2. Abrahams Prayer for mercy on Sodom Setting the stage, Genesis chapters 11-19 Abrahams prayer, Genesis 18:22-33 Lessons from the prayer Moses and Israels Song of Thanksgiving Setting the stage, Genesis 37-Exodus 14 Analyzing the song Moses & Israels actual song, Exodus 15:1-18 Lessons from the song Conclusion

4. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor and Haran, 11:27-32 Terah heads to Canaan but is permanently waylaid in Haran God calls Abram, 12:1-9 Haran dies and Abram looks after his son Lot Abram arrives with Lot in Canaan Life in Canaan Abram and Lot thrive; their herdsmen tangle, they separate, 13:1-11 Lot chooses the lush plain of Jordan Pitches tent near Sodom and Gormorrah, then lives in Sodom, 13:12 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners… 13:13 Lot and family captured when Sodom falls to conquering kings, 14:1-12 Abram frees Lot from the kings, Lot resettles in Sodom, 14:13-16 Lot becomes a city father of Sodom; has seat at the city gate, 19:1 Men of Sodom burned with homosexual tendencies, 19:1-11 After Sodom is destroyed, daughters get Lot drunk and get pregnant by him,19:30-38. Result: creation of two Israeli enemies; Ammonites and Moabites

5. Immediate context of Abrahams prayer A group of three, including the Lord (Adonay), appears to Abram by the oaks of Mamre 18:1-15 Abraham generously entertains them The Lord promises Sarah will have a son in one year As the visitors are getting ready to leave: God chooses to reveal judgment on Sodom to Abraham… because from Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed (18:17-18). The Lord tells Abraham Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know. 18:20-21

6. (22) So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. (23) Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (24) Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? (25) Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? (26) And the Lord said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.

7. (27) Abraham answered and said. Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. (28) Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there. (29) Again he spoke to him and said, Suppose forty are found there. He answered, For the sake of forty I will not do it. (30) Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. (31) He said, Behold I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there. He answered, For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it. (28) Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find fort- five there. (29) Again he spoke to him and said, Suppose forty are found there. He answered, For the sake of forty I will not do it. (30) Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. (31) He said, Behold I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there. He answered, for the sake of twenty I will not destroy it. (32) The he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there. He answered, For the sake of ten I will not destroy it. (33) And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

8. (32) Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there. He answered, For the sake of ten I will not destroy it. (33) And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. (28) Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it if I find fort- five there. (29) Again he spoke to him and said, Suppose forty are found there. He answered, For the sake of forty I will not do it. (30) Then he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. (31) He said, Behold I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there. He answered, for the sake of twenty I will not destroy it. (32) The he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there. He answered, For the sake of ten I will not destroy it. (33) And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

9. Lot, an ungodly or godly man? and if he [God] rescued Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard; then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials…. 2 Peter 2:7-8

10. Why did God tell Abraham about destroying Sodom? Call attention to Sodoms wickedness Establish that a holy God must judge unrighteousness Gods judgment is righteous God is gracious Help Abraham understand that intercession works Drew near 18:32, Hebrew word nagas, mind and heart reaching out to God in worship and confession The prayer: For the sake of 50…45…40…30…20…10 righteous, will you (God) destroy the city? The Bible doesnt say why Abraham stopped at 10 Perhaps, Abraham thought at <10 it should be destroyed Perhaps because the Spirit restrained Abraham God told Jeremiah, do not intercede with me [for Judah]… Jeremiah 7:16, 14:11

11. Nature of intercessory prayer Fervent prayer, pleading to God, for another Examples: Samuel: viewed intercession for Israel as part of his official duties, the neglect of which was a sin, 1 Samuel 12:23 Moses: Nearly all his recorded prayers are intercessory; examples, Deuteronomy 34:10, Exodus 32:31 Nehemiah: Gather Diaspora/rebuild Jerusalem, Nehemiah 1:4-11 Jesus: high priestly prayer, John 17 Paul: prayer for the Ephesians, Ephesians 1:15-23 Too often we fail God and man because of our lack of desire for prevailing intercession. Lockyear Oh, give me Scotland, or I die John Knox Bloody Mary feared Knoxs prayers more than an army of soldiers

12. Keys to effective intercessory prayer Recognize the needs of others Humility before God, …I who am but dust and ashes… Genesis 18:27 Recognition of Gods sovereignty Romans 9 and Ephesians 1 Recognize Gods desire to save Far too often we pray as if we must overcome Gods reluctance rather than to seize upon his willingness. John Davis …I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live… Ezekiel 33:11 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

