Title: Prophet Abraham
Contents
Bible: Genesis 18:16-33
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In early February, newspapers reported that a large event was held to commemorate President Reagan's achievements in honor of the 100th anniversary of Ronald Reagan's birth (June 6, 1911 - April 6, 2004) in the United States. When you and I say Reagan, we usually remember the President of the United States. But what Reagan is known to older people is a movie star. He entered the film industry in 1937 and appeared in over 50 films as an actor for 27 years until 1964. However, he started politics when he was elected governor of California in 1966, and in 1984 he became president of the United States, serving as president for eight years. Americans admire Reagan for making America strong again, from a weakening state, when he advocated “a strong and prosperous America.”
Similarly, I would like to think of Abraham in Genesis 12-25. When we think of prophets, the first people that come to mind are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos. These people have a book in their name. So, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
Also, speaking of a prophet, we offer intercessory prayers for the people. For example, in Amos 7, God showed the locust plague that would come upon the Israelites. At this time, Amos interceded with God to prevent this disaster from coming.
But God called Abraham a prophet. Genesis 20:7 says, “Now return the man’s wife, for she is a prophet (Nabi), and he will pray for you, and you will live; but if you do not return him, you will surely die, you and all who belong to you.
In this way, God called Abraham a prophet, a prophet. Therefore, it is here that the name of a prophet/prophet appears for the first time in the Old Testament. Thus, the first prophet in the Old Testament can be said to be Abraham. So today, I am thinking of the Prophet Abraham and trying to receive grace.
First, we can see that the Prophet Abraham had an absolute faith that transcends circumstances. Regarding this in the New Testament, Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance, and he went out, not knowing where he was going...”. Here, Abraham can see the faith that puts God's commands into practice in any situation and situation. In other words, this faith is called “akkad” in Hebrew. That is, it is a faith that trusts (absolute) God. In Genesis 15:6, “Abram believed in the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness…” Here Abraham believed in the God who had chosen him. It is a faith that is unwaveringly sure of God's promises. This kind of faith is called “righteous-ancestry.”
In other words, Abraham was the possessor of the “Akkadian” faith, trusting God and practicing God’s word in any situation. At the same time, he was a righteous man who believed in the promise of God who called him. So, we can see that the Prophet Abraham was not a person who conveyed God's will with words, but rather was a prophet who conveyed God's will through life and actions in this day and age.
Second, Abraham's prayer.
Abraham, the father of faith, the source of blessing Abraham was given the title of Prophet because he performed “intercession” among the three works of the Prophet.
When Abraham learned of God's plan for Sodom and Gomorrah, he did not neglect things that did not concern him. So Abraham prayed to God for the innocent who live in Sodom - the righteous, that is, those who believe in God (Zadakh), Genesis 18:24, “If there are fifty righteous in the city, the Lord will destroy it. And will you not forgive for the fifty righteous?” Regarding this, God said in 18:26, "...if I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will forgive them all the way for them."
These prayers came down to 45 people, 40 people, 30 people, 20 people, and 10 people.
Ten people are the smallest unit that supports the entire society. So we stopped at 10 people. (Also in Ruth 4:2, Boaz summoned 10 elders from the city. In other words, he lowered the number of righteous people to the last limit that Abraham could endure. Abraham did his best. Now all that is left is the God of Sodom. However, God never destroys the righteous and the wicked together without distinction, and we can see from the Bible that God's will to save is stronger than judgment.
So, we can see God's will to forgive Sodom, God's love, even though God overturned the number of the righteous five times.
Third, here is the characteristic of the prayer offered by the prophet Abraham to God.
Abraham knew in advance God's plan of judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. That is, Abraham always lived a life of communion with God. In this way, to those who pray all the time, God reveals His will faster than others. Prayer is the key to knowing the mystical will of God.
Prayer empowers those who pray. In prayer, human desires and private thoughts disappear, and the Spirit of God is filled in them. That is why we become bold when we pray through the work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 3:12 “In him we have confidence and access to God through faith in him” Abraham prayed to the end for the people of Sodom. This cannot be found anywhere else. As intercession for others increases, the depth of our faith also deepens. And if you pray hard for others, you will experience that your own problems will be solved by themselves.
Dear saints, the Prophet Abraham was a man who earnestly interceded for others. This faith is our example, and God blesses those who pray like this as a source of blessing. In 2011, we hope that our members will increase their prayer time and intercessory prayer time to pray for others. So, I hope that your faith will grow and that you will be a source of blessing by being an example from God.
2011-03-05 10:12:55