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Genesis 20b

Prayer Part 1

Hi everyone,

I think it will good for us if we divert for a moment and spend some time looking at this first record of prayer to God on behalf of another. We will not be able to cover all the information we need to know, but this can be a start. 

This is how I read it. 

In the Bible the first text on a subject contains ALL THE TRUTH, but usually in a condensed form.  The Spirit requires that we search and dig deep for other scriptures to illuminate and expand (but not contradict) the first presentation. We do not have to make two lists of pros and cons and weigh them up and then choose which we want to believe.  EVERY word of God is the truth.

Abraham did NOT pray to God asking Him to help this man because he KNEW that the Son of God was already doing this, and he was not prepared to accuse his God of slackness. 

So what was the problem? 

Why did he need to pray? 

Either the man was obstructing the offered help (and we know from the text that he wasn’t) or else Abraham was the hold-up (and we know that he was, like so many other Christians today).   So his prayers were concentrated on himself!!

When we look at what Jesus said to Abimelech we are pointed to two possible approaches to the prayer.

The Son of God said:

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Genesis 20:7  

“Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you, and you shall live: and if you restore her not, know you that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours.”

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 Therefore

1.  God would save Abimelech and his family because of what Abraham said in his prayers

OR

2. God would save Abimelech because of his own repentance.

This in itself raises an interesting situation which I would like to deal with next week, but just now let us concentrate on one aspect.

Most of us would subscribe to the second approach BUT in practise use the first as the basis for our prayers!!! 

Why?? 

Because we often confuse two things.  Salvation and education. 

Christ, and Christ ALONE, can bring salvation and forgiveness to a repentant sinner, for only He has the ability.  Acts 4:12.

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Acts 5:

30 [Peter said to the Jews] The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you [then] slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His WITNESSES of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey Him.

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He does not need us who are “witnesses” to participate in the work of salvation.

We, who are HELPERS  to Him (and nothing else) can EDUCATE sinners on HOW TO APPROACH HIM for that salvation and/or forgiveness.  This education should be based on the word (the Bible) and our own experiences.  We are “priests” or assistants, while He is “the High priest”. 

“Witnesses” normally tell what they have seen others do. 1 John 3:14, 19.

It is written:

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1 Kings 8:

47 [Solomon is speaking of an apostate Israel] Yet if they shall bethink themselves [think again] in the land where they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, “We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness” . . .

48 and so return to You with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray to You  . . .  49 Then [thank You that You will] hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 and forgive Your people that have sinned against You, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against You, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them.” [Solomon was not asking God to do this, but merely stating the fact for others to know it.] 

Job 42:

6 [Job said, when he learned the truth of his actions and speeches against God] “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”  

Ezekiel 14:

6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD; “Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.”  

Mark 6:

12 And they [the disciples] went out, and preached that men should repent.  

Acts 2:

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 3:

19 “Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when [or, so that] the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord...”

Acts 17:

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men [and women] every where to repent: 

Acts 26:

20 But [the disciples] showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet [fit] for repentance. 

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No one of us can pray for forgiveness from God for another!  That is a personal and individual work each one must do for themselves.

In the case of Abimelech and Abraham it is written that if Abraham prayed for Abimelech, then “you [Abimelech] shall LIVE [not, be saved].”   Jesus is not speaking of salvation in these words, but of education, which is Christian responsibility.  Like Cornelius the Roman officer to whom Peter was sent, an already healed extended family of heathens were ready to listen to Abraham when he came back from his prayer sessions with the Son of God. (Acts chapter 10.)

So what kinds of things did Abraham pray for?

He asked

for wisdom to have the right approach for their needs;

for understanding of the correct words from the Bible to suit their background;

for belief to use whatever other method the Spirit suggested .

This last is not as easy as it may appear.  Jesus (as the Son of man) was once asked to walk several kilometres on water as an evidence to His disbelieving disciples.  Matthew 14:23-25.

Want to hear more?  See you next week.

Bye,

Ron

Some of the comments in these readings are adapted from books in my library.  No recognition is given because they are not intended as authorities, but are used because they express my understanding clearly. All the ideas expressed in these readings, right or wrong, are my own.

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1 John 3:

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren.  He that loves not his brother abides in death. 15 Whosoever hates [dislikes] his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But whoso has this world's good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth  . . .

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.  Back

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Matthew 14:

23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. 24 But the ship [containing His disciples] was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  Back

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