COME AS A CHLD - LESSON 62 - THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF SARAH

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

We know that Abraham went back to Beersheba after the Akadah.  One would expect to hear of how he returned to Sarah and told her the good news; but instead we hear of Abraham going back to Beersheba and many think at this point in time that Sarah had returned to Mamre, in Hebron to live in the tents they inhabited there before they came to live in Beersheba.

No one knows the reason for this; perhaps she just loved the place and wanted to be there again.  Perhaps she was not fond of being so close to Hagar and Ishmael.  Perhaps she was grieving about her son going away for so long and wanted to be in the land where she had first learned of his birth.  Perhaps she knew she only had a short time left to live and she wanted to die in the land where they had decided to purchase their family burial grounds in the cave of Machpelah.  

We know that Sarah was a prophetess.  We know that she just somehow knew things directly from God and perhaps she had acted on a KNOWING as her own death was approaching that made her just want to be back in the land where she had experienced so much happiness and had called home for so long.  

Legend has it that Sarah had discovered the Caves of Machpelah before Abraham did.  They tell us that she had requested of Abraham that she be buried there when she died.  The Oral Torah speaks of Abraham stumbling across the cave as he was chasing the calf that he would prepare for The Three Angels who came to visit to tell them of Isaac’s soon coming birth.  These three then left Abraham and Sarah headed for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham and Sarah had received good news on that day, but others were not so fortunate.  

There are also tales of the first time Abraham saw the cave and realized, just as Sarah had previously, that it was the grave site of Adam and Eve.  How did they know this?  It is not explained.  

There are even old stories told of Adam burying Eve in the cave, which is said to be near the door to The Garden of Eden.  The old tales say that when Adam went to lay Eve in the cave he could smell the delicious smell of the Garden.  He too was buried there.  It is said that somehow, the prophet in Sarah knew these things and she shared them with Abraham.  They, together decided to be buried in the same place one day.  After all, God had led them to this place, just beyond the trees of Mamre.  

At any rate and for whatever reasons she had, Sarah returned to Hebron where she died at the age of 127.  There are also many legendary stories around Sarah’s death.  We cannot prove them with scriptures, but some of the old sages teach that Sarah realized Isaac was going to be offered in the Akadah and she pleaded with God to let her die in his place.  Many think that she died the instant that the ram appeared in the the thicket and The Angel of The LORD called out for Abraham not to take the boy. 

When Abraham heard of Sarah’s death, as he was sojourning in Beersheba on his way back from Moriah; he returned  quickly to Hebron and mourned many days for her.  He buried her in the cave at Machphelah, as she had desired according to their plan.

You hear so many stories of all the hard trials and tests and temptations that Abraham had to endure over the years of his lifetime, but you never hear that Abraham wept until you hear of how he mourned for Sarah, his beloved wife, the Mother of his only begotten son.  He wanted to grant Sarah this last request, her request to be buried in the Caves at Machpelah.

There are other Jewish legends which state that these caves were bought from the money that was left in Sarah’s dowry when she died.  She had made clear her request that Abraham buy the caves for a family burial ground.  The place most likely needed to be purchased by Abraham instead of Sarah to be legal, as men were usually the only legal property owners in those days.

Abraham eager to fulfill Sarah’s last wishes and knowing the importance of their joint burial in this spot, offered to buy the cave from Ephron, The Hitite. 

As was the custom, Abraham spoke to the Hitite people at the gates of Hebron asking to purchase the caves in order to bury his wife.  He mentioned that he was a sojourner in the land and needed a burial place for his family.  The Hitites living in the area knew and loved Sarah very much.  They greatly admired and respected Abraham.  They referred to him as being A Great Prince.   They offered him his choice of any of their burial places for free.  

Abraham thanked them for their offer but again expressed his desire to purchase the property so that it could be used as a family burial ground.  He specifically expressed his interest in the Cave at Machpelah that belonged to Ephron the Hitite.  

Machpelah means “double” and the cave was said to be a double space, suitable for burying several couples together.  No one mentioned the fact that this was probably the burial site of Adam and Eve.  Perhaps the Hitites did not know this.   This was probably hidden by God in order to protect it, and Abraham did not bring the subject up to them.  He asked to buy the property for full price so that he could be the legal owner and obtain the deed to the cave. 

Ephron the Hitite was sitting among those who were mourning for Sarah.  They were  all at the city gates, which was also the place of conducting important business.  All the Hitites were gathered to hear this business transaction that the grieving Abraham was making with Ephron the Hitite. 

Ephron the Hitite answered Abraham's request to buy the cave:  “ No, my lord, I will not accept payment for it, I would be honored to give it to you.  Furthermore, listen to me:  You only asked for the cave, but as far as I am concerned, I have already given you the entire fieild as well.  And as for the cave within it, I have already given it to you; and I have given it to you in full view of my compatriots.  Bury your dead.”

