Greed vs. Trust (Genesis 13:2-18)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:17.469 --> 00:00:25.820 Genesis Thirteen, verses two through eighteen. This is God's word. Let's give 2 00:00:25.820 --> 00:00:30.539 our attention to it now. Abraham was very rich in live stock, in 3 00:00:30.820 --> 00:00:34.659 silver and in gold, and he journeyed on from the de Gab as far 4 00:00:34.740 --> 00:00:38.009 as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, 5 00:00:38.250 --> 00:00:42.810 between Bethel and a I, to the place where he had made an altar 6 00:00:42.890 --> 00:00:47.170 at the first and there Abram called on the pond the name of the Lord. 7 00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:51.479 And Lot who went with Abram also had flocks and herds and tents, 8 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:56.280 so that the land could not support them, support both of them dwelling together, 9 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:00.479 for the possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And 10 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:06.469 there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's live stock and the herdsman of lots 11 00:01:06.549 --> 00:01:11.109 livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the parasites were dwelling in the land. 12 00:01:11.989 --> 00:01:15.709 The neibrams said the lot, let there be no strife between you and 13 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:22.019 me and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is 14 00:01:22.099 --> 00:01:26.659 Not the whole land before you separate yourself from me. If you take the 15 00:01:26.700 --> 00:01:29.659 left hand, then I will go to the right or if you take the 16 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:33.849 right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up 17 00:01:33.890 --> 00:01:38.250 his eyes and saw the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere, like the garden 18 00:01:38.329 --> 00:01:42.370 of the Lord, like the land of Egypt in the direction of czar. 19 00:01:44.730 --> 00:01:49.319 This was before the Lord Destroyed Sodom and Gomra. So lot chose for himself 20 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:56.280 all the Jordan Valley and lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 21 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:00.319 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while lot settled among the cities 22 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:05.989 of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men 23 00:02:06.030 --> 00:02:10.750 of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. The Lord said to 24 00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:15.259 Abram, after lot had separated from him, lift up your eyes and look 25 00:02:15.340 --> 00:02:21.460 from the place where you are northward and southward and eastward and westward, for 26 00:02:21.580 --> 00:02:24.539 all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring 27 00:02:24.659 --> 00:02:29.379 forever. I will make your offspring is the dust of the earth, so 28 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:32.650 that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can 29 00:02:32.689 --> 00:02:38.129 be counted. Arise, walk through the length and breadth of the land, 30 00:02:38.250 --> 00:02:40.930 for I will give it to you. So abram moved his tent and came 31 00:02:42.050 --> 00:02:45.879 and settled by the oaks of memory which are at Hebrun, and there he 32 00:02:46.000 --> 00:03:07.110 built an altar to the Lord. I'm in. Please be seated. You 33 00:03:07.189 --> 00:03:13.219 may remember that the last time I preached from Genesis, we considered the last 34 00:03:13.259 --> 00:03:20.259 half of chapter twelve, where there was a problem of poverty. Remember Verse 35 00:03:20.419 --> 00:03:23.819 Ten. Now there was a famine in the land, so Abram went down 36 00:03:23.860 --> 00:03:27.889 to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine in the land was very suffice. 