LESSON 7 *May 7–13
The Covenant With Abraham
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 15–19:29; Rom. 4:3, 4, 9, 22; Gal. 4:21–31; Rom 4:11; Rom. 9:9; Amos
4:11.
Memory Text: “But Abram said, ‘Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir
of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ ” (Genesis 15:2, NKJV).
With Genesis 15, we come to the crucial moment when God formalizes His covenant with Abraham. The
Abrahamic covenant is the second covenant, after the covenant with Noah.
Like Noah’s covenant, Abraham’s covenant involves other nations, as well, for ultimately, the
covenant with Abraham is part of the everlasting covenant, which is offered to all humanity (Gen. 17:7, Heb. 13:20).
This episode of Abraham’s life is full of fear and laughter. Abram is afraid (Gen. 15:1), as are Sarah (Gen. 18:15)
and Hagar (Gen. 21:17). Abram laughs (Gen. 17:17), and Sarah (Gen. 18:12), and Ishmael, too (Gen. 21:9, ESV). These
chapters resonate with human sensitivity and warmth. Abram is passionate about the salvation of the wicked
Sodomites; he is caring toward Sarah, Hagar, and Lot; and he is hospi table toward the three foreigners (Gen. 18:2–
6).
It is in this context that Abram, whose name implies nobility and respectability, will have his name changed
into Abraham, which means “father of many nations” (Gen. 17:5). Thus, we see here more hints of the universal
nature of what God plans to do through His covenant with Abraham.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 14.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, May 7
Lesson 7 - The Covenant With Abraham
In a vision of the night the divine Voice was again heard. “Fear not, Abram,” were the words of the Prince of
princes; “I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” But his mind was so oppressed by forebodings that he
could not now grasp the promise with unquestioning confidence as heretofore. He prayed for some tangible
evidence that it would be fulfilled. And how was the covenant promise to be realized, while the gift of a son was
withheld? “What wilt thou give me,” he said, “seeing I go childless?” “And, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.”
He proposed to make his trusty servant Eliezer his son by adoption, and the inheritor of his possessions. But he
was assured that a child of his own was to be his heir. Then he was led outside his tent, and told to look up to the
unnumbered stars glittering in the heavens; and as he did so, the words were spoken, “So shall thy seed be.”
“Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Romans
4:3.—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 136, 137.
When Abraham was nearly one hundred years old, the promise of a son was repeated to him, with the
assurance that the future heir should be the child of Sarah. But Abraham did not yet understand the promise. His
mind at once turned to Ishmael, clinging to the belief that through him God’s gracious purposes were to be
accomplished. In his affection for his son he exclaimed, “O that Ishmael might live before Thee!” Again the
promise was given, in words that could not be mistaken: “Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou
shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish My covenant with
him.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 146.
God conferred great honor upon Abraham. Angels of heaven walked and talked with him as friend with
friend. When judgments were about to be visited upon Sodom, the fact was not hidden from him, and he became
an intercessor with God for sinners. His interview with the angels presents also a beautiful example of
hospitality.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 138.
The greatest victories gained for the cause of God are not the result of labored argument, ample facilities,
wide influence, or abundance of means; they are gained in the audience chamber with God, when with earnest,
agonizing faith men lay hold upon the mighty arm of power.
True faith and true prayer—how strong they are! They are as two arms by which the human suppliant lays
hold upon the power of Infinite Love. Faith is trusting in God,—believing that He loves us, and knows what is for
our best good. Thus, instead of our own way, it leads us to choose His way. In place of our ignorance, it accepts
His wisdom; in place of our weakness, His strength; in place of our sinfulness, His righteousness. Our lives,
ourselves, are already His; faith acknowledges His ownership, and accepts its
blessings.—Gospel Workers, p. 259.
SUNDAY May 8
The Faith of Abraham
Read Genesis 15:1–21 and Romans 4:3, 4, 9, 22. How does Abram reveal what it means to live by faith?
What is the meaning of the sacrifice that God had Abram perform?
* Your notes will not be saved!