The fact that Ephron offered to give Abraham the entire field suited Abraham because he wished for the place to be an area used for a family burial ground.  He would do well to own the whole field and not just a part of it.  I'm sure Abraham was thinking too of God's promises that his descendants would inherit all the land one day.  Perhaps Abraham even wanted Sarah's death to be honored by making this long ago promise finally come about.  It was something that they had dreamed of and hoped for together.  It was what they had built all of their life around.  It was part of her last wishes.

Abraham replied to Ephron:  “If only you would listen to me!  I do not want to accept the field for free.  I am giving you the money for the field.  It is here in my hand, take it from me so that I may bury my dead there.”

At this point Ephron replied saying:  “My lord, listen to me.  What’s four hundred silver shekels worth of land between friends like you and me?  Forget about the money and bury your dead.” 

This was quite an understatement, because four hundred shekels was a huge amount of money!  Way more money than most would consider the field was worth.  Ephron continued to flaunt his generosity and pretended to refuse payment.  He was only using this technique for setting the price at a higher amount in the long run.  Abraham understood this.  Nevertheless, he weighed out for Ephron the whole amount of silver that he had mentioned the property was worth, every penny of the four hundred shekels.

Abraham did not try to bargain.  He paid full price in front of the whole community of Ephron the Hitite’s most trusted neighbors.  Ephron accepted Abraham’s offer and Abraham became the legal owner of the caves and the field and the trees surrounding the field and in the field.    Because of the purchase price of the field it was recorded in the records as no longer being simply a community property, but it was now considered to be the property of a nobleman.  Abraham buried his beloved wife in a cave located in what was considered to be the field of a noble.  This would mean that Sarah had a royal burial. 

The purchase of this land was extremely important because it was the beginning of the time of the descendants of Abraham owning the Land of Canaan.  It was the first property owned outright, though water rights had previously been obtained for the well in Beersheba.  This was actual land with caves and a field and trees.  It was the perfect place for Abraham’s family to be buried.  Abraham knew it was the will of God and he was very happy to obtain this property.  It partially fulfilled God’s promise that Abraham and his descendants would own the land of Canaan.

This cave and this field are still in existence.  Some believe the cave is under what is now a Muslim Mosque located in Hebron.  Today Jews are usually forbidden entrance into that particular place.  This location has become a very popular tourist sight.  Other’s believe that the popular tourist sight is not actually the true location, and another place has been spotted which is suspected to be the true burial place.  Right now, only God knows for sure.
    

 You would think at this point that the story of Sarah and all that we know of her would be over? Right?  

Wrong!  

We hear of her again, indirectly in The New Testament. 

Do not forget that Sarah and Abraham believed in the promise of a coming Messiah.  They believed even before they had the evidence that we now have of Christ coming and dying on a cross as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind.  Sarah had great faith.  In her long and blessed life full of strange trials and even huge mistakes and sins, she trusted that God loved her and forgave her.  She trusted that The Messiah would save her one day.  She was a believer!
  

Even as Sarah died and Abraham laid her in her grave in the Cave at Machphelah; Sarah had always carried in her soul the belief that she would one day be resurrected.

It was long after the death of the faithful Sarah that Jesus came to walk the earth. He lived and died for all of mankind.  He lived a perfect sinless life, and that great day came when He was resurrected from the dead!  He was found alive again!  This month, in the Feast of First Fruits we celebrate His resurrection!
  

Sarah had kept that feast all of her life.  She KNEW things.  She saw the fulfillment of it even before it happened.  Sarah KNEW that the waiving of the barley of the early harvest meant much more than a Thanksgiving offering for the first crops of the farmers.  She knew it was all a type of symbolism that stood for the Messiah and she understood that He would

raise her up in resurrection one day also. 

No names are mentioned specifically, but when Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, there was a great earthquake and many others were also resurrected with Him.  They were the first fruits of His labor; the early harvest of the souls of God.  Christ was the first; they were His first fruits after Him. 

Would not Abraham and Sarah be among these who were risen?  

Who among the people of the earth were more faithful?

Who  among mankind walked with God more than these two?  

Who among the dead of Israel would you expect to have believed in the Messiah with such great faith as to have believed without seeing?  

It was Abraham and Sarah and many of their loved ones who rose on that day after Christ, and perhaps even Adam and Eve!  They were the first to look for a Messiah who would cure the curse of the sin that they had fallen into.  God had told them there would be One.  They had believed and brought their insufficient sacrifices until God had provided The Perfect One.   They had passed this truth on  through the generations and this truth had come to be very significant in the lives of Abraham and Sarah.
 

