GOD REMEMBERED ABRAHAM

is a blessing

Psa.34:15 The eyes of the L ORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry. (NASB95)

Heb.4:16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NASB95)

If we believe in prayer, we will pray.If we believe in prayer, we will pray. If we believe God listens to us, we will pray.If we believe God listens to us, we will pray.

Genesis 18:22–33 (NASB95) Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the L ORD. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” 26 So the L ORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.” 27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.

28 “Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the L ORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

Gen.19:29 Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived. (NASB95) God remembered Abraham’s request.

God remembered Abraham, not Lot, and the result was that Lot was taken out from the midst of the destruction. For Abraham's sake, and not for Lot's own sake, Lot is spared.God remembered Abraham, not Lot, and the result was that Lot was taken out from the midst of the destruction. For Abraham's sake, and not for Lot's own sake, Lot is spared. College Press NIV Commentary, The - Genesis, Volume 2

Why did God remember Abraham?

Genesis 20:1–11 (NASB95) Now Abraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev, and settled between Kadesh and Shur; then he sojourned in Gerar. 2 Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is married.” 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a nation, even though blameless? 5 “Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also kept you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her.

7 “Now therefore, restore the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” 8 So Abimelech arose early in the morning and called all his servants and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were greatly frightened. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What have you encountered, that you have done this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.

Gen.12:12-13 and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. 13 “Please say that you are my sister so that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may live on account of you.” (NASB95)

AT HIS CORE HE WAS A MAN OF FAITH

Genesis 12:1–5 (NASB95) Now the L ORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” 4 So Abram went forth as the L ORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.

Similarities to Christians You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian. You knew things would be different but not exactly how.You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian. You knew things would be different but not exactly how.

Genesis 17:1–7 (NASB95) Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the L ORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 “I have made you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you. 7 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Gen.25:7-8 These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. (NASB95)

Similarities to Christians You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian. You knew things would be different but not exactly how.You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian. You knew things would be different but not exactly how. You devoted yourself to His service. You promised to conduct yourself as one who believes that Jesus is the Christ and that He will return to judge all mankind.You devoted yourself to His service. You promised to conduct yourself as one who believes that Jesus is the Christ and that He will return to judge all mankind.

Genesis 22:1–18 (NASB95) Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together.

7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the L ORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place The L ORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the L ORD it will be provided.” 15 Then the angel of the L ORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, 16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the L ORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Hebrews 11:17–19 (NASB95) By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18 it was he to whom it was said, “I N I SAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.” 19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

Similarities to Christians You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian. You knew things would be different but not exactly how.You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian. You knew things would be different but not exactly how. You devoted yourself to His service. You promised to conduct yourself as one who believes that Jesus is the Christ and that He will return to judge all mankind.You devoted yourself to His service. You promised to conduct yourself as one who believes that Jesus is the Christ and that He will return to judge all mankind. You understand the importance of leading and teaching by example. You understand that the greatest gift you could give them is to help them gain a strong and well-grounded faith in God.You understand the importance of leading and teaching by example. You understand that the greatest gift you could give them is to help them gain a strong and well-grounded faith in God.

Genesis 18:22–26 (NASB95) Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the L ORD. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” 26 So the L ORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.”

Similarities to Christians As a Christian you know you should be mindful of the need to lead others to Christ. You realize that Christianity is not a selfish religion.As a Christian you know you should be mindful of the need to lead others to Christ. You realize that Christianity is not a selfish religion.

Similarities to Christians You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian.You did not know what lay ahead as a Christian. You devoted yourself to His service.You devoted yourself to His service. You understand the importance of leading and teaching by example.You understand the importance of leading and teaching by example. You know you should be mindful of the need to lead others to Christ.You know you should be mindful of the need to lead others to Christ.

Prayer is effective, important and an advantage for us. Why wouldn’t God remember you as He remembered Abraham?