Christology - Did Christ Appear in the Old Testament

Lonnie Brooks

Knowing Jesus • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Introduction

Here we are the very first Sunday in January in the year of our Lord 2020.

And we are are sitting here at the beginning of a new year, what did you think about last year?

What changes are you making in your life and in particular, what about your spiritual life? What do you want in your spiritual life to be different?

I think each of us have a area, a spot that we want to change, to tidy up and set right as we live in front of the Lord.

And I also think that some have struggled in the past year with where the Lord is leading you. What you are called and supposed to do.. but you have been hesitant to follow, maybe out of fear, past mistakes or something… but this year you want to be courageous and follow the Lord.

What you are called and supposed to do.. but you have been hesitant to follow, maybe out of fear, past mistakes or something… but this year you want to be courageous and follow the Lord.

I can only say one thing to each of us, myself included… Be brave, have faith and do it.

Now.. today I am starting a new sermon series for you, and I hope you will be blessed by what the Lord is leading me to say to you as we walk through the Scriptures about Christ.

So who is Jesus, what do we know about our Lord, we could call this topic Christology.. it is the theology of Jesus. There is so much tied to him and we must know and understand if we hope to walk ever close to Him.

So this morning I want us to consider the topic of the pre-incarnate Christ.

Did Christ appear before His incarnation in Bethlehem as a baby. So this morning I want us to look at a couple passages of Scripture as we break into this topic.

So lets begin with and Genesis 18:1-3

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

and

Genesis 18:1–3 ESV

So lets build off of these two text and lets move forward today....

Now I would propose to you today that we know the Lord has always existed, He has always been. We know this from the truth of the Scriptures.

So let this be our first thought..

1. Jesus is Eternal....

One truth we must begin with today is the truth that our Lord is eternal. He has neither beginning or ending, and has always existed.

This truth is made clear to us in the fact that Jesus and the Father are one, He is the second person of the Trinity, and as God the Father always always existed, so God the Son and God the Holy Spirit has always existed as well.

So lets look at our text today..

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Right in the opening of John’s gospel, the Lord makes it clear concerning the eternal nature of who Christ is...

In the beginning… the Word gave us our beginning, He was there alive and active in our creation. says

John 1:3 ESV

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

And as I have shared with you before, it lines up perfectly with

Genesis 1:1–2 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

The beginning that God speaks of is our beginning, the beginning of this world and the creation of man. It is our beginning and not His. The word for God here is “Elohim” and it is the only word in the Hebrew whose translated meaning is “Gods’

Genesis 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Also we know that down a little farther, verse 26 it says…

Genesis 1:26 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

This phrase “...let us… “ is the place were our God in verse one, the great God of creation, allowed the Son the second person of the Trinity according to Colossians chapter 1 and created everything God the Father desired.

So just for a look, says

Colossians 1:16–17 ESV

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And remember Verse 3 that we talk about a little while ago

John 1:3 ESV

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:15 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

So God had the Son created the world as we know it. So there is the eternal God the Father and the Son, working together and , the Spirit of God, the Third person of the Trinity is hovering over the face of the deep.

So here is God, all three members of the Trinity in one person who were in existence, eternal before this world ever began.

So Jesus is eternal, and that is the one fact I want you to hang onto my friends, Jesus is eternal.

John the Beloved, wrote to us concerning all he heard and saw about Jesus nature in

Revelation 1:17–18 ESV

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

There in that appearance, Jesus tells and the first and the last.. The one who has always been and will continue to be long after this world has passed away. Why? He is the eternal IAM

Revelation 1:14 ESV

14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,

The Savior of the world, has always been. “...Jesus said to the religious leaders, Before Abraham was, I AM...”

Being eternal, he has always known you. Do you know Him? The best decision in the world was the day I discovered He knew me and loved me!

This brings me to our second thought today....

2. Jesus appears in the Old Testament....

Jesus appears in the Old Testament. Now please understand, it is more than just Jesus being prophesied about in the OT, there are times that He does appear and is worshipped.

