The Bible in Depth – #7

 
Study Seven

God Works with Man
 

The following story is a demonstration of how God works with man. It’s reassuring to me to know that God does not want to keep me in the dark, but is ready to reveal all, as long as I am open to receiving what He has to say. He also does not throw His pearls before the swine. So as you read, don’t trample on His words but receive them as important revelation that He wishes you to have so that you can be blessed.
 
16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” 20 And the Lord  said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
 

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord, 23 and Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city, would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
 
26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord. 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
 
So He said, “If I find there forty five, I will not destroy it.”
 
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
 
So He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
 
30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
 
So He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
 
31 And he said, “I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”
 
So He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
 
32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
 
“And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place (Genesis 18:16-33).
 
One of my favorite ways to have a meaty conversation with the Lord is for me to invite Him out to a restaurant for a meal. Naturally, I cannot talk to Him audibly; the other patrons would be horrified at my behavior, and I would be gently but firmly ushered out the door. So, I take a notebook and a pen along with us. I will write down a question that I want an answer to, and then I push the tablet across the table to Him. I can hear the answer in my heart, so then I pull the paper back to myself and write down what I heard. I’m kind of like Abraham in doing this as my questions do not range far and wide, but they specifically define what I need to know.
 
15 . . . observe carefully His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you. His commandants and His statutes which I command you today, that all the curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. (Deuteronomy 28:15b, 16).
 
I didn’t write out these blessings and curses as I believe you must hide these things in your heart and use them judiciously in times of need. Therefore, please read Deuteronomy 28 in its entirety.
 
17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Matthew 5:17, 18).
 
God means what He says, and He says what He means. I remember one Christmas when my husband spent hours putting together a tricycle we had purchased for our son. When he was finished, he stood up like a celebrating crow, almost cawing. I felt badly that I had to be the one to tell him the wheels were on backward. He felt he just didn’t need to follow the instruction book.
 
A lot of Christians are like that. They feel that if they do enough good deeds and are pleasant to people, they will have fulfilled the biblical requirements. I’m sorry. Backward wheels are backward wheels, and they need to be put on right. What the Bible has to say must be listened to and then put into practice.
 
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted. To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn (Isaiah 61:1, 2).
 
The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them (Matthew 11:5).
 
But, if you want a list to accomplish, use this one: preach good tidings to the poor; heal the brokenhearted; proclaim liberty to the captives; open the prison door to those who are bound; proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance.
 
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:5, 6).
 
What more does He have to do to get you to act?
 
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).
 
Remember—put Him first.
 
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29).
 
As an heir, what do you inherit? I’m doing my best to answer this question for you without actually answering the question.  Make a list of what you inherit. You’ll be amazed.
 
Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:17).
 
Love is the answer.