Genesis 18:1-19:16

The blessing of participating in God’s plan by intercession

Read Gen 18:1-19:16

Warm-up What happens in your family if you or your spouse spontaneously invite an unexpected party of people for dinner without having asked the partner for permission to do so?

1) We are not told what motivated Abraham to invite these strangers. How did he conclude that this was a visitation by God himself in the form of angelic messengers? v10 [cf Heb 13:2; how else would they have known of Sarah, her new name, and her plight?]

• v10: Did this prophecy also convince Sarah that the visitors were angels? Why not?
• How did the visitors ‘prove’ to Sarah that their prophecy was certain? cf v12 & 15? [They knew even of her secret laughter]
  • How can we know (experientially) that God’s word is true? cf Heb 4:12-13

2) vv17-19: For what purpose was Abraham made to understand God’s plan of salvation? [v19 lit. ‘I know him so that…’; i.e. a statement about purpose, not about causality] cf Eph 1:7-10

• v18 reaffirms that all nations will be blessed ‘in him’: Does v19 explain how? What will such blessing consist of? =>
  • What does it mean “to keep the way of the Lord”, and why is this a blessing?
• Is it through a promised ‘golden age’ on earth where unbelievers will be ruled by believers? Why or why not? cf Jn 18:36; Lk 22:28-30 [Their ‘reign’ is within ‘Israel‘ (church)]
• v19: who will be taught to walk in God’s ways? Why not everybody?
• Do all believers need to understand this plan? Why? cf Acts 20:27; Ro 10:13

3) What was God’s intention when visiting Sodom (v21b)?

• v21: Why would God have to ‘come down’ to ‘see’ whether the outcry about Sodom and Gomorrah was true?
  • What difference does it make that this anthropomorphic description mentions three angels, not one? [>1 witness]
• What does Abraham‘s negotiation with God reveal about him?

4) Personal & application

• Does God want us to understand “what he is about to do” for us and the world we are living in? Why or why not?
• Would it do us good to foreknow an ‘itinerary’ of future events? Why not?
• What do you consider to be your responsibility towards future generations?
• What can you learn from Abraham’s example in this story what it means to be a blessing for others?
  • How about prayers of intercession?