Then God spoke up and asked Abraham why Sarah laughed. At that moment Sarah chose to lie to God. God Himself...face to face. She said, "I didn't laugh." But God said, "Yes, you did. You laughed."
Can you imagine?!! Lying to God and being busted for it! Lying probably came naturally to Sarah because Abraham has modeled it for her when he told her to say she was his sister. Instead of relying on the provision of the Almighty God, Abraham took matters into his own hands and lied. The truth came out...like it always does, and Abraham was sent away.
God knew Sarah's heart. He knew that she did not believe that He was powerful enough to cause her to become pregnant at her age. She knew that having a child was past and that God would have to fulfill His covenant some other way. Before God even appeared and spoke with Abraham, He knew that Sarah would laugh. But it didn't stop Him from giving her a chance at faith...at risking something great by believing in the sovereignty of the Almighty.
As Abrahams' guests prepare to leave, God lets Abraham in on His plans to destroy Sodom. God knows that Abraham's nephew, Lot, is there and He knows that Abraham feels responsible for him. Lot's father, Haran, had died and Abraham looked after him. So, even though they were living in different cities, Abraham's heart was for Lot.
"Abraham stood in God's path, blocking His way." Genesis 18:22 (msg)
WOW! Abraham blocked God. He stood in God's way. Not only does Abraham stand there, he begins bargaining with God for the city of Sodom. He asks for it to be spared for 50 righteous lives. When God agrees, Abraham goes for 45...40...30...20 and finally, knowing he is exasperating God, he asks for 10. God agrees.
Nowhere in this passage do we find God getting angry or impatient with Abraham. He converses with him and agrees on his numbers each time. At the conclusion, God headed on to Sodom and Abraham goes home.
I'm sure Abraham goes home sad because the reputation of a city precedes it. He knew what Sodom was like and I'm sure he had tried to protect Lot in the past. Abraham also knows that God will not allow His children to live in continual sin and will probably not find 10 righteous men. He probably spent the evening mourning his nephew Lot.
First thing the next morning, Abraham went to the place where he had met with God and looked out over Sodom. All there was to see was smoke coming up like from a furnace. He did not yet know that "When God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham and got Lot our of there before He blasted those cities off the face of the Earth." (Genesis 19:29 msg)
God knew Sarah's thoughts even when she lied to His face. God knew Abraham's thoughts even when he didn't ask for the very thing that he wanted. Not only did He know, but He cared. In spite of her unbelief, God gave Isaac to Sarah and in spite of Abraham's embarrassment of acknowledging that a family member was living in sin, God spared Lot's life.
Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit
and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going
out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is
on my tongue, you know it completely O Lord. Psalm 139:1-4 (niv)
He knows my thoughts. He knows my heart. He knows my dreams and desires. He knows what I want to say and what I am ashamed to say. And, the best part of it all...He cares!
It matters to Him what I think. It matters to Him what I can't bring myself to say. It matters to Him that I find it hard to believe. It matters to Him that I so desperately want to please Him and am so afraid that I will fail Him. It matters to Him!
I matter to Him!
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