13. Effectiveness of prayer …The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV) example: Elijah But, prayer must desire Gods best not our selfish desires Results Abraham: Sodom destroyed but Lot and his family saved Nehemiah: Artaxerxes permits return/rebuilding Jerusalem Jeremiah: Do not intercede for Judah Abrahams intercession pictures Christs and the Holy Spirits continuing intercession for us Consequently, he [Christ] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 …the Spirit intercedes for the saints…according to the will of God…. Romans 8:26-27

15. Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers, Genesis 37 He ultimately becomes Pharaoh's deputy, 41:37-57 Famine brings Jacob and his family to Egypt, 42-46 Jacobs family multiplies, Exodus 1:7 Threatened Egyptians oppress Jews, Exodus 1:8-22 Moses saved, made part of Pharaohs family, 2:1-10 Moses kills Egyptian task master and flees, 2:11-22 God hears Jews cry out from oppression, 2:23-24 God calls Moses to set his people free, 3:1-4:17 Moses returns to Egypt, Pharaoh refuses to release Ten plagues, 3:18-12:30 Pharaoh permits the Jews to leave, 12:31-32

16. Jews camp by Red Sea, 14:1-2 Pharaoh decides to take the Jews back, 14:3-9 Jews seeing the Egyptians approaching: better to toil in Egypt than die in the wilderness, 14:10-12 Moses: The Lord will fight for you, you need only be still. 14:14 Waters parted, Jews pass on dry ground, 14:15-22 Waters return killing pursuing Egyptians, 14:26-29 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. 14:30-31

17. Song: communicating to God (prayer) praise for His power in saving the Israelites from Pharaoh's army Exquisite example of godly praise and thanksgiving in recognition of Gods provisions Similar to other prayers in OT and NT celebrating particular events that reveal Gods character Deborahs and Baraks song in response to victory over Sisera and Jabin of Canaan, Judges 5:1-31 Hannahs song at the birth of Samuel, 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Marys response to Elizabeths greeting, Luke 1:46-55

18. Prelude, verse 1, summary Pharaoh's army defeated First stanza, verses 2-6, strength of vanquishing Pharaoh and his army Second stanza, verses 7-10, focuses on the power of God over nature and the enemy Third stanza, verses 11-18, proclaims the superiority of God over all the gods of the world Narrative postlude, verse 19 Antiphonal response by Miriam and the ladies, repeats words of the prelude, verses 20-21

19. Prelude (1) Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. First Stanza (2) The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my fathers God, and I will exalt him. (3) The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. (4) Pharaohs chariots and his host he cast into the sea, and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. (5) The floods covered them; they went down into the depths like a stone. (6) Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord shatters the enemy.

20. Second Stanza (7) In greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury, it consumes them like stubble. (8) At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the floods stood up in a heap; the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea. (9) The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have it fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them. (10) You blew with your wind; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

21. Third Stanza (11) Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deed, doing wonders? (12) You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. (13) You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. 14) The peoples have heard; they tremble; pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. (15) Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. (16) Terror and dread fall upon them; because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone, till our people, O Lord, pass by, till the people pass by whom you have purchased.

22. (17) You bring them in and plant them on your mountain, the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode, the sanctuary, O Lord which your hands have established. (18) The Lord will reign forever and ever. Summary (19) For when the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea.

23. Antiphonal Response (20) Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. (21) And Miriam sang to them: Sing to the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

24. An example of prayer of praise and thanksgiving: Daniel…got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God…. Daniel 6:10 The mandate for prayer with thanksgiving giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ. Philippians 4:6-7

25. Why we can, and should be, thankful: God loves us and has a plan for our lives And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

26. The importance of thanksgiving in our prayer life Establishes the right perspective We are but dust and ashes God is infinite, perfect, holy, sovereign, loving creator…. He absolutely deserves our worship and praise Helps us take our eyes off the sin troubled earth and instead focus on the hope of God in heaven Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith… Hebrews 12:2 Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things on earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Every good and perfect gift is from above… James 1:17 When we praise our infinite loving God and His faithfulness, our problems get lost in His greatness Reviewing Gods past faithfulness encourages us for the future

27. Intercessory prayer An often overlooked option that can change history For whom/what do you need to be fervently praying? Prayers of praise and thanksgiving Biblical mandate, essential for healthy Christian living Are you continually praising and thanking God ?