I firmly believe that when Christ rose on the third day, Sarah rose right after him and greeted him soon after the event inside the City of Jerusalem! 

Did people recognize her?  It is doubtful that anyone would have recognized any of these Saints who had died many, many years before The Resurrection.  They would not have known what they looked like or who they were. 

So we only have vague references to this event; but they are plain enough to tell us that most likely Sarah obtained the resurrection of the early first fruits.  We can read Matthew 27:50-52 and conclude that Sarah surely would have been one of the ones mentioned:

“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  And, behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after His resurrection and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

What more amazing truth could there be?  

Do you think after all that God had been through with Abraham and Sarah that He would not have granted them a little time to be with The Messiah as He walked the earth here in His resurrected body?  What a wondrous day this must have been for Sarah and Abraham!

What conversations do you think they had?  

It must have been quite a reunion for them with The Messiah, because they had known Him, even though they had not physically met Him!  They had believed in faith and they actually got to see and participate in the evidence they had believed in!  Their faith had come full circle.  It must have been a wonderful thrilling reward from God, one of many that I suspect are still going on in heaven!

This is one discussion that you will not find in the writing of the Jews.  Of course not; as they have not yet believed in Christ.  Not all of them anyway, but there is that exception; where two of their founders. Abraham and Sarah, most likely rose from the dead and met The Messiah they had always believed in person!  

The scriptures tell us that the rulers of the day tried to cover up the true events of Christ’s resurrection.  There is not a written record of the names of these Saints of the earth; the only exception would be the holy writing in The Book of Life that is kept by God in Heaven. 

There must have been quite a family reunion with Abraham, Sarah and Isaac on that day.  Abraham and Sarah would also have had the opportunity to meet many of their descendants that they had only dreamed of, but never lived to see; their grandchildren and their great grandchildren.   

But what happened to Sarah after this?  There is yet even more to her awesome story, and the last part is the very best part! 

We find the answer to this question in Ephesians 4:8:

“Wherefore He saith, when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men.”

The resurrected bodies of the founders of The Nation of Israel were positive proof to the people of earth that faith in Messiah guarantees a resurrection from the dead and eternal life with God.  Sarah and Abraham now get to reside in Heaven together with God.   When Jesus ascended 50 days later, they also went with Him.

This was yet another proof; this marvelous event for Sarah and her family, of God’s plan for mankind, and how it will always be completely successful and perfect.  Sarah got to be a part of it all! 

 After Jesus was on the earth for 50 more days following His Resurrection, He Ascended back into Heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father.  He took all of those who rose from their graves after Him back with Him.

And this is the miracle of resurrection; the whole story.  Our Messiah, Jesus Christ made it all possible.  He will make it possible for you too if you let Him.  He gave His life to be able to offer you this gift!  

 Sarah was blessed to be a part of this whole process!  Will you be so blessed with her?  

All you have to do is have faith in Messiah.  All that is required of you is that you BELIEVE.  If Sarah could believe this even before she saw the proof of the Messiah's resurrection, how much more so should all of us be able to believe this?

We have all now lived to see the days of proof.   Let us continue to believe.  Let us continue to follow.  Let us all be looking forward to our own reunion,  just like the one of Abraham, Isaac and Sarah when the time comes for yet another resurrection, let us all be ready to join Him!

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 51 - THE NARROW ESCAPE

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 So the angels went ahead to Sodom and Gomorrah and when they entered the city Lot was sitting at the gate. 

To “sit at the gate” in ancient times usually meant to hold an office or some form of civic or governmental leadership.  Apparently Lot had just been appointed to the office of a judge and he was sitting with all the other elected officials and politicians of the city at the gate.  Most scholars believe that Lot was new to this office, had just been appointed, and that he was elected as a “fall guy” or someone who would be easy to push around to help pass the laws of the city the way the residents wanted them passed.  After all the cities did have to conform to the rules of the region, and we have previously discussed that there were kings in charge of all the regions of the area. 

Perhaps the citizens of Sodom thought Lot, being an outsider and not native to the area, could negotiate with these kings and keep them out of their business.  The faithful men of Abraham had come to the aid of Lot earlier when Sodom had been in trouble.  Perhaps Lot used this as leverage to gain in politics.  Maybe the corrupt city leaders thought the kings of the region ruling over the area of the Jordanian Plains would listen to Lot because he was Abraham's nephew.  More than likely they wanted to use Lot to present a false front where they could twist justice into their own definition.  Who knows?  It is possible Lot had decided for once in his life to try to make a change.  

