And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
1 15. Visit of three Angels to Abraham, and the Promise of a Son to Sarah (J)
1. the Lord appeared ] The personal Theophany of Jehovah (cf. Gen 16:13) was evidently at first not recognized by Abraham.
the oaks of Mamre ] Better, as R.V. marg., terebinths. See note on Gen 13:18. Mamre is here the name of a place, not of a chieftain (Gen 14:24).
in the heat of the day ] i.e. at noontide, as in 2Sa 4:5. Cf. 1Sa 11:9, “by the time the sun is hot”; Neh 7:3. For “the cool of the day,” see Gen 3:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
– The Visit of the Lord to Abraham
2. vaystachu bow, or bend the body in token of respect to God or man. The attitude varies from a slight inclination of the body to entire prostration with the forehead touching the ground.
6. se‘ah a seah, about an English peck, the third part of an ephah. The ephah contained ten omers. The omer held about five pints.
This chapter describes Abrahams fellowship with God. On the gracious assurance of the Redeemer and Vindicator, Fear not, I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward, he ceased to fear, and believed. On the solemn announcement of the Conqueror of evil and the Quickener of the dead, I am God Almighty; walk before me and be perfect, he began anew to walk with God in holiness and truth. The next step is, that God enters into communion with him as a man with his friend Isa 41:8; Joh 14:23. Hitherto he has appeared to him as God offering grace and inclining the will to receive it. Now, as God who has bestowed grace, he appears to him who has accepted it and is admitted into a covenant of peace. He visits him for the twofold purpose of drawing out and completing the faith of Sarah, and of communing with Abraham concerning the destruction of Sodom.
Gen 18:1-15
The Lord visits Abraham and assures Sarah of the birth of a son. Abraham is sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day, reposing. Three men stood before him. Whenever visitants from the celestial world appear to men, they have the form of man. This is the only form of a rational being known to us. It is not the design of God in revealing his mercy to us to make us acquainted with the whole of the nature of things. The science of things visible or invisible he leaves to our natural faculties to explore, as far as occasion allows. Hence, we conclude that the celestial visitant is a real being, and that the form is a real form. But we are not entitled to infer that the human is the only or the proper form of such beings, or that they have any ordinary or constant form open to sense. We only discern that they are intelligent beings like ourselves, and, in order to manifest themselves to us as such, put on that form of intelligent creatures with which we are familiar, and in which they can intelligibly confer with us. For the same reason they speak the language of the party addressed, though, for ought we know, spiritual beings use none of the many languages of humanity, and have quite a different mode of communicating with one another. Other human acts follow on the occasion. They accept the hospitality of Abraham and partake of human food. This, also, was a real act. It does not imply, however, that food is necessary to spiritual beings. The whole is a typical act representing communion between God and Abraham. The giving and receiving of a meal was the ground of a perpetual or inviolable friendship.
He ran to meet him. – This indicates the genuine warmth of unsophisticated nature. Bowed himself to the earth. This indicates a low bow, in which the body becomes horizontal, and the head droops. This gesture is employed both in worship and doing obeisance.
Gen 18:3-5
O Lord. – Abraham uses the word ‘adonay denoting one having authority, whether divine or not. This the Masorites mark as sacred, and apply the vowel points proper to the word when it signifies God. These men in some way represent God; for the Lord on this occasion appeared unto Abraham Gen 18:1. The number is in this respect notable. Abraham addresses himself first to one person Gen 18:3, then to more than one Gen 18:4-5. It is stated that they said, So do Gen 18:5, they did eat Gen 18:8, they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife Gen 18:9. Then the singular number is resumed in the phrase and he said Gen 18:10, and at length, The Lord said unto Abraham Gen 18:13, and then, and he said Gen 18:15. Then we are told the men rose up, and Abraham went with them Gen 18:16. Then we have The Lord said twice Gen 18:17, Gen 18:20. And lastly, it is said Gen 18:22 the men turned their faces and went toward Sodom, and Abraham was yet standing before the Lord. From this it appears that of the three men one, at all events, was the Lord, who, when the other two went toward Sodom, remained with Abraham while he made his intercession for Sodom, and afterward he also went his way. The other two will come before us again in the next chapter. Meanwhile, we have here the first explicit instance of the Lord appearing as man to man, and holding familiar conversation with him.
The narrative affords a pleasing instance of the primitive manners of the East. The hospitality of the pastoral tribes was spontaneous and unreserved. The washing of the feet, which were partly at least uncovered in walking, the reclining under the tree, and the offer of refreshment, are indicative of an unchanging rural simplicity. The phrases a little water, a morsel of bread, flow from a thoughtful courtesy. Therefore are ye come. In the course of events it has so fallen out, in order that you might be refreshed. The brief reply is a frank and unaffected acceptance of the hospitable invitation.
Gen 18:6-8
Abraham hastened. – The unvarying customs of Eastern pastoral life here come up before us. There is plenty of flour and of live cattle. But the cakes have to be kneaded and baked on the hearth, and the calf has to be killed and dressed. Abraham personally gives directions, Sarah personally attends to the baking, and the boy or lad – that is, the domestic servant whose business it is – kills and dresses the meat. Abraham himself attends upon his guests. Three seahs. About three pecks, and therefore a superabundant supply for three guests. An omer, or three tenths of a seah, was considered sufficient for one man for a day Exo 16:16. But Abraham had a numerous household, and plentifulness was the character of primitive hospitality. Hearth cakes, baked among the coals. Butter – seemingly any preparation of milk, cream, curds, or butter, all of which are used in the East.
Gen 18:9-15
The promise to Sarah. The men now enter upon the business of their visit. Where is Sarah thy wife? The jealousy and seclusion of later times had not yet rendered such an inquiry uncourteous. Sarah is within hearing of the conversation. I will certainly return unto thee. This is the language of self-determination, and therefore suitable to the sovereign, not to the ambassador. At the time of life; literally the living time, seemingly the time of birth, when the child comes to manifest life. Sarah thy wife shall have a son. Sarah hears this with incredulous surprise, and laughs with mingled doubt and delight. She knows that in the nature of things she is past child-bearing. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Sarah laughed within herself, within the tent and behind the speaker; yet to her surprise her internal feelings are known to him. She finds there is One present who rises above the sphere of nature. In her confusion and terror she denies that she laughed. But he who sees what is within, insists that she did laugh, at least in the thought of her heart. There is a beautiful simplicity in the whole scene. Sarah now doubtless received faith and strength to conceive.
Verse 16-33
The conference concerning Sodom. The human manner of the interview is carried out to the end. Abraham convoys his departing guests. The Lord then speaks, apparently debating with himself whether he shall reveal his intentions to Abraham. The reasons for doing so are assigned. First. Abraham shall surely become a nation great and mighty, and therefore has the interest of humanity in this act of retribution on Sodom. All that concerns man concerns him. Second. Blessed in him shall be all the nations of the earth. Hence, he is personally and directly concerned with all the dealings of mercy and judgment among the inhabitants of the earth. Third. I have known him. The Lord has made himself known to him, has manifested his love to him, has renewed him after his own image; and hence this judgment upon Sodom is to be explained to him, that he may train his household to avoid the sins of this doomed city, to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; and all this to the further intent that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him. The awful judgments of the Lord on Sodom, as before on the antediluvian world, are a warning example to all who are spared or hear of them. And those who, notwithstanding these monuments of the divine vengeance, will cease to do justice and judgment, may be certain that they will not continue to enjoy the benefits of the covenant of grace. For all these reasons it is meet that the secret of Lord be with him Psa 25:11.
Gen 18:20-22
The Lord now proceeds to unfold his design. There is justice in every step of the divine procedure. He comes down to inquire and act according to the merits of the case. The men now depart on their errand; but Abraham still stands before the Lord.
Gen 18:23-33
Abraham intercedes for Sodom. His spiritual character is unfolded and exalted more and more. He employs the language of a free-born son with his heavenly Father. He puts forward the plea of justice to the righteous in behalf of the city. He ventures to repeat his intervention six times, every time diminishing the number of the righteous whom he supposes to be in it. The patience of the Lord is no less remarkable than the perseverance of Abraham. In every case he grants his petition. Dust and ashes. This may refer to the custom of burning the dead, as then coexistent with that of burying them. Abraham intimates by a homely figure the comparative insignificance of the petitioner. He is dust at first, and ashes at last.
This completes the full and free conversation of God with Abraham. He accepts his hospitable entertainment, renews his promise of a son by Sarah, communicates to him his counsel, and grants all his requests. It is evident that Abraham has now fully entered upon all the privileges of the sons of God. He has become the friend of God Jam 2:23.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Gen 18:1-8
He took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them
The duty of hospitality
I.
As A COMMON DUTY.
II. AS A DUTY OF PIETY. Thus viewed, all duties are ennobled.
1. In their form.
2. In their motive.
3. The best qualities of the soul are developed.
III. As A DUTY WHICH IS PROPHETIC OF SOMETHING BEYOND ITSELF, AS genius does not always know all it utters, so the faithful and loving heart cannot always relate what it holds. Such was the ease with Abraham in his history. His duty rapidly rises in the form and meaning of it.
1. He entertains men on the principles of common hospitality (Gen 18:2).
2. He entertains angels.
3. He entertains God. (T. H. Leale.)
A prelude to the Incarnation
I. GOD APPEARS AS MAN,
II. GOD PASSES THROUGH THE SAME EXPERIENCE AS MAN. The angel Jehovah performs human actions, and passes through human conditions.
1. He both speaks and listens to human words. This Divine visitor converses freely with Abraham, and listens to his offer of hospitality. So God manifest in our nature spoke with human lips, and heard through ears of flesh the voices of men.
2. He shares the common necessities of man. This Divine visitor has no real need for food and refreshment, and yet He partakes of them. Jesus, though
He had no need of us in the greatness and independence of His majesty, yet took our infirmities and necessities upon Him. He lived amongst men, eating and drinking with them, and partaking of the shelter they offered.
3. As man He receives service from man. Jehovah, under the appearance of a man, partook of the food and of the hospitable services which Abraham offered. So Christ, in the days of His flesh, received the attentions of human kindness, shelter, food, comfort. He had special friends, such as those of the household of Bethany, which He loved so well. He was grateful for every act of kindness done to Him.
III. GOD MANIFEST IS RECOGNIZED ONLY BY THE SPIRITUAL MIND. (T. H.Leale,)
The Divine guest
There is no doubt as to the august character of one of the three who, on that memorable afternoon, when every living thing was seeking shelter during the heat of the day, visited the tent of the patriarch (see Gen 18:1-10). It was thus that the Son of God anticipated His Incarnation; and was found in fashion as a man before He became flesh. He loved to come incognito into the homes of those He cherished as His friends, even before He came across the slopes of Olivet to make His home in the favoured cottage, where His spirit rested from the din of the great city, and girded itself for the cross and the tomb.
I. ABRAHAM TREATED HIS VISITORS WITH TRUE EASTERN HOSPITALITY.
II. MAY IT NOT BE THAT CHRIST COMES TO US OFTEN IN THE GUISE OF A STRANGER? Does He not test us thus? Of course if He were to come in His manifested splendour as the Son of the Highest, every one would receive Him, and provide Him with sumptuous hospitality. But this would not reveal our true character. And so He comes to us as a wayfaring man, hungry and athirst; or as a stranger, naked and sick. Those that are akin to Him will show Him mercy, in whatsoever disguise He comes, though they recognize Him not, and will be surprised to learn that they ever ministered to Him. Those, on the other hand, who are not really His, will fail to discern Him; will let Him go unhelped away; and will wake up to find that inasmuch as they did it not to one of the least of these, they did it not to Him.
III. GOD NEVER LEAVES IN OUR DEBT. He takes care to pay for His entertainment, royally and divinely. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
The advent in the theophany
I. GOD VISITS HIS CHILDREN.
II. GOD VISITS HIS CHILDREN IN HUMAN FORM.
III. GOD VISITS HIS CHILDREN UNRECOGNIZED.
IV. GOD VISITS HIS CHILDREN IN BLESSING. V GOD VISITS HIS CHILDREN AT CRITICAL PERIODS.
VI. WHEN GOD VISITS HIS. CHILDREN, HE WILL BE BEST RECEIVED IN THE DISCHARGE OF THE SIMPLEST DUTIES. (W. F. Adeney, M. A.)
Abrahams celestial visitors
Lessons to be learned.
I. KINDLINESS TO STRANGERS.
II. FAITH IN THE PROMISES OF GOD.
III. THAT THERE IS A CONCATENATION BETWEEN OUR SINS. Want of trust, such as Sarah showed, necessarily leads to want of courage, and want of courage is the ready cause of want of truth. Let us avoid the first steps to evil.
IV. THE SIN OR INNOCENCE OF ANY ACTION DEPENDS UPON MOTIVES. Abraham laughed with joy, Sarah from incredulity. An action commendable in the one, was sinful in the other.
V. THE LONGSUFFERING AND CONDESCENSION OF GOD.
VI. THE WONDERFUL EFFICACY OF PRAYER. VII. THAT FOR THE ELECTS SAKE THE DAYS OF EVIL ARE OFTEN SHORTENED OR POSTPONED. Great leaders produce great causes, as much as great causes produce great leaders. VIII. NOW SPIRITUALLY, AS FORMERLY ACTUALLY, GOD VISITS HIS PEOPLE. (Homilist.)
Mysterious visitors
I. THE UNEXPECTED GUESTS.
II. THE POSITIVE PROMISE. To believe Gods word is the path to blessing.
III. THE REVEALED SECRET. (W. S. Smith, B. D.)
The coming of God, and the welcome of man
As the ruin of man consisted in his estrangement from God, so his restoration to eternal life consists in his return into the light of Gods presence. The Divine enlightenment of man is the glory or manifestation of God. The history of the spiritual revivals in the patriarchal and Jewish churches was the history of the renewed manifestations of Gods countenance. The theophanies witnessed by the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, gave to them the inspiration of life. But in the fulness of time, in the Incarnation, God who appeared in passing visions to the patriarchs, and shone between the cherubims in the mystery of the holy of holies, manifested Himself in the flesh and blood of the second Adam: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Thus, God manifest in the flesh in Christ Jesus, is the life of humanity. To behold Him with the eye of the soul is to have the life of the soul. The conditions upon which God permits men to realize the blessed influences of His presence, are to-day exactly the same as they were three thousand years ago, when the Father of the Faithful recognized His nearness on the plains of Mamre. The form of this narrative, which records that manifestation of God, embodies everlasting principles which can never pass away. For our instruction it tells us how the Father of the Faithful welcomed the approach of God to his soul. Let us dwell, for our learning–
I. Upon THE MODE IN WHICH THE DIVINE LIFE APPROACHED THE MAN. The Lord appeared unto him. . . Lo, three men stood by him.
1. The mode in which the Divine Life manifested His presence to the patriarch, as recorded in this passage, is regarded by the Church as an adumbration of the fundamental doctrine of the Christian verity, that we worship the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity. This passage is accordingly appointed to be read on the festival of the Trinity. The words, The Lord appeared unto him, give expression to the Unity of the Divine life. The words that describe the forms of the vision in which God manifested Himself to the soul of the man, Lo, three men stood by him, express the other aspect of this great mystery, and teach us to think of Three Persons existing within the One Essence of God. St. John the Divine, in his book of Revelation, has been inspired by God to use words which may enable us by analogy to form some faint conception of the relations eternally existing between the three Persons in the Godhead. He illustrates those relations by teaching us to think of the Three Persons in the One Godhead, as we think of the three divisions of one time. Now, the past in time presents itself to our minds as the fountain and origin out of which the present is for ever being born, and out of which the future is for ever destined to proceed. The present, in which we have our being, is for ever departing from us, in order to return into the bosom of that past out of which it came, and in which it dwells. The future comes to us for ever, sent by the departed present, and coming, when it comes, in the name of the present. Our only existence is for ever dependent upon our standing-place in the present. It is our communion, or participation of the present, that enables us to look back, and to remember the past out of which we have come. It is by virtue of our standing on the rock of the present, that we can look forward to the future which it is about to send to us. In the same manner we think of God the Father as the fountain of being, who hath created us, and to whom we look back, seeking the knowledge of our destiny in His creative purpose. So St. John represents the Father as Holy. . . Lord God Almighty that was. We think of the Son as the Ever Present Life, who gives to us our standing in existence. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. As we go back into the past, by standing in the present, so we can only come to the Father through the Son. He for ever says, No man cometh unto the Father but by Me. Likewise, as the present leads on to the future, so the Son sends to us–proceeding from the Father and Himself–the Holy Ghost. The Holy Lord God Almighty that is, departs and intercedes to send to us the Holy Lord God Almighty that is to come. Furthermore, although we necessarily think of time as presenting itself to our consciousness in these three forms, we nevertheless think of it as one in itself. The past, the present, and the future, are not three, but one time.
II. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL RECEIVED THE APPROACH OF GOD. Let us proceed to dwell upon the characteristics that marked the spiritual attitude of Abraham in welcoming the Divine vision.
1. We may, perhaps, infer from these opening words, He lift up his eyes and looked, the very simple, but very necessary, lesson that the presence of God cannot be realized, unless the soul of man directs its gaze above the objects of the sensual, earthly life. There are men who never rise in thought or feeling above the low level of earthly, transitory interests: that plain upon which are built the habitations that are doomed to crumble into dust The prayerless, thoughtless, sensual, earthly-minded man, cannot realize the presence of the Most High. The splendour of the Triune Majesty never dawns upon the eye of the soul that is engrossed in earthly things. Let no one expect to be partakers of Abrahams lofty experiences, unless he strives to follow Abrahams example, and to direct the aspirations of his soul upward.
2. We may also learn from this passage the well-known but frequently neglected truth, that there must be an effort of the soul to go forth, as it were, out of the habits of self, to meet the Divine life that comes near. Such seems to be the significance of the very simple but very deep words, He ran to meet them from the tent door. The neglect of this truth has doomed many souls to long darkness and exclusion from the presence of God. Man must use the freedom of his will to go forth to meet the coming of God. There are some who have been misled by the influence of false teaching to ignore this great truth. They have reasoned in their hearts, saying, If I am chosen and predestined to realize the blessed sight of Gods countenance, He will, in His good time, make an irresistible approach to my soul, and force His Divine presence into the innermost chambers of my being. It is not necessary that I should use that power of will which I have received, in order to go forth to meet Him, who will come, or not come, to me according to His own good pleasure and eternal decree. Man cannot by his own will cause God to be either present or absent from His sanctuary and throne of grace. His tabernacle is with men. But man can neglect to fulfil those conditions upon which Gods presence can be realized by his own soul. By sloth, prayerlessness, and apathy, he can remain beneath the shadow of his earthly tent, and lose the vision of God, because he will neither lift up his eyes, nor go forth to meet Him.
3. The attitude of the patriarch in welcoming the Divine presence teaches us another lesson, viz., the spiritual necessity of humility as a condition of obtaining a clear and near vision of God. The law of reverential humility is binding upon the human soul, and has its original sanction in the majesty of God. The self-confident, arrogant, proud man, transgresses one of the laws that regulate his relation to the majesty of God, and is inevitably removed in spirit to a distance from the throne of God. He loses the faculty of realizing the Divine presence. The physical philosopher who proposes to approach the throne of grace, not as a humble suppliant, but as an irreverent experimentalist, asking for a sign of his own choosing, ignores the elementary truths of the relation existing between the King and the subject. He would acknowledge that for the successful performance of physical experiments, it is necessary to comply with all the known physical conditions. The laboratory of spiritual truth has its conditions. One of those conditions is that it must be pervaded in all its parts by the atmosphere of reverence. God will not reveal the light of His presence to man, however eagerly he may run forth to seek it, until he has learnt to recognize the weakness, the littleness, the unworthiness of his own being before the majesty of the most High. The patriarchs obedience to this law of spiritual insight is simply expressed in the words, He bowed himself towards the ground.
4. The next clause in the text gives expression to the deep truth, that man cannot realize the blessedness of the Divine presence, without an earnest effort to give depth and permanency to his religious impressions. The Divine forms that came to Abraham doubtless passed over the plains of Mamre. They drew nigh to other tents, but those who dwelt beneath their covering realized not the blessedness of their approach, because they fulfilled not the conditions upon which it could be known. The high aspiration, the earnest inquiry, the spirit of reverence, were found only in the Father of the Faithful. The chosen patriarch fulfilled one other condition, without which souls cannot attain unto the clear vision of God. He had the grace of spiritual perseverance. He was not content to permit the truth that had poured its bright beams into his soul to pass away. He sought to deepen the Divine impressions received, and to make them permanent. Such is the significance of the prayer: My Lord, if now I have found favour in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant. In all the ages, the true children of Abraham are marked by this spirit of earnest perseverance, which seeks to deepen the experience of the soul. The dwellers in the tents of the world have not this characteristic. To them God draws near, but they never invite Him to stay. They seek to obliterate the impression at once; and in the angry impatience of a soul that will not give place, even for a moment, to the presence of the Divine life, that rebukes its own baseness, cry out, What have we to do with Thee?. . . Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time? There are others who welcome the Divine presence for a brief moment, but soon grow weary of its influence. In the church, or in some hour when the heart has been softened into sensibility by some sorrow or joy, they obtain a passing glimpse of the Divine life. The blessed experience of Gods abiding presence is only known by them who, in the spirit of the patriarch, seek by prayer to make the vision lasting. We must learn to pray, as true sons of Abraham, and loving disciples of our risen Lord, in the journey of life, Abide with us. My Lord, if I have found favour in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant.
5. The next clause in the text, Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, doubtless gives expression to a deep and everlasting spiritual truth. What is the condition, essential to the entertainment of the Divine life, expressed in these words? They teach us that, in order to welcome the Divine life in its approach, the soul must apply to the forms in which it vouchsafes to dwell, the element of purification here represented by the water. We fetch fresh draughts of the cleansing influences that stream from the cross of Christ, and strive to welcome the life of God to abide with us, by washing away the dust that defiles the forms in which it vouchsafes to dwell. This is an everlasting condition, binding upon every son of Abraham. God will not dwell with us, and manifest the blessed light of His countenance to our souls, unless we seek to cleanse our walk in life. The dust of earth that clings to us unwashed away by the waters of grace; the unconfessed, unrepented, unforsaken sins, will make us utterly incapable of realizing the Divine life.
6. Another essential condition which man must fulfil in order to realize the blessed consciousness of Gods presence, is expressed in these words addressed to the Divine forms: Rest yourselves under the tree. What is the spiritual truth conveyed in these words? They teach us that there must be in human life hours of rest and calm meditation, in order to ensure the enjoyment of the Divine presence. The hours taken from the world and spent in Divine worship, in the calm peace of the church; the hours in which the soul enters into the closet, shuts the door, and prays to the Father which is in secret, are the hours in which man rises into the realization of the eternal life.
7. The last act in the patriarchs welcome of the Divine presence is described in these words: I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on; for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. The man is here permitted to offer unto the Creator of His own creatures in order to welcome His presence. Man is hero represented as offering gifts to sustain the forms of the Divine life, and his offering is approved and accepted as a part of the welcome which he was bound to give. Such is the duty that rests upon man for ever. His services in themselves are of no value. His prayers, worship, alms, oblations–these are nothing in themselves. But they must be offered as expressions of loving welcome to the presence of God. If they are withheld, God will not lift up the light of His countenance upon the soul. The welcome which the human soul offers to God, finds its full expression in the holy eucharist. This vision of God brought with it to
Abraham special blessings. He was inspired to look forward to endless life, typified in the supernatural birth of Isaac; and to realize the doom of the lost souls, typified in the destruction of the cities of the plain. Such are for ever the fruits of the knowledge of God. It shows man the ways of life and death. If we would attain unto the blessedness of Gods realized presence, we must remember that the conditions to be fulfilled are the same as they were thousands of years ago on the plain of Mamre. (H. T.Edwards, M. A.)
Abraham, the friend of God
I. THE FRIENDLY VISIT.
1. Abrahams hospitality.
2. Gods gracious acceptance. A singular instance of Divine condescension–the only recorded instance of the kind before the Incarnation.
II. THE FRIENDLY FELLOWSHIP. In the progress of the interview, as well as in its commencement, the Lord treats Abraham as a friend.
1. He converses with him familiarly, putting to him a question which no stranger in the East would reckon himself entitled to put. He inquires into his household matters, and asks after Sarah, his wife (Gen 18:9).
2. Then in the pains He takes, by reiterated assurances, to confirm the faith of Abraham and to overcome the unbelief of Sarah–in the tone of His simple appeal to Divine omnipotence as an answer to every doubt, Is anything too hard for the Lord?–and in His mild but searching reproof of the dissimulation to which the fear of detection led Sarah, Nay, but thou didst laugh,–in all this, does it not almost seem as if by anticipation we saw Jesus in the midst of His disciples, stretching forth His hand to catch the trembling Peter on the waters, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? or, after the denial, turning to look on Peter, so as to melt his soul to penitence and love!
3. It is chiefly, however, in the close of this interview that Abraham is treated by God as His friend; being, as it were, admitted into His deliberations, and consulted in regard to what He is about to do.
III. THE FRIENDLY AND CONFIDENTIAL CONSULTATION.
1. The Lord refers to the honour or privilege already granted to Abraham, as a reason for having no concealment from Him now (Gen 18:18).
2. The Lord, in communicating His purpose to Abraham His friend, refers not only to the high honour and privilege which that relation implies, but also to its great responsibility (Gen 18:19).
IV. THE LIBERTY OF FRIENDLY REMONSTRANCE.
1. There is no attempt here to pry into the secret things which belong to the Lord our God (Deu 29:29); no idea of meddling with the purposes or decrees of election, which the Lord reserves exclusively to Himself.
2. Nor in this pleading does Abraham arrogate anything to himself. He has boldness and access, with confidence, by the faith of Jesus. He has liberty to converse with God as a friend, to give utterance to his feelings and desires before Him, to represent his own case and the case of every one for whom he cares; and not for himself only, but for others, yea, indeed for all, to invoke the name of Him whose memorial to all generations is this: The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty Exo 34:6-7).
3. Abrahams expostulation, accordingly, proceeds upon this name of the Lord, or in other words, upon the known and revealed principles of the Divine administration. Aspiring to no acquaintance with the secret decrees of God, and standing upon no claim of merit in himself, he has still warrant enough for all the earnestness of this intercessory pleading, in that broad general aspect of the character and moral government of God, to which he expressly refers. For he knows God as the just God and the Saviour; and on this twofold view of the ways of God he builds his argument in his intercessory prayer.
4. Such is the principle of Abrahams intercession for Sodom. And as it is founded on a right understanding of the nature and design of Gods moral government of the world, in this dispensation of long-suffering patience, subordinate to a dispensation of grace, and preparatory to a dispensation of judgment, so it is combined with a spirit of entire submission to the Divine sovereignty. (S. R. Candlish, D. D.)
Hospitality
Consider this virtue in–
I. Its source: a kind and generous heart.
II. Its attendant qualities.
1. Prompt.
2. Admitting of no refusal.
3. Unsparing.
III. The esteem in which it is held. It is–
1. Pleasing to man.
2. Approved of by God.
IV. The reward which it brings.
1. An angel may be entertained unawares.
2. Gratitude in its object is but natural to expect. (J. H. Jones.)
Abrahams hospitality
One thinking of these words of Abraham more seriously, If I have found favour, &c., noteth by them, that when one cometh to us to whom we may do good, we, rather than he, receive a benefit, for the poor man peradventure receiveth of us a penny, and we of the Lord an hundredfold, and eternal life also. Whether had Elias the better that received a cake, or the widow that by him received such comfort? How, then, may the true consideration hereof quicken us in all charitable and merciful actions towards our brethren distressed, and needing our pity and comfort? (Bp. Babington.)
The trite hospitality
In that he nameth a morsel of bread, and yet performed better, we see the antiquity of this modesty, that of a mans own things he should speak with least. So use we to invite men to a pittance, or to some particular morsel, when yet we intend somewhat better. But whatsoever Abraham made ready, was all but moderate, in comparison of that ungodly excess that some now use, rather to show their own pride, than to welcome the guest. True welcome never consisted in meats and drinks, and multitude of dishes, but in that affection of an inward heart, which truly hath appeared in a cup of water, where better ability wanted, and which passeth all dishes and meats under the sun. (Bp. Babington.)
Hospitality
Some years ago a pious widow in America, who was reduced to great poverty, had just placed the last smoked herring on her table to supply her hunger and that of her children, when a rap was heard at the door, and a stranger solicited a lodging and a morsel of food, saying that he had not tasted food for twenty-four hours. The widow did not hesitate, but offered a share to the stranger, saying, We shall not be forsaken, or suffer deeper for an act of charity. The traveller drew near the table; but when he saw the scanty fare, filled with astonishment, he said, And is this all your store? And do you offer a share to one you do not know? Then I never saw charity before! But, madam, do you not wrong your children by giving a part of your last morsel to a stranger? Ah, said the widow, weeping, I have a boy, a darling son, somewhere on the face of the wide world, unless heaven has taken him away; and I only act towards you as I would that others should act towards him. God, who sent manna from heaven, can provide for us as He did for Israel; and how should I this night offend Him, if my son should be a wanderer, destitute as you, and He should have provided for him a home, even as poor as this, were I to turn you unrelieved away? The widow stopped, and the stranger, springing from his seat, clasped her in his arms. God indeed has provided just such a home for your wandering son, and has given him wealth to reward the goodness of his benefactress. My mother! O my mother! It was indeed her long-lost son returned from India. He had chosen this way to surprise his family, and certainly not very wisely. But never was surprise more complete, or more joyful. He was able to make the family comfortable, which he immediately did. The mother lived for some years longer in the enjoyment of plenty.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
CHAPTER XVIII
The Lord appears unto Abraham in Mamre, 1.
Three angels, in human appearance, come towards his tent, 2.
He invites them in to wash and refresh themselves, 3-5;
prepares a calf, bread, butter, and milk, for their
entertainment; and himself serves them, 6-8.
They promise that within a year Sarah shall have a son, 9, 10.
Sarah, knowing herself and husband to be superannuated,
smiles at the promise, 11, 12.
One of the three, who is called the LORD or Jehovah, chides
her, and asserts the sufficiency of the Divine power to
accomplish the promise, 13, 14.
Sarah, through fear, denies that she had laughed or showed
signs of unbelief, 15.
Abraham accompanies these Divine persons on their way to Sodom, 16;
and that one who is called Jehovah informs him of his
purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, because of their
great wickedness, 17-21.
The two former proceed toward Sodom, while the latter (Jehovah)
remains with Abraham, 22.
Abraham intercedes for the inhabitants of those cities, entreating
the Lord to spare them provided fifty righteous persons should be
found in them, 23-25.
The Lord grants this request, 26.
He pleads for the same mercy should only forty-five be found there;
which is also granted, 27, 28.
He pleads the same for forty, which is also granted, 29;
for thirty, with the same success, 30;
for twenty, and receives the some gracious answer, 31;
for ten, and the Lord assures him that should ten righteous
persons be found there, he will not destroy the place, 32.
Jehovah then departs, and Abraham returns to his tent, 33.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII
Verse 1. And the Lord appeared] See Clarke on Ge 15:1.
Sat in the tent door] For the purpose of enjoying the refreshing air in the heat of the day, when the sun had most power. A custom still frequent among the Asiatics.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Waiting for strangers which might pass that way; for whom no public places being provided in those times and places, virtuous persons used to entertain them in their houses. See Heb 13:2.
