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Speaker 1: Let us pray. And there came two angels to Sodom.

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Speaker 1: At Even and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom,

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Speaker 1: and Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them, and

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Speaker 1: he bowed himself with his face toward the ground Genesis

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Speaker 1: nineteen one. My Lord, thank you for constantly showing me

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Speaker 1: grace when I'm surrounded and tempted with the pleasures of

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Speaker 1: this world. Thank you for protecting me from myself and

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Speaker 1: from foolish decisions I've made when I wasn't thinking in

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Speaker 1: alignment with your word. Help me to move with critical

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Speaker 1: obedience when you give a command. I will no longer

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Speaker 1: hesitate when I know the direction you're calling me to go.

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Speaker 1: I will no longer look back at my past longing

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Speaker 1: for the things that move me off the path of

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Speaker 1: my destiny. Thank you Lord, that when you close one

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Speaker 1: season of my life, like a life and his family,

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Speaker 1: you will provide a safe space for me and my

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Speaker 1: loved ones to dwell in. I thank you for your protection,

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Speaker 1: your justice, and your mercy towards me. I can move

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Speaker 1: in full confidence knowing that you've placed your angels like

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Speaker 1: a fence around my life. I am protected because I

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Speaker 1: am yours in Jesus's name Amen. Listening to these daily

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Speaker 1: prayers strengthens your relationship with God. Continue hearing from the

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Speaker 1: Lord by listening to today's Bible in a Year, brought

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Speaker 1: to you by Bible in a Year dot Com.

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Speaker 2: Abraham and God talk about Sodom and Gomorrah. Before this story,

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Speaker 2: we learned about how God made a covenant with Abram

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Speaker 2: and renamed him Abraham. He renamed SARAHI to Sarah and

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Speaker 2: promised them a son.

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Speaker 1: Despite their old age.

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Speaker 2: Even in doubt, insecurity, and disobedience, God continues to make

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Speaker 2: promises to Abraham's family. Now we revisit the evil cities

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Speaker 2: of Sodom and Gomorrah as God is about to judge

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Speaker 2: those within the city and Abraham intervenes.

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Speaker 3: Inspired by the Book of Genesis, Hello, I'm Jack Graham

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Speaker 3: with today's episode of the Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 3: When we last saw Abraham and Sarah, they were receiving

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Speaker 3: their new names and a renewed affirmation of God's covenant

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Speaker 3: to make a great nation through them. In today's reading,

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Speaker 3: we'll find God paying a special visit to Abraham, and

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Speaker 3: when he comes, he is not alone. Abraham bows before

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Speaker 3: the Lord and welcomes the travelers with hospitality, sparing no

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Speaker 3: good thing as he lavishes them with fresh food and drink.

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Speaker 3: The first thing that God does is once again reassure

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Speaker 3: Abraham and Sarah of his promise to give them a child.

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Speaker 3: But that's not all he is. Therefore, there is a

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Speaker 3: grave matter to which God must attend, the rampant wickedness

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Speaker 3: of two cities. We've heard their names before, Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Speaker 3: But now God's patience with the evil doing has run out.

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Speaker 3: As we've seen before, evil cannot and will not go unpunished.

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Speaker 3: Justice will be served, must be served. As you listen today,

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Speaker 3: pay attention first to God's patient love towards Sarah, who

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Speaker 3: is still very dubious of her prospects for motherhood. Notice

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Speaker 3: how God does not become angry at her doubt, but

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Speaker 3: instead reassures her, as a loving parent does to us child. Then,

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Speaker 3: as you hear the Lord in Abraham discuss Sodom and

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Speaker 3: Gomorrah and God's plan to meet out his righteous justice

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Speaker 3: on the great sin he is seeing, watch how Abraham intervenes.

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Speaker 3: This is a great lesson in both humility and boldness

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Speaker 3: before the Lord. To be learned here in this passage,

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Speaker 3: So let's listen in as God and Abraham talk about

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Speaker 3: Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Speaker 2: Under the shade of the trees and manory. In the

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Speaker 2: heat of the day, the Lord appeared near Abraham's tent,

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Speaker 2: only this time he did not come as he usually did.