Lot seemed to be gullible, perhaps he even thought he could make a difference; there is no way to know for sure.  What we do know is that Lot had a past history of being a push over, one who was weak and unwilling to take a strong stand, and he was one who could not defend himself when push came to shove.   Money and material blessings seemed to be very important to Lot, important enough to ignore his own heritage and make his home in a completely different culture.

Everything that Lot had gained in life was the product of Abraham’s hard work and generosity.  A lot of people probably gave Lot grace because of Abraham's reputation in the land.   Maybe this was yet another reason that God wanted to remove Lot from this wicked place.  His rule would have probably brought shame and disgrace to Abraham’s family.  Perhaps God had another plan for Lot, a better one that Lot had not anticipated, but as usual, we know that Lot just kept trying to make his own plans instead of listening to God.  Otherwise, Lot would have left this wicked region of Sodom of his own accord long ago.  Now he was in a place where he could be used by the enemies of God, and if he was not removed, he would fall with them. 

God sent the angels ahead to remove Lot and his family, mostly for the sake of answering the many pleas and prayers of Abraham.  The best thing most fools have going for them is a good godly person who cares enough about them to intercede.  God had heard the intercessions that Abraham lifted up for Lot and had decided that he and his family would be spared.

When the angels saw Lot and greeted him he did display the best traits that he had learned from Abraham.  Lot was hospitable to the angels, and that fared well for him.  Even fools do well sometimes because they conform to the teachings of their youth.  Lot had grown up observing the godly traits of hospitality that Abraham and Sarah had always given their guest.  Lot had seen that the house of Abraham had often been visited by angels and he knew how to recognize this when it happened.  He seemed to be aware that even though they looked like men, they were angels.  This immediately put Lot on guard to protect them from the evil devices of those living in Sodom.

Lot’s natural instincts and learned habits from childhood came into play and he invited the two angels to come and be the honored guests of his home. 

The way Lot offered hospitality to the angels is very interesting.  He did the very same things in presenting his hospitality that Abraham had done when they came to his tents.  He honored them by bowing low and greeting them.  He invited them into his home.   He offered them water for washing their feet and rest from their travels.  He fed them a good meal of fresh baked unleavened bread. 

Isn’t this interesting?  Why do we always think of Abraham being the hospitable one?  Why do we not hear more about Lot’s hospitality?

The reason is not obvious until you look at the details.  Lot was doing all the things that he had been taught while growing up in the tents of Abraham.  He was presenting himself as he had seen a good example of a successful man do.  It was all rote.  It was all habit.  It was all mechanical in nature.  He did it because it was the thing that he was trained to do.  The words and the motions were right, but they probably did not mean anything to Lot.

Have you not ever done this yourself?  Are half the churches in America not simply doing the things that they have been trained to do?  The seats are full of courteous people, they bow their heads at all the right times, they utter prayers together, they sing, they listen, or they appear to be listening.  Are all these motions genuine worship from the heart?  What carries over into these people's homes?   Could the worship of many modern churches today not be like the external trappings of Lot's up-bringing?  How many church members are just attending because their parents taught them it was the thing to do?   Are they just done because they are expected and they help to keep the peace?  Are these deeds of worship not just ways to make the individual more socially acceptable to the community?  Where is the sense of conviction or compassion from the heart toward God?  Is the Name of God even mentioned or thought of during the rest of the week?  Lot was simply following what he perceived to be the politically correct traditional thing to do.  It was his trained custom to behave in this manner and that had nothing at all to do with his belief in God.

 

Abraham, on the other hand, had no training in these things.  He had grown up under the roof of a pagan father who worshiped idols.   He had been convicted of the truth of the One God of Heaven and Earth and had proceeded to worship Him from the heart.  Abraham had done these things, not from rote mechanics but straight from his genuine desire to please God and to be His servant.  His bow was one of genuine honor and respect.  His hospitality came from love and obedience to God and true compassion for his fellowmen.  He had studied Torah and his every action emanated this fact.   He lived it and breathed it.  It was his nature, not just his custom. 

Before the angels arrived, Abraham had sat inside his tent and waited to see what God would do next.  Following a time of repentance and a time of turning he had submitted to a painful circumcision that was a sign of his obedience to God in all circumstances.  That act was a sign that he had put all future generations of his family within God’s hands and let go of any of his control over them or his own plans for them.  Abraham was truly trusting God for every next second of the ticking hand of the clock.  

Lot sat in his honored position at the gate of a wicked, selfish, greedy and materialistic city expecting no one to visit or interfere with his seemingly good fortune that he had sought out on his own.  He probably gloated with pride and beamed at the new found fame, even among the pagan.  He actually sat in the city gates to be used by evil and corrupt men in order to make it easier for them to carry on their evil and corrupt lives in the way they desired.  Lot was proud of his own foolishness.  There was no obedience or love for God in Lot’s heart.   He was a puppet for those who were opposed to God’s will.  He stood for nothing.  It was all about his own importance and material gain.

