THE NATURE AND VALUE OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER

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GENESIS 18

Lesson #32

THE NATURE AND VALUE OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER

• Memory verse: 1Timothy 2:1
• Read Gen 18:1-15 The promise to Sarah
  • Abraham was in the city of Hebron when 3 men came to him.
  • The city of Mamre which means = strength or fatness. This was the location of his home.
  • Abraham’s Godly visitors:
    • Who were they?
    • Two of them were angels.
    • Who is the third man?
      • The third man was not an angel but another appearance of Jesus Christ. How do we know this?
      • In verse 2 we see an act of worship where Abraham bowed to the ground. Angels do not accept worship.
      • Verses 13 and 20 call this person, “Lord” (Jehovah).
      • Abraham evidently did not immediately recognize the Lord.
        • In verse 3 Abraham says “lord” but it is not the name, “Jehovah”.
        • He uses the name, “Adonai”.
        • That is a name for God, but it can also be used as a respectful title to another person.
        • It is not a name exclusive to God as the name, “Jehovah”.
  • Abraham’s response:
    • Abraham offered customary hospitality. (4-8)
    • If he had known it was the Lord, his hospitality would have been greater.
  • The promise to Sarah (10-11):
    • Previously God gave the promise of a son to Abraham. Now God gives the promise to Sarah. He also tells Sarah about the timing of the fulfillment — this time next year.
    • Both Sarah and Abraham were past the age of having children. God’s perfect timing waited for 2 things:
      • They both needed to come to the point where they could not possibly fulfill the promise in their own efforts. Therefore, God would get the glory for the miracle.
      • They both needed to be sealed under the covenant so that the blood line from Abraham to Christ would carry the promise of the covenant. We saw the sealing of the covenant in Gen 17.
        • The importance of the blood line:
        • God wanted to set apart a people. These people were the descendents of Abraham through Isaac.
        • He wanted them to keep the blood line pure and documented so that when Jesus Christ was born, his ancestry could be traced back through David to Abraham for authenticity. In that way, prophecy was documented and fulfilled. ‘
        • The Jews did a beautiful job of keeping the documented records of the blood line thus fulfilling that part of their responsibility as God’s chosen people.
    • Sarah’s response (12,15) to faith:
      • What do we learn about Sarah’s faith?
      • At this point in her life in Genesis, we see one of those dips in faith. She laughed.
        • Evidently she did not immediately know to whom she was speaking.
        • In fact, she probably did not realize it was the Lord until verse 14.
        • The Lord asks her, “is anything too hard for the lord?” (14)
        • When she realized it was the Lord, she tried to cover up her lack of faith.
        • She denied her laughter because she feared the Lord.
        • Genesis does not tell us her level of faith after this, but Hebrews 11:11 does.
        • Read Heb 11:11
        • Sarah had faith in God because God was a faithful God that gave her a promise.
    • Nothing is too hard for God!
      • “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
      • This phrase and variations on it occur in other places in the Bible. (Jer 32:27 Luk 1:37 Mat 19:25-26 Mar 10:27 Luk 18:27)
• Read Gen 18:16-33 Intercessory prayer
  • God’s revelation to Abraham: the coming destruction of Sodom
  • The lord reveals to Abraham about the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why?
    • Whenever God pronounces judgment on men, he always gives a warning.
    • The warning is usually revealed to prophets of God. (Amos 3:7)
      • We saw that before the flood of Noah’s day, God warned the people though his prophets, Enoch, Methusaleh, and Noah himself.
      • In our generation we look ahead to a coming judgment with the second coming of Christ. This is also prophesied through numerous prophets in the Old and New Testaments.
  • God’s revelation to us: the nature of a personal relationship
    • Verse 19 is a very revealing verse about the nature of God and his desire of a personal relationship with man.
      • We have an almighty God who reaches down to disclose his secrets to those who walk closely with Him in obedience. (Dan 2:28)
      • We have an almighty God who trusts His secrets to the upright. (Mat 13:11) (1Cor 4:1)
      • We have an almighty God who gives a ministry to the upright.
    • Abraham and his descendants were to maintain and preserve a pure faith and pure morals amid corruption in the world until Christ came.
      • We have an Almighty God who entrusts a ministry of intercessory prayer to the upright. (Jam 5:16)
      • What do we learn about intercessory prayer? (23-33)
        • This is the most famous intercessory prayer in all of the Bible.
        • Therefore, we can learn much from it.
        • When God discloses to you some bit of knowledge, it is for the purpose of getting you to pray for the situation.
        • Discussion–Why do I need to pray when God already knows what He will do in regards to the outcome of the situation? God knew how many righteous people were in Sodom. God knew Sodom would be destroyed. Therefore, why did Abraham have to pray?
  • The nature and importance of intercessory prayer:
    • Read Jam 5:16
    • Prayer changes the pray-er.
      • What does this prayer do for Abraham?
      • Prayer clarifies the situation in the mind of the pray-er.
        • Abraham would not be surprised when Sodom was destroyed.
        • He would come to understand the benefits of having chosen God rather than the world.
    • Prayer gives God the opportunity to reveal his will to you if you will just listen. Abraham would understand God’s will regarding sin and judgment.
    • Prayer enables the pray-er to understand the nature of God and how he works. (25)
      • Abraham would see the merciful character of God who sent angels to drag lot out of Sodom.
      • Prayer affirms in the mind of the pray-er the sovereignty of God and the humbleness of man.
        • Abraham was not bargaining with god for the salvation of the city of sodom. Even though God knew how many righteous people were in the city, Abraham did not know.
        • The result of the prayer, therefore, is a revelation to Abraham as to the extent of evil in that city and the value in having chosen God.
    • Prayer changes the hearts of men (19:29)
    • Notice that Abraham does not even mention Lot and his family in the prayer.
      • The prayer is for the people as a whole in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
      • This is the mark of a true intercessor.
        • He has set aside his own personal desires.
        • We know he loved Lot because he risked his life and men to rescue Lot and his family from the invading kings in chapter 14.
        • Instead of concentrating on his desire to see Lot saved, his perspective is a godly, eternal perspective concerned with the eternal souls of lost people.
  • Intercessory prayer is based on the reputation of God not the desires of man (see vs. 25)
    • Why did Abraham stop at number 10?
    • If you count lot and his extended family, it would be 10.
      • Lot and his wife
      • At least 2 sons (19:12)
      • At least 2 married daughters and
      • Their husbands (19:14)
      • 2 unmarried daughters (19:8)

Homework

Genesis 19

• Application of Gen 18
  • What have you learned about your faith from Sarah’s experience in Genesis 18?
  • What have you learned about intercessory prayer that will make a difference in how you pray?
• Preparation of Gen 19
  • Read Gen 19:1-38
    • From verse 1, what can you tell about Lot, his job, his social position, and his personality?
    • What was the test for Lot’s salvation?
    • What can you determine about Lot’s family life and his relationships in his household?
    • Of what significance is Lot’s wife?
• Memory verse: 1John 2:15