One Man's Intercession - Genesis 18:16-33

Please read the entire chapter of Genesis 18 as you work your way through this blog post, but especially read, and even re-read chapter 18:16-33.  In the early part of Genesis 18, YHWH, in human form appears to Abraham and Sarah, promising Sarah that in the not too distant future she will give birth to a son.  Sarah understandably laughs at this absurdity and then God and his angelic companions continue on to complete the second part of their mission to earth.  Abraham goes with them and we are told in verse 21 that YHWH must physically go down to Sodom and Gomorrah to "see" whether or not the cities' bad reputation is accurate or not.  Before we go further, let's sit with this tidbit for a moment.  Why would God need to physically visit these two cities?  Couldn't he just see from heaven?  I think the simple answer is yes - the creator of the cosmos certainly could know all there is to know about Sodom and Gomorrah without journeying to them in human form.  But that is not how God operates.  Though transcendent, he often chooses immanence when he interacts with his human creatures.  He desires close proximity and in fact, that is the overarching theme of the entire Bible.  God desires to be with us and to live with us and that will become a reality when he makes all things new and restores the created order.  The final piece of this transformation will be God coming to dwell with humanity in the renewed creation.  

Righteousness and Justice 

In verses 18 & 19 of our text we are reminded of why YHWH called Abraham in the first place.  Not only to become a mighty nation and to be a blessing to all nations, but also to do righteousness and justice.  Taken together, these twin concepts connote the idea of not only doing the right thing, but of living in right relationships with both God and others.  And because Abraham is called to this, he actually calls YHWH out in our text.

The Dynamism of Genuine Relationship

It sometimes shocks us when we encounter it in scripture, but God invites us into a genuine relationship.  It's rare for a boss/employee or coach/player relationship to be completely open and free.  The power dynamic is often too segregated for there to be genuine openness on the part of the employee or player.  But, YHWH invites his human subjects to boldness and honesty - just read the psalms of lament!  In this instance, it is Abraham who calls God out regarding his justice and his judgement.  He questions God.  "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?...Far be it from you to do such a thing...Far be that from you!  Shall not the Judge of the earth do what is just?" (Gen 18:23-25, NRSV).  If only some head football coaches or governmental leaders had a thick enough skin to be questioned in this way!

Can the Innocent Save the Guilty?

At least in part, an implied question this text raises is, "Can the innocent save the guilty?".  As far as Abraham is concerned, God does not fully reveal the answer to this patriarch.  Abraham will never learn the fate of his nephew Lot.  But though YHWH doesn't give him a definitive answer, Abraham is bold in his negotiations with God.  He doesn't stop at 50 righteous persons, he negotiates all the way down to 10.  Why he stops at 10 and why the conversation ends abruptly, we are not told, but what is clear is that there is a true and genuine negotiation taking place.  God is open to changing his mind based on Abraham's intercession.  And that leads us to our next major thought.

God Calls his People into Partnership

It is not surprising that Abraham both challenges YHWH with his questions and boldly negotiates on behalf of his nephew, Lot.  Afterall, this is what God desires.  We read in verses 17 and 18, "(YHWH) said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?".  God not only works through his people, he works with his people.  The Lord invites us into a partnership with him when we align our wills with his.

Intercession (Prayer) Makes a Difference

Abraham intercedes for his nephew, and though Abraham never discovers the outcome of his intercession, it makes all the difference for Lot.  Intercession matters.  Prayer makes a difference.  If Abraham does not intervene on behalf of his family member, the implication is that Lot and his family would be swept away in Sodom's destruction.  But, Abraham does intervene and it changes things.  Intercession (prayer) changes things.  One man's intercession makes all the difference.

One Man's Intercession Makes All the Difference 

When God calls Abram in Genesis 12, he is ultimately not only calling one individual (or even a couple, including Sarai), rather he is calling a people (Israel).  However, eventually, God's people become centered on one individual, Jesus Christ, God's only Son.  He is truly the chosen, truly the called, and truly the elect.  And even more so than what we read in Genesis 18, God fully and eternally, not only appears as a human, but becomes human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  Through this man, all nations are brought back into a right relationship with God.  Through the man, Jesus, all of creation is brought back into a right relationship with God.  That's God's justice.  That's God's righteousness. - Shay 

The Absurdity of Faith

Throughout the big narrative of the Bible, there are mysteries and ambiguities.  We are confronted with both at the beginning of Genesis 18.  Abraham is camped out by the oaks of Mamre, resting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day, when he looks up and sees three men.  He rushes out to them, bows before them in reverent honor, and then invites them to stay for rest and refreshment.  We are told that YHWH appears to Abraham in the first verse of chapter 18, but how and when did Abraham realize that his guest(s) were none other than God himself?  Though not explicitly stated, he seems to intuit this almost immediately.  How?  Why?  The text is ambiguous and leaves us with a mystery.