In the heat of the day, the time when travellers, especially in those hot contries, used to divert and refresh themselves.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. the Lord appearedanothermanifestation of the divine presence, more familiar than any yetnarrated; and more like that in the fulness of time, when the Wordwas made flesh.
plains of Mamrerather,terebinth or oak of Mamre; a tall-spreading tree or grove of trees.
sat in the tent doorThetent itself being too close and sultry at noon, the shaded open frontis usually resorted to for the air that may be stirring.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre,…. That is, to Abraham; and very likely this appearance of God was quickly after the affair of the circumcision, to show his approbation of his ready obedience to his command; and at this time he was in the plains, or at the oaks of Mamre, the oaken grove there, as has been observed on
Ge 13:18; and which seems to be the best rendering of the words, since in Ge 18:4; mention is made of a tree to sit and stand under; and Abraham might choose this place for his habitation, because of the shadiness of it, in those hot countries:
and he sat in the tent door, in the heat of the day; partly to cool and refresh himself, and partly to observe if any passengers passed by, to invite them in; this being a time of day when such needed refreshment, and it was proper for them to lie by a while, and not proceed on their journey until it was cooler: or rather to or “near” the tent door, as Noldius g, or before it, without or under the shade of the tree, after mentioned.
g Ebr. Concord. Part. p. 13.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When sitting, about mid-day, in the grove of Mamre, in front of his tent, Abraham looked up and unexpectedly saw three men standing at some distance from him ( above him, looking down upon him as he sat), viz., Jehovah (Gen 18:13) and two angels (Gen 19:1); all three in human form. Perceiving at once that one of them was the Lord ( , i.e., God), he prostrated himself reverentially before them, and entreated them not to pass him by, but to suffer him to entertain them as his guests: “ Let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves ( ( sevle to recline, leaning upon the arm) under the tree.” – “ Comfort your hearts: ” lit., “ strengthen the heart, ” i.e., refresh yourselves by eating and drinking (Jdg 19:5; 1Ki 21:7). “ For therefore (sc., to give me an opportunity to entertain you hospitably) have ye come over to your servant: ” does not stand for ( Ges. thes. p. 682), but means “because for this purpose” (vid., Ewald, 353).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Abraham’s Interview with the Angels. | B. C. 1898. |
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
The appearance of God to Abraham seems to have had in it more of freedom and familiarity, and less of grandeur and majesty, than those we have hitherto read of; and therefore more resembles that great visit which, in the fullness of time, the Son of God was to make to the world, when the Word would be flesh, and appear as one of us. Observe here,
I. How Abraham expected strangers, and how richly his expectations were answered (v. 1): He sat in the tent-door, in the heat of the day; not so much to repose or divert himself as to seek an opportunity of doing good, by giving entertainment to strangers and travellers, there being perhaps no inns to accommodate them. Note, 1. We are likely to have the most comfort of those good works to which we are most free and forward. 2. God graciously visits those in whom he has first raised the expectation of him, and manifests himself to those that wait for him. When Abraham was thus sitting, he saw three men coming towards him. These three men were three spiritual heavenly beings, now assuming human bodies, that they might be visible to Abraham, and conversable with him. Some think that they were all created angels, others that one of them was the Son of God, the angel of the covenant, whom Abraham distinguished from the rest (v. 3), and who is called Jehovah, v. 13. The apostle improves this for the encouragement of hospitality, Heb. xiii. 2. Those that have been forward to entertain strangers have entertained angels, to their unspeakable honour and satisfaction. Where, upon a prudent and impartial judgment, we see no cause to suspect ill, charity teaches us to hope well and to show kindness accordingly. It is better to feed five drones, or wasps, than to starve one bee.
II. How Abraham entertained those strangers, and how kindly his entertainment was accepted. The Holy Ghost takes particular notice of the very free and affectionate welcome Abraham gave to the strangers. 1. He was very complaisant and respectful to them. Forgetting his age and gravity, he ran to meet them in the most obliging manner, and with all due courtesy bowed himself towards the ground, though as yet he knew nothing of them but that they appeared graceful respectable men. Note, Religion does not destroy, but improve, good manners, and teaches us to honour all men. Decent civility is a great ornament to piety. 2. He was very earnest and importunate for their stay, and took it as a great favour, Gen 18:3; Gen 18:4. Note, (1.) It becomes those whom God has blessed with plenty to be liberal and open-hearted in their entertainments, according to their ability, and (not in compliment, but cordially) to bid their friends welcome. We should take a pleasure in showing kindness to any; for both God and man love a cheerful giver. Who would eat the bread of him that has an evil eye?Pro 23:6; Pro 23:7. (2.) Those that would have communion with God must earnestly desire it and pray for it. God is a guest worth entertaining. 3. His entertainment, though it was very free, was yet plain and homely, and there was nothing in it of the gaiety and niceness of our times. His dining-room was an arbour under a tree; no rich table-linen, no side-board set with plate. His feast was a joint or two of veal, and some cakes baked on the hearth, and both hastily dressed up. Here were no dainties, no varieties, no forced-meats, no sweet-meats, but good, plain, wholesome food, though Abraham was very rich and his guests were very honourable. Note, We ought not to be curious in our diet. Let us be thankful for food convenient, though it be homely and common; and not be desirous of dainties, for they are deceitful meat to those that love them and set their hearts upon them. 4. He and his wife were both of them very attentive and busy, in accommodating their guests with the best they had. Sarah herself is cook and baker; Abraham runs to fetch the calf, brings out the milk and butter, and thinks it not below him to wait at table, that he might show how heartily welcome his guests were. Note, (1.) Those that have real merit need not take state upon them, nor are their prudent condescensions any disparagement to them. (2.) Hearty friendship will stoop to any thing but sin. Christ himself has taught us to wash one another’s feet, in humble love. Those that thus abase themselves shall be exalted. Here Abraham’s faith showed itself in good works; and so must ours, else it is dead, Jas 2:21; Jas 2:26. The father of the faithful was famous for charity, and generosity, and good house-keeping; and we must learn of him to do good and to communicate. Job did not eat his morsel alone, Job xxxi. 17.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
GENESIS – CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Verses 1-8:
Verse 1-5: The events of this chapter apparently took place not long after the institution of circumcision. They occurred in part to reassure Abraham concerning the promised son. In this chapter there is further implication of the contrast between Abraham and the blessings he enjoyed, and Lot and the increasing wickedness of those among whom he had chosen to live.
“In the plains of Mamre,” literally, “among the oaks of Mamre” (see Ge 13:18). The time was at noon. This is traditionally the time of rest (Song 1:7), and the hour of dinner. Likely Abraham had already dined, and was resting, as implied because of the preparations necessary for his guests to dine.
Abraham recognized one of his three Guests as Jehovah, and Lord (Adonai). He prostrated himself before them, both in the common salutation of the day, and in worship. He offered the hospitality of his home. Abraham lived in such a manner that he was aware of the Lord’s presence, and he was not ashamed to invite the Lord into his home. This would be appropriate for us today.
Abraham offered the usual amenities which hospitality required for travelers in that day. The language implies that Abraham considered it a privilege to be able to extend hospitality to these guests (see Le 19:33, 34; Heb 13:2; Ro 12:13; 1Ti 3:2; Tit 1:8; 1Pe 4:9). This included not only food for their nourishment, but water to wash their feet for refreshment.
Verse 6-8: Abraham quickly instructed Sarah to prepare a meal. It is unlikely that Sarah did this work herself, but instructed her maidservants to do so.
“Measure” is seah, a third of an ephah, equivalent to about one third of a bushel. The grain which was used to prepare the bread measured about a bushel. Abraham ordered that a prime young calf be slaughtered and cooked. This was no casual “snack,” but a real feast.
“Butter” is chemah, curdled milk or cheese.
“Milk” is chalab, the common term for fresh milk still containing its fatness.
Abraham provided the best he had to supply the needs of his Guests. This reminds us that we should willingly provide the Lord with the best we have.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
1. And the Lord appeared unto him It is uncertain whether Moses says, that God afterwards appeared again unto Abraham; or whether, reverting to the previous history, he here introduces other circumstances, which he had not before mentioned. I prefer, however, the former of these interpretations; namely, that God confirmed the mind of his servant witha new vision; just as the faith of the saints requires, at intervals, renewed assistance. It is also possible that the promise was repeated for the sake of Sarah. What shall we say, if in this manner, he chose to do honor to the greatness of his grace? For the promise concerning Isaac, from whom, at length, redemption and salvation should shine forth to the world, cannot be extolled in terms adequate to its dignity. Whichever of these views be taken, we perceive that there was sufficient reason why Isaac was again promised. Concerning the word Mamre we have spoken in the thirteenth chapter Gen 13:1. Probably a grove of oaks was in that place, and Abraham dwelt there, on account of the convenience of the situation.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
ABRAHAMTHE FRIEND OF GOD
Gen 11:10 to Gen 25:10.
ONE week ago we gave this hour to a study in Genesis, our subject being, The Beginnings. The birds-eye view of ten chapters and ten verses brought us to Babel, and impressed upon us the many profitable lessons that come between the record of creation and the report of confusion.
Beginning with the 10th verse of the 11th chapter of Genesis (Gen 11:10), and concluding with the 10th verse of the 25th chapter (Gen 25:10), we have the whole history of Abraham, the friend of God; and while other important persons, such as Sarai, Hagar, Lot, Pharaoh, Abimelech, Isaac, Rebecca and even Melchisedec appear in these chapters, Abraham plays altogether the prominent part, and aside from Melchisedec, the High Priest, is easily the most important person, and the most interesting subject presented in this inspired panorama. It may be of interest to say that Abraham lived midway between Adam and Jesus, and such was his greatness that the Chaldeans, East Indians, Sabeans and Mohammedans all join with the Jew in claiming to be the offspring of Abraham; while it is the Christians proud boast that he is Abrahams spiritual descendant.
It is little wonder that all these contend for a kinship with him whom God deigns to call His friend. The man who is a friend of God is entitled to a large place in history. Fourteen chapters are none too many for his record; and hours spent in analyzing his character and searching for the secrets of his success are hours so employed as to meet the Divine approval.
The problem is how to so set Abrahams history before you as to make it at once easy of comprehension, and yet thoroughly impress its lessons. In trying to solve that question it has seemed best to call attention to
THE CALL AND THE COVENANT.
Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy fathers house, unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed (Gen 12:1-3).
Did you ever stop to think of the separations involved in this call?
It meant a separation from home. From thy fathers house. How painful that call is, those of us who have passed through it perfectly understand; and yet many of us have gone so short a distance from home, or else have made the greater journey with such extended stops, that we know but little how to sympathize with Abrahams more effective separation from that dear spot. To go from Chaldea to Canaan in that day, from a country with which he was familiar to one he had never seen; and from a people who were his own, to sojourn among strangers, was every whit equal to William Careys departure from England for India. But as plants and flowers have to be taken from the hot-bed into the broad garden that they may best bring forth, so God lifts the subject of His affection from the warm atmosphere of home-life and sets him down in the far field that he may bring forth fruit unto Him; hence, as is written in Hebrews, Abraham had to go out, not knowing whither he went.
This call also involves separation from kindred. And from thy kindred. In Chaldea, Abram had a multitude of relatives, as the 11th chapter fully shows. Upon all of these, save the members of his own house, and Lot, his brothers son, Abram must turn his back. In the process of time the irreligion of Lot will necessitate also a separation from him. In this respect, Abrahams call is in no whit different from that which God is giving the men and women today. You cannot respond to the call of God without separating yourself from all kin who worship at false shrines; and you cannot make the progress you ought and live in intimate relation with so worldly a professor of religion as was Lot.
We may have marvelled at times that Abraham so soon separated himself from Lot, but the real wonder is that the man of God so long retained his hold upon him. No more difficult task was ever undertaken than that of keeping in the line of service a man who, in the lust of his eyes and the purpose of his heart, has pitched his tent toward Sodom. It is worthy of note that so soon as Abraham was separated from Lot, the Lord said unto him,
Lift up now thine eyes and look from the place that thou art, northward and southward, and eastward and westward, for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever (Gen 13:14-15).
The men of the broadest view in spiritual things, the men upon whom God has put His choicest blessing, have been from time immemorial men who have separated themselves from idolaters and pretenders that they might be the more free to respond to the call of God, and upon such, God has rested His richest favors.
This call also involves separation from the Gentiles. The Gentiles of Chaldea and the Gentiles of Canaan; from the first he was separated by distance and from the second by circumcision. Gods appeal has been and is for a peculiar people, not that they might be queer, but that He might keep them separatedunspotted from the world. God knows, O so well, how few souls there are that can mingle with the unregenerate crowd without losing their testimony and learning to speak the shibboleth of sinners. Peter was a good man; in some respects greater than Abraham; but Peter in that porch-company was a poor witness for Jesus Christ, while his profanity proved the baneful effect of fellowship with Gods enemies. The call to separation, therefore, is none other than the call to salvation, for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.
But Gods calls are always attended by
GODS COVENANTS.
As this call required three separations with their sacrifices, so its attendant covenant contained three promised blessings. God never empties the heart without filling it again, and with better things. God never detaches the affections from lower objects without at once attaching them to subjects that are higher; consequently call and covenant must go together.
I will make of thee a great nation. That was the first article in His covenant. To the Jew, that was one of the most precious promises. This ancient people delighted in progeny. The Psalmist wrote, As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. If our Puritan fathers, few in number and feeble as they were, could have imagined the might and multitude of their offspring, they would have found in the prospect an unspeakable pride, and a source of mighty pleasure. It was because those fathers did, in some measure, imagine the America to come, that they were willing to endure the privations and dangers of their day; but the honor of being fathers of a nation, shared in by a half hundred of them, was an honor on which Abraham had a close corporation, for to him God said,
I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth; so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall also thy seed be numbered.
If the heart, parting from parents and home, is empty, the arms into which children have been placed are full; and homesickness, the pain of separation, is overcome when, through the grace of God, one sits down in the midst of his own.
This covenant contained a further promise. I will . . . make thy name great. We may believe that the word great here refers not so much to empty honors as to merited praise. The Jewish conception of such a promise was expressed by Solomon when he said, A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. And, notwithstanding the fact that our age is guilty of over-estimating the value of riches, men find it difficult to underrate the value of a good name.
Years ago, Jonas Chickering decided to make a better piano than had ever appeared on the market. He spared neither time nor labor in this attempt. His endeavor was rewarded in purity and truthfulness of tone as well as in simplicity of plan, and there came to him the ever-attendant result of success. His name on a piano was that instruments best salesman.
A Massachusetts man, seeing this, went to the Massachusetts legislature and succeeded in getting them to change his name to Chickering, that he might put it upon his own instruments.
As Marden said when referring to this incident, Character has a commercial value.
And, when God promised Abraham to make his name great, He bestowed the very honor which men most covet to this hour.
But the climax of His covenant is contained in this last sentence, In thee shall all the families of the earth be blest. That is the honor of honors! That is the success of all successes! That is the privilege of all privileges!
When Mr. Moody died some man said, Every one of us has lost a friend, and that speaker was right, for there is not a man in America who has not enjoyed at least an opportunity to be better because Moody lived. No matter whether the individual had ever seen him or no; had ever read one of his sermons or no; yet the tidal waves of Moodys work have rolled over the entire land, over many lands for that matter, and even the most ignorant and debased have breathed the better atmosphere on account of him. George Davis claims that Moody traveled a million miles, and addressed a hundred million people, and dealt personally with 750,000 individuals! I think Davis claim is an overstatement, and yet these whom he touched personally are only a tithe of the multitudes blessed indirectly by that evangelism for which Moody stood for forty years. If today I could be privileged to make my choice of the articles of this covenant, rather than be the father of a great nation, rather than enjoy the power of a great name, I would say, Give me the covenant that through me all the nations of the earth should be blessed. Such would indeed be the crowning glory of a life, and such ought to be the crowning joy of a true mans heart.
In the next place, I call your attention to
ABRAHAMS OBEDIENCE AND BLUNDERS.
His obedience was prompt No sooner are the call and covenant spoken than we read,
So Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken unto him (Gen 12:4).
In that his conduct favorably contrasted with the behavior of some other of the Old Testaments most prominent men. Moses was in many respects a model, but he gave himself to an eloquent endeavor to show God that He was making a mistake in appointing him Israels deliverer. Elijah at times indulged in the same unprofitable controversy, and the story of Jonahs criticism of the Divine appointment will be among our later studies. I am confident that Abraham brings before every generation a much needed example in this matter. In these days, men are tempted to live too much in mathematics and to regard too lightly Gods revelations of duty. That is one of the reasons why many pulpits are empty. That is one of the reasons why many a Sunday School class is without a teacher. That is the only reason why any man in this country can say with any show of truthfulness, No man careth for my soul. If the congregations assembled in Gods sanctuary should go out of them, as Abram departed from his home in Haran, to fulfil all that the Lord had spoken unto them, the world would be turned upside down in a fortnight, and Christ would quickly come.
