BRAGADAYJAH 53

As we have seen, the men outside Lot’s door were pushing hard; but at a point just before it was broken through, the angels snatched Lot inside, and secured the door. Then the Angels smote all the men outside with blindness so that they groped around, unable to find the door. Indeed they wore themselves out as in vain they bumped about in the dark until they tired themselves out, but all in vain. Then the Angels spoke to Lot and warned him that the Lord had sent them to destroy the city and that he should get out, and that he should alert his daughters and their husbands that they should get out also; but Lot’s sons in law merely laughed and mocked him and took no notice. When the sun rose the next morning, the Angels advised Lot to hurry and get out; so Lot took his wife and his two daughters and left the city on the advice of the angels. Even so Lot was hesitant to leave; so the two angels took hold of him and his wife and two daughters and led them out of the city. Once, without the city, the Angels entreated them to run for their lives, and advised Lot to escape all the way to the mountain; but Lot had other ideas. Before proceeding, we note that nowhere in our story was any reference to Lot’s relationship with God. Throughout he is referred to as Abraham’s cousin. And while we saw that Abraham found favor in God’s sight, not so Lot. Why was Lot and his family showed favor then we may ask? Well we know from the words of Abram’s call that God is in the business of blessing and saving families. And as Abram’s family, he found mercy with God. Secondly, he risked his life to protect the two Angels and was prepared to sacrifice his two daughters to save them; so we hear the Angels telling Lot, “the Lord is being merciful unto you.” More

BRAGADAYJAH 52

Having conversed with Abraham, the Lord turned away from him and Abraham went home. After that the Lord sent two angels to visit Sodom, and finding Lot sitting at the gate they conversed with him. Indeed it was Lot who first approached them, greeted them and offered them loggings for the night as guests in his home. But the angels at first refused Lot’s offer of hospitality, saying that they would prefer to spend the night in the streets; but when Lot pressed them they accepted. That evening Lot prepared a feast for the two guests; but before they could lay down for the night, the men of Sodom, both young and old, surrounded Lot’s house, calling upon him to send them out so that they could bugger them. I am aware that Scripture uses the phrase “know thrm,” but that word is used extensively in the bible to describe the sexual act between a man and a woman; so in this context, it was in that connotation the word “know” was used; and that in plain terms, when used between man and man is buggery plain and simple. Lot then went out and pleaded with the men of Sodom not to persist in their evil and wicked demands. He even offered to them, in order to protect the safety and integrity of his guests, as he was tradition bound to do, his two virgin daughters; but the lust filled, lascivious and twisted minded men of the city, refused, and threatened to break down Lot’s door in order to get to the two angels. But just as the door was being pushed in, the two angels pulled Lot to safely and closed the door. More

BRAGADAYJAH 51

Well then Abraham was given an opportunity to look closely inside the heart of God; and he not only took it; but tried to make the best use of it. So God answered Abraham’s first two challenges. No he would wouldn’t destroy Sodom if fifty righteous were found; neither would he destroy it if forty five were found.. So Abraham asked a third time, “would you destroy it if forty were found there? And again God said no; so now Abraham decided to lower his asking figure by ten, that is to say to thirty; but the Lord said not for thirty. What about twenty, Abraham enquired; and again the Lord said Nay, not for twenty. And when Abraham went down to ten, the Lord said, not for ten. At this point, it must have occurred to Abraham the futility of saving Sodom on the basis of there being ten righteous dwelling there. Indeed it must have occurred to him that if in that great twin city there were not ten righteous to be found, then the odds were there were not five, not one, not any; so Abraham ceased his questioning. It would be a fair inference to say that clearly at that stage the lights of realization went on, and Abraham saw the light clearly. Since God had said he was going to destroy the city, God would have already known that there were no righteousness to be found therein, hence His already made decision to destroy it. So God turned and went away from Abraham, and Abraham, doubtless with a very heavy heart, returned unto his tent. More

BRAGADAYJAH 50

When the visitors rose to depart, Abraham decided to accompany them part of the way; and as they set their face towards Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham walked with them. As they went the Lord began to turn his thoughts toward Abraham. And the Lord said, “Shall I not confide in Abraham to tell him what I am about to do to Sodom? Did I not choose him to be the father of many nations which shall become my people? “Therefore,” said the Lord, “I will confide in him.” But the Lord could not ignore the fact that the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sin most grievous, God decided to see if there was one iota of goodness in those twin cities. The Lord already knew the state of the cities, but knowing the sentence he was about to pass he decided to re-examine the evidence before passing sentence. Accordingly once God told Abraham what he was about to do, Abraham asked God, “will you destroy the city if there is found within it fifty righteous persons?” In interpleading with God Abraham boldly pointed out that God being a just God, his justice ought not to allow him to destroy fifty righteous persons even though the thousands were wicked. No doubt impressed by Abraham’s logic and his advocacy, God promised he would not destroy the city if fifty righteous be found there. Abraham was clearly a clever debater. Where did he get his cleverness from? Having gained a concession from God he now throws up a straw man and asks God, You will not destroy it for fifty, but would you destroy it for lack of five? Abraham was rolling the dice and playing the odds with the odds maker; but God was really toying with him and parried by saying, “No Abe, I will not destroy it for the sake of forty and five.” More

