A Legacy

DEVOTION

GENESIS

A LEGACY

Gen 18:16-19

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

NIV

A thought as we travel through this narrative between the three who visited and talked with Abraham. Now that the visit is over and they are on their way toward Sodom, where we know what is going to happen, the Lord makes a point. But first we should consider two of the three are the two angels who do in fact go down to Sodom, so that third visitor is the Lord. They were not all angels, nor were they the trinity as we might have though during the beginning of the visit. We certainly can conclude they were two angels who accompanied the Lord on a visit to Abraham. Here as they headed toward Sodom, what the Lord says, in a form of a question, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?” was a common manner of speech in those days. God was not actually questioning himself. Rather we would say it in our customary way, “I will not keep what I am doing from Abraham” He also affirms all that he is going to do in the life of Abraham. This all goes to show us the intense relationship Abraham had with the Lord. There is no question the Lord chose Abraham and gave him the promise of being a great nation. Yet our lesson is within this statement as well. What God says about Abraham directing his children, and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord is our lesson. Should we do any less, being the spiritual children of Abraham? It would be wise first of all for us to know the Lord in as an intense relationship as Abraham had with the Lord. Surely God does not hide from us what he is about to do in our lives. He does not keep us guessing as to what is next, at least if we have that kind of a relationship. If, however, we are just sort of a Christian, but not actually in a personal faith relationship with the Lord, perhaps we would not be able to even hear or recognize his voice if he did speak to us. But God does want that kind of personal intense relationship with us, as he had with Abraham, not keeping his plans from him. Now, could this had been a test? The Lord knew Abraham was aware that Lot lived Sodom, with his family. Was the Lord wanting to see how Abraham would react considering the doom that was to be unleased? We know from the rest of the narrative Abraham does actually attempt to change the Lord’s mind because of Lot. We have to conclude it was not a test but rather a revealing of what was to happen because of their relationship. This is the kind of relationship we should have with the Lord and in such we should make sure we direct our children and our household in the ways of the Lord. This reminds us of the vow Joshua made.

Josh 24:15

choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

NIV

This should be the plan of us all. We make the commitment that first we and then our household serve the Lord. We direct our children in his ways. Does that mean they will keep his ways forever? Maybe not, they will have to choose the Lord for themselves. They might even wander into the world, but their roots were established in our household. They are aware of his ways, and hopefully they directed their children in his ways. In the time of Abraham families stayed much closer, within the same encampment, a clan, a tribe of people. Today in our country, families are spread all over the country. The continued influence Abraham had upon his family may not be possible in our culture. But the point is we still can leave a legacy of being a person of intense faith, of having an intimate relationship with God. All the times spent with the Lord, all the things he has spoken to us, the actions he has done in our lives, for us and through us need to be recorded for our posterity to be able to know we had this kind of a relationship with the Lord. All that he has done and is doing in our relationship should be told, retold and retold so that all who follow after us know the Lord and his ways. If God does not hide from us what he is going to do, why then should we hide what he has already done? God has had recorded for us many of the words of some of the great man of faith, such as Abraham. But how will our posterity know our words, our faith if we do not both show them throughout our lives and write our faith down, our thoughts, our relationship, and our lives with the Lord? Will our children remember us as a person of faith? Will they tell thier children about the faith of their grandparent? Will our grandchildren pass on the faith to their children, telling them stories of their great grandparents and how they lived by faith? What legacy will we leave? Our desire is to leave a legacy of faith in the Lord.