God’s first response to Abram’s concern about an heir (Gen. 15:1–3) is that he will have a son from his “own
body” (Gen. 15:4, NKJV). The same language is used by the prophet Nathan to refer to the seed of the future
Messianic King (2 Sam. 7:12). Abram was reassured and “believed in the LORD” (Gen. 15:6), because he understood
that the fulfillment of God’s promise depended not on his own righteousness but on God’s (Gen. 15:6; compare
with Rom. 4:5, 6).
This notion is extraordinary, especially in that culture. In the religion of the ancient Egyptians, for instance,
judgment was made on the basis of counting one’s human works of righteousness against the righteousness of the
goddess Maat, who represented divine righteousness. In short, you had to earn “salvation.”
God then sets up a sacrificial ceremony for Abram to perform. Basically, the sacrifice points to Christ’s death
for our sins. Humans are saved by grace, the gift of God’s righteousness, symbolized by these sacrifices. But this
particular ceremony conveys specific messages for Abram. The preying of the vultures on the sacrificial animals
(Gen. 15:9–11) means that Abram’s descendants will suffer slavery for a period of “ ‘four hundred years’ ” (Gen.
15:13), or four generations (Gen. 15:16). Then in the fourth generation, Abram’s descendants “ ‘shall return here’ ”
(Gen. 15:16, NKJV).
The last scene of the sacrificial ceremony is dramatic: “a burning torch that passed between those pieces”
(Gen. 15:17, NKJV). This extraordinary wonder signifies God’s commitment to fulfill His cove nant promise of
giving land to Abram’s descendants (Gen. 15:18).
The boundaries of this Promised Land, “ ‘from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates’ ”
(Gen. 15:18, NKJV) remind us of the boundaries of the Garden of Eden (compare with Gen. 2:13, 14). This prophecy
has, therefore, more in view than just the Exodus and a homeland for Israel. On the distant horizon of this
prophecy, in Abraham’s descendants taking the country of Canaan, looms the idea of the end-time salvation of
God’s people, who will return to the Garden of Eden.
How can we learn to keep focused on Christ and His righteousness as our only hope of salvation? What happens if we try to start
counting up our good works?
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, May 8
The Faith of Abraham
To the curious crowd pressing about Jesus there was imparted no vital power. But the suffering woman who
touched Him in faith received healing. So in spiritual things does the casual contact differ from the touch of faith.
To believe in Christ merely as the Saviour of the world can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto
salvation is not a mere assent to the truth of the gospel. True faith is that which receives Christ as a personal
Saviour. God gave His only-begotten Son, that I, by believing in Him, “should not perish, but have everlasting
life.” John 3:16. When I come to Christ, according to His word, I am to believe that I receive His saving grace. The
life that I now live, I am to “live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians
2:20.
Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction, by which those who receive Christ join
themselves in covenant relation with God. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which,
through the grace of Christ, the soul becomes a conquering
power.—The Ministry of Healing, p. 62.
The patriarch begged for some visible token as a confirmation of his faith and as an evidence to aftergenerations
that God’s gracious purposes toward them would be accomplished. The Lord condescended to enter
into a covenant with His servant, employing such forms as were customary among men for the ratification of a
solemn engagement. By divine direction, Abraham sacrificed a heifer, a she-goat, and a ram, each three years old,
dividing the bodies and laying the pieces a little distance apart. To these he added a turtledove and a young
pigeon, which, however, were not divided. This being done, he reverently passed between the parts of the
sacrifice, making a solemn vow to God of perpetual obedience. Watchful and steadfast, he remained beside the
carcasses till the going down of the sun, to guard them from being defiled or devoured by birds of prey. About
sunset he sank into a deep sleep; and, “lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.” And the voice of God was
heard, bidding him not to expect immediate possession of the Promised Land, and pointing forward to the
sufferings of his posterity before their establishment in Canaan. The plan of redemption was here opened to him,
in the death of Christ, the great sacrifice, and His coming in glory. Abraham saw also the earth restored to its
Eden beauty, to be given him for an everlasting possession, as the final and complete fulfillment of the promise.