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Speaker 2: Abraham was visited by three strangers, seemingly divine in nature,

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Speaker 2: and one among them spoke.

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Speaker 1: As the Lord.

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Speaker 2: Abraham bowed to them, knowing that this was not a

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Speaker 2: usual thing. He lavished them with a meal and worshiped

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Speaker 2: God with his hospitality underneath the trees. After the men

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Speaker 2: had their fill and were rested, one of them asked,

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Speaker 2: where is your wife Sarah. Sarah was close by in

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Speaker 2: the tent beside the trees, listening to their conversation and

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Speaker 2: trying not to be heard. She is in the tent,

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Speaker 2: Abraham responded, not sure how to speak with these strangers.

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Speaker 2: The Lord once again spoke his promise to Abraham, knowing

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Speaker 2: Sarah was listening through the tent. When I returned to

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Speaker 2: you about this time next year, your wife shall have

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Speaker 2: a son, A faint laugh could be heard from the tent. Sarah,

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Speaker 2: an old woman far past her child bearing years, could

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Speaker 2: not fathom such a notion. The idea of two people

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Speaker 2: nearly a hundred years old even having normal sex was

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Speaker 2: a laughable idea. After I am worn out and my

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Speaker 2: husband is old, shall I even have pleasure? Sarah chuckled

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Speaker 2: to herself. God, hearing this, turned to Abraham and asked,

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Speaker 2: why does Sarah doubt that she can have a child

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Speaker 2: at her age? Let me ask you this is anything

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Speaker 2: impossible for the Lord? Is anything too hard for the

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Speaker 2: creator of the stars and the mender of all things broken?

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Speaker 2: Listen again about this time next year, I will return

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Speaker 2: to you, and Sarah shall have a son. Sarah, now

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Speaker 2: found out for her silent chuckling, denied ever having laughed

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Speaker 2: or doubted, with a kind grin as a loving father

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Speaker 2: looks at his child who was caught sneaking around, said

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Speaker 2: yes you did. And then the three strangers began their

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Speaker 2: descent towards Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham walked with them to

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Speaker 2: send them on their way. The three were speaking among themselves,

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Speaker 2: and the lords said, shall I hide from Abraham what

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Speaker 2: I am about to do? Abraham will become a great

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Speaker 2: and mighty nation established by me. I have chosen him

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Speaker 2: to lead the way of the Lord by doing righteousness

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Speaker 2: and justice. So God turned to Abraham honestly and spoke plainly.

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Speaker 2: The prayers and the outcries of those suffering because of

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Speaker 2: Sodom and Gomorrah have become great. They are a people

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Speaker 2: corrupted and poisoned by selfishness, and their sins are grave.

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Speaker 2: I am going down to observe them and measure them

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Speaker 2: according to their deeds. If they are truly as sinful

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Speaker 2: as reported, I will know. As the Lord and Abraham

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Speaker 2: were talking, the two other strangers began their descent into Sodom.

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Speaker 2: Whether Abraham was aware of it or not, A compassionate

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Speaker 2: and curious heart came upon him. He inquired to the Lord, asking,

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Speaker 2: will you wipe out the righteous with the wicked? Suppose

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Speaker 2: there are fifty righteous people in the city. Will you

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Speaker 2: then destroy the place and not spare it for the

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Speaker 2: fifty righteous who.

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Speaker 1: Are in it.

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Speaker 2: It does not sound like you to do such a thing,

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Speaker 2: to put the righteous to death with the wicked. Far

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Speaker 2: be that from you. You are the judge of all

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Speaker 2: the earth, should you not do what is just? This

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Speaker 2: was a bold inquiry coming from Abraham as he was

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Speaker 2: speaking face to face with he who causes the seas

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Speaker 2: to rise and fall with the moon, and cradles the

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Speaker 2: heavens and the span of his hands. The Lord, however,

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Speaker 2: spoke plainly and compassionately with Abraham, saying, if I find

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Speaker 2: in Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare

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Speaker 2: everything for their sake. Abraham had more questions. He was

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Speaker 2: unsatisfied with his question before, now coming to realize who

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Speaker 2: he was speaking to. Abraham approached the subject again, only

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Speaker 2: this time with more reverence. He asked, I know who

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Speaker 2: I am speaking to, and I am but dust and

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Speaker 2: ashes in front of you, and not worthy. But suppose

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Speaker 2: there are forty five righteous in the city, will you

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Speaker 2: destroy the whole city? If there are five? Less righteous

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Speaker 2: than before? The Lord looked again at Abraham and answered,

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Speaker 2: I will not destroy it if I find forty five righteous.