37 00:03:28.009 --> 00:03:37.050 Severe poverty brought on a conflict. Now it's abundance. Both can cause 38 00:03:37.250 --> 00:03:42.800 great challenges in the lives of the Lord's people, and that's what we have. 39 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:50.280 That's what we have here. Notice that when Abram comes up from the 40 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:54.639 land, things are very different. Right before he leaves Canan to Egypt because 41 00:03:55.469 --> 00:04:00.270 he needs to eat. He's trying to trying to eat. There's a great 42 00:04:00.270 --> 00:04:03.310 famine in the land, is very severe. And now when Abraham comes back, 43 00:04:03.469 --> 00:04:09.509 this sojourner in Canaan, he is very rich. This is the first 44 00:04:09.509 --> 00:04:12.979 time it's mentioned that Abram is very rich. Where did this come from? 45 00:04:13.659 --> 00:04:17.740 How did this man who thought it was only moments, so to speak, 46 00:04:17.860 --> 00:04:24.769 before I'm traveling and sojourning trying to find food. Now is coming back to 47 00:04:24.970 --> 00:04:29.250 Canaan with all this wealth, livestock, silver, gold. His wealth is 48 00:04:29.370 --> 00:04:33.970 so much that his nephew it is also blessed with it. In his connection 49 00:04:34.850 --> 00:04:40.800 with Abram, we read in verse five and lot, who went with Abram, 50 00:04:40.920 --> 00:04:46.560 also had flocks and herds and tens. But, as we read, 51 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:57.029 this abundance brought on a problem, a conflict. The conflict the great challenge, 52 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:04.870 and what we will see is how each of these men handle this conflict 53 00:05:04.910 --> 00:05:11.899 reminds us about how we think about things and how we perceive the things that 54 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:16.100 we have in this world. Indeed, some of the things that pastor Olinger 55 00:05:16.220 --> 00:05:23.930 spoke to us this morning about with regards to Ruth and Naomi Orpa Alime Alec, 56 00:05:24.490 --> 00:05:30.329 similar themes regarding the land and the other gods and wealth, will come 57 00:05:30.410 --> 00:05:35.360 up again here. What we have in lot is a warning, in many 58 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:40.279 ways, a warning of how we ought not to think about of the things 59 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:45.120 of this world. But of course it begins with this great note of God's 60 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:48.600 grace. Abraham achieved this girl, all of this wealth, because God had 61 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:55.149 given it to him in this amazing miracle which Abraham is its and Sarah I 62 00:05:55.269 --> 00:06:00.350 were saved from their own foolishness. Of A they wind up being blessed by 63 00:06:00.430 --> 00:06:11.339 the Lord. So what happens here? We see in this account, to 64 00:06:11.579 --> 00:06:15.420 people, Abraham and lot, looking at the same land, looking at the 65 00:06:15.459 --> 00:06:21.529 same situation, and yet seeing a two different things. Remember the background here. 66 00:06:23.610 --> 00:06:29.329 Lot was Abram's younger nephew who had been orphaned and now was under the 67 00:06:29.449 --> 00:06:33.959 care of his uncle. The blessings that lot received were because of his attachment 68 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:41.800 to his uncle, and that was because the Lord had chosen Abraham. The 69 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:45.800 Lord had made a covenant with Abraham. The Lord had promised Abraham to bless 70 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:47.629 him. Indeed, we're in the same position as lot, aren't we? 71 00:06:48.670 --> 00:06:53.949 We receive the blessings and the promise of Abraham because of our connection to him, 72 00:06:54.670 --> 00:07:00.029 with faith in the Lord. Similarly, this was the case with lot, 73 00:07:00.149 --> 00:07:03.019 but in spirit, in physical ways. The blessings that lot had received 74 00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:09.939 were because of his attachment to his older uncle. This often happens with the 75 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:15.730 Lord's people. Others are blessed indirectly through the Lord's blessing of his chosen ones. 76 00:07:17.170 --> 00:07:23.370 The question is, then, how does one handle these indirect blessings of 77 00:07:23.449 --> 00:07:27.970 God. When one receives the blessings of God, either directly or into grectly, 78 00:07:28.050 --> 00:07:30.639 do we hoard them? Do we clamor after them? Do we cling 79 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:36.000 to them or do we cling to the one who gave them? Lot sadly 80 00:07:36.040 --> 00:07:43.000 chooses the wrong path, and his story is a