In his obedience Abraham was steadfast also. There are many men who respond to the calls of God; there are only a few who remain faithful to those calls through a long and busy life. There were battles ahead for Abram. There were blunders in store for Abram. There were bereavements and disappointments to come. But, in spite of them all, he marched on until God gathered him to his people. I thank God that such stedfastness is not wholly strange at the present time. When we see professors of religion proving themselves shallow and playing truant before the smaller trials, and we are thereby tempted to join in Solomons dyspeptic lament, All is vanity and vexation of spirit, it heartens one to remember the history that some have made and others are making. Think of Carey and Judson, Jewett and Livingstone, Goddard and Morrison, Clough and Ashmoremen who, through long years, deprivations and persecutions, proved as faithful as was ever Abraham; and so, long as the world shall stand, stedfastness in obedience to the commands of God will be regarded highly in Heaven. Why is it that we so much admire the company of the apostles, and why is it that we sing the praises of martyrs? They withstood in the evil day, and having done all, stood.
Again, Abrams obedience was inspired by faith.
When he went out from Chaldea to come into Canaan, he was not yielding to reason but walking according to revelation. His action was explained in the sentence, He believed in the Lord. Joseph Parker commenting on the world believed as here employed says, This is the first time the word believed occurs in the Bible. * * * * What history opens in this one word. Abram nourished and nurtured himself in God. * * * * He took the promise as a fulfilment. The word was to him a fact. The stars had new meanings to him, as, long before, the rainbow had to Noah. Abram drew himself upward by the stars. Every night they spoke to him of his posterity and of his greatness. They were henceforward not stars only but promises and oaths and blessings.
One great need of the present-day church is a truer trust in God. Oh, for men who like Columbus can let the craft of life float out on the seas of thought and action, and look to the starry heavens for the guidance that shall land them upon newer and richer shores! Oh, for men that will turn their ears heavenward to hear what God will say, and even though His commissions contain sacrifice will go about exercising it! Such men are never forgotten by the Father. We are not surprised to hear Him break forth in praise of Abraham, saying,
Because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, m blessing 1 will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gates of the enemy, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.
No sacrifice made in faith is ever forgotten, and when Gods rewards for service are spoken, good men always regard them more than sufficient. If you could call up today the souls of Carey, Judson, Livingstone and Morrison, and assemble Clough, Ashmore, Taylor, Powell, Clark, Richards and a hundred others worthy to stand with them, and ask them the question Has God failed in any particular to keep with you any article of His covenant? they would answer in a chorus, No. And has God more than met the expectations of your faith? they would reply without dissent, Yes. As He was faithful to our father Abraham, so He is faithful to the present-day servant.
And yet Abraham, the obedient, was
GUILTY OF BLUNDERING.
Twice he lied, and the third time he approached the utmost limits of truth. He told Sarai to say she was his sister. She was his half-sister, and so he thought to excuse himself by dissembling and keeping back a part. But a lie is not a question of words and phrases! It may be acted as easily as spoken! When God comes to make a report upon your conduct and mine, dissembling will be labeled falsehood, for God does not cover up the sins of men. Somebody has asked, Do you suppose, if the Bible had been written by some learned Doctor, revised by a committee of some eminent scholars, and published by some great ecclesiastical society, we would ever have heard of Noahs drunkenness, of Abrams deception, of Lots disgrace, of Jacobs rascality, of the quarrel between Paul and Barnabas, or of Peters conduct on the porch? Not at all. But when the Almighty writes a mans life, He tells the truth about him.
I heard a colored preacher at Cincinnati say, The most of us would not care for a biography of ourselves, if God was to be the Author of it. Yet the work of the Recording Angel goes on, and as surely as we read today the report of Abrams blunders, we will be compelled to confront our own. Let us cease, therefore, from sin.
But Abrams few blunders cannot blacken his beautiful record. The luster of his life is too positive to be easily dimmed; and like the sun, will continue to shine despite the spots. Run through these chapters, and in every one of the fourteen you will find some touch of his true life. It was Abraham whose heart beat in sweetest sympathy with the sufferings of Hagar. It was Abraham who showed the most unselfish spirit in separating from Lot and dividing the estate. It was Abraham who opened his door to strangers in a hospitality of which this age knows all too little. It was Abram who overcame the forces of the combined kings and snatched Lot out of their hands. It was Abraham whose prayers prevailed with God in saving this same weakkneed professor out of Sodom. It was Abraham who trusted God for a child when Nature said the faith was foolish. It was Abraham who offered that same child in sacrifice at the word, not halting because of his own heart-sufferings. It was Abraham who mourned Sarahs death as deeply as ever any bereft bride felt her loss.
The more I search these chapters, the more I feel that she was right who wrote, A holy life has a voice. It speaks when the tongue is silent and is either a constant attraction or a continued reproof. Put your ear close to these pages of Genesis, and if Abraham does not whisper good to your heart, then be sure that your soul is dead and you are yet in your sins.
There remains time for but a brief review of these fourteen chapters in search of
THEIR TYPES AND SYMBOLS
Abrams call is a type of the Church of Christ. The Greek word for Church means the called-out. Separation from the Chaldeans was essential to Abrams access to the Father, and separation from the world is essential to the Churchs access to God and also essential to its exertion of an influence for righteousness. I believe Dr. Gordon was right when, in The Two-Fold Life he said, The truest remedy for the present-day naturalized Christianity and worldly consecration is to be found in a strenuous and stubborn non-conformity to the world on the part of Christians. With the most unshaken conviction, we believe that the Church can only make headway, in this world, by being loyal to her heavenly calling. Towards Ritualism her cry must be not a rag of popery; towards Rationalism, not a vestige of whatsoever is not of faith; and towards
Secularism, not a shred of the garment spotted by the flesh. The Bride of Christ can only give a true and powerful testimony in this world as she is found clothed with her own proper vesture even the fine linen clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints.
Isaacs offering is a type of Gods gift of Jesus. He was an only son and Abraham laid him upon the altar of sacrifice. And, if one say that he fails as a type because he passed not through the experience of death, let us remember what is written into Heb 11:17 following,
By faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, *** accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him, in a figure.
It might be written in Scripture, Abraham so believed God that he gave his only begotten son, for Gods sake. It is written in Scripture, God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Melchisedec is a type of our High Priest, Jesus Christ. His record in Gen 14:18-20 is brief, but the interpretation of his character in Hebrews 7 presents him as either identical with the Lord Himself, or else as one whose priesthood is the most perfect type of that which Jesus Christ has performed, and performs today for the sons of men.
In Sodom, we find the type of the days of the Son of Man. Of it the Lord said,
Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me.
Jesus Christ referred to that city and likened its condition to that which should obtain upon the earth at the coming of the Son of Man, saying, As it was in the days of Lot, they did eat; they drank; they bought; they sold; they planted; they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all, even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
The newspapers some time ago reported great religious excitement in a Southern city through the work of two evangelists. Doctors said, We will prescribe no more liquor for patients, druggists said, We will sell no more liquor as a beverage; gamblers gave up their gambling; those called the toughs of the town turned to the Lord; the people of means put off their jewels, changed their frivolous clothes to plainer style; and wherever one went he heard either the singing of hymns or the utterance of prayers, and a great newspaper said this had all come about because the people in that little college town expected the speedy return of Christ. You may call it fanaticism, if you will, and doubtless there would be some occasion, and yet call it what you may, this sentence will remain in the Scriptures, Therefore, be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
CRITICAL NOTES.
Gen. 18:1. In the plains of Mamre.] Heb. In the oaks, or in the oak-grove of Mamre. Mamre was an ally of Abram, and under the shade of his oak-grove the patriarch dwelt in the interval between his residence at Bethel and at Beersheba (ch. Gen. 13:18; Gen. 18:1). (Jacobus.) Sat in the tent-door.] The Orientals are in the habit of sitting at the open door of their tents in order to catch the cooling air in the heat of the day. The chief of the family occupies this prominent position, and keeps himself in readiness to go forth and greet the passing traveller. In the heat of the day.] The dinner-hour, when they took their principal meal and their accustomed rest (ch. Gen. 43:16; Gen. 43:25; 1Ki. 20:16; 2Sa. 4:5). The Arab, when he takes his meal, sits at the door of his tent, in order to observe and invite those who are passing. It is a custom in the East to eat before the door, and to invite to a share in the meal every passing stranger of respectable appearance. (Knobel.)
Gen. 18:2. Three men.] Angels, though men in outward appearance. In ch. Gen. 19:1, they are expressly called angels. Heb. 13:1 plainly refers to this. One of the three is recognised as Jehovah. Ran to meet them.] This is the habit in the East when it is some superior personage who appears. The sheikh comes out from the door of his tent and makes a low bow quite towards the ground, and sometimes conducts the stranger to his tent with every token of welcome. (Jacobus.) Bowed himself.] Probably nothing more than civil homage is intended, as he was then ignorant of the true character of his guests.
Gen. 18:3. My Lord.] One of the three is addressed as a superior personage. The name is used chiefly and specially of God, but often applied to men of high distinction and authority. It is stated (Gen. 18:1) that Jehovah appeared to Abraham.
Gen. 18:4. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet.] The Easterns walk in sandals with bare feet. The heat, with the irritation of the particles of sand, makes long journeys exceedingly painful. Therefore the first act of hospitality is to order servants to wash the feet of travellers. Rest yourselves.] Heb. Lean ye down and recline,after the manner of the Easterns taking meals. Under the tree.] Collective singular for trees, as his tent stood in a grove (Gen. 18:1).
Gen. 18:5. Comfort ye your hearts.] Heb. Sustainstrengthen your hearts. ThusJdg. 9:5Comfort (Heb. stay) your hearts with a morsel of bread. Hence bread is termed the staff of life (Isa. 3:1).
Gen. 18:6. Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal.] Heb. Make ready three seahs of meal. A seah contained the third part of an ephaha little over an English peck. Make cakes upon the hearth. The cakes were round and flat, and were baked upon the hot stones of the hearth (1Ki. 17:13).
Gen. 18:7. A young man.] Heb. The young man, i.e., the servant.
Gen. 18:8. Butter. The word, as used in the Bible, implies butter and cream in various states of consistence. (Bush.) Most commonly made from the milk of the goat. He stood by them.] He is emphatic in Heb. It is intended to mark the fact that hethe masterstood in the attitude of serving.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Gen. 18:1-8
THE DUTY OF HOSPITALITY
This incident in Abrahams life was intended to show how God still further revealed Himself, but at the same time it affords us an example of the duty of entertaining strangers, of showing hospitality towards those who stand in need of such offices. Allowances must, of course, be made for the varying conditions of age, and country, and customs, but the principle of the duty itself is clear. Hospitality is represented here as a duty which may be regarded in three aspects
I. As a common duty. Hospitality may be considered as one of the common duties of humanity as sucha duty which may be considered apart from all religious sanctions. It may spring merely from a natural feeling of kindness, from the instinct of compassion, and may look no higher than the interests of this present world. There are duties which men owe to one another, and which may be considered with reference to society alone. Offices of kindness promote the welfare of society, and increase the sum of human happiness. They make the ills of life more tolerable. If this world were all, men might be kind to one another from considerations of utility alone. The rigid adherence to what mere justice demands between man and man is not sufficient for human happiness. There is a higher law of love by which we are as much bound to do good to others as not to injure them, to supply their wants as not to rob them, to bind up their wounds as not to smite them with the fist of wickedness. There are duties which are due to humanity as such. Hence, when anyone refuses to save the life of a fellow creature, or to render help in some sudden and extraordinary necessity, we say that his conduct is inhuman. The cold sentiment of justice cannot compel a man to such deeds of kindness. These must be left to the common instincts of the human heart. But though such works of love are beautiful in themselves, and useful, still they may be done quite regardless of any relations in which we stand to God and the future. We may show kindness to a man from the impulse of a feeling exactly alike to that which prompts us to show kindness to a hound or a horse. There is a human charity which rises no higher than human and present interests. It is a loving-kindness which is not better than life.
II. As a duty of piety. In the case of a religious man there can be no duties which are contained in themselves, and having no reference to anything beyond them. With such, all duties have regard to the pleasure and will of God. Therefore they look beyond human interests and this transitory world. They are duties towards God at the same time that they are duties towards man. With the religious man no real separation can be made between these. You cannot isolate any particle of matter in the universe so that it shall not be influenced by any other. In like manner, you cannot isolate the duties of a believer in God, for they are all influenced by a constant force and tendency. Hence the morality taught to the Jews in their sacred books was superior, in this regard, to that of the nations around, for they inculcated duties for the reason that such were well-pleasing to God. Man should love his fellow-man, not merely as a human being having certain relations to society, but as one who stands also in certain relations to God, and one who is therefore to be loved for Gods sake. Abraham was the type of the believer, and his hospitality was therefore rendered in the spirit of religion. This view of the subject ennobles all duties
1. In their form. They take a wider range, and regard higher and nobler issues. Virtues become transfigured into graces, and doing good into blessing.
2. In their motive. They have continual reference to the will and good pleasure of God. They approve themselves to the highest personal Will and Presence in the universe. Thus all duty becomes the loving service of the good God, who wills nothing but what is best.
3. The best qualities of the soul are developed. Abrahams conduct here was marked by love, humility, and reverence. He received the strangers graciously, and spread his best stores before them. He was courteous in his behaviour, and lowly in his bearing towards those whose superiority evidently impressed him. These are the choice graces of the human soul, and train a man for the service and adoration of God. To do our duty upon the highest principle of all is to work in the very light of Gods countenance, where the noblest things of the soul revive and flourish.
III. As a duty which is prophetic of something beyond itself. The fact that God holds an eternal relation to the souls of believers imparts a solemn grandeur and significance to all their actions. The smallest deeds done for Gods sake acquire a boundless importance. Marys deed, which is commended in the Gospel, was simple enough. She brake a box of costly ointment, and poured it on the head of Jesus. But He attributed a far-reaching purpose to that action of which she had no suspicion. She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying (Mar. 14:8). Thus there is a prophecy of greater things in actions which are done through faith and love to God. The loving heart has infinite depths in it all unknown to itself until the light of God enables us to see further down into them. As genius does not always know all it utters, so the faithful and loving heart cannot always relate what it holds. Such was the case with Abraham in this history. His duty rapidly rises in the form and meaning of it.
1. He entertains men on the principles of common hospitality (Gen. 18:2). He saw three men, and paid them that respect which was due to their style and appearance. He treats them at first as visitors of distinction, but still as men (Gen. 18:3-8).
2. He entertains angels. After a while the truth dawns upon him that they are heavenly beings. He has really, in the language of the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, entertained angels unawares (Heb. 13:2.) His action thus extends to heaven.
3. He entertains God (Gen. 18:1). With the strangers he receives the Lord Himself. His duty thus reaches to the Most Highest. He has literally done all for God. The service of every believer, in whatsoever duty, must come to this at last. Abrahams case was peculiar as to the form of this visitation; still, the same thing really occurs to every spiritual man. His actions ultimately touch God. Jesus says of little acts of kindness done for the needy in His name, Ye have done it unto me (Mat. 25:40.) Everything that is like God leads at length to Him. The deeds of love, though they may be done for the good of men, are really rendered to God. With the believer every duty becomes a personal service to the Lord.
A PRELUDE TO THE INCARNATION
It has ever been Gods method to prepare mankind, in various ways, for the subsequent revelations of His will. The whole of the Divine dealings with the Jewish nation had reference to something beyond themselves. They were a long and careful education for the times in which God would show His full purpose of love in Christ Jesus. In this appearance of God to Abraham we have a prelude to the Incarnation.
I. God appears as man. One of the three visitors is Jehovah, for it is expressly said that the Lord (Jehovah) appeared unto him (Gen. 18:1). In Gen. 18:10, this heavenly visitant makes a promise whose conditions God alone could perform. Jehovah is represented as clothed in human flesh, as under human limitations; yet Abraham learns to distinguish Him as above mortal, and at length knows that God has visited him. Since then God has come to dwell in this world in the tabernacle of flesh, and became as man among men. This miracle of Gods appearance to the patriarch was but foredating the grand miracle of the Incarnation.