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Speaker 2: What about forty righteous? Suppose there are only forty, will

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Speaker 2: you destroy the city? Then I will not. Please, do

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Speaker 2: not get angry with me, Abraham said, but what if

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Speaker 2: there were only thirty righteous people in the city, I

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Speaker 2: will not do it. If I find thirty there, God

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Speaker 2: replied twenty. For the sake of those twenty, I will

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Speaker 2: not destroy the city. Please, Lord, I know that I

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Speaker 2: am dust before you. Do not be angry with me.

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Speaker 2: And let me ask this last question. What if there

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Speaker 2: were only ten righteous among the city, would you spare

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Speaker 2: the city if there were ten righteous? The Lord looked

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Speaker 2: again finally at Abraham, his chosen hero, was speaking before

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Speaker 2: him with boldness and humility. The man he had chosen

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Speaker 2: to be father of nations was now displaying a heart

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Speaker 2: to see the righteous upheld and the innocent spared. He

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Speaker 2: answered Abraham tenderly, and one final time he said, for

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Speaker 2: the sake of ten, I will not destroy it. And

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Speaker 2: the Lord went his way towards Sodom, and Abraham returned

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Speaker 2: to his home.

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Speaker 3: Our passage to Day opens with a visit by God

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Speaker 3: to Abraham and Sarah's tent, But this was a different

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Speaker 3: kind of visit, and we seek God is joined by

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Speaker 3: two others who are heavenly beings angelic beings. These were

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Speaker 3: angels that would later visit, most likely Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Speaker 3: Abraham immediately recognizes this is an important visit and rushes

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Speaker 3: to greet. The Lord then extends great hospitality, lavishing his

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Speaker 3: guests with bread, milk, kourds, and a freshly slaughtered calf.

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Speaker 3: One cannot help but be reminded again of Abel and

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Speaker 3: of his sacrifice of the best of his flock and

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Speaker 3: offering which the Lord was pleased. What comes next is

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Speaker 3: another reassurance that what God has promised is always true.

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Speaker 3: God will give a son to Abraham, born by his

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Speaker 3: wife Sarah. But now God gives her an actual timeline

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Speaker 3: by this time next year. You see, God doesn't always

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Speaker 3: reveal his timing to us. In fact, most often he

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Speaker 3: does not reveal his timeline. But that doesn't mean he

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Speaker 3: can't or I won't give you an idea of his timing.

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Speaker 3: He knew how much this couple had endured, and this

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Speaker 3: was the final stretch. God wanted them to keep holding

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Speaker 3: fast to the promise because it was just about to happen.

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Speaker 3: The newly renamed couple is continuing to trust and have faith,

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Speaker 3: but this doesn't prevent Sarah from laughing incredulously, unable to

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Speaker 3: yet imagine how this could possibly happen. But notice that

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Speaker 3: God doesn't get upset or offended by this. Instead, he

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Speaker 3: simply ask if there's any doubt that he can truly

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Speaker 3: do what he said. Even after Sarah tries to deny

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Speaker 3: her doubt. The Lord does not grow weary of her

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Speaker 3: or chastise her. All he says is that he knows

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Speaker 3: she laughed, as if to say, I know you did.

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Speaker 3: I know you laugh, But don't worry. The Lord and

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Speaker 3: his travel companions then began to leave, headed down south

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Speaker 3: to Sodomon Gomora. God has plans for these evil cities,

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Speaker 3: so he shares his plans for justice with Abraham, his

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Speaker 3: chosen man, this man who was to pave the way

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Speaker 3: for God's redemptive plan. The evil and the sin of

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Speaker 3: Sodom and Gomorah can no longer be tolerated. God is

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Speaker 3: going to wipe out those two towns. These are the

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Speaker 3: cities where his nephew Lot, Abraham's nephew Lot lives with

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Speaker 3: his family. But otherwise they are of no great consequence

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Speaker 3: to Abraham. That's why what happens next is so amazing.