warning to us. I 81 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.990 can't say for a hundred percent sure. With a hundred percent sure inness sure? 82 00:07:47.149 --> 00:07:49.829 Is that the word? Confidence? There we go. How about that? 83 00:07:50.269 --> 00:07:55.910 I can't say a hundred percent, but my guess is that Abraham knew 84 00:07:56.389 --> 00:08:01.699 what lot would choose. I'll give you some reasons why. Abraham exercises a 85 00:08:01.779 --> 00:08:09.139 lot of wisdom in this passage. He saw the same land right that lot 86 00:08:09.259 --> 00:08:13.569 saw right. It's not as though lot just sort of happened to look toward 87 00:08:13.610 --> 00:08:18.410 the Jordan Valley of Abraham would, oh, I wish I would have looked 88 00:08:18.410 --> 00:08:22.329 over there before I offered you this great deal. Right now. They're looking 89 00:08:22.329 --> 00:08:24.889 at the same land, they're standing in the same spot, they've traveled in 90 00:08:24.970 --> 00:08:28.519 the same place. Indeed, they had been together. Clearly the Lord had 91 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:33.000 blessed him, but Abraham knew how to take care of a lot of wealth, 92 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:37.759 and that was happening. Abraham is is no fool. He's not blind. 93 00:08:37.679 --> 00:08:41.870 He saw the same land that lot did, but I think he also 94 00:08:41.909 --> 00:08:50.950 saw how lot saw it as well. Abraham had demonstrated, and demonstrates here, 95 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:56.419 a very big hardedness toward his nephew, and we see that previously he 96 00:08:56.539 --> 00:09:01.100 had helped this this first as a child, now as a man. He 97 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:05.659 had taken him under his wing, he had cared for him in these various 98 00:09:05.659 --> 00:09:09.370 ways. Surely Abraham could have simply demanded, this will be my land and 99 00:09:09.649 --> 00:09:13.929 you do what you need to do. He doesn't do that. Instead he 100 00:09:13.049 --> 00:09:20.250 continues to show this very big heartedness and generosity a toward lot, and I 101 00:09:20.370 --> 00:09:26.440 like what Ambrose says about this. Ambrose was Augustine's teacher, ambrose suggests. 102 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:33.000 Surely they could have dwelled together. The problem was with the strife, Ambrose 103 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:39.110 says. This lot had already deliberately begun to deviate, to separate from his 104 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:43.789 uncle. The land could not support them both dwelling together. Indeed, no 105 00:09:43.110 --> 00:09:50.830 space is large enough for those who love discord, isn't that true? And 106 00:09:50.950 --> 00:09:56.820 Ambrose goes on to say even limited spaces are more than adequate for those who 107 00:09:56.860 --> 00:10:01.500 are meek and peace loving. While for those whose mentality is one of discord, 108 00:10:01.659 --> 00:10:09.090 even wide open spaces I won't do, and we see this in a 109 00:10:09.169 --> 00:10:13.129 way, that the problem is not just the land, it's something more than 110 00:10:13.210 --> 00:10:18.809 that. It's the problem of strife, it's the problem of the way lot 111 00:10:18.049 --> 00:10:26.159 is clamoring after things and his herdsman by extension, and that when the Lord 112 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:31.320 Promises Abraham after all of these events, notice what he doesn't say. Says 113 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:35.480 he doesn't say, well, now that lots alone or off away from you, 114 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:39.629 you finally have the space that you need. No, he says, 115 00:10:39.789 --> 00:10:46.350 I will fill up this land with as many people as the dust of the 116 00:10:46.509 --> 00:10:48.870 earth, so many that if you could number the dust of the earth, 117 00:10:48.909 --> 00:10:54.700 you could, you could perhaps number the number of people that I will fill 118 00:10:54.460 --> 00:11:00.019 this place with. There will be other herdsman, there will be other flocks, 119 00:11:00.100 --> 00:11:03.970 there will be other family members, there will be other people there. 