II. God passes through the same experience as man. This was something more than a passing appearance. The angel Jehovah performs human actions, and passes through human conditions.
1. He both speaks and listens to human words. This Divine visitor converses freely with Abraham, and listens to his offer of hospitality. So God manifest in our nature spoke with human lips, and heard through ears of flesh the voices of men.
2. He shares the common necessities of man. This Divine visitor had no real need for food and refreshment, and yet He partakes of them. Jesus, though He had no need of us in the greatness and independence of His majesty, yet took our infirmities and necessities upon Him. He lived amongst men, eating and drinking with them, and partaking of the shelter they offered.
3. As man he receives services from man. Jehovah, under the appearance of a man, partook of the food and of the hospitable services which Abraham offered. So Christ, in the days of His flesh, received the attentions of human kindness, shelter, food, comfort. He had special friends, such as those of the household of Bethany, which He loved so well. He was grateful for every act of kindness done to Him. Though He came here in great humility, He was pleased to receive the reverential regard and homage of men; for this was but the tribute justly due to His glorious Majesty hidden beneath the veil of flesh. The reverence at first shown by Abraham would improve into adoration and worship; so beneath the human in Christ we come to perceive the Divine, and to worship Him as Lord of all.
III. God manifest is recognised only by the spiritual mind. Such appearances as this were not vouchsafed to the men of the world. He who was called the friend of God was alone thus privileged. The world around was ignorant of the true nature of this transaction. They knew not of any manifestation of God. So to unspiritual men Christ was not truly known as to what He really was. He could only be recognised by an eye favoured with spiritual vision. The world knew Him not. Men may hold, as a doctrine, that Christ has come in the flesh, and that He was truly God; and yet, without a living faith, they do not really know Him and feel His power. Abraham had that eye of faith which could discern God.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
This manifestation of God to Abraham was vouchsafed after his ready and faithful obedience to the command regarding circumcision. The obedience of faith brings a more intimate knowledge and recognition of God.
His own tent occupies a distinguished place among those of his household and attendants, standing near the path by which the casual wayfarer may be expected to pass. It is the hour of noon, and Abraham is on the watch for any weary pilgrim, to whom its sultry and scorching heat may make rest and refreshment welcome. The hour of noon, in that burning clime, suspends all labour, and compels the exhausted frame to seek repose. Abraham and his people repair severally to their tents, and make ready the homely meal. But first the patriarch takes his place at the tent-door, where usually is his seat of authority. And there he waits to see if any stranger is coming whom it may be his duty and privilege to entertain. Perhaps some of the remnant of the godly, still holding fast their faith amidst the abounding iniquity and universal idolatry of the landnot protected and blessed, as Abraham once was himself, by any pious Melchisedec, but persecuted and cast out by those among whom they dweltmay be going about without a home, and may be glad of a days shelter and a days food. These the patriarch will delight to honour; and the recollection of his own early wanderings, as well as his love to them as brethren in the Lord, will open his heart towards them. Thus he sits for a little in the heat of the day, in his tent door, not idle, but intent on hospitable thoughtsnot forgetful to entertain strangers. On this day he is well rewarded for his hospitality. According to the saying of the apostle (Heb. 13:2), he entertains angels unawares. And not all of them created angels, even of the highest order. One, in the progress of this interview, discovers Himself to be the Angel of the Covenantthe Lord Himself.(Candlish).
Times of leisure and repose specially fit us to receive Divine communications. The quietness which reigns around is well suited to the still small voice.
God appeared, not solely for Abrahams sake, but in order to show that His delights were with the sons of men (Pro. 8:31).
Gen. 18:2. Whenever visitants from the celestial world appear to men, they have the form of man. This is the only form of a rational being known to us. It is not the design of God in revealing His mercy to us to make us acquainted with the whole nature of things. The science of things visible or invisible He leaves to our natural faculties to explore, as far as occasion allows. Hence we conclude that the celestial visitant is a real being, and that the form is a real form. But we are not entitled to infer that the human is the only or the proper form of such beings, or that they have any ordinary or constant form open to sense. We only discern that they are intelligent beings like ourselves, and, in order to manifest themselves to us as such, put on that form of intelligent creatures with which we are familiar, and in which they can intelligibly confer with us. For the same reason they speak the language of the party addressed, though, for ought we know, spiritual beings use none of the many languages of humanity, and have quite a different mode of communicating with one another.(Murphy.)
The fact that God appeared as man is a proof to us that man is of a Divine race. Man does not begin from the fall, from the corruption of human nature, but a step higher up where he appears in the true image and glory of God. To think lightly of man is to think lightly of the Incarnation. There is some kind of fitness in man, as the image of God, of mans organs, his affections, and his life, to be the utterers and exponents of the life, yea, of all the heart of God.
The persons that now appeared at the tent-door of Abraham were certainly unknown to him. He was ignorant of their quality, their country, and their destination; yet his behaviour to them was as respectful as if they had been attended by a pompous retinue, or had sent a messenger to him beforehand announcing their names, and their intention of paying him a visit. With how much propriety the apostle inculcates the duty of hospitality from this incident will be obvious at once, and we may remark, in addition, that those who hold themselves in readiness to show kindness to the stranger and the traveller, may chance sometimes to be favoured with the presence of guests who will have it in their power and in their hearts to bless them as long as they live.(Bush.)
He ran to meet them.
1. An instance of unsophisticated heartiness of nature.
2. An instance of a disposition to give and to bless.
Godliness does not place us above the necessity of observing the courtesies of human life, but even obliges us to practise them. The believer does that from principle and from love of God, which in the man of the world is the result of good breeding. The one is marked by simplicity and the absence of guile; the other scruples not to follow the arts of hypocrisy, and to disguise the worst feelings under the hollow forms of politeness.
Reverence towards mantowards all that is noble and godlike in manprepares the soul for that supreme adoration which is due only to God.
Gen. 18:3-4. Abraham uses the word Adoni, denoting one having authority, whether Divine or not. This the Masorites mark as sacred, and apply the vowel-points proper to the word when it signifies God. These men in some way represent God. The Lord on this occasion appeared unto Abraham (Gen. 18:1). The number is in this respect notable. Abraham addresses himself first to one person (Gen. 18:3), then to more than one (Gen. 18:4-5). It is stated that they said, So do (Gen. 18:5), they did eat (Gen. 18:8), they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? (Gen. 18:9). Then the singular number is resumed in the phrase, And he said (Gen. 18:10), and at length, The Lord said unto Abraham (Gen. 18:13), and then, And he said (Gen. 18:15). Then, we are told, the men rose up, and Abraham went with them (Gen. 18:16). Then we have, the Lord said twice (Gen. 18:17; Gen. 18:20). And lastly it is said (Gen. 18:22) the men turned their faces and went towards Sodom, and Abraham was yet standing before the Lord. From this it appears that, of the three men, one at all events was the Lord, who, when the other two went towards Sodom, remained with Abraham while He made his intercession for Sodom, and afterwards He also went His way. We have here the first explicit instance of the Lord appearing as man to man, and holding familiar intercourse with him.(Murphy.)
If now I have found favour in thy sight. Such was the Oriental form of salutation. The difficulty of the first address, on any new occasion, is felt by every man in his intercourse with the world; hence all languages have their regular forms of salutation.
We read of another heavenly visitant whose manner and speech possessed an indescribable charm, and who was urged to stay, in words similar to these.(Luk. 24:29.)
Let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet. That is, have them washed, for this was performed by the servants, and not by the guests themselves. Water for the feet is a necessary and most grateful part of hospitality in the East. Where the people only wear sandals, which are intended only to protect the soles, the feet soon become foul and parched; and to have the feet and ankles bathed is the most gratifying of refreshments after that of quenching thirst. In passing through Hindoo villages, it is common to see this office performed for the weary traveller. In the sandy deserts of Arabia and the bordering countries, no covering for the feet can prevent the necessity for this refreshment at the end of a days journey. The fine, impalpable dust penetrates all things, and, with the perspiration, produces an itching and feverish irritation, which, next to the quenching of his thirst, it is the first wish of a traveller to allay; and to uncover his feet, and to get water to wash them, is a prime object of attention. If sandals only are used, or the feet are entirely without defence, it becomes still more necessary to wash them after a journey.(Bush.)
Gen. 18:5. The courtesy of a godly man.
1. In his refined humility he diminishes the merit of every office he proposes to perform. If they are to be refreshed with water he calls it a little water; and if with food, he calls it a morsel of bread.
2. He relieves the anxiety which his guests might have lest they should encroach upon his liberality. He says nothing regarding the best of the entertainments which he intends to provide for them.
3. He ascribes the opportunity for his benevolence to the Providence of God. For therefore are ye come to your servant. God had so ordered things that these men should come to him at that time, and he was therefore bound to regard and treat them as if sent with that special purpose. He claimed no merit for this act of kindness. He was but the Lords instrument. The piety of Abraham shines forth here. He habitually recognised a superintending and directing Providence. To an ordinary mind it was a thing of chance that a few strangers should pass by the door of a tent, but Abraham instinctively refers it to the ordering of heaven, and therefore he feels that he is only discharging a duty which God has laid upon him.
We should regard every opportunity of befriending our fellow-creatures as ordered by Divine Providence. The circumstances which call for benevolence, as well as the impulse of the feeling itself, come from Him.
Every occasion of doing good must be recognised as a call from God to do it.
Can finer or truer delicacy in the conferring of a benefit be imagined? Ah! it is godliness after all that is the best politeness. It is the saint who knows best how to be courteous. Other benefactors may be liberal, condescending, familiar. They may try to put the objects of their charity at their ease. Still there is ever something in their bountifulness which pains and depresses, and if it does not offend or degrade, at least inspires a certain sense of humiliation. But the servant of God has the real tact and taste which the work of doing good requires. And the secret is, that he does good as the servant of God. Like Abraham he feels himself, and he makes those whom he obliges feel that it is truly not a transaction between man and man, implying that greatness or grandeur on the one side, of which the want may be painfully realised on the other, but that all is of God, to whom giver and receiver are equally subject, and in whom both are one. Think of this, ye who complain of the ingratitude of the poor; and be not in haste to reckon your gifts unvalued and unrepaid. Be assured it is a bitter thing for man to be obliged to his fellow-man, unless the obligation be hallowed and sweetened by a sense of the part which God has in the transaction. Take Abrahams method if ye can. Imbibe Abrahams spirit: say, It is the Lord; my entertaining you is nothing; my serving you is nothing; for therefore are ye come to your servant.(Candlish.)
So do as thou hast said. Here is no empty form or idle ceremony; no affected disinclination to receive what is so frankly offered; no unmeaning compliments or apologies; no exaggerated professions of humility or gratitude. All is the simplicity of a generous heart and of sound sense.
It was the custom of St. Gregory, when he became Pope, to entertain every evening at his own table twelve poor men, in remembrance of the number of our Lords apostles. One night, as he sat at supper with his guests, he saw, to his surprise, not twelve but thirteen seated at his table; and he called to his steward, and said to him, Did not I command thee to invite twelve? and, behold! there are thirteen. And the steward told them over, and replied, Holy Father, there are surely twelve only. And Gregory held his peace; and, after the meal, he called forth the unbidden guest, and asked him, Who art thou? And he replied: I am the poor man whom thou didst formerly relieve; but my name is The Wonderful, and through me thou shalt obtain whatever thou shalt ask of God. Then Gregory knew that he had entertained an angel, even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Gen. 18:6. Abraham performs more than he had promisedcauses preparations for his guests to be made, surpassing the simple offer of a morsel of bread and a little water. There is a temperance and modesty in speech which is observed by every man of true nobility of mind and feeling.
The hasty preparation which follows is exactly after the Oriental fashion. The repast provided for the family will not suffice for these new guests. But the requisite addition is easily and quickly made. In the true primitive style, all in the housethe heads as well as the servants of the householdbestir themselves. Sarah prepares cakes. Abraham himself fetches a calf, which the young man hastens to dress. Butter and milk complete the entertainment, to which the three seeming travellers sit down; Abraham, meanwhile, doing the part of an attentive host, and courteously standing by them, while they eat under the tree. And yet, probably, he knows not who they are whom he is entertaining. But be they who they may, can we doubt that, in showing them this kindness, a glow of satisfaction fills his soul? And can Abraham long fail to detect, under their homely appearance, some traces of their heavenly character? They are not of the common class whom business or pleasure brings across his path. They are not like the ordinary inhabitants of the land. Their holy air and holy demeanour cannot be mistaken.(Candlish.)
Abraham was a man of noble views, and a large heart; but he was not above attending to the little things of life. While he acted the part of a generous host, he knew what details were necessary to be carried out in order to entertain his guests. All the efficient characters in history, while they have been men of comprehension, have also been men of detail. Great generals not only conceive plans of vast extent, but the most minute particulars, which are to fill up those plans, are each and every one distinct to their minds eye. In another way, St. Paul is an example of this faculty. There are great principles laid down in his epistles; and, at the same time, we observe a most circumstantial attention to the common affairs of life. No man can become great who is not a master of detail.
It seems very strange to us that in such an establishment as that of the patriarch there was not ready baked bread for the strangers. But the fact is, that in the East to this day, so much bread, and no more than will suffice for the household, is baked daily, as the common bread will not keep longer than a day in a warm climate. In villages and camps every family bakes it own bread; and while journeying in the East, we always found that the women of the families which entertained us always went to work immediately after our arrival, kneading the dough, and baking cakes, generally on spacious round or oblong plates, of thin and soft bread, which were ready in an astonishingly short time. It may seem extraordinary to see a lady of such distinction as Sarah, the wife of a powerful chief, occupied in this menial service. But even now this duty devolves on the women of every household; and among those who dwell in tents, the wife of the proudest chief is not above superintending the preparation of the bread, or even kneading and baking it with her own hands. Tamar, the daughter of a king, seems to have acquired distinction as a good baker of bread (2Sa. 13:5-10); and there are few of the heavy duties which fall upon the women of the East, which they are more anxious to do well and get credit for, than this. It is among the first of an Eastern females accomplishments.(Pictorial Bible.)
Gen. 18:7. Here was a well-ordered family; everyone knew his office, and did it. In every society, say the politicians, as in a well-tuned harp, the several strings must concur to make a harmony.(Trapp.)
Here, again, the European reader is struck no less at the want of preparation than by the apparent rapidity with which the materials of a good feast were supplied. The dough was to be kneaded and the bread baked; and the meat had not only to be dressed, but killed. The fact is, the Orientals consume a very small quantity of animal food. In our own journeys, meat was never found ready killed, except in the large towns. There was, probably, not a morsel of meat in Abrahams camp in any shape whatever. Amongst the Arabs, and indeed other Eastern people, it is not unusual at their entertainments to serve up a lamb, or kid, that has been baked whole in a hole in the ground, which, after being heated and having received the carcass, is covered over with stones. It is less usual now in the East to kill a calf than it seems to have been in the times of the Bible. The Arabs, Turks, and others think it monstrous extravagance to kill an animal which becomes so large and valuable when full grown. This consideration seems to magnify Abrahams liberality in being so ready to kill a calf for strangers.(Bush.)
Abraham, though an old man, ran to his herd to fetch his choice calf. True generosity is not content with easy sacrifices, and shrinks not from personal trouble and inconvenience.
Abraham entertained his guestsone of them being Divinewith a fatted calf. So God entertains man with the choicest provision of His household (Luk. 15:23).
Gen. 18:8. Abraham attended upon his guests. God is the guest of Abraham here. Abraham is His guest now and for ever (Mat. 8:11).(Jacobus.)
God, manifested through mans nature and form, becomes known to Abraham in the breaking of bread (Luk. 24:30-31.)
God will prepare the best things for His people in the feast of glory.
