliverance of all not just a temporal deliverance from a human destruction but spiritual deliverance from the penalty and the power of sin. We have the gift of God's Holy Spirit.

We have the gift of the Spirit who dwells within. Who. Even though we believe and yet we cry out at times like the man who came to Jesus. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. The beautiful thing is is we are not left to ourselves.

Yes, we might respond faithlessly but that doesn't have to be the end of the story. It was for lots. But it doesn't have to be for you. Now at this point biblical honesty requires me to say that it's kind of easy to dismiss.

Lots less than stellar behaviors. Not like lots was this great power gone every we've seen him in Genesis up to this point. But then we come to Abraham. Abraham should know a little better at least. Surely Abraham is not going to revert to the patterns of the past.

When We React Fearfully to Difficult Dilemmas

Yes, he does. Yes, he does. And yet here we see that the grace of God is readily available. Point number two. It's readily available when we react fearfully to difficult dilemmas. When we react Fearfully to difficult dilemmas.

The way that this text is structure is kind of interesting. What we just read with the story of lots it's kind of a Cut away as it were the narrative moves quite smoothly. From last time we saw Abraham him kind of looking at the smoldering remains of the city.

Well, we pick it up in chapter 20 and it just flows seamlessly. So chapter 20 verse 1 from there Abraham traveled to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and sure. While he was staying in Gera which was territory belonging to the Philistine peoples.

Abraham said about his wife. She is my sister. If this sounds like deja vu It's because we've done this dance before Genesis chapter 12 10 through 20. I Was I was half tempted just to repreach my sermon from that time.

Because it's like he did exactly the same thing. You can listen to that sermon by the way faltering faith faithful God is on our YouTube channel. Now before I'd be too hard on Abraham. It's entirely deja vu.

He you know, he there's something of a silver lining. If you remember in the Egypt affair, he asks his wife to lie on his behalf. Chapter 20 verse 2 says Abraham said about his wife. He's at least willing to do it himself this time.

Progress. Okay, not really. No, it's not progress. This really seems like part two of the Egypt affair. They move. The ruler of the land sees Sarah and comes for. It's a little more complex than that.

You'll notice if you remember back in Genesis chapter 12 the subject of Sarah's beauty came up. Doesn't come up here. Commentators go very different directions as to why my personal take. This probably isn't quite a romantic affair.

It's more of a security and money arrangement. Make sense of some of the less actions at the end. But we don't know for certain and ultimately not wise to speculate. What we do know is history is repeating itself and Abraham is failing the test once again.

He is reverting to the patterns of his past. But here's where this story takes a very different turn from the lot story whereas lot becomes victim of the patterns of his past and. The story is just not redeemable.

God enters into this situation. So verse 3 God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him you are about to die. Because the woman you have take because of the woman you have taken for she is a married woman.

Literally. She is a man's wife. Even a pagan like Abimelech, by the way, Abimelech is not a name. It's a title. It means my father is king. It was we'll meet another Abimelech in the life of Isaac. Which seems to suggest this was just a royal title that was given to Kings.

Even a pagan like Abimelech. Even he knows Adulterer's died. This was again common in the world of the New Old Testament.

And.

It's interesting. He doesn't question the sentence. And say God death that's a bit extreme ain't it?

No.

You recognize it's just. No, he doesn't question the sentence. He questions the fairness of him receiving the sentence. Pay attention to verse 4 with me. Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said Lord, would you destroy a nation even though it is innocent?

Didn't he himself say to me? She is my sister and she herself said he is my brother. I Did this with a clear conscience and clean hands? Just like Pharaoh back in chapter 12 Abimelech has become an unwitting participant in another classic Abraham caper.