120 00:11:05.769 --> 00:11:11.009 Abraham could see that it was because because of lots heart that there would be 121 00:11:11.210 --> 00:11:16.090 no peace while they were together. And so Abraham wisely comes up with a 122 00:11:16.210 --> 00:11:22.679 plan of separation to preserve peace, which in our world is, sadly, 123 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:30.399 I'm sometimes necessary and wise. And so Abraham suggests this and in doing so. 124 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:35.350 Of course he continues to act in this generous way and loving, sacrificing 125 00:11:35.549 --> 00:11:39.710 way towards lot. And if Latt had desired to stay and put his shepherds 126 00:11:39.750 --> 00:11:45.509 in line, no doubt some sort of solution would be formed and found in 127 00:11:45.669 --> 00:11:50.019 Abraham's family would continue to grow. But no, lot looks up and he 128 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:58.980 sees the Jordan Valley and he sees a wonderful opportunity. Notice what the passage 129 00:12:00.059 --> 00:12:05.809 says. It says that lot, in this is verse ten. Lot lifted 130 00:12:05.850 --> 00:12:09.929 up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere, like 131 00:12:11.049 --> 00:12:13.529 the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt in the direction of 132 00:12:13.649 --> 00:12:20.039 Zoar. parenthetical note, this was before the Lord Destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. 133 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:31.309 So lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and lot journeyed east. Lot 134 00:12:31.429 --> 00:12:33.309 wanted to go his own way. He wanted to have his own things, 135 00:12:33.350 --> 00:12:39.309 he wanted stuff. Lot was in love with the things of this world, 136 00:12:39.389 --> 00:12:46.620 and so Abraham let him have him. He let him have them, and 137 00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:50.539 this is always sad when it happens, but the gospel of grace doesn't could 138 00:12:50.539 --> 00:12:56.740 jolt and force and manipulate sinners into the Kingdom of God. It invites, 139 00:12:56.820 --> 00:13:03.769 it holds open, it extends invitations. But sadly, on there are many 140 00:13:03.889 --> 00:13:07.090 people in this world who choose not to take it, but would rather cling 141 00:13:07.210 --> 00:13:11.960 to the things of this world. And when they do, we ought to 142 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:20.120 warn them, but let them go in peace. Lot gets what he wants, 143 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:26.350 but what he wants is not good. As we say, all that 144 00:13:26.429 --> 00:13:35.029 glitters is not gold. Right, lot looks up and he sees a well 145 00:13:35.309 --> 00:13:41.620 watered place, a well watered place in fact, he said, the scriptures 146 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:45.419 say that it was like the garden of the Lord, you know, a 147 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:50.620 garden that is referring to write garden of Eden. A lot looks up and 148 00:13:50.740 --> 00:13:54.500 he sees not the garden of Eden, but an edenic place. Right. 149 00:13:54.809 --> 00:14:01.889 He says, this an oasis, a paradise, a land that is well 150 00:14:01.129 --> 00:14:05.970 watered, like the garden of the Lord. But, as I say, 151 00:14:05.129 --> 00:14:09.210 not all that glitters is gold, and that is the case with this land. 152 00:14:09.289 --> 00:14:13.240 There are two problems with it, on both different sides of the same 153 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:20.360 coin. The first problem is that it's not Canaan, and Canan is where 154 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:24.190 God had promised to bless his people. The Canan is where God had promised 155 00:14:24.190 --> 00:14:28.669 to bless Abraham and the whole world through him. This would be the place 156 00:14:28.710 --> 00:14:33.870 where the true God would establish his true worship. According to his word, 157 00:14:33.870 --> 00:14:39.100 it was the place where God had separated for himself and separated Abraham so that 158 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:45.340 he, Abraham, would no longer worship false gods and live that kind of 159 00:14:45.580 --> 00:14:52.210 awful life that comes in wicked idolatry. Moses wants us to understand as he 160 00:14:52.289 --> 00:14:58.570 writes this, as he contrasts lots choice. In Verse Twelve we read that 161 00:14:58.610 --> 00:15:05.169 Abraham settled in the land of Canaan, while lot settled in the cities of 162 00:15:05.250 --> 00:15:11.840 