As a pledge of this covenant of God with men, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp, symbols of the divine
presence, passed between the severed victims, totally consuming them. And again a voice was heard by Abraham,
confirming the gift of the land of Canaan to his descendants, “from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the
river Euphrates.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 137.
MONDAY May 9
Abraham’s Doubts
Read Genesis 16:1–16. What is the significance of Abram’s decision to go with Hagar, even despite
God’s promise to him? How do the two women represent two attitudes of faith (Gal. 4:21–31)?
When Abram doubted (Gen. 15:2), God unambiguously reassured him that he would have a son. Years later,
Abram is still without a son. Even after God’s last powerful prophecy, Abram seems to have lost his faith: he does
not believe anymore that it will be possible for him to have a son with Sarai. Sarai, feeling hopeless, takes the
initiative and urges him to resort to a common practice of that time in the ancient Near East: take a surrogate.
Hagar, Sarai’s servant, is appointed for this service. The system works. Ironically, this human strategy seemed
more efficient than did faith in God’s promises.
The passage describing Sarai’s relation to Abram echoes the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The two texts share a number of common motifs (Sarai, like Eve, is active; Abram, like Adam, is passive) and share
common verbs and phrases (“heed the voice,” “take,” and “give”). This parallel between the two stories implies
God’s disapproval of this course of action.
The apostle Paul refers to this story to make his point about works versus grace (Gal. 4:23–26). In both
accounts, the result is the same: the immediate reward of human work outside the will of God leads to future
troubles. Note that God is absent during the whole course of action. Sarai speaks about God but never speaks to
Him; nor does God speak to either of them. This absence of God is striking, especially after the intense presence of
God in the previous chapter.
God then appears to Hagar but only after she has left the house of Abram. This unexpected appearance
discloses God’s presence in spite of human attempts to work without Him. The reference to “the Angel of the
LORD” (Gen. 16:7, NKJV) is a title that is often identified with the LORD, YHWH (see Gen. 18:1, 13, 22). This time it is
God who takes the initiative and announces to Hagar that she will give birth to a son, Ishmael, whose name
means God hears (Gen. 16:11). Ironically, the story, which ends with the idea of hearing (shama’), echoes the
hearing at the beginning of the story, when Abram “heeded” (shama’) the voice of Sarai (Gen. 16:2).
Why is it so easy for us to have the same lack of faith that Abram had here?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, May 9
Abraham’s Doubts
Abraham had accepted without question the promise of a son, but he did not wait for God to fulfill His word
in His own time and way. A delay was permitted, to test his faith in the power of God; but he failed to endure the
trial. Thinking it impossible that a child should be given her in her old age, Sarah suggested, as a plan by which
the divine purpose might be fulfilled, that one of her handmaidens should be taken by Abraham as a secondary
wife. Polygamy had become so widespread that it had ceased to be regarded as a sin, but it was no less a violation
of the law of God, and was fatal to the sacredness and peace of the family relation. Abraham’s marriage with
Hagar resulted in evil, not only to his own household, but to future
generations.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 145.
God gives light to guide those who honestly desire light and truth; but it is not His purpose to remove all
cause for questioning and doubt. He gives sufficient evidence to found faith upon, and then requires men to accept
that evidence and exercise faith.
He who will study the Bible with a humble and teachable spirit will find it a sure guide, pointing out the way
of life with unfailing accuracy. But what does your study of the Bible avail, brethren and sisters, unless you
practice the truths it teaches? That holy book contains nothing that is nonessential; nothing is revealed that has
not a bearing upon our actual lives. The deeper our love for Jesus, the more highly we shall regard that word as
the voice of God directly to
us.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 303.
You need not go in uncertainty and doubt. Satan is at hand to suggest a variety of doubts, but if you will open
your eyes in faith you will find sufficient evidence for belief. But God will never remove from any man all causes
for doubts. Those who love to dwell in the atmosphere of doubt and questioning unbelief can have the unenviable
privilege. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of
evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding will be left in the
cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith. . . . Jesus never
praised unbelief; He never commended doubts. He gave to His nation evidences of His Messiahship in the miracles
He wrought, but there were some who considered it a virtue to doubt and who would reason these evidences
away and find something in every good work to question and
censure.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, pp. 232, 233.
