Genesis 18

Feeding the Lord

Posted on by Betsy

There is a town in central Florida called Celebration that has a charming, old-fashioned downtown area. The businesses that line the streets often have dog water bowls and little baskets filled with dog treats to entice you to stop and look in their windows. You can imagine my dog Georgia’s incredible joy when we discovered this on a recent visit! The downside for the other dogs is that her stop at the bike rental water bowl completely depleted their offering.

Now mind you, my girl is no angel, but the kindness these folks show the local dogs made me think about the scripture about “entertaining angels” in the book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 13 New International Version (NIV)

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Providing hospitality is a common theme in the Bible. Think about travel in those days; Inns were few and far between or completely absent all together. Travelers could only get by with a little help from unknown friends, so providing shelter and a meal was commonplace.

Remember the story of Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 18? Three strangers came along as Abraham was sitting outside his tent. He jumped up and offered them water, bread, and the shade of his tree:

Genesis 18 Common English Bible (CEB)

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he sat at the entrance of his tent in the day’s heat. 2 He looked up and suddenly saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from his tent entrance to greet them and bowed deeply. 3 He said, “Sirs, if you would be so kind, don’t just pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought so you may wash your feet and refresh yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me offer you a little bread so you will feel stronger, and after that you may leave your servant and go on your way—since you have visited your servant.”

They responded, “Fine. Do just as you have said.”

Abraham offered the standard of care: water for foot washing and a little bread. But look what actually happens:

6 So Abraham hurried to Sarah at his tent and said, “Hurry! Knead three seahs of the finest flour and make some baked goods!” 7 Abraham ran to the cattle, took a healthy young calf, and gave it to a young servant, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then Abraham took butter, milk, and the calf that had been prepared, put the food in front of them, and stood under the tree near them as they ate.

It was a five-star meal. Course after course of breads, meat, butter, milk … he opened up a smorgasbord of hospitality for these three men. And mind you, while we’re in on the fact that it was the Lord whom he entertained (read vs. 1 again), Abraham wasn’t. He was simply extending gracious hospitality because he had it to give, thereby entertaining angels.

How would you respond differently if you suspected that the hungry, dirty people needing your hospitality were the Lord and his angels? Would you lavish your resources on them, or offer water and a little bread? Would you close the door in their faces?

Jesus was very clear when he said that whenever you have offered the cup of cold water to the “least of these,” you have entertained him. So keep on showing hospitality to strangers. Keep on feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the unclothed, and most of all, keep on loving one another as your brothers and sisters.

Gracious Hospitality by Michelle Robertson

Is Anything Too Hard for God?

Posted on by Betsy

A friend recently shared her daughter’s frustrations with me in her attempts to get pregnant. Newly married and in her mid-thirties, she is ready and able to start her family, but with each monthly reminder that conception has alluded her she grows more despondent. There is something unbalanced in the world when some who never intended to become mothers conceive easily and without preparation while others struggle. If you have gone through IVF or know someone who has, you can relate to this.

Our lectionary today takes us to a woman well past child-bearing years who was promised that she would bear a son. It had been her life-long dream to have a child, but old age and menopause had taken away any hope of that. Then God promised her that she would bear a son in her old age. I once heard a preacher joke that she was so old, her maternity bills were covered by Medicare.

In this part of the story, three angel-men have suddenly appeared to Abraham and Sarah in their desert home and repeat the promise:

Genesis 18:10-15 (The Message)

10 One of them said, “I’m coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.

11-12 Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?”

Note that Sarah laughed within herself. Also note that God heard her laugh. This is a reminder to us that God sees and knows us from the inside-out, and we might do well to guard our thoughts.

13-14 God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?’ Is anything too hard for God? I’ll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.”

Is anything too hard for God? What a beautiful reminder for those who feel let down, abandoned, and hopeless. God hears our deepest longings and gives to us what is good. But he does that in his time, not ours. It’s hard to wait, isn’t it?

15 Sarah lied. She said, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was afraid.

But he said, “Yes you did; you laughed.”

Sarah lied, but God did not renege on his promise. Sarah showed a lack of faith, but God was faithful to her anyway. Sarah responded in fear but God responded in the strength of his miracle.

Are you feeling despondent today? Take heart. God hears your prayers and is ready to respond with what is good, holy, righteous, and safe. We are never alone.

Is anything too hard for God? Nope.