the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. And though we haven't 163 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:16.879 yet got to the stories of Sodom and Gomorah, there's some pretty heavy foreshadowing 164 00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:24.070 going on here. Right first we are told this was before the Lord Destroyed 165 00:15:24.230 --> 00:15:28.070 Sodom, and then at the end of this passage we are told, or 166 00:15:28.070 --> 00:15:31.549 I'm sorry, not the end in verse thirteen. Now, the men of 167 00:15:31.669 --> 00:15:39.460 Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. Sodom and Gomorrah are notorious, 168 00:15:39.700 --> 00:15:48.779 infamous. On these cities become symbols in all of the rest of scripture 169 00:15:48.940 --> 00:15:54.529 for places of wickedness and which the Lord Pours Out his judgment. This is 170 00:15:54.690 --> 00:16:02.370 well known and this is what lot chooses. Yes, it's well watered, 171 00:16:03.809 --> 00:16:10.919 but it's full, but it's not Canaan and it's full of idolatry. It's 172 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:15.840 full of wickedness, as we will come to see in some pretty horrific store's 173 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:22.509 note also that the place lot choses. Yes, it's described as well watered, 174 00:16:22.590 --> 00:16:26.149 but it's also connected with Egypt, which, by the way, is 175 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:33.299 where they just came from, where they just escaped from. Egypt was a 176 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:40.100 disaster and a half, and now lot sees it as though, like Egypt, 177 00:16:41.700 --> 00:16:45.299 they escaped Egypt only because of a miracle and the grace of Yahwe. 178 00:16:47.570 --> 00:16:52.809 This is not the moment to long for Egyptian civilization and religion. The land 179 00:16:52.970 --> 00:16:56.730 may be beautiful, like Eden, but it is not like it is like 180 00:16:56.970 --> 00:17:00.690 we. It is like Eden. It at it as well watered, but 181 00:17:00.850 --> 00:17:03.400 it is not like Eden, and that the presence of the Lord is not 182 00:17:03.599 --> 00:17:11.039 there, and that's the most important thing. Indeed. This note about him 183 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:18.869 heading east is significant. He journeys is just like Adam and Eve, were 184 00:17:18.470 --> 00:17:26.150 went east of Eden, out of the garden. Want to read you a 185 00:17:26.789 --> 00:17:33.059 quote now from Chrissostom. He points out how Abraham benefited from being a lover 186 00:17:33.220 --> 00:17:38.539 of peace and quiet and was constantly attentive to divine worship. Sassoon says, 187 00:17:38.579 --> 00:17:42.259 the text says, remember that he went down to that place where he had 188 00:17:42.299 --> 00:17:47.809 previously built the altar, or right, having left Egypt, having built an 189 00:17:47.849 --> 00:17:51.210 altar, left to Egypt. Now he returns back to that place, back 190 00:17:51.250 --> 00:17:55.529 to the presence of the Lords. AUSTOM says. Another word, solitude, 191 00:17:55.609 --> 00:17:59.920 turned out to be preferred by him for invoking the name of God, instead 192 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:03.079 of the cities. After all, he well knew that the city's greatness is 193 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:08.279 not constituted by multitude of inhabitants, but by the virtue of its residence. 194 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:14.029 Hence, to the desert proved to be a more desirable but more desirable than 195 00:18:14.109 --> 00:18:18.630 the cities, adorned as it was by the just man's virtue, and that's 196 00:18:18.710 --> 00:18:23.230 more resplendent vision than the whole world. That's not how lot saw things. 197 00:18:25.029 --> 00:18:27.859 Lot saw this well watered valley, and that was for him. Instead of 198 00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:32.740 holiness, instead of the presence of the Lord, Lot saw that the land 199 00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:37.819 was full of wickedness, and he said, never mind, but remember what 200 00:18:37.900 --> 00:18:42.089 David says in Psalm. Ten a day in your courts is better than a 201 00:18:42.289 --> 00:18:48.490 thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God 202 00:18:49.289 --> 00:18:56.480 than dwell in the tents of the wicked. Why would lot make this choice? 