There was a vast difference between the state of Lot’s heart and the state of Abraham’s heart, just as there is a huge difference between mere habitual behavior and true, genuine love.  Those sitting on the outside looking in cannot always see or tell the difference, but those who have the discernment from heaven can and usually do know when this happens.  Lot was addressing angels.  They must have known and seen the difference, but they desired to show their love and mercy to Abraham who had prayed to God, and they had been commanded by God to honor Abraham’s prayer requests.  Lot was spared because Abraham prayed.  It had nothing to do with his hospitality to the angels, though his sudden bravery and willingness to stand up for their protection does seem to be a change toward a more acceptable attitude.   Lot DID know how to be righteous, he just did not make righteous choices when the time came to take a true stand.

So what exactly transpired that day?

The angels came to Lot and greeted him at the gate and Lot showed them hospitality and insisted that they stay in his home instead of the streets of the city.  Whether from the heart or not, this was a righteous thing to do.  Lot knew the pattern that Sodom had for strangers who entered their gates.  The people of Sodom considered themselves to be a private city and strangers were not welcomed or invited.  They did not like to entertain strangers, and they made this known whenever a stranger entered their gates often in very cruel ways.  There was nothing hospitable or just or right about their actions toward new people in the area.   Lot's desire to protect the angels from this shows a new-found compassion that has not been seen in him before.  Was it for self gain too?  Did Lot know that the angels could help him in ways that the citizens could not?  Had Lot observed the blessings that came from angels while living with Abraham and Sarah and did he desire some of that for his own personal gain?  Or was it maybe fear?  Lot DID understand that God existed and he knew from Abraham's teaching that it was healthy and wise to fear God.  What were Lot's true motivations?  Had he suddenly become more righteous?

This tells us that Lot understood the difference between right and wrong and that he DID honor it in some strange twisted foolish sort of way even though he lived in a place that the scriptures say was inhabited by “wicked great sinners against the Lord.”  This made Lot stand out as righteous among the other citizens.  Even the smallest gestures could make a difference in such a city.  The hospitality of Lot, though not perfect, was considered good and appreciated by the angels.    

When the angels had came to Abraham and Sarah’s tents earlier they had delivered an announcement.  It was a happy announcement, an announcement about the birth of a child, an announcement that would bring new life.

When the angels came to Lot’s house later they had come to deliver another type of announcement.  This was a sad announcement; the announcement to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because the great sins of the city had come up before God.   It was an announcement of death.

The sins of the city became even more evident as the angels were staying in Lot’s house for the night.  These are the scriptures that describe what happened:

 Genesis 19:4-7:   But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter.   And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, “ Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.”

The word used here as “know” has sexual connotations.  In so many other passages of the bible we have seen that the word "know" was used when people were sexually intimate with one another.  This was usually the word used to describe the proper relationship between a husband and wife, but not here in Sodom.  This was a perverted city full of immorality of every kind.  Homosexuality was only one of the immoral sins of the city.  It was a piece of the whole pie of adultery, fornication, incest, rape, etc.  This night the citizens had chosen homosexuality with angels as their entertainment for the evening. The scriptures become clear and make more sense as you read further:

Genesis 19:8:  And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him.  And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.  Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known a man; let me, I pray you, bring them unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes; only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.”

Again, we see Lot’s character flaws and hypocritical ways in this crazy situation.  He offers the depraved men his own virgin daughters in order to protect the angels!  

It is worthy to think that he wanted to protect his divine guest, but it is horrible that he would be willing to sacrifice his innocent daughters for this cause.   

Why does that sound familiar?  We honor the divine in our worship services, yet some of us walk out the door and destroy new life with abortion.  Just as it was convenient for Lot to offer his daughters to protect the angels, it seems to be convenient for the citizens of planet earth to destroy life when it is inconvenient and interferes with our own plans.  Dare we to point a finger at Lot?   Is this not hypocritical?  So many things in this picture are wrong and the answers can only be found at the foot of the cross where there is mercy, grace and forgiveness.  This can only happen with repentance and people who are willing to turn.  God can do anything with people who repent and turn from their sins.  That was the problem with Lot's city and that is the problem with the world today.  Sin is so common and so accepted that no one is repenting, much less turning away from it and going in the other direction.  We leave God with only one option.  


Lot had not been willing to turn from a place of sin to a place of godliness.   He would not turn from the evil place where he was living without compassion or trust in God and the generation that he had fathered would suffer the consequences.   Was Lot's situation so unusual and different than many situations across the world today?  What are we teaching our children by our own actions?  If we are not backing up those words from all those worship services with every day actions we waste our breath and we curse our children's future.  They listen and they see.  What are we teaching them?

