Genesis 15-18

Genesis 15 records a very important interaction between Abraham and the Lord. It takes place in a vision, but is nevertheless quite real. In spite of the sacrifices of leaving his country, home and relatives, and moving to a less populated land, surrounded by pagans; and having defeated a coalition of armies (perhaps they would regroup, return and try to destroy him?) the Lord reassures Abraham and promises to protect him in all these circumstances. Not only will God shield him, but He will also greatly reward him - with blessings in this world, and in the World To Come. And, this same Lord offers the same promises to all of his children who follow Him like Abraham did: "Don't be afraid. I am a shield to you; nothing truly evil can harm you; your reward will be very great!"

Abraham responds to these promises with a concern - his lack of a child who will inherit his God-given blessings, and carry on the purposes contained in the covenant. The Lord answers Abraham's concern, and makes it very clear that Abraham's servant Eliezer of Damascus will not be his heir, but a child from Abraham's own body will be born, who will be his heir.

The Lord then takes Abraham outside, and tells him to look toward the heavens and count the stars. Just as the stars are too numerous to count, God tells Abraham that will have so many descendants that they will be beyond the human ability to count.

And, Abraham trusted the Lord. Even though he was about 100 years old, and Sarah's womb was dead, he was fully assured that what God had promised, He was able and would fulfill. And Abraham believed in the Lord, that He was faithful, true, trustworthy, reliable; and he trusted God word. Abraham didn't consider the difficulties, but the faithfulness of the One who promised.

And "yach-sh'veh-ha loh tz'dah-kah" - the Lord considered Abraham's faith in Him and His word to be as righteousness. The Lord now considered Abraham to be righteous. Abraham was now in a right relationship with the holy and righteous God. Abraham was justified - just and right in the sight of God.

This is the essence of Judaism - the faith of the Jewish people. Having a close personal relationship with God, like Abraham did. Knowing God, so that you trust Him, believe in Him, have confidence in Him, and not in your circumstances, and having the Lord declare you to be righteous.

Father Abraham shows us the way to become righteous. This is so very very important because all human beings come into this world in a state of being unrighteous. We are not right with God. We don't have a right relationship with Him. All human beings are guilty before the Judge of the whole Earth. We need to be declared by God, "not guilty!" We need to become righteous. This is our greatest need.

Abraham is the model of how Jews and Gentiles likewise become righteous in the sight of God. The righteous will live by faith. Righteousness does not come about by anything that we can do. The righteous live by faith - not by works, not by deeds, not by mere religious activity. If you try to approach the Lord merely with your good deeds, you will die!

Abraham received this declaration of righteousness before the Law was given on Sinai, so righteousness isn't based on doing all the commands found in the Torah.

Abraham received this declaration of righteousness before he was circumcised, so righteousness isn't dependant on circumcision - being Jewish or a Gentile. Both Jews and Gentiles become righteous the very same way that Abraham did - by simply coming to know God, and trusting Him and His Word.

Righteousness is a gift that given to us by God when He sees that we have faith in Him and His Word, when we trust in Him and His Word. Becoming righteous in the sight of God only comes about when we believe the truth about God, and place our trust in Him and His Word. When someone tells you that it's not important what we believe - they are wrong - dead wrong. They are lying to you.

Trusting God and His Word is how we experience salvation, how we are reconciled to the God from whom the whole world is estranged, how we become acceptable to the holy God. Today, the only way that God will consider us to be righteous is if we trust in Him, trust in His Word, and in the Messiah whom He sent.

As we look back over 4,000 years, we can see how God's amazing promise to Abraham has been fulfilled. Hundreds of millions of Jews and Arabs have descended from father Abraham. Abraham didn't have the advantage of looking back through time. He could only believe that what the Lord God had said, He would do.

Not only does the Lord restate that Abraham will have many descendants, who will become a great nation, but the Lord reiterates that from the time that He took Abraham out of the city of Ur in Babylonia, it was His intention to give him the Land of Israel. To give him even more assurance, and to make this covenant even more sure, the Lord reinforces it with sacrifices and the shedding of blood.

Abraham brought five animals - a cow, goat, ram, pigeon and dove, kills them and cuts the three animals in half, but leaving the two birds uncut. At sunset Abraham fell into a deep sleep, accompanied by a deep, dark sense of dread, since the things that the Lord will tell him involve dreadful suffering for his descendants.

The presence of the Lord, like a smoking furnace and a burning torch (the Lord's presence is often associated with fire) passed between the pieces of the animals that were cut in two. Killing an animal, shedding its blood, cutting an animal in two, and then the parties of the covenant walking between the pieces ratifies a covenant. It acknowledges that the covenant is valid and binding. It's a kind of prayer, calling upon God to kill the one who violates the terms of the covenant.