TUESDAY May 10
The Sign of the Abrahamic Covenant
Read Genesis 17:1–19 and Romans 4:11. What is the spiritual and prophetic significance of the
circumcision rite?
Abram’s lack of faith, as seen in the preceding story (Genesis 16), broke the flow of Abram’s spiritual journey
with God. During that time God was silent. But now, God speaks again to Abram. God reconnects with Abram
and brings him back to the point when He made a covenant with Abram (Gen. 15:18).
Now, though, God gives him the sign of that covenant. The meaning of circumcision has been long discussed
by scholars, but because the rite of circumcision involves the shedding of blood (see Exod. 4:25), it could be
understood in the context of sacrifice, signifying that righteousness was imputed to him (compare with Rom. 4:11).
It also is significant that this covenant, signified by circumcision, is described in terms that point back to the
first Messianic prophecy (compare Gen. 17:7 with Gen. 3:15). The parallel between the two texts suggests that God’s
promise to Abram concerns more than just the physical birth of a people; it contains the spiritual promise of
salvation for all the peoples of the earth. And the promise of the “everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7) refers to the
work of the Messianic Seed, the sacrifice of Christ that ensures eternal life to all who claim it by faith and all that
faith entails (compare with Rom. 6:23 and Titus 1:2).
Interestingly, this promise of an eternal future is contained in the change of the names of Abram and Sarai.
The names of Abram and Sarai referred just to their present status: Abram means “exalted father” and Sarai means
“my princess” (the princess of Abram). The change of their names into “Abraham” and “Sarah” referred to the
future: Abraham means “father of many nations” and Sarah means “the princess” (for everyone). In parallel, but
not without some irony, the name of Isaac (“he will laugh”) is a reminder of Abraham’s laughter (the first laughter
recorded in the Scriptures, Gen. 17:17); it is a laughter of skepticism or, maybe, of wonder. Either way, though he
believed in what the Lord had clearly promised him, Abraham still struggled with living it out in faith and trust.
How can we learn to keep on believing even when, at times, we struggle with that belief, as did
Abraham? Why is it important that we not give up, despite times of doubt?
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, May 10
The Sign of the Abrahamic Covenant
At this time the rite of circumcision was given to Abraham as “a seal of the righteousness of the faith which
he had yet being uncircumcised.” Romans 4:11. It was to be observed by the patriarch and his descendants as a
token that they were devoted to the service of God and thus separated from idolaters, and that God accepted them
as His peculiar treasure. By this rite they were pledged to fulfill, on their part, the conditions of the covenant
made with Abraham. They were not to contract marriages with the heathen; for by so doing they would lose their
reverence for God and His holy law; they would be tempted to engage in the sinful practices of other nations, and
would be seduced into idolatry.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 138.
The faith that is unto salvation is not a casual faith, it is not the mere consent of the intellect, it is belief
rooted in the heart, that embraces Christ as a personal Saviour, assured that He can save unto the uttermost all
that come unto God by Him. . . . This faith leads its possessor to place all the affections of the soul upon Christ; his
understanding is under the control of the Holy Spirit, and his character is molded after the divine likeness. His
faith is not a dead faith, but a faith that works by love, and leads him to behold the beauty of Christ, and to
become assimilated to the divine character. [Deuteronomy 30:11-14 quoted.] “And the Lord thy God will
circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul, that thou mayest live” (Deuteronomy 30:6).
It is God that circumcises the heart. The whole work is the Lord’s from the beginning to the end. The
perishing sinner may say: “I am a lost sinner; but Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He says, ‘I
came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance’ (Mark 2:17). I am a sinner, and He died upon Calvary’s
cross to save me. I need not remain a moment longer unsaved. He died and rose again for my justification, and He
will save me now. I accept the forgiveness He has
promised.”—Selected Messages, book 1, pp. 391, 392.