What was Lot thinking? 

Perhaps he knew the men would refuse his daughters, after all they had lived in the same community for awhile now and they had been safe and unharmed.  No man had shown them any interest.  Lot’s two other daughters had found husbands and married,  but these two had found no husbands.  The men were obviously not interested in the female sex or they would probably have taken up Lot’s offer and fulfilled their desire for lust by abusing his daughters.  It was a different kind of lust that they had in mind.  All lustful sins are equally punishable by God.  He abhors immorality of any kind.  None of us are innocent, but again, the answer lies in repentance and turning.  Lot could not turn away from the evil place.  He needed help and intervention.  God had sent it thanks to the prayers of Abraham.

The angels saw that Lot might lose his life defending theirs.  This was a new and noble and admirable trait for Lot, but it was unnecessary.  They had come to protect Lot, not for Lot to protect them; so they quickly reacted by making the depraved mob blind and grabbed Lot and pulled him back inside the house and shut the door.   

I find it interesting that the depraved mob was made blind.  They were made not to see.  When you think of the people of sin that they represent this seems very appropriate.  Most of the time those who are living in immorality like to be blind.  They refuse to see their own sins.  They try to justify it in a million different ways and want to act as if those who can see are the ones who are blind.  

Without the help of the angels Lot would have been killed.  He was over his head and up to his neck in trouble.  Have you ever been in over your head?  It can happen if you find you can't walk away from evil.  Sometimes God intervenes.  If this is the case you have been blessed!

Once Lot was safely inside the angels announced that they had been sent from God to destroy Sodom because of the wickedness found there.   When Lot heard this announcement concerning the destruction of the city, he quickly went out to his son-in-laws and married daughters and told them that the city was about to be destroyed. He tried so hard to reason with them.  Have you ever tried in vain to reason with people about a message from God that they do not want to hear?  It is never easy.   Are any of mankind listening to the good news of the gospel anymore?  Typical human reaction to such warnings is "that is something that happens to someone else; not to me." Satan's demons are kept very busy stopping up people's ears and distracting them from the truth.    

Like Sarah in the tent when the angels came to Abraham, the son-in-laws of Lot laughed.  That the city could be destroyed was unbelievable to them.  They were natives to Sodom.  They had witnessed lots of revenge on strangers who had tried to change things.  They had probably looked at Lot's new position as a judge in the gates as a joke.  Maybe they had laughed behind his back before this night.  Things never went well for the strangers of Sodom and the city itself always kept thriving on.  They had no interest in listening to Lot or his stories of angels and danger just as most men living today do not really believe that there is a hell and that the wicked will again be destroyed by fire.  They thought Lot was delusional.  They did not believe a word he said!  They laughed and ignored him until it was too late for them to be saved.  

I wonder if Lot thought about the fact that he had raised his daughters in a community with only these choices for husbands.  These foolish men were probably the cream of the crop for the young girls wanting to marry in Sodom.  It was too late for Lot to change any of this.  Hindsight is always 20/20.  There was nothing he could do.  "Too late" comes quickly.

There is a day coming on the earth when many men will be in the same situation as Lot as he tried to convince his daughter's husbands to leave.  It will be too late.  All the deeds of life will be done.  There will not be a way to go back or undo the past at that point.  There will only be sure judgement and fire and brimstone ahead.  I pray that we all may believe the messages from Heaven that we are sent supernaturally and that all people will decide to turn in their hearts and leave the places of evil and go toward the place where God dwells before it is too late.

When the sun rose the next morning the angels urged Lot to take his wife and his two single daughters out of the city immediately.  When they hesitated the angels took their hands and supernaturally delivered them to a place that was outside the city and then told them to hurry and escape for their lives.  They were told to run to the mountains and not stay in the plain and not to even look back as they went. 

By now you know how stubborn and unwilling Lot could be to follow any plans but his own.  He was afraid to go to the mountains and asked the angels to let him escape to a smaller city on the edge of the plains called Zoar.  

The angel, probably tired of Lot’s stubborn ways, agreed to this and sent them quickly on their way.  

How many times have we all been like Lot, trying to stay in the low valley and the plains when God wants to send us up to the mountaintop?  For fear of the unknown we hesitate and huddle in our own little plans, but if only we would go as God commands without question!  

What do you think God had in store for Lot on that mountain?  

We will never know; Lot did not listen.  He missed the blessings of the mountain that day and opted for the little insignificant city of Zoar.  God allows us choices and Lot chose Zoar, a little town whose name meant "insignificant and small."   

Lot; the man who knew righteousness but never lived very close to it, was now having to run with his family.  As they saw the sun rise over the plains they also smelled the smoke of burning sulfer and they knew hail and brimstone were falling from the sky only miles behind them.  