In this case, it was only one party - the Lord - who passed between the pieces. Abraham did not pass through. "By passing alone between the pieces of the animals, God swore fidelity to His promises and placed the obligation for their fulfillment on Himself alone" (Ryrie). That makes this covenant inviolable and unbreakable and sure. This covenant will be fulfilled because it rests on the faithfulness of the Lord, and not the faithfulness or lack of faithfulness of Abraham and his descendants.

If the Jewish people were faithful to God and His covenant, we would be successful and prosper. If we were unfaithful to God and His covenant, there would be judgment and punishment along the way; and life for us would be very difficult, and we would suffer, and many of us would miss out on salvation and on eternal life, but our faithlessness would not nullify the plans of God for our nation. He would still use us to accomplish His great purpose, in spite of our lack of faithfulness, to bring salvation to the rest of the world.

The Almighty spoke to Abraham, and told him his future and the future of his descendants. As for Abraham, he would live for a long time, and die in peace. But the sons of Abraham would have a very difficult time. We will go to a foreign land and become slaves for 400 years. The Lord will bring us out of there, and punish the nation that mistreated us, and enrich us with their possessions. Of course, this is exactly what happened to the Jewish people in our experiences with the Egyptians.

After we leave Egypt, we will return to the Land of Israel. Then, the time of the Amorites, the Canaanites who lived in the Land of Israel, would be over. According to Leviticus 18, the Canaanites committed abominable sins: they had sex with close relatives, they were adulterers, homosexuals and lesbians, they engaged in prostitution and bestiality. They sacrificed their children to false gods. They encouraged demonic activity through mediums, spiritists and divination.

Their iniquities were already defiling the land, and making it dirty. Their abominations were like a cup that was being filled up. They would not learn from Abraham and his descendants, and turn to the Lord and amend their perverse ways. They would be judged, and lose their right to live in land they were living in. The Land would be transferred to Abraham's descendants, from the river of Egypt in the far south, to the Euphrates river in the far north.

In chapter 16 Abraham and Sarah do what they think is wise to expedite the Lord's promise to Abraham. Sarah, who was unable to have children, gave her Egyptian servant Hagar to Abraham as his concubine, hoping that Hagar would have children, and that the children of the concubine would be considered Sarah's children.

Hagar became pregnant with Ishmael, and then became contemptuous of Sarah. She must have thought that since she was giving Abraham a child, her status would be elevated, perhaps being equal to Sarah - maybe even greater. But, that was not Abraham and Sarah's intention, and Sarah responded to her disrespect by treating her harshly, trying to put her back in her proper place. Hagar ran away, but an angel found her in the wilderness.

God's messenger brings her a message from God, telling her to return to Abraham and Sarah and submit to the superior authority of Sarah. In addition, he tells her the future: she will have a son, whose name will be Yishmael - "God will hear," since God will hear her prayers for help.

Ishmael, as a son of blessed Abraham, will have many descendants, too many to count. Ishmael's descendants will become a nation. 12 princes will come from him (see 25:13-16). Ishmael will become a nation, but he does not receive the right to the Land of Israel, and be the nation through whom the world would be reconciled to God.

Ishmael will be like a wild donkey - not easily tamed, hard to conquer, not easy to get along with, quick to fight with everyone. Throughout history, this characterization has been true of many of the Arab peoples. This fighting spirit which the angel predicted has also proven to be true, especially in more recent history with the antagonism directed to the children of Israel. Chapter 16 ends with the birth of Ishmael when Abraham is 86 years old.

Chapter 17 brings us forward 13 years, to the time when Abraham was 99 years old. Once again the Lord manifested Himself, and appeared to Abraham. He identified Himself to Abraham as El Shaddai - God Almighty, the Mightiest One Who Is All-Sufficient. This title tells us that like a nursing mother, God will completely nourish and satisfy His people and takes care of all their needs. Abraham can trust the Lord to be El Shaddai for him, and so can we.

The Lord tells Abraham to "walk before Him and be blameless" - to have a close personal relationship with God, and draw near to Him, and live in such a way that the righteous and Almighty God, who sees all, and from whom nothing is hidden, is pleased. And, for almost the entirety of his long life, Abraham did - as should we.

The Lord repeats again that He has a covenant - a binding contract and agreement with Abraham. He also tells Abraham that He is changing his name from Avram, which means "high father" - exalted and honored father, to Avraham - (from "av" and "hamon") "father of a multitude" of nations. Abraham's change of name reflects Abraham's new mission in life, and that of the Jewish people - to bring the nations of the world back into a right relationship with God.

And from this one man, the Lord had made him the exalted and honored father of many nations - the Jewish people, many of the Arab nations, and the father of all those who have genuine, saving faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles - millions and millions of people Wow!

