22 March, 2021
Post By : Admin
 |
DIGGING DEEP NO. 875 – MARCH 23, 2021 Gen.18: 1- 15. |
Abraham is given this special title in 2Chron.20: 7; Is.41: 8; Jam.2: 23 and he is the only person in the Bible to have it. Friendship involves ministry; and we will find Abraham ministering in three different areas: to the Lord; to his home; and to a lost world.
He ministered to the Lord – all ministry must first be to the Lord; for if we fail to be a blessing to the Lord, it will be very difficult and almost impossible to be a blessing to others Acts.13: 1- 2; Col.3: 23- 24. Abraham was taking his daily rest during the heat of the day when he saw three strangers approaching. There was nothing about their appearance that told Abraham who they were. His ministry to them was so acceptable that we ought to follow his example today.
1. He served the Lord personally. Remember, Abraham was ninety-nine years old and a very wealthy man, and he could have entrusted this task to his chief steward or one of his more than 300 servants Gen.14: 14. Instead, he decided to minister to his Lord personally.
2. He served the Lord immediately. Abraham could have ignored them by pretending to be asleep; or he could have asked them to sit down and wait until he had finished his siesta. But Abraham was a man of faith, and faith does not delay when it comes to serving the Lord.
3. He ministered to the Lord speedily. He ran to meet the visitors Gen.18: 2. He hurried to tell Sarah to bake some bread Gen.18: 6. He ran to get a tender calf and saw to it that the young man hastened to dress the meat Gen.18: 7. We must keep in mind that this is an old man running around in the heat of the day. Only after he had served his guests did Abraham stand still Gen.18: 8.
4. He ministered to the Lord generously. He served them with the best that he had. Sarah baked bread from fine meal Vs.6; the meat was tender and good Vs.7; no leftover for such important guests! What a contrast to the priests in Malachi’s day who did not give God their best Mal.1: 6- 14.
5. He ministered with humility. He bowed to his guests Gen.18: 2 called himself a servant Vs.3, 5 and called the feast a morsel of bread. He served the three visitors and stood near to be available if needed. He interrupted a comfortable afternoon nap to become a servant to three strangers Heb.13: 1- 2.
6. He ministered to the Lord cooperatively with the help of others. Sarah baked the bread; a young man dressed the meat; other servants brought Abraham the butter and the milk. D. L. Moody said “I would rather put ten men to work than do the work of ten men”.
Hospitality is an important part of Christian ministry 1Pet.4: 9. By loving and serving others, we serve Jesus Christ our Lord Matt.25: 34- 40.
Because Abraham was faithful to the Lord, he became a channel of blessing to his wife and family. The Lord had come all the way from heaven to give Abraham and Sarah that news; the news was so incredible that Sarah laughed and questioned whether such a thing could happen to two elderly people. Her laughter marked by unbelief; even though she tried to deny it.
Whenever we doubt God, we question both His veracity and His ability. Does He keep His promises? Does He have the power to do what He says He will do? The answer to both questions is yes! Gen.18: 14; Jer.32:17, 27; Lk.1: 37.
If God makes a promise, you can be sure He has the power to fulfill it and He will remain faithful even if we are faithless 2Tim.2: 13.
In Conclusion – A man or a woman who ministers to the Lord will be a source of blessing to the family, to the community and to generations now and yet to come.