COME AS A CHILD - LESSON 47 - BECOMING THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD

                

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Sarai must have felt like the laughing stock of the tents of Abram.  Had God not given them a promise that Sarai would bear a son?  Well, what silly notion had given them that idea?  Anyone with eyes to see could look at Sarai growing older every day without a child.  That promise that God had given to Abram must have been for Hagar’s son, Ishmael.  Yes, Hagar was a very blessed woman indeed.  She had been an Egyptian slave girl, yet she had worked her way up to the status of Abram’s wife.  The women in the tents must have considered her very smart.  Now she was the mother of Abram's first-born child.  That Hagar was one lucky girl, and that Sarai must do something about's those foolish thoughts that she imagined God had put into her head. 

This was probably the main gossip as the women gathered at the well every day and as they kneaded the flour for their bread.  They all lived very close.  They all knew each other’s business, or at least they THOUGHT they did.  

Sarai, who had once been known as the most beautiful woman in the land, who had been sought after by Kings and Pharaoh’s and the one whom Abram had chosen because of her beauty and her spirit must have struggled to hold her head up and remember who she really was.  The next thirteen years that transpired for Sarai were probably very hard.

When the people around you mistake your identity and purpose for someone and something else, you can get confused and forget the promises God made specifically to you.  You can have days when the voices haunt you and the whispers behind your back annoy you and even you might begin to doubt yourself and wonder what is wrong with you.  If you aren't very careful you will catch yourself believing the lies.  

When you begin to believe the lies you can feel very low.  Sarai must have been feeling pretty low during those long years of Ishmael's childhood.  Perhaps she was keeping inside her tent, simply tending to her household duties and not venturing out much.  It probably wasn't much fun for her to watch Abram wrestling and playing under the trees with Ishmael.  She probably did not enjoy seeing the smile that must have played across the lips of Hagar.  Perhaps she became more introverted, not greeting everyone that came along, not singing all the time, just keeping an on-going silence.   

The lies, they stop the love.  The lies hurt and they can make even the most beautiful woman on earth feel ugly.  Only God can pull you away from the lies.  Only God can show you again who you really are.  Only God can restore the truth to your reputation when people allow the devil to take over their tongues and their actions and none of it is within your own control.  

Sarai knew God.  She sought his refuge.  He must have comforted her in this hard time of her life. 

Abram at this point also must have felt like some things were amiss.  I guess he might have been going through a late mid-life crisis.  Yes, it seems even Abram had such problems. Many think that Abram forgot to call on the name of God for a while during the childhood of Ishmael.  There are thirteen years of time missing from the account in the scriptures.  It was as if Abram had become distracted from God.   Perhaps he was disturbed over the division that had formed within his household when he and Sarai had not followed God's plan.  Perhaps he thought God must be angry with him for listening to Sarai and being impatient and perhaps he thought God had turned His face away.  All we know is that Abram had a covenant with God; he had not been patient enough to wait on God's promises; he now had a son by an Egyptian handmaiden who was growing up wild and unruly.  

He had also probably spent more time in the tents of Hagar than Sarai during this time.  Perhaps nothing he could do would make this up to Sarai.  There was a lot that Abram needed to repent.  

Perhaps he had finally thought things through and found himself waking up to the reality of the wrong things he had done.  Perhaps he spent hours thinking, realizing how far away he had wondered from God's will for his life.  When he looked at the wild unruly son growing up before him, he probably did not see any of the promises of God being fulfilled in him.  Abram must have often asked God for forgiveness.  He must have reached a lonely place where he began to seek the comfort of God again; perhaps still confused at how things were beginning to transpire and unfold.  He must have had a million questions when he finally turned his face back toward God.  The main question:  why did Sarai not bear him a son?  Why had Hagar been the one?  What was God’s will – REALLY?   He must have asked God this question on a daily basis. 

It came time for Ishmael’s 13^th birthday.  This was the beginning his manhood and the end of his time of childhood.  Abram must have asked God again, why Ishmael?  How should I treat this son when you told me it would be Sarai’s son whom You would covenant with?  What am I to do now?

And God  finally answered Abram.  He told him to walk before Him and be righteous.  Well, yes, that had been a problem!  God always keeps his promises, He had made an unconditional covenant with Abram earlier.   It seems that Abram was once again agreeing to walk righteously before God.  God told Abram to be perfect before Him and he would make His covenant with Abram to multiply his generations.

  "Being perfect with God" can often be as simple as repenting, receiving grace and turning from the things that you have done wrong.   That last part is very important, that part that says to turn from the things that you have done wrong.  God wanted Abram to turn.  This must have been what God wanted when Abram spoke to God after a long time of silence.  Abram had time to realize that his life had got to be off-track with God's will.   God was waiting on Abram to come to his senses and turn from his disobedience.    Finally, God felt Abram was ready for an answer.