The Lord makes it clear that this covenant is a "breet olam" - an everlasting covenant. It has no time limit. It extends beyond Abraham himself to Abraham's descendants - the Jewish people, throughout our generations, as long as we exist.

The heart of the covenant is the Lord being our God - which means that He would take care of us, providing for all of our needs: our deepest spiritual needs - salvation, atonement, forgiveness, reconciliation to the Creator, restoration to life; providing for our national needs - the Land of Israel as an everlasting possession, including its defense, helping us with our mission among the nations - to be the light of the nations; and He would provide for our physical needs - giving us sun and rain, food, shelter, work. All this God committed Himself to do for the Jewish people as part of the covenant.

But, we have our covenant responsibilities as well. We must keep the covenant throughout our generations. We must have faith in the Lord, and walk before God and be blameless like father Abraham did. If we do, we will be blessed. If we don't we will be judged and suffer. And, there is an outward sign that we are committed to fulfill our part of the covenant - that the Lord is our God, and we will live in a way that pleases Him - and that is circumcision.

Why did God choose circumcision as the sign of the covenant? I suggest that the reason may be that the sexual drive is one of the strongest drives, and it must be submitted to God's purposes. We are to use our sexuality within marriage, for bonding between husband and wife, and for the production of godly children, and for pleasure. Our sexual desires must remain within marriage, to help us build strong families, and raise righteous children, where they will grow up within a stable home, so that we can pass on to the next generation the truth about the God who can Redeem. If the Jewish people will not submit our sexual desires to the authority of God, to accomplish the purposes of God, it will lead to disaster. And, the misuse of sexuality that leads to disaster is not limited to the Holy Nation, but to individuals and other nations as well, as the example of Sodom and Gomorrah will illustrate.

Submitting our sexuality to accomplish the Lord's purposes may or not be the reason why the Lord chose circumcision as the sign of the covenant, but whatever the reason, it is the lasting symbol of the children of Israel of our commitment to the God of Abraham, and our covenant with Him - and this includes Messianic Jews as well. This sign of the Abrahamic covenant does not apply to Gentiles. They may be circumcised for health or aesthetic reasons, but not because they are part of the Abrahamic covenant.

The Lord changes Sarah's name from Sarai (my princess) to Sarah (princess) and makes it clear that He will enable her to have a son, Yitzchak, who will be the heir of the covenant, and become a great nation. Ishmael will become a nation, but not the covenant nation, the nation chosen to be the light to the nations, to help them find their way back to God and salvation and life and blessing.

After the Lord had finished speaking to Abraham, Abraham didn't delay. Even though it was painful, he was circumcised and had all the males of his household circumcised.

Chapter 18 records an another amazing encounter between the Lord and Abraham. The Lord manifested Himself in some kind of physical, human form, as did two of His angels. Abraham was by the oaks of Mamre, near the city of Chevron. This tells us that the invisible God is able to manifest Himself in a human form. While this manifestation of God in human form lasted for a short time, and was temporary, the manifestation of God in human form in the Messiah will be permanent. Holy Scripture teaches us that Yeshua, who was from all eternity fully God, uncreated, eternal, joined Himself to humanity. He became fully man, and forever will remain fully God and fully Man.

If God could manifest Himself to Avraham, and talk to him and eat with him, why couldn't God manifest Himself for a longer period of time - say, some 33 years, as the Messiah, and become Immanuel - God with us, God joining Himself to humanity, and talk to us, and eat with us, and teach us and die for us? Is that really so inconsistent with the Torah and with Biblical Judaism?

Abraham is a great model of hospitality. When he saw his guests, he ran out to meet and greet them. He showed them honor, by bowing to them. He invited them to stay for food. He offered to provide for their needs - to wash their feet and feed them.

Abraham's three guests receive his offer of hospitality, and eat bread, meat, curds and milk. If not eating milk and meat together was the intention of the command, "do not boil a baby goat in it's mother's milk," do you think the Lord and two of His angels would have eaten milk and meat together? No. Therefore, "do not boil a baby goat in it's mother's milk" must not mean that we can't eat milk and meat.

The Lord announces that Sarah will conceive a child, and have a son a year later. Sarah, listening in the tent, thought that unlikely, and laughed. The Lord, for whom nothing is too difficult, knew she laughed, and said so, but Sarah responded out of fear, and denied that she laughed.