It is a singular instance of condecensionthe only recorded instance of the kind before the Incarnation. On other occasions this same illustrious Being appeared to the fathers, and conversed with them. And meat and drink were brought out to Him. But in these cases He turned the offered banquet into a sacrifice, in the smoke of which He ascended heavenward (Jdg. 6:18-24; Jdg. 13:15-21). Here He personally accepts the patriarchs hospitality, and partakes of his farea greater miracle still than the other, implying more intimate and gracious friendship, more unreserved familiarity. He sits under his tree, and shares his common meal. Behold, says the same Lord to every believing child of Abraham, Behold, I stand at the door and knock, etc. (Rev. 3:20). But above all, If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (Joh. 14:23). Be not, then, forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Heb. 13:2). They have entertained the messenger of the Covenant, the Lord Himself. But how may you have any chance of falling into this blessed mistake, and unawares entertaining Christ and His angels? Does He, or do they go about now in the guise of weary and wayworn pilgrims? What says the Lord Himself? Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto me. Whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. Yes, every service performed to one of the Lords little ones in a spirit like that of Abraham; every kindness shown to one who is, or who may be, a disciple of the Lord, is a service performed and a kindness shown to the Lord Himself. The Lord accepts it as such. What a thought is this! That in all your acts of courtesy and friendship,of hospitality, of charity, of goodwill,you may consider that it is the Lord Himself you are obliging? What a motive to do good unto all men, especially those that are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). And think not that your thus entertaining Christ is a mere pleasing notion,a fiction or a theory. Think not that it is to be practically realised only in the judgment of the great day as the principle upon which its final rewards are to be dispensed. Even now your thus entertaining Christ unawares may be matter of blessed experience. He manifests Himself to you on every occasion, however trifling, on which, in doing the least good to the very least of His brethren, you do it in faith as unto Himself. For such brotherly kindness opens your heart. It is the very best reply to His knocking. It brings near to you that Lord whom, in the person of one of His little ones, you have been honouring. You thus realise the fact of His entering in that He may sup with you and you with Him. For at the supper you provide for any one of His little onesHe will not Himself be absent. Multiply, therefore, these offices of Christian love. Devise liberal things. Do good and communicate. Give as unto the Lordthat thus you may have more of His presence with you, and more of His love shed abroad in your hearts.(Candlish.)
This Divine visitant condescends to feast with Abraham. Surely Abraham has now become the friend of God (Jas. 2:23). This feasting of God with man appears again in the progress of the dispensations of His gracein the Shew-bread in the Temple, the Lords Supper in the New Covenant, and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in the new world.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
PART THIRTY-ONE
THE STORY OF ABRAHAM: THE PATRIARCH AS INTERCESSOR
Gen. 18:1-33
1. Abraham as the Gracious Host (Gen. 18:1-8)
1 And Jehovah appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4 let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5 and I will fetch a morsel of bread, and strengthen ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on: forasmuch as ye are come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes. 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hasted to dress it 8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
(1) Abraham and His Mysterious Visitors.
Under the oaks (terebinths) at Mamre, not far from what later became the city of Hebron, the place where the patriarch had formerly pitched his tent (Gen. 13:18), we now see him sitting in the opening of his tent (a fold of which was fastened to a post near by to admit any breeze that might be stirring) in the heat of the day, that is, at noontide. (Cf. 1Sa. 11:11, the cool of the day; Gen. 3:8, here the Hebrew reads the wind of the day: these terms refer to the eventide). Among Orientals the noon hour is the time of rest (S. of Son. 1:7) and of dinner (Gen. 43:16; Gen. 43:25). In this instance Abraham had probably dined and was resting after the dinner, as indicated by the fact that when the visitors arrived special preparations were begun for their, entertainment. Who were these mysterious visitors? When first perceived by the patriarch he took them to be men, but on closer scrutiny (when he saw them, that is, not with physical but with mental vision) he recognized them as divine beings, as evidenced by the fact that he bowed himself to the earth, and said, my Lord, etc. This expression indicates the complete prostration of the body by first falling on the knees and then inclining the head forward until it touches the ground. This was a mode of salutation practised by Orientals toward superiors generally. Certainly the language in which Abraham immediately addressed one of the three men leads to the conclusion that he had already recognized one of them as Yahwe Himself or as the Angel of Yahwe. Obviously the divine character of the three was fully disclosed by the fact of their supernatural knowledge of Sarahs thoughts (Gen. 18:12-15). Lange (CDHCG 433): Abraham instantly recognizes among the three the one whom he addresses as the Lord in a religious sense, who afterward appears as Jehovah, and was clearly distinguished from the accompanying angels, ch. Gen. 19:1. In its definitive form this Yahwistic narrative recounts an apparition of Yahweh (Gen. 18:1; Gen. 18:3; Gen. 18:13; Gen. 18:17-22) accompanied by two men who, according to Gen. 19:1, are angels. . . . In these three, to whom Abraham addressed a single act of homage, many of the Fathers saw a foreshadowing of the doctrine of the Trinity, a doctrine that was revealed only in the N.T. (JB, 33). It is difficult, from the language of the text here, to think of this as an apparition: there were real persons, not just ghosts or phantoms. We believe Skinner is correct in describing the incident as a theophany. Speiser (ABG, 129): At this stage (Gen. 18:3) Abraham is as yet unaware of the true identity of his visitors, so that he would not address any of them as God; and he cannot mean all three, because the rest of the verse contains three unambiguous singulars. . . . Later on, in Gen. 18:27; Gen. 18:32-33, the divine appellation is in order, because by then it is clear that Abrahams guests are out of the ordinary. The present pointing was probably influenced by the explicit mention of Yahweh in Gen. 18:1. But this is the authors aside to the reader who is thus prepared at the outset for the surprise that is in store for Abraham. (The pointing here, says this writer, is that which is applied to YHWH in the received text). For a contrary view (to be expected, of course, from the general critical approach of the entire work), see IBG, 617: The statement that he bowed himself to the earth does not mean that he recognized his visitors as divine beings. The act was an expression of the self-depreciating courtesy of the Orient (cf. Gen. 23:7, 1Sa. 24:8, 2Sa. 14:4; 2Sa. 14:22; 1Ki. 1:31). Murphy (MG, 315): These men in some way represented God: for the Lord on this occasion appeared unto Abraham (Gen. 18:1). The number is in this respect notable. Abraham addresses himself first to one person (Gen. 18:3), then to more than one (Gen. 18:4-5). It is stated that they said, So do (Gen. 18:5), they did eat (Gen. 18:8), they said unto him, Where is Sarah, thy wife? (Gen. 18:9). Then the singular number is resumed in the phrase and he said (Gen. 18:10), and at length, The Lord said unto Abraham (Gen. 18:13), and then, and he said (Gen. 18:15). Then we are told the men rose up, and Abraham went with them (Gen. 18:16). Then we have The Lord said twice (Gen. 18:17; Gen. 18:20). And lastly, it is said (Gen. 18:22) the men turned their faces and went toward Sodom, and Abraham was yet standing before the Lord. From this it appears that of the three men, one, at all events, was the Lord, who, when the other two went toward Sodom, remained with Abraham while he made his intercession for Sodom, and afterward he also went his way. The other two will come before us again in the next chapter. Meanwhile we have here the first explicit instance of the Lord appearing as man to man, and holding familiar intercourse with him. The person to whom Abraham addressed himself, and who was at least the chief speaker, was the Son of God and Judge of the world: cf. Gen. 18:25 with Joh. 5:22 (SIBG, p. 241). Was the Lord in this instance a pre-incarnate manifestation of the Eternal Logos? Was this another epiphany of the Angel of Jehovah, the Logos whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Mic. 5:2). Surely, this interpretation is in greater accord with Bible teaching as a whole than any of the other views suggested!
(2) Abraham the Host. We have here a realistic picture of the ancient ritual of hospitality. The scene is one, we are told, which may be seen in any Bedouin camp even at the present day. The hospitality of the Easterner, and even that of the Arab has often been remarked by travelers: the virtue of hospitality is one of the great redeeming virtues in the character of the Bedouins. Whitelaw (PCG, 241): Whenever our path led us near an encampment, as was frequently the case, we always found some active sheikh or venerable patriarch sitting in his tent door, and as soon as we were within hail we heard the earnest words of welcome and invitation which the Old Testament Scriptures had rendered long ago familiar to us: Stay, my lord, stay. Pass not on till thou hast eaten bread, and rested under thy servants tent. Alight and remain until thy servants kill a kid and prepare a feast (quoted from Porters Great Cities of Bashan, p. 326). Since this was the hottest and drowsiest time of the day, it is indeed likely that Abraham at first glance recognized the strangers only as three men approaching his tent, and received them with all the courtesies of a generous, high-minded, and self-respecting chieftain. Skinner (PCG, 299): The description presents a perfect picture of the manner in which a modern Bedawee sheikh receives travelers arriving at his encampment, He immediately orders his wife or women to make bread, slaughters a sheep or some other animal, and dresses it in haste; and, bringing milk and any other provisions that he may have at hand, with the bread and meat that he has dressed, sets them before his guest: if they are persons of high rank he also stands by them while they eat (quoted from E. W. Lane, Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, 5th ed. 1860). It will be noted that after the preliminary greetings the first act of the ritual of hospitality was the serving of the visitors with water for washing their feet. As people in those countries went barefoot, or with sandals, because of the heat, washing the feet after traveling was a common and needful practice (cf. Gen. 19:2; Gen. 24:32; Jdg. 19:21, 2Sa. 11:8; 1Ti. 5:10, Luk. 7:44). Note Gen. 18:4, rest yourselves under the tree, that is, recline by resting on the elbow. Gen. 18:8Abraham stood by them as their servant, to give them what they needed (Neh. 12:44, Gal. 5:13, Luk. 14:8). Here, therefore, as often in Genesis, one recognizes that the framework of a story belongs to a far-off time. Yet there are values in it which do not disappear. There is the opening picture of the hospitality of Abraham. From the door of his tent he sees three figures coming toward him through the heat of the dayfigures whom he has no reason to believe are other than ordinary men who have chanced to come his way. Instantly he goes out to meet them and to offer them his utmost hospitality; and the men, thus welcomed, bring to Abraham a reward of which he had not dreamed. It was not the last time that a generous spirit has found that he has entertained angels unawares (Heb. 13:2). When anyone receives another human being with warmhearted kindness he may be nearer than he knows to a divine experience. Although it is a long way from Genesis to the Gospels, in the story of Abraham there is at least a foregleam of the promise of Christ, Mat. 25:40 (IBG, 617). In the words of Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal:
The gift without the giver is bare;
Who gives himself with his alms feeds three
Himself, his hungering neighbor, and me.
(Cf. Exo. 23:9, Lev. 24:22; Deu. 10:18; Deu. 27:19; Mat. 22:1-10; Mat. 25:34; Luk. 14:12, Rom. 12:13; Rom. 16:1; 1Ti. 3:2; 1Ti. 5:10 : Heb. 13:2, 1Pe. 4:9). Leupold (EG, 539): The eating of the three heavenly guestsand they ateis marvelous indeed. We must declare this eating to have been real but rather by way of accommodation than of necessity. Augustines word still stands as a classic explanation: That He ate, was rather of power than of necessity. The earth absorbs water by drinking it in. Different is the mode of absorption by the glowing day of the sun. The one is because of need; the other by virtue of power. The eating on the part of the glorified Christ after the resurrection serves as an explanatory parallel to this incident. The friendliest and most intimate contacts among the sons of men are oft made over a friendly meal. (Cf. Luk. 24:36-43, Act. 10:41). At first, Abraham sees his guests as mere human beings, and welcomes them warmly; their superhuman character is only gradually revealed (Gen. 18:2; Gen. 18:9; Gen. 18:13-14) (JB, 33).
2. Sarahs Laughter (Gen. 18:9-15).
Oriental courtesy no doubt in those early days forbade to all, except the most intimate friends, inquiry about a wife. The fact that these visitors did inquire about Sarah indicates their special authority to do so. It is now disclosed that their visit is concerned vitally with an experience that is relatively soon, let us say, to befall her. Moreover, Sarahs faith needs to be raised to the proper degree to do justice to the experience. Behold, in the tent is the patriarchs reply to his visitors pointed question, Where is Sarah thy wife? The behold here amounts to little more than there inside the tent.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round: and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 And Sarah laughed within herself, saying After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And Jehovah said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old? Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Without circumlocution the visitor, the One outstanding among the three, assumes control of the conversation and delivers the promise He has come to give, Sarah shall have a son. When the season cometh round, that is, at the time determined, we may well suppose, naturally: according to the time of that which is born or nine months after conception. Of course, we do not know how much time had elapsed since the earlier announcement to Abraham (Gen. 17:16-19, Gen. 21:2). Sarah, standing behind the tent door, was hearing, that is, she was listening: no doubt with the well-known female curiosity. So Sarah laughed to herself: not a laugh of derision: it evidently bore no trace of scoffing. Rather it was the laugh of incredulousness, and hence to a degree a form of unbelief. To the carnal thinking of Sarah, sexual delight could not be expected naturally at the age to which Abraham and she had both attained: it should be noted that she did not put the matter very delicately (Gen. 18:12). There is nothing equivocal where Sarah is concerned. She is depicted as down-to-earth to a fault, with her curiosity, her impulsiveness, and her feeble attempt at deception (Speiser, ABG, 131). A remarkable evidence of divine insight follows: the Speaker knows that Sarah has laughed within herself, although He has neither seen nor heard her. Whitelaw (PCG, 242): Gen. 18:13And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh?a question which must have convinced Abraham of the Speakers omniscience. Not only had He heard the silent, inaudible, inward cachinnation of Sarahs spirit, but he knew the tenor of her thoughts and the purport of her dubitations. Sarah herself is startled by this unexpected exposure of her secret thoughts into actual fear of these visitors, especially of the Principal Guest who has taken over the course of the conversation to reiterate the promise of the covenant-heir. Fear threw her into confusion and engendered the deception to which she resorted (Gen. 18:15). The laughter is not from Sarahs lack of faith: Sarah does not yet know who her Guest is; in Gen. 18:15, she guesses and is frightened (J, 35). As to the identity of this Heavenly Visitor, Gen. 18:14 alone might have left the question unresolved, but Gen. 18:13 had identified the Speaker beforehand. With a directness similar to that which he employed in dealing with the first culprits in the garden, not contending in a multiplicity of words, but solemnly announcing that what she said was false. The silence of Sarah was an evidence of her conviction; her subsequent conception was a proof of her repentance and forgiveness (PCG, 242). Sarah, like Abraham, passed through periods of doubt and disbelief. It was the laughter of doubt which caused God to pose the question, Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Gen. 18:13). God who changes not continues faithful despite the sin of unbelief in His people. In Gen. 17:15 the same Sarai, meaning contentious or princely, was changed to Sarah which means princess (HSB, 30). The J B Version makes these verses most meaningful: So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, Now that I am past the age of child-bearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again? But Yahweh asked Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh and say, am I really going to have a child now that I am old? Is anything too wonderful for Yahweh? At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will have a son. I did not laugh, Sarah said, lying because she was afraid. But he replied, Oh yes, you did laugh.
The second half of the chapter begins at this point (Gen. 18:16). It tells us what transpired at Mamre after Abrahams guests had been escorted along the road for a short distance. It is not until Gen. 19:1 that the two men are specifically identified as angels. Noting the distinction clearly made in Gen. 18:16-17 and Gen. 18:22, between the two and the third (the Principal Speaker) who is specifically designated Jehovah, it seems obvious that this personage was Jehovah Himself, or more likely, the Angel of Jehovah, i.e., the pre-incarnate Logos who appears so frequently in the Old Testament.
3. Abraham the Intercessor (Gen. 18:16-33).
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do; 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20 And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. 27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes: 23 peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. 29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the fortys sake. 30 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said I will not destroy it for the twentys sake. 32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the tens sake. 33 And Jehovah went his way, as soon as he had left off communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
(1) The Announcement of Impending Doom to be visited on Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen. 18:16The two men as distinguished from Yahweh who stays with Abraham. In Gen. 19:1 we shall be told that they were angels. Gen. 18:17-21 : By Gods inquiring into things, is meant either his bringing the persons concerned to a proper sense of their condition and conduct (Gen. 3:9; Gen. 4:9-10; Gen. 16:8; 1Ki. 19:9; 1Ki. 19:13; Joh. 4:4; Joh. 4:9); or it marks the wisdom, patience, and equity of his procedure (Gen. 11:5; Gen. 11:7; Exo. 3:8; Exo. 33:5; Mic. 1:3) (SIBG, 241). The Three have left Abrahams tent and turned their steps eastward toward Sodom. Abraham accompanies them, and on the way one of them, in whom he recognizes no other than the Angel of the Covenant, informs him of the real purport of this visit to the cities where Lot had taken up his abode. The sin of these cities is very great, they tell him, and their cup of iniquity is now full; their inhabitants have wearied themselves with wickedness, their licentiousness and iniquity call to Heaven for a visible demonstration of Absolute Justice, and divine judgment is now even at the door. (Cf. Gen. 15:16).