And that is what we will look at today. Now consider this point:

Now consider this point:

There are times in the Bible, that the pre-incarnate Christ is called the Angel of the Lord..

There are times in the Old Testament where a person encounters what is called the Angel of the Lord. This is the pre-incarnate Christ himself appearing and doing the work of the Father in the lives of these people.

A. Lets see Jesus with Abraham....

Abraham had the joy of meeting the Lord and conversing with Him

Lets find again and lets look at verses 1-3

Genesis 18:1–3 ESV

As we examine this passage there are some key thoughts we must hang onto and not neglect.

The first is just what verse one says.. The Lord appeared to Him by the oaks of Mamre. There were three men there that day, the Lord and two angels.

Now do you see Abraham’s response to seeing the Lord..? He bowed low to the earth. And act of respect and worship, also Abraham entreated the Lord to not pass by His house, but to stay there for a bit.

Listen when you see the Lord, you desire to be with Him. Amen. So Abraham asks permission to bless them with refreshment. Food, drink and water to cleanse their feet, and the Lord allows himself to be served of Abraham. Now people might ask why the Lord doesn’t need to eat.

It is not about the food or drink, just as the risen Lord ate with his disciples on the edge of the sea of Galilee, it was about being in their presence, fellowship and time spent close to those He loved.

Moving on in this visit...He tells Abraham verse 10, that by this time next year the promised son would arrive by Sarah herself.

He tells Abraham verse 10, that by this time next year the promised son would arrive by Sarah herself.

And if you drop down to verse 17, you see something else. Verse 17… The Lord said shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do… and then verse 19, For I have chosen Him.

And then verse 17… The Lord said shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do… and then verse 19, For I have chosen Him.

If this were an angel, even a archangel like Michael or Gabrielle, they would not have said what I do, but what the Lord is doing… They would not take credit for the task themselves, for they act on no authority of their own, but the Lord’s authority.

This is a theophany.. Theo - meaning God and phaino - meaning manifestation or to appear. This person is the manifestation of God in human form. It is Jesus the Lord, the second person of the Trinity.

Genesis 1:2 ESV

2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Now moving to another text...

B. Lets See Jesus with Jacob, who is renamed Israel.

;

Go a little further in the book of Genesis to chapter 32, verses 24-25, 28-30

Genesis 32:24–25 ESV

24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

Genesis 32:28–30 ESV

28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

Here we see the story of Jacob the deceiver, the one who tricked his brother Esau out of his birth right and blessings. Now Jacob had a hard time, and now after many years he is about to meet Esau again and He is worried that it might be confrontational.

And after sending his wives and most of His possession ahead of him he is left alone next to the river and a person shows up and struggles with Jacob. This moment is a defining one in Jacob’s life, for here there are no short cuts, no trickery, He has met God face to face and lived (cause the Lord is allowing it)and he refuses to let go until he is blessed.

And God changes his name to Israel. I love that Israel says here, I have seen God. It is Jesus...

Encountering God changes you… it did Jacob who is now Israel and it does in our lives as well.

Let me move you to two other places in the Old Testament, where the Angel of the Lord is mentioned.

Even the third person of the Trinity, God the Spirit is mentioned in is there hovering upon the face of the deep.

C. His Appearance in Zechariah

Turn with me to Zechariah chapter 3, and lets look at the first two verses..

Now while you are turning there, remember Zechariah is one of the OT prophets, and serving during the time of King Darius, the same one who has to imprison Daniel in the Lions den, and he is also prophesying during the time of Haggai as well.

That is just a little information for you..

Zechariah 3:1–2 ESV

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”

Joshua, the high priest is standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan is standing before him as well. These would not stand in front of a mere angel to be held accountable and judged… Now they stand before the Lord himself.

D. Joshua meets the Lord before Jericho

So here is Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses successor, this day is before Jericho and they are getting ready for a great day...

Looking at Joshua chapter 5, verse 14.. as the Lord stood before him, Joshua worshiped Him

And even if you back up a little to the book of Joshua, chapter 5.. we find the Captain of the Lord’s army there, let me take you to verse 14

Joshua 5:14 ESV

14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?”