Abram fell on his face when this answer came.   Those years of hopelessness must have melted away.   Finally hearing the voice of God again must have given him great joy and relief!  The long time of not hearing the voice of God had changed Abram's heart.  Perhaps he went from being hard-hearted  and frustrated to being confused and lonely, from feeling hopeless to feeling humble and repenting of his sin.  True repentance always brings the hope of hearing God's voice again.  When God spoke again, it must have stirred Abram's heart to walk closer and better with God.   This time Abram was very intent in his listening to God.   He never wanted to do the wrong thing again.  He wanted to hear this right!  He wanted to grasp it all.  

God has this uncanny way of always knowing when our time of destiny has come.  He waits and waits patiently on our hearts to change, refusing to move until our hearts are in the right place.  Abram's heart had definitely been changed.  He had come to recognize his deep humanity and how far away he had wondered from God's plan for his life.  He longed to change this, to please God again, to walk with God as he had done before his sin.  He must have poured this out in prayer.  God is always there, listening, waiting.  All we have to do is lay down our stubbornness and pride and seek His face with repentance.  

Once again God told Abram that His covenant was with him and God explained that Abram would be the father of many nations; but this time, something was different.  This time God told Abram that his name would be changed.  Abram meant "Exalted Father."   The name Abram had been given by his earthly father and might have seemed like an embarrassment at this point in life, as he had remained fatherless for a long time, then only having one son by a handmaiden and not his chosen wife.  It was becoming more and more apparent that Ishmael would only be exalting himself as he grew and matured.  He had respect for no one.  

God said Abram would now be called Abraham, which meant “Father of Many.”  This name given by his Heavenly Father was even more of an overstatement for where Abraham was living in time.  When God emphasizes something enough to rename it, it is always best to believe it.  These things always come to pass, even when they seem impossible.  This time Abraham chose not to doubt, but to believe with all his heart.

God said once again that Abraham would become the father of many nations and that Kings would come from Abraham.  God said that he would establish His covenant with Abraham as well as the generations of Abraham’s descendants.  He would be their God and they would be His people.  Once again God mentioned the Land of Canaan, and said that it would be given by Him to Abraham and all of his descendants.  God commanded Abraham and his descendants to keep His covenant of circumcision.  This was to be true of all of Abraham’s household, both born and bought as slaves or adopted.  By the time they were eight days old, every male of The House of Abraham should be circumcised. 

Then God mentioned Sarai.  Sarai meant "princess."  It was the name given to her by her earthly parents.  God changed her name to Sarah, which means “princess of many.”  Once again God told Abraham that Sarah would have a son, and from her son will come Kings of nations.  God says clearly to Abraham that He will bless Sarah. 

There it was again!  God was calling the impossible, possible.  


The changing of names here is a precious principle that we all would do well to remember.  We walk through a world that names us according to the lies, but God has holy purposes that He has hidden deep within each of us.  He renames us according to His purpose for our lives.  We must determine to do just what Abraham did.  We must listen carefully to God and hear the name He gives to us instead of listening to the lies of the world.  God is outside of time.  He knows the beginning from the end.  He KNOWS us and He alone can direct us.  Open your ears to be listening for your new name.  He has one just for you if you are willing to do like Abraham; turn and repent and listen for further instructions and do the will of God.  Knowing your new name will help to keep you on track.  If it feels impossible just remember that God can DO the impossible.  Believe.

At this point in the story, Abraham wants to be very sure he understands.  He thinks of Ishmael and mentions him to God for a blessing.  God makes it very clear to Abraham that Sarah will bear a son and this is the son that God will covenant with.  God tells Abraham to name Sarah’s son "Isaac." 

Then God mentions Abraham’s request for Ishmael and says he too will be blessed.  God will make him fruitful and a nation will grow from him and he will have 12 sons of his own.  But God makes clear to Abraham that it is Isaac that will be the covenant son, and God tells Abraham that Isaac will be born to Sarah about this same time next year. 

At that point God left Abraham to ponder and carry out all the things they had discussed.  Abraham went home and circumcised every male in his household, including himself and Ishmael.  Abraham was 99 years old and Ishmael was 13.  All of the men living in the tents of Abraham both free and slaves were circumcised.  The covenant of circumcision required action on Abraham’s part and on the part of all those of his household.  It was a painful act of obedience.  They were obedient.  Abraham followed everything that God had told him to do; then he went back to his tent with Sarah and sat down to wait to see what The Lord was going to do next.  

Abraham, the circumcised man with the new name had learned to wait on God and not make his own plans.