Sunday Before Advent

Intro

Abraham interceding should be an example to us, and yet a reminder of God’s grace.

The text

We have this interesting appearance of God to Abraham where God informs Abraham that he and his wife will have children in a more typical way…the only child Abraham had thus far is with a slave that is then adopted by Abraham and Sarah. But now the two of them will have children together.

As the meeting is wrapping up God informs Abraham of his intentions. “I will go down and see...”

There is a question here about what does God know when, is God trueley on some sort of scouting mission is there any knowledge he does not yet have? I would say no, there is a rhetorical device at play here.

Here is where the narrative gets truly intense. Abraham stands before the Lord. God had started to move a new direction and Abraham now stands in his way. Its quite a bold move. Abraham knows he is on perilous waters as his language moving forward is humble apologetic...

He asks God if He would really punish the innocent with the wicked. “Far be it from you do to such a thing!” I am sure Abraham here is more concerned about his beloved Nephew Lot than he is concerned with God violating his Justice, but still its a valid question. Since its convenient for me to ask about justice at this moment what about your justice? If there are 50 rite people would God destroy the city.

God says he will spare the city for the sake of 50. And so seeing the win Abraham presses further…but notice the deference with which he continues.

“Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

“Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.”

“Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.”

“Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.”

Abraham interceding should be an example to us, and yet a reminder of God’s grace.

I will admit I was taken aback when I read this as the OT reading for the Sunday before advent. I was somewhat fixated on the sins of Sodoma and Gomorrah, and why would that be a most appropriate topic leading into this next season. I was also thinking if this is my last message in this pulpit for our current season maybe I should take one of the other texts instead. Then something made sense. Two somethings.

One, we have a great work of intersession by Abraham. And we have God’s movement of Covenant history moving forward.

God interacts with his people through a series of agreements, covenants. He covenants with Noah that he will never Flood the earth again, with Abraham that he will bless all nations. Moses he will be there God they will be his people, David, there will always be a Davidic king. We also know that the OT people fail all the covenants, that God promises blessings for those who keep the faithful covenant life and curses for those who do not. Jesus Christ, is a New Adam who will come and faithfully do what the children of the Old Adam cannot. He will succeed where Abraham fails, and Moses and Noah and David. So while we see here the intersession of Abraham, and one of his better moments, in his best moments he saves only the three members of his Family Lot, and his two daughters… (quick aside on next chapter).

Jesus does not throw him self in God’s way for a moment and intercedes one time, but now sits at the right hand of God, the constant intercessor for the saints. And know that he successfully does what the Devil cannot do. The Bible calls him the accuser of the saints, and yet the accusations of the Devil fail, the saints are welcomed into Paradise because of the intersession of Christ.

So Abrahams intersession is beautiful and yet limited, pointing us to the greater beauty of the intersession of Jesus.

Our Church Calendar starting next week will begin a four week season of awaiting the brith of the intercessor Christ. Today lets look as the precursor figures of Jesus like Abraham and see in them an example to be lived out, but let us also prepare to welcome the truer form Jesus.

Abraham interceding should be an example to us, and yet a reminder of God’s grace.

I think the OT should point the Saints to a moral perfection that we do not have on our own. Abraham has this really bright spot in our text of both humility and care for neighbor.

First off, people oft. wonder about us high church types and why we do all these genuflections and all this choreography. Couple thoughts...

For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way. On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is 'Your Majesty' and subsequently 'Ma'am,' pronounced with a short 'a,' as in 'jam'. For male members of the Royal Family the same rules apply, with the title used in the first instance being 'Your Royal Highness' and subsequently 'Sir'. For other female members of the Royal Family the first address is conventionally 'Your Royal Highness' and subsequently 'Ma'am'.

And if you blow it, would Charles angrily cut your head off? of course not…would God, my guess no. Does it make it right not to follow a protocol?

Look at the humility that Abraham has when he approaches God…look at the humility the prayer book asks us for...Blessed Lord, who has caused all holy Scripture to be written for our learning; grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them; ... Almighty God, who dost make the minds of all faithful men to be of one will; grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest... God, which hast prepared to them that love thee such good things as pass all man’s understanding; ... Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy, ...Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou does command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God who sits on his throne is worthy of our respect and Genuflection.

The second moral lesson today is the pleading on behalf of our neibors. Abraham asks if the whole city would perish…yes he is worried about Lot, but he tries to get the whole city in there.

Are you praying for your city. God will you spare Mason, WestChester, Cincy, Dayton…Lord we are all like sheep, we have all gone astray…will you spare your humble creatures. Are you even concerned for those close to you…that they would be spared. Who is Lot in your life, who do you know that lives among the wicked, who themselves lives far from God…do you plead with God on their behalf.

We know that God hears the cries of his people, and he has made himself a people by giving the HS. The very fact that we can pray to God and know that he hears us is not any righteousness we bring but wholly the righteousness of Christ, even so…pray. Pray that God makes a way, and know that he has made a way. The baby in the manger, the reunion of the Heavenly and the Creaturely. Jesus born og God born of woman, can reunite humanity to God. That is what we prepare to remember in the season of Advent.

And speaking of Advent, we are asked by the prayer book to live counter culturally. It is a penitential season of prayer and fasting. Every commercial will encourage indulgence, every store encourage spending, every friend encouraging gratification. That is not the way of the Ancient church or the prayer book. Fast, pray… celebrate the feast day of Sunday up against the fast of the rest of the week.

Trinity your advent will come with a significant change. New leadership, new direction, new goals. Fast and pray for your church…your rector, your city.

And just like Abraham does break bread with God. Meet here every week, eat with God and his church. And know that we only do so because that Baby becomes a man who is put on a cross, and all the ways we are like the people of Sodom and Gomorra, is put on his shoulders. And we are spared like Lot and his family because Jesus takes the punishment of us on himself. He does it for you, he can do it for your city as well…amen?