When the Lord tells us something that seems unlikely or difficult - don't laugh; don't doubt Him or His ability to do what He says. Remind yourself that He is the El Shaddai, the Almighty, the Creator, and nothing is too difficult for Him. If He says, "My grace is sufficient for you" - don't laugh. If He says, "I can raise the dead" - don't doubt. If He says, "there will be a new universe - a new Heavens and a new Earth, and only the righteous will dwell in it" - don't laugh. If He says, all those who believe in Messiah will live, and never die"

After their meal, the Lord and His two angels looked toward Sodom. Abraham walked with them to send them off, as a hospitable host should do for his guests. The Lord decided to reveal to Abraham what He was about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah, since Abraham was his friend, and close to Him, and was so important for God's plans for the world - God was going to make Abraham into a mighty nation that would bring the knowledge of God and salvation and reconciliation and redemption to the world. How can you hide a matter of judgment from a man like that, especially since his nephew Lot is directly involved in the situation?

In verse 19 the Lord tells us why He chose Abraham. He chose him because He knew that Abraham would be faithful to command his descendants to "sham-roo derech Adonai" - keep the way of the Lord. The Lord has a way, and it is the way of tz'dakah and meesh-pat - righteousness and justice - doing what is right, fair and just in regards to God and to other human beings.

This is what the Lord wants from the children of Abraham, and from all of humanity - to know the Lord, find out what is right, what is good, and then do it. If the Jewish people would do what was right and just, the Lord would be able to shower upon us all the blessings that He had promised.

But, in contrast to what God was calling Abraham and his descendants to be like, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were not living that way. They did not know the Lord, and were not doing what was right and living in a way that was pleasing to Him. The Lord tells Abraham that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah - primarily homosexual perversion, was exceedingly grave, and was crying out to Him for judgment. And so, He will go down to Sodom and Gomorrah, and thoroughly investigate the matter, so that if the situation is confirmed, His judgment will be sure and deserved.

David Crary, writing for the Associated Press, in an article dated December 11, 2003, tells us that 2003 has produced major pro-homosexual breakthroughs in the United States. The Supreme Court overturned Texas' anti-sodomy law, in effect decriminalizing gay sex in the last 13 states where such laws were on the books. The Episcopal Church consecrated an openly gay bishop; Wal-Mart, the country's largest private employer, extended its anti-discrimination policy to gays and lesbians; Bride's magazine featured its first article on same-sex weddings; California lawmakers granted same-sex couples nearly all the rights of married spouses; and Massachusetts' Supreme Judicial Court ruled gays had a constitutional right to marry.

"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" - with its homosexual makeover team - did so well on the cable channel Bravo that parent NBC showed reruns on network TV and arranged for the five homosexuals to spruce up Jay Leno on his "Tonight Show." Other new, gay-themed TV shows - joining established hit "Will & Grace" - included the ABC sitcom "It's All Relative" and Bravo's "Boy Meets Boy." Laura Grindstaff, a University of California-Davis sociologist who studies popular culture, said the new shows differ markedly from earlier TV depictions of gays. "The gayness, the queer identity, is not presented as an issue or problem to be solved - it's there as part of everyday life," she said. "These shows present gays as fun, endearing and smart."

This perverse, sick, sinful behavior, which is an abomination, something terribly wrong and disgusting, something that Judeo-Christian culture rightfully rejected for the past 2,000 years, is becoming mainstream. It's not surprising in light of the words of the Son of God, who warned us that this would happen in the Achareet HaYameem - the Last Days: "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: the people were wicked and violent, but they thought they were OK, because they were going about their affairs as usual: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the Flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were homosexuals, great sinners who offended the Creator, but they thought they were OK, because they were going about their affairs as usual: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from Heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed."

Our society is rapidly descending into the cesspool of Sodom and Gomorrah. Our outcry is becoming great, and our sin exceedingly grave. Don't be surprised if the Lord comes down, and His judgment falls.

Two of the three guests - the two angels who had taken on a human form, headed toward Sodom, while the Lord, still in human form, remained with Abraham. Of course, Abraham was concerned about his nephew Lot, and his family, and perhaps others in Sodom, and didn't want them killed if the Lord was going to destroy Sodom. And so he intercedes for the righteous - those who were in a right relationship with God, and who were consistently living the right way, and doing the right things. Abraham argues that it wouldn't be fair for the Shofet kol haAretz - the Judge of all the Earth, to destroy the righteous along with the wicked. The Ruler of the World should make a qualitative distinction between the way He treats the righteous, and the wicked - those who ignore Him, and do the wrong things.

The Lord agrees with Abraham, and tells him if He finds a minority, a righteous remnant of only 50, He will spare the entire place because of them. The righteous, even if they are a minority, are light salt - they can preserve their society simply by their presence. Abraham seems to be concerned that there may not be 50 righteous in Sodom, and so he bargains with the Lord in such way that he gets him down to 10. The Lord agrees that if there are only a tiny remnant of 10 righteous human beings in the city of Sodom, they will all be spared. This is a great example of intercession - praying for the well-being of others, talking to the Lord, and reasoning with Him, and not giving up until the Lord answers.