(2) The Perennial Problem of Absolute Justice. Thus informed of the impending judgment, the Friend of God draws near, and with amazing boldness properly blended with the deepest humility, pleads with the Almighty for the guilty cities. Peradventure there might be found therein at least fifty, or forty-five, or forty, or thirty, or twenty, or even ten righteous souls, would the Lord of all the earth spare them for tens sake? Thereupon he is assured that if only ten righteous souls can be found the cities will be spared. While he is thus pleading with God, the two other angels have entered Sodom and are being hospitably entertained by Lot. (Cf. Isa. 1:9, 1Ki. 19:18, Rom. 11:4, Jer. 18:5-10). Sanders (HH, 35, 36): The importance of the message which came to Abraham concerning his son is measured by the various ways in which a promise of his future greatness had been made (Gen. 13:14-17; Gen. 15:5; Gen. 17:6-8) and by the Divine purpose which was to be fulfilled through him (Gen. 18:19). But how characteristic of the knightly chieftain that all thought of his own future was supplanted by anxiety to save the few in Sodom who were not hopelessly depraved. Gen. 18:22-23Abrahams standing before and drawing near to the Lord, imports his bold and familiar intercession with him (1Sa. 14:36, Psa. 73:28; Heb. 7:19; Heb. 10:22; Jas. 4:8). We have here what Cornfeld calls a charming tradition which illustrates how Abraham, on intimate terms with the Lord, dared to intercede with him, in the famous dialogue over the problem of the wicked people of Sodom and its few, hypothetical righteous men (AtD, 67). In the same context is the incident of Sarahs laughter [Gen. 18:11-15], says Cornfeld, adding: Sarah, who was eavesdropping on the conversation (between Yahweh and Abraham) is reported to have laughed heartily to herself, knowing that she had reached the age when this was physically impossible. Certainly this intimacy of men with gods and the reaction of God to Sarahs and Abrahams laughter [cf. Gen. 17:17], would be unthinkable among later generations who had a different attitude towards divine manifestations. But comparative evidence from Canaanite literature tends to justify and explain the meaning of this ancient story in its true context. . . . God was not conceived as impersonal in, patriarchal times, and if we are to understand properly the biblical texts, we must develop a feeling for a social phenomenon of the times, the closeness of men to gods, and of the Hebrews to God. In our society a man who claims to have divine visitors is regarded as queer. That is why it is not easy for every modern reader, who is not familiar with the ancient background and literatures, to understand that aspect of Hebrew society. For the ancient Hebrews, the human and divine intermingled freely. The early direct relationship between men and gods is common to all the epics: Ugarit, Mesopotamian, Greek and proto-patriarchal. The simple personal contact between men and God was gradually eliminated (AtD, pp. 6667).
Gen. 18:25Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right) The perennial problem: Must the good suffer along with, and because of, the wicked? Is God to be understood as Absolute Justice? What is the relation of Divine Love to Divine Justice? Is Mercy compatible with Absolute Justice? How does the principle of Equity come into this problem? (Equity is defined, NWCD, s.v., as any body of legal doctrines and rules similarly developed to enlarge, supplement, or override a system of law which has become too narrow and rigid in its scope.) Cf. Gen. 18:23Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked? Skinner (ICCG, 305): This question strikes the keynote of the sectiona protest against the thought of an indiscriminate judgment. . . . In OT, righteousness and clemency are closely allied: there is more injustice in the death of a few innocent persons than in the sparing of a guilty multitude. The problem is, to what limits is the application of this principle subject? . . . Unrighteousness in the Supreme Ruler of the world would make piety impossible. Whitelaw (PCG, 249): Assuming it as settled that the fair Pentapolis is to be destroyed, Abraham practically asks, with a strange mixture of humility and boldness, if Jehovah has considered that this will involve a sad commingling in one gigantic overthrow of both the righteous and the wicked. The patriarch appeals not to Jehovahs covenant grace, but to his absolute judicial equity (ibid., 250). Again, Abraham regarding it as impossible that the entire population of Sodom was involved in common ruin, kept modifying the conditions of his appeal, believing that the city might be spared, even if only a few should be proved to be righteous. It was inconceivable to him that Jehovah would do anything to tarnish His divine righteousness, such as destroying even ten righteous persons in order to punish the entire population; that is, overwhelming the innocent in order to bring retribution on the guilty. But Abraham did not know how universal the corruption of Sodom really was. The stark naked truth that stands out as the dark background of this sordid story, the reality that vitiated all pleas for clemency, was the fact that Sodom had become a vessel fit only for destruction. (It should be understood that Sodom in this story is the name that describes the complete moral corruption of all the Cities of the Plain.) It turns out later that Lot (but only by implication, two of his daughters) was the only person considered relatively worthy of Divine clemency, and that partially in response to the plea of Abraham, Gods Friend. What a tremendous lesson here for men of all generations!
(SIBG, 241242): Whenever the righteous are cut off with the wicked in public calamities, it manifests them to have been partakers with them in their sins (Amo. 3:2; Rev. 18:4), and yet it is in everlasting mercy to their souls (Isa. 57:1, Php. 1:23). The conviction of collective responsibility was so strong in ancient Israel that the question does not here arise whether the just may be spared individually. God will, in fact, save Lot and his family, Gen. 19:15-16; but the principle of individual responsibility is not deduced until Deu. 24:16, Jer. 31:29-30, Eze. 14:12 ff., Ezek. ch. 18. Abraham, therefore, supposing that all are to share a common destiny, asks that a few just men, may win pardon for the many wicked. Yahwehs answers approve the part the saints have to play in saving the world. But Abrahams bid for mercy does not venture below the number ten. Acccording to Jer. 5:1 and Eze. 22:30, God would pardon Jerusalem even if only one just man could be found there. Finally, in Isaiah 53 it is the suffering of the one servant that is to save the whole race, but this prophecy was destined to remain unintelligible until it was fulfilled in Christ (JB, 35). (This comment, however, is based on the critical view that Deuteronomyrather, the Deuteronomic Codewas a kind of pious fraud foisted on the people to restore the power of the priesthood, as late as the reign of Josiah (2 Ki. ch. 22). We do not accept this view; rather, we find every reason to hold that the entire Torah was the handiwork of Moses and that Deuteronomy was what it purports to be, namely, addresses delivered to Israel by Moses just before his death. Hence, in Exo., ch. 20, we have the doctrine of the consequences of sin, and in Ezek., ch. 18 we have the doctrine of the guilt of sin. We see no reason for assuming that the doctrine of individual justice was such a late development. There is not now, there never was, in Biblical religion, any notion of salvation by proxy. C.C.). In Rom. 3:6 ff., it is made clear that it would be injustice to condemn the innocent, however few in comparison with the many sinners.)
Gen. 18:21Leupold (EG, 547): I am going down in this case involves a mere descent from the higher spot where
spoken, to the low-lying cities. In reality only the two angels (Gen. 19:1) go directly to the city. The statements of the verse in no wise imply that Gods omniscience is curtailed and that so He is under necessity of securing information as men might. God chooses this mode of procedure to make apparent the fact that He, as Just Judge of all the earth, does nothing without first being in full possession of all facts. The subsequent experience of the angels in Sodom displays the moral state of Sodom far more effectually than could many an explanation besides. God practically claims that the facts of the case have come up before Him already. But He does nothing until facts warrant interference. Again (ibid., p. 248): The boldness of faith betrayed by this [Abrahams] intercession may well astound us. It surely is not based on the assumption that God might deal unjustly. . . . But Abraham recognized that there was a possibility of the perishing of righteous men in this impending catastrophe, even his own relatives also. Much as he hopes that Lot and his family might be rescued, he is not so narrow or selfish as to think only of these. One might almost say that with a heart kindled by the love that God imparts to faith, Abraham ventures to plead the case of Gods love over against Gods righteousness. We may never know how these attributes of God are reconciled to one another, except in so far as they blend in Christ. But the boldness of this act of faith is acceptable with God inasmuch as it is really born out of Gods heart. This attribute is the importunity Christ refers to in the parable of Luk. 11:8. On Gen. 18:25 (ibid. p. 550): Most amazing is the free address of faith at this point. Yet, though it strikes a responsive chord in every heart, hardly anyone would be capable of venturing to address God thus. Behind it lies absolute confidence in Gods fairness. Besides, that grand and correct conception of God that was characteristic of the patriarchs appears very definitely here. God is far from being a tribal God; he is the Judge of all the earth. The critics have failed to evaluate this fact properly.
It has been rightly said that the three most important questions for man to ponder are these: What am I? Whence came I? and, Whither am I bound?that is to say, the problems respectively of the nature, origin, and destiny of the person. In Gen. 18:25 we face the problem of the correlation between merit and destiny. Speiser (ABG, 135): In Yahwehs soliloquy (Gen. 18:17-19), and the colloquy with Abraham which follows . . . what the author sets down is not so much received tradition as personal contemplation. The result is a philosophical aside, in which both Yahweh and the patriarch approach the issues of the moment as problems in an enduring scheme of things. Specifically, the theme is the relation between the individual and society. For Yahweh, the individual who matters is Abraham. Having chosen Abraham as the means for implementing His will, and as the spearhead in the quest for a worthy way of life (the way of Yahweh, Gen. 18:19), should he not now take Abraham into his full confidence? The patriarch, on the other hand, in his resolute and insistent appeal on behalf of Sodom, seeks to establish for the meritorious individual the privilege of saving an otherwise worthless community. Concerning the correlation between merit and destiny, this author goes on to say: The basic issue is only one aspect of the theme of the Suffering Just, which Mesopotamian literature wrestled with as early as the Old Babylonian age (cf. AOS 38, 195 5, 68 ff.); the OT has treated it most eloquently in the Book of Job. The answer given here, Speiser goes on to say, is an emphatic affirmation of the saving grace of the just. And even though the deserving minority proves to be in this instance too small to affect the fate of the sinful majority, the innocenthere Lot and his daughtersare ultimately spared. (AOSAmerican Oriental Society, Monograph Series)
(HSB, 30): God is love (1Jn. 4:8), but because He loves holiness and truth, He is also just (Psa. 89:14; Psa. 145:17). His judgments are (1) according to truth (Rev. 19:2); (2) universal and certain (Rom. 2:6); (3) impersonal and impartial (Rom. 2:11); (4) concerned with motive as well as outward conduct (Rom. 2:16; Luk. 12:2-3). Three major judgments are mentioned in Scripture: (1) the judgment of believers sins, which is past, having been inflicted on the Christ at Calvary (Joh. 5:24, Rom. 8:1); (2) the believers judgment for rewards (2Co. 5:10, Rom. 14:10, 1Co. 3:10-15); (3) the judgment of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15). (Cf. motivation as Biblically presented, according to which the fully completed intention is made equivalent to the overt act (Mat. 5:28; 1Jn. 3:15; 1Jn. 4:20). Again, Does not Scripture teach that our Lord willingly accepted His role in redemption, which included, of course, the death on the Cross, for the joy that was set before him (Heb. 12:2), that is, for the sheer joy of redeeming lost souls?) (For a full discussion of the problem of Gen. 18:25, see infra, The Covering of Grace.)
What does Abrahams Dialogue with Yahweh teach us about prayer? Note the following pertinent comment (HSB, 31): Six times Abraham beseeches God to spare Sodom. Each time God grants his petition. This incident should encourage believers to intercede effectively and to expect responses to prayer. It is a solemn commentary on the awful condition of Sodom that there were not even ten righteous people to be found within its gates. To this we might add the obvious and significant fact that in all of his petitions Abraham never importuned God to save the people of Sodom in their sins. Yet this is precisely what is expected by all humanists, moralists, cultists, and nominal church members, who, if they think of God at all, look upon Him as a kind of glorified bellhop whose sole business is to attend to their desires. There is not the slightest indication in Scripture that any man is saved outside the Covering of Grace, the Atonement planned by the Father, provided by the Son, and ready to be applied by the Holy Spirit to all obedient believers (Rom. 3:21-27, Eph. 2:8).
4. The Problem of the Heavenly Visitors.
Jamiesons treatment of this problem is thoroughgoing, as follows (CECG, 159): With reference to the three persons who figure so prominently in the details of this narrative, two opposite views have been advanced. Some have held that these were the three Persons in the Trinity who manifested themselves in a visible incarnate form. But this is a hypothesis which not only implies a development of doctrinal mysteries beyond what was made in the patriarchal age, but it is at variance with Scripture (Joh. 1:18, Col. 1:15). Others maintain that they were all three created angels, who came on the business, and spoke in the name, of their Divine Master, founding this opinion on the fact, as Kurtz expresses it, that their mission was not merely to promise, but to punish as well as to deliver. Others maintain that it was the Lord who appeared, speaking through the medium of his messengers. But this view is open to many and strong objections:1. Because the superiority of the one whom Abraham addressed is acknowledged through the whole interview, whilst his two attendants, as his inferiors, observe a respectful silence. 2. Because he speaks and undertakes to act as a Divine person, whilst the other two claim only to be messengers (Gen. 19:13). 3. Because Scripture does not give any instance of an address being presented to God as represented by a created angel. 4. Because, not to mention the name Adonai, which is used six times, that of Jehovah is applied eight times to him in this passage. 5. Because he ascribes to himself the right and power of independent judgment in the case of Sodom. 6. Because, on the hypothesis that they were all three created angels, it is impossible to account for the third not taking part in the judicial work at Sodom; whereas the cause of his absence, if he was the angel of the Covenant, is perfectly explicable. 7. And only this view affords a satisfactory explanation of the circumstance that throughout this chapter the three are called men, while in the next chapter, the two are designated angelsviz., to prevent a confounding the Lord with the angels who attended Him. The condescending familiarity of the visit accords with the simplicity of the early patriarchal age, and with the initial education of Abraham in religious knowledge. It is probable that in some of the past revelations with which Abraham was favored, a visible appearance had been vouchsafed: and that he who must have been incapable of rising to the conception of a spiritual Being would become familiar with the idea of an all-powerful mysterious man, who both in Chaldea and Canaan had repeatedly manifested himself, promising, guiding, protecting, and blessing him as a constant and faithful Friend. Accordingly, this last manifestation, on the occasion of which, he became a guest of Abraham was not an isolated event in the patriarchs experience, but one of a series, in which the Divine Mediator appeared, spoke, and acted, in condescending accommodation to the simple and childlike feelings of Abraham, and as a preluding of the incarnation, when God manifest in the flesh would tabernacle with man. . . . The idea of this narrative being a myth, invented by some Jewish writer for the gratification of national pride is utterly groundless; for, once admit the peculiar relation in which Abraham stood to God, and this visit is in perfect accordance with his position. As little ground is there for putting this narrative in the same category as the heathen fable of Philemon and Baucis, for, though many of the details in that mythological fable are similar to those of the Scripture narrative, it wants the covenant relationsthe grand peculiarity of the patriarchal storywhich no poetic imagination could have invented. In a word, the Third Personage in this narrative of Abrahams Intercession was surely the Angel of Jehovah who appears so frequently through the old Dispensations, and who appeared as Gods Only Begotten in the manger of Bethlehem (cf. Mic. 5:2, Joh. 17:5).
Speisers comment about the Biblical process becomes pertinent here (ABG, Intro., 52): The question has often been posed whether the course of recent history would have changed much if on August 15, 1769, Letizia Bonaparte had given birth to a girl instead of a boy. The answer is obvious when limited to decades. But would it still be true a hundred years later, or a hundred and fifty? The chances are that it would not, and that the deviation from the original course which the advent of Napoleon brought about would have been righted in due time. Now let us ask the same kind of question about the biblical process and its presumed originator. The answer can be ventured with much greater confidence because the measuring span is twenty times as long. That distant event altered history irrevocably. In the case of Napoleon, the detour rejoined the main road. But in the case of Abraham, the detour became itself the main road.