203 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:00.839 Well, for the same reason. Millions and millions of other people have 204 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:10.000 made the same choice, because because they value temporary goods of this life more 205 00:19:10.190 --> 00:19:15.829 than the everlasting God, more than being in his presence, more than knowing 206 00:19:15.990 --> 00:19:19.390 his joy, his life, his way. As Calvin put it, lot 207 00:19:19.509 --> 00:19:23.980 fancied he was dwelling in paradise, but near, but he was nearly plunged 208 00:19:25.140 --> 00:19:30.900 into the depths of hell. This morning, passing year, Pastor Linger spoke 209 00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:33.859 to us about the kind of choices that we make. Do we choose God 210 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:40.809 as our highest good or not? It's the same situation here, and don't 211 00:19:40.809 --> 00:19:45.089 be surprised by that, because each of us face this question regularly in our 212 00:19:45.210 --> 00:19:48.809 lives. We come to these cross roads, this moment of choice. So 213 00:19:48.930 --> 00:19:52.450 the right or to the left? What will you choose? Will you choose 214 00:19:52.490 --> 00:19:56.160 the Lord and all that he offers us? Will you choose his presence? 215 00:19:56.200 --> 00:19:59.839 Will you choose his ways, or will you choose the things that glitter, 216 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:03.079 the things that promise of the here and now, the things that will make 217 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:07.349 you famous, that will make you important, that will make you feel safe 218 00:20:07.710 --> 00:20:15.069 for a moment? Perhaps you find yourself at a similar cross roads. We 219 00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:21.500 all do at various times. Jobs, relationships, a financial choice in each 220 00:20:21.539 --> 00:20:25.019 of these is Christians, we must always ask, will we choose the Lord 221 00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:29.940 above all things, or will we cling to the immediate things of this world? 222 00:20:30.859 --> 00:20:36.849 Of course our immediate needs are important, and Jesus tells us to pray 223 00:20:36.890 --> 00:20:42.930 for our daily bread, but even our daily bread is not worth our soul, 224 00:20:44.009 --> 00:20:49.319 as pastor Waterbach told us last Sunday, God knows how to provide for 225 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:53.839 your needs, body and soul. You may not have what you need or 226 00:20:53.880 --> 00:20:57.960 what you think you need right now, but God knows what you need and 227 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:02.680 he is faithful to provide it, just as he provided the man in the 228 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:07.750 wilderness, just as he provided the Ram for Abraham sacrifice or the wine for 229 00:21:07.829 --> 00:21:11.630 Jesus wedding that he was at, the fish in the loaves on the hillside, 230 00:21:11.710 --> 00:21:15.509 the fish to swallow Jonah, the protection of Daniel in the Lions Den, 231 00:21:15.630 --> 00:21:19.539 and on and on. And on. The Lord knows how to provide. 232 00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:25.299 What does this mean, then, for us to choose to be in 233 00:21:25.380 --> 00:21:30.019 the presence of God? How do we make that choice? How do we 234 00:21:30.140 --> 00:21:32.779 cling to him? How do we trust him? How do we look to 235 00:21:32.859 --> 00:21:37.490 him? The answer the scriptures give us, the answer that God gives us, 236 00:21:38.730 --> 00:21:44.490 is by trusting in the offspring of Abraham, by trusting in the very 237 00:21:44.569 --> 00:21:52.960 same promise that Abraham was promised, that, through the Lord God, the 238 00:21:52.119 --> 00:21:57.359 God who makes this Great Covenant Of Grace, a covenant Abraham didn't deserve a 239 00:21:57.480 --> 00:22:03.910 covenant, we didn't deserve. He would save us, he would draw us 240 00:22:04.150 --> 00:22:08.269 into his presence, that he would bring us into a place of holiness where 241 00:22:08.470 --> 00:22:14.390 we honestly just don't belong. But he would make us worthy to belong. 