Joshua worshipped Him, a mere angel would have stopped Joshua, it would not have been right for him to worship anything other than the Lord and Joshua fell to his face, like Abraham did and worshipped the Lord.

Now one last one.....

E. The Fourth Man in the Fire in Daniel

He has appeared in so many places, and during so many events. One of my favorites is Daniel chapter 3… Nebuchadnezzar has set up a huge false god, a idol for all the people in the land to worship… you know the story..

Meschack Shadrach and Abedngo would not fall down and worship and they are cast into the fiery furnace, and when the King gazed in he saw those three walking around untouched and a four man with them who Nebuchadnezzar said looked like the Son of God

Jesus is the 4th man here and He is the eternal Son of God…

He appears in so many places in the Old Testament, Jesus, the Son of God is not limited by anything, Whatever the Father sought for Him to do, That He accomplished my friends.

What about us?

Now for us today we may not have the joy of seeing Jesus face to face like others were allowed to do, but we know he lives and he lives in the heart of every child of God.

By faith we have received Him..

Have you received Him today?

Now just one last thought for you today, as we think about Jesus and His appearance in the world both Old and New Testaments.

3. Jesus affirms His eternal State.....

As we look at the whole of Scripture my friends there are many proofs that tell us that the person we encountered in the Old Testament was indeed Jesus.

We are not told exactly how people recognized the Lord, but they did and worshipped Him, followed as He commissioned them and sent them forth to do his bidding like He did as the Lord sent Gideon forth..

But the best proof always comes from the person themselves, in this you know there is only truth.

John chapter 8 is where I want to take you once more..

Look at verse 56-58 in particular...

John 8:56–58 ESV

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

I would encourage you to read the whole text in chapter 8, Jesus is having a massive dialogue with the Jewish religious leaders, and is essentially pointing out that if they knew the Father, if they were really children of Abraham, not mere physical descendants,( children of others) but true men of faith they would know the Father and would thus recognize Him, Jesus as the Messiah, and God in their presence.

Remember , verse 1 and 14 that we started off with today..

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

--------------------------

Jesus pointing out their spiritual blindness reminds them that Abraham indeed saw Him and his day and rejoiced. He not only had physical opportunity to meet with him.. but prophetically, Abraham knew the Lord would bless the world through Him, that promise of … that all the world would be blessed because of Abraham’s willingness to follow and trust the Lord.

Abraham delighted in the fact he would have a son and a distant Son would change the world.

But these religious leaders could not see.. they were blinded by the god of this age..

And when they questioned Jesus about how could He have seen Abraham…And Jesus says verse 58

John 8:58 ESV

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

I AM.. wow, the one who gave his personal name, “YHWH the I AM” has just given it to them.. and they would not receive it.

And even later on in , as Jesus is praying for the church, for His sheep before going to the cross… He affirms it again, listen..

John 17:5 ESV

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

The eternal Father, Son and Holy Ghost has always been.. God sent His son into this world man times to do His will but lastly He did so into flesh that He might die for the sins of the world and be ourt atoning sacrifice for sin.

Our eternal Savior has set us free...

He has always been

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever

He has always been, He walked with man at times in the OT and come in the flesh in the New Testament to change the world and us forever.

He now sits at the right hand of glory on High and is worthy of all our praise and worship for we shall see Him again...

Do you know Him today?

Are you walking with Him as you should?

What is he calling you to do that you are hesitant about? The eternal God can sustain you thought it all.

Will you trust Him today?

John 8 ESV

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” 12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You are bearing witness about yourself; your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I do bear witness about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. 18 I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” 19 They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. 21 So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. 29 And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him. 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.” 39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” 48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

And then

John 17:5 ESV

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

Genesis 32 ESV

1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim. 3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ” 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.” 9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ” 13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’ ” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp. 22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

Genesis 18 ESV

1 And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” 10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” 16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 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.” 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.” 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. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 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 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.

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