HBS & DwJ Podcast

GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-2

Blessings to all, Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study continues with: GOD ANNOUNCES THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH part 2 As the two angels walk on toward the city, Abraham begins a kind of negotiation with the Lord.  His nephew Lot and his family live in Sodom. Abraham seems to be concerned for them. He boldly challenges the Lord: Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?  Abraham insists that such an action would not be consistent with the Lord's character. The Lord is patient with Abraham as he begins to ask for assurances.  Will you destroy the city if you find 50 righteous people there?  The Lord agrees that He will not. Abraham keeps asking though, lowering the number at which the Lord would willingly destroy righteous people to judge the wicked.  45?  40?  30?  20? Finally, Abraham asks, with a request that the Lord not be angry, if He would spare the city for the sake of 10 righteous people.  Once more, the Lord agrees that He would do so if He finds that many. With that, the Lord heads toward the city, and Abraham walks back home. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 18:24-33 KJV  [24] Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? [25] That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? [26] And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. [27] And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: [28] Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. [29] And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. [30] And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. [31] And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. [32] And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. [33] And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-1 Discussion

Our Scripture Of The Week Is: Psalm 119:1 KJVS  [1] Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. This is both the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It may have been written by Ezra after the Temple was rebuilt (Ezra 6:14-15) as a repetitive meditation on the beauty of God’s Word and how it helps us stay pure and grow in faith. Psalm 119 has 22 carefully constructed sections, each corresponding to a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet and each verse beginning with the letter of its section.  Almost every verse mentions God’s Word. Such repetition was common in Hebrew culture. People did not have personal copies of the Scriptures to read as we do, so God’s people memorized his Word and passed it along orally. The structure of this psalm allowed for easy memorization.  Remember that God’s Word, the Bible, along with the help and guidance of his Holy Spirit, is the only sure guide for living a God-honoring life.

GOD Announces The Coming Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah part-1

Blessings to all, Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers: GOD ANNOUNCES THE COMING DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH part 1 Up to this point, the Lord has not revealed to Abraham what He is going to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. The three men then set out on their journey, walking from Abraham's home near Hebron toward the city of Sodom. Abraham walks with them for a time, until they arrive at a high vantage point from which they can look across and see Sodom.  From there, the Lord reveals to Abraham His plan regarding the grave sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. The implication is that God will bring judgment on those people if their sins were as wicked as He had heard. This, of course, is a figure of speech, since God already knows exactly how sinful these cities are. The reason for this human perspective is revealed in the conversation with Abraham, as Abraham tries to specify just "how wicked" these cities must be to earn God's wrath. It is time to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the Word Of GOD. Our scripture will be coming from: Genesis 18:17-23 KJV  [17] And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I 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 know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. [20] And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; [21] I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. [22] And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD. [23] And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-2 Discussion

Our Scripture Of The Week Is: Hebrews 1:1-2 KJVS  [1] God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  [2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews begins with a reference to God's communication with mankind. The letter is primarily written to Jewish believers, who placed great importance on the prophets of the Old Testament. Verses 1 and 2 explain that God spoke through prophets in the past, and speaks now through Jesus Christ.  This is an important point for several reasons. First, this reminds us that the Old Testament and New Testament are not contradictory. The message of God given by the prophets is not different than the message of God given through Christ. The same God is speaking, continuing to show us more and more of His plans.  Second, this emphasizes how important it is to listen to the message of Christ. If God is speaking, then we ought to listen. The Jewish people, in particular, would have been sensitive to this idea.  Israel was the chosen nation, given special attention by God. The message of the prophets was given to Israel, and God expected them to listen to what He said.  Here, the writer of Hebrews wants us to understand that when God speaks, we have an obligation to pay attention. This is the background for this letter's many warnings against abandoning the gospel. Verses 1 and 2 of Hebrews emphasize the fact that Christ is the latest part of God's continuous, consistent message. Where God had spoken through the prophets of the Old Testament, He now speaks through the person of Jesus Christ. These are not contradictory messages. Jesus is the Messiah of whom those prophets spoke.  Since this is a message from God, it stands to reason that those who love God ought to listen. Knowing that Jesus is a message from God, and is God, and is the ultimate truth sets the table for this letter's many warnings against rejecting the gospel. The end of verse 2 also introduces an idea which is fundamental to the Christian faith: Jesus Christ is God.  The first four verses of this book establish that Jesus is not some created being or a higher form of angel. According to verse 3, Jesus is the "exact imprint" of the nature of God. This is the consistent teaching of the Bible, that Christ is both fully God and fully man.  The words of this verse echo the Gospel of John, which notes that "all things were made through [Christ], and without [Christ] was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). This establishes that Jesus is, in fact, part of the un-created and eternal God. All things which "were made" were made by God; the only thing not "made" is the eternal Creator.

GOD Reaffirms His Promise part-2

Blessings to all, Welcome again, I am Jerry, this portion of our study covers: GOD REAFFIRMS HIS PROMISE part 2 Once the meal is over, the Lord fully reveals Himself, in a conversation He conducts with Sarah through Abraham while she remains hidden and listening in the tent. First, the Lord asks where Sarah is and then reveals to her what He had said to Abraham in the previous chapter: by this time a year from now she will have a son. Sarah's response is much the same as Abraham's in the previous chapter: she laughs to herself. Not only was she around 90 years old, we're told that the "way of women" had ceased for her. The phrasing here might suggest the idea of menopause: Sarah is literally "beyond" a woman's normal ability to conceive. She describes herself as worn out and her husband as old.  She cannot imagine having the "pleasure" of a new birth in their season of life. The Lord knows both that Sarah laughed and what she thought about His revelation. He asks Abraham why she laughed. "Is anything too hard for the LORD?"  Then He repeats the promise of a son at the appointed time. Sarah, likely realizing now that this is God, is afraid. She lies and says that she did not laugh. The Lord corrects her once more, but He does not punish her. In another instance of divine humor, He has already named her child Isaac, which means laughter. The three men then set out on their journey, walking from Abraham's home near Hebron toward the city of Sodom. Abraham walks with them for a time, until they arrive at a high vantage point from which they can look across and see Sodom. From there, the Lord reveals to Abraham His plan regarding the grave sins of Sodom and Gomorrah.  The implication is that God will bring judgment on those people if their sins were as wicked as He had heard. This, of course, is a figure of speech, since God already knows exactly how sinful these cities are. The reason for this human perspective is revealed in the conversation with Abraham, as Abraham tries to specify just "how wicked" these cities must be to earn God's wrath. As the two angels walk on toward the city, Abraham begins a kind of negotiation with the Lord. His nephew Lot and his family live in Sodom. Abraham seems to be concerned for them.  He boldly challenges the Lord:  Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Abraham insists that such an action would not be consistent with the Lord's character. The Lord is patient with Abraham as he begins to ask for assurances. Will you destroy the city if you find 50 righteous people there? The Lord agrees that He will not. Abraham keeps asking though, lowering the number at which the Lord would willingly destroy righteous people to judge the wicked. 45? 40? 30? 20? Finally, Abraham asks, with a request that the Lord not be angry, if He would spare the city for the sake of 10 righteous people. Once more, the Lord agrees that He would do so if He finds that many. With that, the Lord heads toward the city, and Abraham walks back home.