BRAGADAYJAH 49

Now it turned out that while Abraham was speaking to the heavenly Host, Sarah was listening from the doorway, and heard when Abraham was told that she shall have a son. Upon hearing what was said, she laughed to herself; not the gay laughter of satisfaction brought on by happy news, but the laughter of derision because she and Abraham were as far they were concerned, well past the age of child bearing. According to the text, “it ceased with her after the manner of women.” So Sarah mused, “now I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my husband being old also?” The Lord hearing what Sarah said in her heart asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and questioned my statement that she shall bear a child? Is anything to hard for the Lord? At the point appointed I will return unto thee according to the time of life; and Sarah shall have a son.” Upon hearing the affirmative promise of the Lord, Sarah became concerned and afraid and denied laughing; but the Lord said “Yes Sarah, you did laugh!” Clearly we see here, that the Lord God of heaven has the power and the unfettered authority to do his own will. In the 1950’s the English Courts had to decide if there is a cut off time for a woman to have a child. (Diwell v Farnes), 1959), in order to decide a case involving the Rule Against Perpetuities.. After consulting the best medical authorities, they decided that 80 years was that cut off time. But legal precedent or not a woman is expected to know when her time clock stops ticking. And so Sarah knew. As to the question of her laughing, one could understand why she would say she did not laugh. How was she to know that God is a searcher of hearts and a reader of the thoughts of the heart. Surely she must have told herself, I did not laugh out loud. What I did was to myself, and no one, not even God was suppose to hear that. But the fact is God did hear. More

BRAGADAYJAH 48

Can you imagine a 99 year old man running back and forth at anytime, but especially after speaking to strangers? What might make anyone, young or old run about like an excited little boy? Well clearly Abraham was excited. Was he excited that he had 3 guests for dinner, or because the guests were a theophany of the Almighty? Maybe; but I would like to think that what really excited him, and made him run at his age was the realization that something exciting, something incredible, was happening, or about to happen, to him. Anyway, Abraham ran to his wife Sarah, and instructed her to get baking; then he hurried to his herd and hand picked a young calf and gave it to one of his servants with instructions to dress it hurriedly. And when all was ready, baked and killed and dressed and roasted, he himself took milk and butter, and brought them to his guests. It should be noted that Abraham had hundreds of servants male and female in his household to whom he could have given instructions to have all of this done while he sat and chatted with his guests; but Abraham personally did all of those things. To be sure he highly esteemed his guests. They were royalty and he treated them as such; but Abraham more than anything else wanted personally to wait upon his Lord, because he was grateful and excited over what the Lord had done for him. After the guests had eaten they asked after Sarah, Abraham’s wife and he told them she was in the house. But what they said concerning Sarah is too important to be added here and deserves a day all its own. More

BRAGADAYJAH 47

Truly God gave Abraham quite a big earful, and having told him all he was able to take in at that one time, God departed. And straight away Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael and all the males that were within his household, he circumcised them and Abraham himself being 99 years old was circumcised also. Shortly thereafter, God appeared unto Abraham as he sat at the door of his tent. Looking up Abraham saw three men whom he in fact recognized either intuitively or by the moving of the Spirit of God to be the very presence of God; for Abraham addressed them as my Lord. “My Lord,” Abraham said, “If now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee from thy servant. Let a little water, I pray you be fetched, and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts, after that you shall pass on; for therefore are ye come to thy servant.” God had appeared to Abraham many times before, and each time renewed the promise of an heir.; but Abraham had now been waiting for 22 years without obtaining the anticipated result, although just a short time before, God had given him even clearer and more specific promises, even to the naming of Isaac as heir; but here was God again now at his very doorstep. “Is there something more God wants of me?” Abraham must have question himself. So Abraham came up with something new. Perhaps, he thought, I have lacked good manners in the past. Perhaps I should have showed hospitality to my heavenly visitors. Perhaps, Abraham thought to himself, I am always looking to God for some blessing. But what have I given to God? Perhaps God is trying to give me a hint by this threefold theophany!” To his delight, his offer of hospitality was accepted.