242 00:22:15.509 --> 00:22:22.420 How, through the death of his own son, through the sacrifice of Jesus, 243 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:27.859 God would, through this offspring, pro he would fulfill this promise to 244 00:22:27.900 --> 00:22:32.849 Abraham. He would give us this offspring, our savior, Jesus, who 245 00:22:32.890 --> 00:22:40.890 was born and who also died so that our sins might be forgiven, so 246 00:22:41.049 --> 00:22:45.799 that we might be made holy, so that we might come into the presence 247 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:51.119 of God through his sacrifice, through his mediation, so that he might pour 248 00:22:51.319 --> 00:22:55.799 his holy spirit out on us, to change our hearts, to open our 249 00:22:55.960 --> 00:23:00.789 eyes so that we might look at things as they really are and recognize a 250 00:23:00.990 --> 00:23:06.470 well watered valley for what it really is. This is what God does for 251 00:23:06.509 --> 00:23:11.630 us and His grace, he changes our hearts so that we can see things 252 00:23:11.670 --> 00:23:15.900 as they truly are, so that we can desire the things of God more 253 00:23:15.220 --> 00:23:22.220 than the things of this world, such that they're so much so that you 254 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:29.170 find the Lord's people being willing to give up the things of this world that 255 00:23:29.329 --> 00:23:36.769 we might have all things in him. This is what our Lord does for 256 00:23:36.890 --> 00:23:41.480 us, and he does it right here for Abraham. The Lord and his 257 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:47.839 Great Providence, orchestrates these things lot heads off on the way that he desires. 258 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:52.640 Abraham stays in the presence of the Lord and Abraham a God says to 259 00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:57.509 Abraham. Now you look up, north, southeast West as far as you 260 00:23:57.589 --> 00:24:03.109 can see, I give it all to you. Abraham never seemed worried about 261 00:24:03.109 --> 00:24:10.619 it, probably because he didn't have to be. Now, in this world, 262 00:24:10.779 --> 00:24:15.099 God doesn't promise us vast lands like he did to Abraham, but even 263 00:24:15.140 --> 00:24:25.849 Abraham understood that these promises ultimately had spiritual and heavenly ends. The author of 264 00:24:25.930 --> 00:24:30.210 Hebrews tells us that when that, when Abraham put his faith in the Lord, 265 00:24:30.250 --> 00:24:34.529 he was not putting his faith in the achievement of these particular things, 266 00:24:34.609 --> 00:24:37.490 but in the Lord himself, who would achieve them in his own way and 267 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:42.279 in his own time. That's so important for us to remember, because things 268 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:47.000 are not often how they seem to be. With the Lord, a well 269 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:51.720 watered valley is in fact a place of wickedness and a desert place. As 270 00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:56.309 the place of abundance or save. You're hanging on the cross. A king 271 00:24:56.509 --> 00:25:03.309 who came to save. They're dying and mocked before the world, is in 272 00:25:03.430 --> 00:25:07.900 fact the one who is triumphant, our only hope. This is how the 273 00:25:07.980 --> 00:25:11.700 Lord Works, and every moment, in every way, he calls us to 274 00:25:11.859 --> 00:25:17.099 put our trust in him and in him alone. He offers it freely to 275 00:25:17.180 --> 00:25:25.730 us, to each one of you. I want to conclude by reading, 276 00:25:25.890 --> 00:25:41.519 reading a little bit from Psalm forty one, forty two. As the dear 277 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:45.359 pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, Oh God. 278 00:25:47.640 --> 00:25:51.430 My Soul thirsts for God, for the Living God. Where shall I come 279 00:25:51.670 --> 00:26:00.190 and appear before God? This ought to be our desire and our hope, 280 00:26:00.470 --> 00:26:07.380 and it is a good hope to have, because he's so, so good, 281 00:26:07.980 --> 00:26:14.660 he's so wonderful, he's so faithful and he provides for us in every 282 00:26:14.740 --> 00:26:18.569 way. How much does he provide for us? So much that he was 283 00:26:18.650 --> 00:26:26.089 willing to give his only begotten Son to die on a cross for our sins. 284 00:26:26.650 --> 00:26:32.730 Put Your faith in that God, not the Gods of the world, 285 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:36.960 but that God, and you will be saved.