When Abraham had been nearly twenty-five years in Canaan, the Lord appeared unto him, and said, “I am the
Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.” In awe, the patriarch fell upon his face, and the message
continued: “Behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.” In token of the
fulfillment of this covenant, his name, heretofore called Abram, was changed to Abraham, which signifies, “father
of a great multitude.” Sarai’s name became Sarah—“princess;” for, said the divine Voice, “she shall be a mother of
nations; kings of people shall be of her.” —Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 137, 138.
WEDNESDAY May 11
The Son of Promise
The last scene of circumcision involved everyone: not only Ishmael—but also all the males of Abraham’s
household were circumcised (Gen. 17:23–27). The word kol, “all,” “every,” is repeated four times (Gen. 17:23, 27). It
is against this inclusive background that God appears to Abraham to confirm the promise of a son, “Isaac.”
Read Genesis 18:1–15 and Romans 9:9. What lessons of hospitality do we learn from Abraham’s
reception of his visitors? How do you explain God’s response to Abraham’s hospitality?
It is not clear whether Abraham knew who these strangers were (Heb. 13:2), even though he acted toward
them as if God Himself were among them. He was sitting “in the tent door in the heat of the day” (Gen. 18:1,
NKJV), and because visitors are rare in the desert, he was probably longing to meet with them. Abraham ran
toward the men (Gen. 18:2), although he was 99 years old. He called one of these persons Adonai, “my Lord” (Gen.
18:3), a title often used for God (Gen. 20:4, Exod. 15:17). He rushed around them in the preparation of the meal
(Gen. 18:6, 7). He stood next to them, attentive to their needs and ready to serve them (Gen. 18:8).
Abraham’s behavior toward heavenly strangers will become an inspiring model of hospitality (Heb. 13:2). In
fact, Abraham’s attitude of reverence conveys a philosophy of hospitality. Showing respect and care toward
strangers is not just a nice gesture of courtesy. The Bible emphasizes that it is a religious duty, as if directed
toward God Himself (compare with Matt. 25:35–40). Ironically, God is identified more with the hungry and needy
foreigner than with the generous one who receives them.
On the other hand, the divine intrusion into the human sphere denotes His grace and love toward humanity.
This appearance of God anticipates Christ, who left His heavenly home and became a human servant to reach
humankind (Phil. 2:7, 8). God’s appearance here provides evidence for the certainty of His promise (Gen. 18:10,
NKJV). He sees Sarah, who hides herself “behind him” (Gen. 18:10), and knows her most intimate thoughts (Gen.
18:12). He knows that she laughed, and the word “laugh” is His last word. Her skepticism becomes the place where
He will fulfill His word.
Dwell more on the idea that “God is identified more with the hungry and needy foreigner than with the generous one who receives
them.” Why is this concept so important for us to remember?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, May 11
The Son of Promise
In all ages, God has wrought through holy angels for the succor and deliverance of His people. Celestial
beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men. They have appeared clothed in garments that shone as the
lightning; they have come as men in the garb of wayfarers. Angels have appeared in human form to men of God.
They have rested, as if weary, under the oaks at noon. They have accepted the hospitalities of human homes. They
have acted as guides to benighted travelers. They have, with their own hands, kindled the fires at the altar. They
have opened prison doors and set free the servants of the Lord. Clothed with the panoply of heaven, they came to
roll away the stone from the Saviour’s tomb.
In the form of men, angels are often in the assemblies of the righteous; and they visit the assemblies of the
wicked, as they went to Sodom, to make a record of their deeds, to determine whether they have passed the
boundary of God’s forbearance. The Lord delights in mercy; and for the sake of a few who really serve Him, He
restrains calamities and prolongs the tranquillity of
multitudes.—The Great Controversy, pp. 631, 632.
The privilege granted Abraham and Lot is not denied to us. By showing hospitality to God’s children we, too,
may receive His angels into our dwellings. Even in our day, angels in human form enter the homes of men and are
entertained by them. And Christians who live in the light of God’s countenance are always accompanied by
unseen angels, and these holy beings leave behind them a blessing in our
homes.—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 342.