Serenity by Kathy Schumacher

Negotiations

Posted on by Betsy

Some people do very well in negotiations. Lawyers, car salespeople, toddlers … these types of people are gifted in the give-and-take, quid pro quo world of negotiating. My husband is an expert negotiator. My daughter and I accompanied him a few years ago when he negotiated the price of a new car. He was so good at it that she and I got up and found the free popcorn and coffee bar at the other side of the dealership and spent the rest of the time cringing in the corner. Neither of us like to barter, so the entire exchange made us very uncomfortable. Kudos to him, though! He got the price he wanted.

Can we ever negotiate with God?

We have been taught since birth to pray for God’s will to be done. This idea is so important, it is even part of the Lord’s Prayer, telling us that Jesus thought it was a seminal part of our relationship with God. Indeed, it is what he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion. Yielding to God’s will is what is best for us, knowing that only God knows the right and righteous path we should take.

So, what is happening here between Abraham and God?

Genesis 18 (Common English Bible)

16 The men got up from there and went over to look down on Sodom. Abraham was walking along with them to send them off 17 when the Lord said, “Will I keep from Abraham what I’m about to do? 18 Abraham will certainly become a great populous nation, and all the earth’s nations will be blessed because of him. 19 I have formed a relationship with him so that he will instruct his children and his household after him. And they will keep to the Lord’s path, being moral and just so that the Lord can do for Abraham everything he said he would.” 20 Then the Lord said, “The cries of injustice from Sodom and Gomorrah are countless, and their sin is very serious! 21 I will go down now to examine the cries of injustice that have reached me. Have they really done all this? If not, I want to know.”

Notice that verse 19 gives us a clue about what is about to transpire. “I have formed a relationship with him” lets us know that God’s love and concern for Abraham is grounded in mutual respect and trust. God had chosen Abraham to be the patriarch of many nations. Abraham is about to become the founder of the people of God. It was a big ask. With big asks come big rewards. In this case, the reward was the relationship that God offered Abraham.

22 The men turned away and walked toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing in front of the Lord. 23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you really sweep away the innocent with the guilty?24 What if there are fifty innocent people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not save the place for the sake of the fifty innocent people in it? 25 It’s not like you to do this, killing the innocent with the guilty as if there were no difference. It’s not like you! Will the judge of all the earth not act justly?”

And so, Abraham began the negotiation process, pleading for the innocent people. Notice how he framed his “ask” each time:

26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty innocent people in the city of Sodom, I will save it because of them.”

27 Abraham responded, “Since I’ve already decided to speak with my Lord, even though I’m just soil and ash, 28 what if there are five fewer innocent people than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city over just five?”

The Lord said, “If I find forty-five there, I won’t destroy it.”

29 Once again Abraham spoke, “What if forty are there?”

The Lord said, “For the sake of forty, I will do nothing.”

30 He said, “Don’t be angry with me, my Lord, but let me speak. What if thirty are there?”

The Lord said, “I won’t do it if I find thirty there.”

31 Abraham said, “Since I’ve already decided to speak with my Lord, what if twenty are there?”

The Lord said, “I won’t do it, for the sake of twenty.”

32 Abraham said, “Don’t be angry with me, my Lord, but let me speak just once more. What if there are ten?”

And the Lord said, “I will not destroy it because of those ten.” 33 When the Lord finished speaking with Abraham, he left; but Abraham stayed there in that place.

Abraham reminded God of just how much he revered God. His voice took on a pleading tone: “Don’t be angry with me” and “Even though I’m just soil and ash” etc. He prefaced each request with a statement that let God know that he felt unworthy of God’s consideration but trusted that God loved him enough that asking again is permissible in the context of their relationship.

This is how we feel when our three-year-old keeps asking for a cookie or our teenage daughter persists in making a case for why she should be allowed to go to the party we have already forbidden. Their understanding of our love for them emboldens them to keep asking. As annoying as that can be, it is also a good thing.

How is your relationship with God? Do you trust him? Do you speak to him often enough that when you need to ask for something, you feel comfortable knowing that he will hear you?

God taught Abraham about intercessory prayer in this exchange. He also taught him about having compassion for others. This story reminds us that effective prayer reminds both us and God that we know who God is, and we understand how God works in a situation. Effective prayer doesn’t position us as passive observers in what God does. Indeed, effective prayer proceeds as if it might actually remind God of his saving nature and perhaps affect an outcome.

As it turns out, there weren’t even ten innocent people in Sodom, and so the city was destroyed. But Abraham learned how to effectively love and pray for others, which was an important lesson for the father of all nations.

May our prayers of intercession for others be filled with such wisdom and compassion as well.

Stand Tall by Roni Helford