Many Christian interpreters have seen the three men as representative of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).  This simply cannot be.  It is anachronistic to read the later doctrine of the Trinity back into this part of the Hebrew scriptures.  The original author(s) would have had no understanding of this later Christian development, and so could clearly not have intended the three men to be a reference for the Trinity.  The most natural reading of the text, especially when combined with the latter part of chapter 18 is to see one of the men as God in human form, accompanied by two angels (or messengers).

In ancient history, as today, if the near east is known for anything, it is hospitality.  Abraham welcomes his guests by washing their feet, providing a cool place to lounge, and by offering fresh beef, bread, curds and milk.  Sarah, assisting by baking the bread, does not leave the tent while Abraham entertains the visitors.  

The Lord, asks Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?".  Abraham informs them that she is in the tent, while Sarah eavesdrops on the conversation.  The post menopausal woman then overhears a most shocking declaration: I will return to you before long and your wife Sarah will have a son.  Sarah responds as any of us might have - she laughs!  The Lord then responds with another question: "Why did Sarah laugh, and say, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?'"  God continues his interrogation.  "Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?  At the set time I will return to you...and Sarah shall have a son." Sarah goes from incredulity to fear and denies her laughter.  But God won't be fooled.  "Yes, you did laugh", he says.

The Absurdity of Faith 

It must be both frightening and hilarious for Sarah to receive this news.  The NRSV puts it this way, "...it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women."  But God doesn't operate after the manner of women or of men.  His ways are not our ways and he often calls his people into the craziest of scenarios.  Faith is sometimes scary, faith is sometimes incomprehensible, and faith is sometimes absolutely absurd.  But as God asks Abraham, "is anything too wonderful for the Lord?"  

Faith requires us to trust in God, sometimes despite the evidence surrounding us.  Every now and then we throw up a "Hail Mary", and when God answers in the affirmative, it might force us to our knees in a thanksgiving prayer.  Or we might be stunned into silence.  Or sometimes, we might, like Sarah, bust a gut with a belly laugh at the absurdity of it all!  It's a good reminder that God too has a sense of humor. - Shay 

Circumcision: A New Life, A New Name, and A New Identity

At the ripe old age of 99, YHWH again appears to Abram in Genesis 17.  As mentioned in previous blogs - I doubt Abram was actually 99 years of age at this point in his journey, just as I do not believe he actually lived to the age of 175.  But what is clear is that Abram is a very old man when he encounters the Lord.  God exhorts him to walk before him and to be blameless (whole, complete, mature, sound, healthy).  YHWH then reminds him that his family will be exceedingly large and that the other covenant promises will be fulfilled.  God then gives Abram a new name.  Abraham.  

A New Name - A New Identity

A friend of mine, originally from Iran, told me that when he was baptized into the Christian faith he took on a new name - Davood (or David).  In many cultures it is common to adopt a new name when one's outlook or situation in life is altered.  It's as if Abraham is becoming a new person, so it's fitting that he is given a new name and a new identity.  Later in the chapter, God gives Sarai a new name.  Sarah.  She too is given a new beginning - a new lease on life.  Together this old couple will be the father and mother of a large nation.

Circumcision - The Marks of the Covenant

In the slapstick comedy, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Mel Brooks plays a rabbi traveling around medieval England, selling ceremonial wine and offering circumcisions.  When asked by Robin Hood about the nature of circumcision, Rabbi Tuckman says, "It's the latest rage - the ladies love it!"  Robin Hood's merry men respond that they'll each have one.  One guy even requests two!  Then they ask how it works.  The rabbi responds, while pulling out a miniature guillotine,  "I take my little machine, I put your little thing in it (he demonstrates with a carrot) and I nip the tip.  Who's first?"  Robin Hood and his merry men immediately decline the invitation and Tuckman says, "I got a work on a younger crowd."

I can only imagine that the elderly Abraham, the adolescent Ishmael, and the rest of Abraham's men must have felt like Robin Hood and company when they learned that the sign of YHWH's covenant with them would be this very physical and delicate marker!  Talk about a sacrifice!  I don't even want to imagine the immediate pain and several days worth of discomfort.

The Significance of the Marker 

Circumcision was widely practiced in the ancient near east, so this request is not novel.  And certainly there are hygienic benefits to the practice.  But the real significance lies in what the symbol will represent to God's people.  In the future this rite will be completed on the eighth day of a boy's life.  Going back to the seven days of creation, circumcision on the eighth day must point to the hope of new creation and new beginnings.  And the act of removing the foreskin of the male sexual organ also reminds the people of YHWH that he alone is ultimately the guarantor of fertility and life.  Though Abraham had taken his and Sarah's lack of fertility into his own hands just a chapter before, the rite of circumcision will be an ever-present reminder in the future that the gift of life is only in God's hands.  Later a phrase will develop describing an act of God as being "a circumcision made without hands."

In fact, the apostle Paul, likened baptism to a circumcision made without hands, whereby instead of the flesh of the male's body being removed, it is the fleshly (sinful) nature of any believer, whether male or female that is eliminated.  "In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:11-12.  Just as circumcision represents new life to the people of Abraham in the Hebrew scriptures, so baptism represents new life to the people of Christ today, whether Jew or Gentile. - Shay