Christ says to His redeemed people, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and
ye came unto me” (Matthew 25:34-36).
Prayers, exhortation, and talk are cheap fruits . . . but fruits that are manifested in good works, in caring for
the needy, the fatherless, and widows, are genuine fruits, and grow naturally upon a good tree. . . . When hearts
sympathize with hearts burdened with discouragement and grief, when the hand dispenses to the needy, when the
naked are clothed, the stranger made welcome to a seat at your fireside and to a place in your heart, angels are
coming very near, and an answering strain is responded to in heaven. Every act, every deed of justice and mercy
and benevolence, makes sweet music ring in heaven. . . .
Every merciful act done to the needy, the suffering, is counted as though it were done to Jesus Himself. When
you succor the poor, sympathize with the afflicted and oppressed, and befriend the orphan, you bring yourselves
into a closer relationship to Jesus.—That I May Know Him, p. 335.
THURSDAY May 12
Lot in Sodom
Read Genesis 18:16–19:29. How does Abraham’s prophetic ministry affect his responsibility toward
Lot?
God’s promise of a son to Abraham has just been reconfirmed. Yet, instead of enjoying the good news, he
engages God in a passionate discussion about the fate of Lot in Sodom. Abraham not only is a prophet to whom
God reveals His will; but he also is a prophet who intercedes on behalf of the wicked. The Hebrew phrase “stood
before the LORD” (Gen. 18:22, NKJV) is an idiom for praying.
In fact, Abraham challenges God and bargains with Him to save Sodom, where his nephew resides. Moving
from 50 down to 10, God would have saved the people of Sodom if only 10 Sodomites had been righteous.
Of course, when we read the story of what happened when the two angels came to Lot to warn him of what
was coming (Gen. 19:1–10), we can see just how sick and evil the people had become. It truly was a wicked place,
as were many of the nations around them; one reason why, eventually, they were driven from the land (see Gen.
15:16).
“And now the last night of Sodom was approaching. Already the clouds of vengeance cast their shadows over
the devoted city. But men perceived it not. While angels drew near on their mission of destruction, men were
dreaming of prosperity and pleasure. The last day was like every other that had come and gone. Evening fell upon
a scene of loveliness and security. A landscape of unrivaled beauty was bathed in the rays of the declining sun.
The coolness of eventide had called forth the inhabitants of the city, and the pleasure-seeking throngs were
passing to and fro, intent upon the enjoyment of the hour.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 157, 158.
In the end, God saved only Lot, his wife, and his two daughters (Gen. 19:15), almost half the minimum of 10.
The sons-in-law, who did not take Lot’s warning seriously, remained in the city (Gen. 19:14).
That beautiful country was, then, destroyed. The Hebrew verb hafakh, “overthrew,” occurs several times in
this passage (Gen. 19:21, 25, 29) and characterizes the destruction of Sodom (Deut. 29:23, Amos 4:11). The idea is
that the country has been “reversed.” Just as the Flood “reversed” the original creation (Gen. 6:7), the destruction
of Sodom is a “reversal” of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 13:10). In the destruction of Sodom, we are given a precursor
of end-time destruction, as well (see Jude 7).
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, May 12
Lot in Sodom
Two of the heavenly messengers departed, leaving Abraham alone with Him whom he now knew to be the
Son of God. And the man of faith pleaded for the inhabitants of Sodom. Once he had saved them by his sword,
now he endeavored to save them by prayer. Lot and his household were still dwellers there; and the unselfish love
that prompted Abraham to their rescue from the Elamites, now sought to save them, if it were God’s will, from the
storm of divine judgment.
With deep reverence and humility he urged his plea: “I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am
but dust and ashes.” There was no self-confidence, no boasting of his own righteousness. He did not claim favor
on the ground of his obedience, or of the sacrifices he had made in doing God’s will. Himself a sinner, he pleaded
in the sinner’s behalf. Such a spirit all who approach God should possess. Yet Abraham manifested the confidence
of a child pleading with a loved father. He came close to the heavenly Messenger, and fervently urged his
petition.—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 139.
