Series: The Mind of God
Message: Thinking God’s Thoughts
Preacher: Mark Johnson
Refresh: Open with prayer. Read or listen to Psalm 33:18-22.
Read: 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 - Read the Message paraphrase, and note 1-3 insights/questions that arise.
Reflect: There are two stories in Abraham’s life that I feel show his ability to “think God’s thoughts after Him.” The first was in his intercession for the city of Sodom. The story is found in Genesis 18. In the heat of the day “the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent.” Abraham bids Sarah to cook some veal for the Lord, and while they’re waiting for it to be prepared, God promises Abraham that he will have a son. This is where Sarah laughs, and then denies it.
Then the Lord walks with Abraham toward the city of Sodom, and states that Abraham is such a good friend of His that He can’t hide what He is going to do from him. He tells him that He is going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah “because the outcry against (them) is great and their sin is very grave.” Abraham then reveals that he is thinking God’s thoughts after Him. He begins to bargain for the lives of the people in Sodom. He shows how well he knows God by challenging Him to live up to His goodness. “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be it from you! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25, ESV). Unfortunately, God says, there are not even ten righteous in the town to save.
The second story, of course, is the story of his willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
The story is found in Genesis 22, but is supplemented in Patriarchs and Prophets, by Ellen G. White, and in the book of Hebrews by the Apostle Paul. Between them, they state that Abraham travelled for three days and nights, not sleeping at all, but all night, every night, working through the promises of God in his mind as he struggled with this uncharacteristic command of God. Paul says he finally concluded that God’s promise was true, and that either God would provide a substitute, or He would resurrect Isaac from the grave – clear evidence that Abraham was thinking God’s thoughts after Him, and trusting Him to live up to His promises.
Recalibrate:
Respond: Pray for faithfulness.
Research: Can you find anyone else in the Biblical record who had the audacity to question the righteousness of God and remain a friend?