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Speaker 3: Abraham intervenes. He intervenes by asking God to allow for

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Speaker 3: an opportunity for these cities to be spared. He asked

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Speaker 3: God to find just fifty righteous men in Sodom, and

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Speaker 3: if he does to relent from destroying them. Throughout his life,

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Speaker 3: Abraham has seen that God's plan will not be stopped,

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Speaker 3: and yet here he is boldly asking God to change

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Speaker 3: his mind. God agrees, but Abraham wants more. Fifty might

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Speaker 3: be too many. He has, after all, been living in

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Speaker 3: the area, knows of the wickedness of the people of

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Speaker 3: these cities, so he suggests a lower number. What I

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Speaker 3: love about Abraham's second request is the humility with which

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Speaker 3: he approaches God, even as he is being so incredibly bold.

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Speaker 3: Genesis eighteen twenty seven to twenty eight records this conversation,

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Speaker 3: and Abraham replied, now, behold, I have ventured to speak

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Speaker 3: to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.

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Speaker 3: Suppose the fifty righteous men are lacking five? Will you

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Speaker 3: destroy the whole city because of five? And he said,

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Speaker 3: I will not destroy it if I find forty five.

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Speaker 3: There now here is a wonderful lesson on boldness and humility.

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Speaker 3: At the same time, Abraham has asked God for a

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Speaker 3: huge thing, and God has agreed, but he wants to

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Speaker 3: take it a step further. Notice how he handles this first,

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Speaker 3: acknowledging his position relative to God. I'm but dust and ashes,

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Speaker 3: and that's who we are Compared to the greatness of

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Speaker 3: the glos glory of God. We are dust and ashes,

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Speaker 3: and then boldally and clearly making his requests. This is

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Speaker 3: how we are to approach God in prayer, first recognizing

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Speaker 3: God's immense greatness and power and glory and our smallness

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Speaker 3: by comparison. But then we can make our request with confidence,

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Speaker 3: confidence because we know in Jesus Christ, God has promised

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Speaker 3: to hear us. Here. God once again agrees with the proposition,

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Speaker 3: and this goes on several more times until Abraham is

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Speaker 3: able to whittle the number down to just ten righteous men,

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Speaker 3: just ten. The Lord then turns and heads to Sodom

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Speaker 3: in search of a few righteous men who can spare

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Speaker 3: this wicked city. We'll find out the next time what happened.

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Speaker 3: Lord God, thank you for this passage and how we

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Speaker 3: can learn so much. Thank you for your loving patience

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Speaker 3: with us, and for the times when you reveal your

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Speaker 3: great plans in detail to us, as you did with

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Speaker 3: Abraham and Sarah. We know you do not have to

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Speaker 3: do this, but you choose to do it for our sake.

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Speaker 3: Thank you, Lord, that we can approach you with boldness

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Speaker 3: and humility, that we could ask for our heart's desire.

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Speaker 3: Help us to trust you more. Father, in Jesus's name. Amen.

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Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download thepray dot

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Speaker 3: com app and make prayer a priority in your life.

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Speaker 3: If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you know,

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Speaker 3: someone you love, because by sharing this podcast, you can

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Speaker 3: make a big difference in someone's life. In Jesus' name,

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Speaker 3: And if you want more resources on how to tap

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Speaker 3: into God's life, God's power, God's strength for successful Christian living,

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Speaker 3: be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God Bless you.

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Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare

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Speaker 1: solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality. Welcome

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Speaker 1: to the Prey News podcast, where hope is our only bias.

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Speaker 1: Each day, we'll unpack the most prominent stories happening in

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Speaker 1: the news and offer a Christian perspective. We won't shy

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Speaker 1: away from the hard topics, and we won't dilute the

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Speaker 1: hopeful message of Christ. This is more than a daily

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Speaker 1: brief on the news.

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Speaker 2: It's a way to be informed and transformed. Listen to

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Speaker 2: Prey News on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

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Speaker 2: you get your podcasts,