How was it with the rebellious inhabitants of the antediluvian world? After rejecting the message of Noah,
they plunged into sin with greater abandon than ever before, and doubled the enormity of their corrupting
practices. Those who refuse to reform by accepting Christ find nothing reformative in sin; their minds are set to
carry their spirit of revolt, and they are not, and never will be, forced to submission. The judgment which God
brought upon the antediluvian world declared it incurable. The destruction of Sodom proclaimed the inhabitants
of the most beautiful country in the world incorrigible in sin. The fire and brimstone from heaven consumed
everything except Lot, his wife, and two daughters. The wife, looking back in disregard of God’s command,
became a pillar of
salt.—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 75.
In mercy to the world, God blotted out its wicked inhabitants in Noah’s time. In mercy He destroyed the
corrupt dwellers in Sodom. Through the deceptive power of Satan the workers of iniquity obtain sympathy and
admiration, and are thus constantly leading others to rebellion. It was so in Cain’s and in Noah’s day, and in the
time of Abraham and Lot; it is so in our time. It is in mercy to the universe that God will finally destroy the
rejecters of His grace. . . .
. . . Since it is impossible for God, consistently with His justice and mercy, to save the sinner in his sins, He
deprives him of the existence which his transgressions have forfeited and of which he has proved himself
unworthy. Says an inspired writer: “Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently
consider his place, and it shall not be.” And another declares: “They shall be as though they had not been.” Psalm
37:10; Obadiah 16. Covered with infamy, they sink into hopeless, eternal
oblivion.—The Great Controversy, pp. 543–545.
FRIDAY February 11
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Law and the Covenants,” pp. 370–373, in Patriarchs and
Prophets.
Abraham’s patient and tenacious plea with God on behalf of the people of Sodom (Gen. 18:22–33) should
encourage us to pray for the wicked, even though they appear to be in a hopeless condition of sin. Furthermore,
God’s attentive response to Abraham’s insistence, and His willingness to forgive for the sake of only “ten”
righteous men is a “revolutionary” concept, as pointed out by Gerhard Hasel:
“In an extremely revolutionary manner the old collective thinking, which brought the guiltless member of the
guilty association under punishment, has been transposed into something new: the presence of a remnant of
righteous people could have a preserving function for the whole. . . . For the sake of the righteous remnant
Yahweh would in his righteousness [tsedaqah] forgive the wicked city. This notion is widely expanded in the
prophetic utterance of the Servant of Yahweh who works salvation ‘for many.’ ”—Gerhard F. Hasel, The Remnant:
The History and Theology of the Remnant Idea From Genesis to Isaiah, 3rd ed. (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews
University Press, 1980), pp. 150, 151.
“All around us are souls going down to ruin as hopeless, as terrible, as that which befell Sodom. Every day the
probation of some is closing. Every hour some are passing beyond the reach of mercy. And where are the voices
of warning and entreaty to bid the sinner flee from this fearful doom? Where are the hands stretched out to draw
him back from death? Where are those who with humility and persevering faith are pleading with God for him?
The spirit of Abraham was the spirit of Christ. The Son of God is Himself the great Intercessor in the sinner’s
behalf. He who has paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the human soul.”—Ellen G. White,
Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 140.
Discussion Questions:
-
1. Only the rainbow and circumcision are called “sign of the covenant.” What are the common points and the differences between
the two covenants?
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2. Though called of God, and though often used in the New Testament as the example of what it means to live by faith, Abraham at
times faltered. What lessons should we learn and not learn from his example?
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3. Some people argue against the idea that God will punish the lost, saying that this act would be against God’s love. How do we, as
those who believe that—yes, God will punish the lost—respond to the argument that He doesn’t?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, May 13
For Further Reading
The Story of Redemption, “Wavering at God’s Promises,” pp. 76, 77;
Conflict and Courage, “Entertaining Strangers,” p. 50.