5. The Problem of Intercessory Prayer (in relation to that of Absolute Justice) is a most difficult one. (1) In Abrahams case, it was presented from the most profound humility: I . . . who am but dust and ashes, Gen. 18:27. Murphy (MG, 317): This may refer to the custom of burning the dead, as then coexistent with that of burying them. Abraham intimates by a homely figure, the comparative insignificance of the petitioner. He is dust at first, and ashes at last. (Cf. Gen. 2:7; Gen. 3:9; Psa. 103:13-16; Ecc. 12:7; Jas. 4:14, etc.). The patriarchs prayer here surely indicates genuine humility arising from realization of his insignificance and weakness in the presence of his Creator. Yet, there is realism in it, for if man is no more than body, life has very little meaning for anyone, and without the Breath of Life infused into him by God Himself, he truly is dust and ashes, and in the long run, only that. Dr. John Baillie, in his impressive book, And the Life Everlasting, calls attention to the notion so widespread in our world today, not just that there is no such thing in prospect as life eternal, but that such a destiny is not even desirable. He points up the fact that this view, to the Christian is fundamentally contrary to human being as such; that it is derogatory to human dignity to fail to want for our fellows all that Divine Love has done and can do for them. I insist, he writes, that to love my brother for Gods sake is the same thing as to love him for his own deepest sake, because the deepest thing in him is not his either by inherent right or by conquest, but only by the gift of God. It is only in the possibility which is open to it of personal intercourse with God that the value of the individual human personality can be held to resideeven as it is upon this possibility alone that its claim to immortality rests. Again: To the Christian spirit the ultimate fact is not death but life, not the Cross but the Resurrection and the Crown. It is what it is only because it is persuaded that the sting of death has been drawn and the grave robbed of its victory; so that death has no more dominion over us. It is frankly recognized that in its own self-enclosed and untransfigured nature, as it must present itself to those who do not share any such persuasion, death must be a ghastly and terrible thing; and indeed it is thus that death always has presented itself to sincere and profound unbelief. To see ones beloved stamped into the sod for his body to rot and the worms to eat him . . . and then be of good cheer! No, there can be no good cheer unless it be true that that to which this dreadful thing has happened is not really ones beloved himself but only his earthly tabernacle; unless it be true that the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever (1Jn. 2:17). Whereas, therefore, it would be nothing but shallowness of spirit for one who had no hope beyond the grave to cease to be obsessed by the fact of death (whether by facing it cheerfully or by refusing to make it the object of his too constant thought), such a result in the soul of a Christian must be the mark of a great depth and maturity. . . . I have quoted Spinozas saying, spoken in defiance of Plato, that the free man thinks of nothing less than of death; his wisdom is a meditation not upon death but upon life. Let me now say that of the man who stands fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free this may well be truetruer than Platos studying nothing but dying and being dead; since he can now cry with St. Paul, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Rom. 8:2). (See Baillie, op cit., 341342). (2) Lange (CDHCG, 441): In regard to the thought of Abrahams intercession, we would make the following remarks: (a) His intercession takes more and more the form of a question. (b) He does not pray that the godless should be freed from punishment, but for the sparing of the righteous, and the turning away of the destructive judgment from all, in case there should be found a sufficient salt of the righteous among them. (c) His prayer includes the thought that God would not destroy any single righteous one with the wicked, although the number of the righteous should be too small to preserve the whole. Gosman adds, ibid., The righteous, of course, are not destroyed, although they are often involved in the punishment of the wicked. (3) Jamieson (CECG, 158): The continued and increased urgency of Abrahams pleading with God, which almost rises into shamelessness (Luk. 11:5-8), assumes an entirely different character, from the consideration that he is not a suppliant for any benefit to himself, nor even to his nephew Lot, but an intercessor for the people of Sodom generally. His importunity was prompted by the love which springs from the consciousness that ones own preservation and rescue are due to compassionate grace alone; love, too, which cannot conceive of the guilt of others as too great for salvation to be possible. The sympathetic love, springing from the faith which was counted for righteousness, impelled him to the intercession which Luther thus describes:He prayed six times, and with so much ardour and depth of emotion that, in gradually lessening the numbers, in order to ensure the preservation of the wretched cities, he seems to speak almost foolishly. This seemingly commercial kind of entreaty is the essence of true prayer, which bridges over the infinite distance of the creature from the Creator, appeals with importunity to the heart of God, and ceases not until its point is gained (Keil and Delitzsch).
6. Pagan Imitations of this story. Lange (CDHCG, 433): Delitzsch thinks that Abraham recognized the unity of the God of revelation, in the appearance of the three men. . . . He adds: One should compare the limitations of this original history among the heathen. Jupiter, Mercury, and Neptune, visit an old man, by name Hyricus, in the Boeotian city Tanagra; he prepares them a feast, and, though childless hitherto, receives a son in answer to his prayer (Ovids Fasti, V, 494, etc.). And then, further, the heathen accompaniment to ch. 19: Jupiter and Mercury are journeying as men; only Philemon and Baucis, an aged, childless wedded pair, receive them, and these, therefore, the gods rescue, bearing them away with themselves, while they turn the inhospitable region lying around the hospitable hut into a pool of water, and the hut itself into a temple (Ovids Metam. 8, 611 ff.). But the essential distinction between our ideal facts and these myths, lies in this, that while the first lie in the center of history as causal facts or forces, having the most sacred and real historical results, these latter lie simply on the border ground of mythology. To this Gosman adds: How completely and thoroughly these words dispose of the whole mythical supposition in this as in other cases!
7. The Quality of Mercy
In Genesis the wickedness of Sodom (the city which obviously exercised hegemony of a kind over all the Cities of the Plain (frequently designated a Pentapolis) is set forth so realistically that its very name has become proverbiala very Sodomand its various kinds of lust are given a single name, sodomy. Yet here we find Abraham interceding for these people: the righteous man, the Friend of God, is pleading for mercy for the wicked. One is reminded of Portias eloquent encomium on mercy in Shakespeares Merchant of Venice:
The quality of mercy is not strained,
It droppeth as a gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessd:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway,
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest Gods
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy:
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
Deeds of mercy.
Let us consider in this connection, the following pertinent suggestions (from IBG, 622, 623): 1. Who is most likely to come to the help of evil men? Can those who are evil trust their own kind for support? Of course not. Men who are thoroughly bad are as merciless to others of their kind as a wolf pack is merciless to the wounded wolf. . . . It is the consistent badness in the bad and the inconsistent badness in the hypocritically good which make them cruel, and the generosity of those whom the respectable may class as bad men is due to the great warm fact that there is so much actual goodness in them. So also the highest generosity and compassion are in those who are neither all bad, nor half bad, nor half good, but who, like Abraham, come as near to thoroughgoing goodness as human nature can. The most merciful men all through the Bible are the best menJoseph, Moses, David, Stephen, Barnabas. Supremely so was Jesus, who in his perfect righteousness could be the friend of publicans and sinners. There is no more corrupting sin that censoriousness and self-righteousness. Let church members examine their own hearts. The truth which applies to individuals applies to nations also. . . . It is easy for the proud and for those who are drunk with power to consider the enemy as men of Sodom, deserving of nothing but destruction. They like to arrogate to themselves a supposed right to the favor of God and to act as though fanatical revenge had the merit of religion. If Abraham had been like them he would have gloated over Sodom. Being the man he wasan example sorely neededhe was moved with pity.
2. A second truth stands out in this story: the sacred worth of individuals, and the evil of involving the innocent minority in a judgment visited on the mass. The deepest depravity and moral perversion of war lies here; and war with modern weapons makes this evil more monstrous than ever. It is a tragic fact that even good people can grow callous to these things. Atrocities which first shocked the conscience may come to be accepted with only lukewarm questioning or none at all. But a world in torment will begin to have a better hope only when there shall be many men like Abraham. Should even ten men be caught in a general destruction and given no chance to escape? To Abraham it seemed to be intolerable that this should be allowed to happen. So much for the instincts which made Abraham the type of a great soul. But observe the further and more important fact: Abraham believed that what was highest in his own heart was his right clue to the nature of God. That which to his own conscience seemed lifted above all doubt must be divine in its authority. That is the meaning of the vivid story of Abraham in the dialogue with God and of his question which he was sure could have only one answer.
3 The final suggestion of the story of Sodom is a truly somber one. Not even five righteous persons were left in Sodom to justify its being spared destruction. Here is an eternal picture of the corrosive possibilities of a bad environment. Those who accustom themselves to the ways of an evil society may themselves at last be evil, What is happening now to people who make no effective protest against the wrongs they live with every day?
Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Even the old pagans, in particular Socrates and Plato, repudiated the poetic tales of the immoralities of the gods, and insisted that all such tales should be censored so that immature children would not be led astray by them. Plato said expressly (Republic, II, 379ff.), Few are the goods of human life, and many are the evils, and the good is to be attributed to God alone; of the evils the causes are to be sought elsewhere, and not in him; again, God is perfectly simple both in word and deed; he changes not; he deceives not, either by sign or word, by dream or waking vision; and again, the gods are not magicians who transform themselves, neither do they deceive mankind in any way. This apparent antinomy between Gods goodness and His omnipotence is resolved only by the Christian doctrine of the Atonement. See infra, The Covering of Grace. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were definitely repudiating the polytheistic deities of the pagan religions.
FOR MEDITATION AND SERMONIZING
The Covering of Grace
Gen. 18:25Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
Many are the passages of Scripture which state positively that the only remedy for sin is the blood of Christ. (Cf. 1Jn. 1:7; 1Jn. 2:2; Act. 20:28; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 3:25; Mat. 26:28; Joh. 1:29; 1Pe. 1:18-19; Heb. 9:22; Heb. 9:14; Rev. 1:5, etc.). This blood-theme first appeared when animals were slain to provide a coveringnote this word carefullyfor our first parents when they discovered their nakedness, Gen. 3:21. It appeared again in Abels propitiatory sacrifice, Gen. 4:4it was an offering of blood (cf. Heb. 11:4). It appeared in the sprinkling of the blood on the people, on the book of the covenant, on the tabernacle and the vessels of the ministry when the Old Covenant was ratified at Sinai (Heb. 9:17-22). It appeared on the door-post of every Jewish habitation in Egypt on the memorable night when God passed over that stricken land (Exo. 12:22). It appeared in all the ceremonial cleansings of the Old Covenant. It appeared in the Cup sanctified by the lips of our Lord at the Last Supper (Mat. 26:28). It appeared in the fullness of its efficacy when Christ bled and died on the Cross, thus ratifying the New Covenant and at the same time abrogating the Old (Heb. 9:11 ff., Col. 3:13-15). From that day to this it has appeared in many parts of the world in the Memorial Feast appointed for Gods saints to keep, the communion of the blood and of the body of Christ (1Co. 10:16). That Christ died is a fact of history: that He died for our sins is a fact of revelation (1Co. 15:3).
These fundamental truths have been proclaimed by all who are worthy of the name Christian, in all ages of the Christian era. Yet they are being challenged in our day by the atheists, agnostics, positivists, demythologizers, and analytical critics, and indeed all the nitpicking self-styled intellectuals. The doctrine has been assailed in all agesby bitter opponents of the Faithas vulgar, barbaric, a fantasy of mans wishful thinking, and the like. The only efficacy of our Lords ministry, we are told, if any at all, is that of the power of His example. His death thus becomes only a martyrdom, and the doctrine of the Atonement is thrown profanely out of the window. This is all very soothing, of course, to the I-love-me spirit that is so prominent in the human makeup. This is an age in which intellectual pomposity is going its merry way. Let me say here that if there is anything in this world that I despise most of all, except sin, it is this spirit which all too often turns a good thinker into a pompous ass. This worship of erudition is precisely the thingthe desire to be as wise as God, Gen. 3:6, the determination to play Godthat swept man into the maelstrom of sin and suffering in the first place, and the foremost factor in keeping him in that environment today.
I. In discussing the significance of the Blood of Christ, we are dealing, of course, with the Biblical doctrine of the Atonement.
1) This word atonement occurs only once, in the Authorized Version. In various other renderings the Greek word used here, katallage, is given as meaning reconciliation (Rom. 5:11). The Hebrew kaphar, translated atonement, is found many times in the Old Testament; rendered literally, it means covering. It seems rather unfortunate that this meaning was not brought over into the Greek and English of the New Testament. For certainly, from whatever point of view one approaches the subject, one finds Biblical teaching to be crystal clear, namely, that our Lord in shedding His blood, and so offering His lifefor the life of the flesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11)was providing for all mankind Gods Covering of Grace, (Joh. 1:29). On the divine side, everything that God has done and will do for sinful man is inherent in the word grace (unmerited favor). The Atonement, therefore, is Gods Covering of Grace. By coming by faith, that is, in Gods own way, as that way is revealed in the New Testament, the sinner puts himself under the blood, under this divine Covering of Grace. Thus divine grace and human faith meet together and the result is, in a legal sense, remission or justification, and in a personal sense, forgiveness and reconciliation. The simple fact is that man is alienated from God, not as a consequence of the sin of Adam, nor of the sins of his fathers, but as the consequence of his own sins (lawlessness, 1Jn. 3:4; Rom. 3:23; Col. 1:21; Eph. 1:2). He has mortgaged himself to sin, sold himself under sin (Rom. 7:14; Rom. 6:6 Gal. 4:3). In this state it was necessary for his original Owner to buy him back, redeem him, lest he be lost forever. God Himself, the original Owner of the Totality of Being (Psa. 24:1; Psa. 89:11; 1Co. 10:26), loved man too much to allow him to perish forever, and therefore made provision to buy him back. He gave His Only Begotten (Joh. 3:16), the Son gave His life by shedding His blood. He paid the ransom price; He provided the Covering of Grace whereby the majesty of the moral law was sustained, and at the same time everything was done that could be done to woo the sinner back into covenant relationship with Him. (Mat. 20:28; 1Ti. 2:6). Those who ridicule the Blood simply close their eyes to the lawlessness which has always pervaded mans realm of being. To deny or to ignore the facts of sin and suffering, of love and redemption, is sheer stupidity.
II: In what sense does the Blood of Christ cleanse us from sin?
One school answers that Christs blood was shed as an example to impress upon man the magnitude of Gods love for him; that it was not designed in any way to affect the attitude of God toward man, but to affect only the attitude of man toward God. But to make this the sole objective of Christs death is to make sheer nonsense the many Scriptures that speak of His dying the just for the unjust, as a propitiation for our sins, as a ransom for us all, etc. (1Pe. 3:18; 1Jn. 2:2; Eph. 1:7; Mat. 20:28; 1Ti. 2:6, etc.)
Another school of theologians would have us believe that Christ died in the room and stead of the sinner, i.e., that He paid the penalty demanded by the moral law, paid it in full, and so freed man completely from the curse of sin. If this is true, obviously, the sinner owes no debt, no obligation: he goes scot free. This is completely refuted by the Apostles words in Rom. 3:23-26, all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation, through faith, in his blood . . . that he might himself be just and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus. This language is plain, and there is no point in making a riddle of it. It means simply that God was under the necessity of imposing the penalty of sin unless something could be done to sustain the majesty of the broken law. Because of His ineffable love for His creature, all this God did for him, lest he perish forever.
III. How is the Blood necessary to save us from sin?
Reflect, if you will, on the Mystery of Blood. What is blood? What is the Mystery of the Flowing Blood? The Mystery of the Flowing Blood is the Mystery of Life itself. How fitting the wonderful metaphor, the river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb, in the midst of the street of the Holy City (Rev. 22:1). The life any human being enjoys flowed into him from his parents, their life flowed into them from their parents, and so on back and back to the first life which God breathed into the lifeless body to make of the man a living soul (Gen. 2:7). What a mysterythis red river of life, the Mystery of the Flowing Blood, the Mystery of Life itself!
Man has been from the beginning a creature under law. To deny this fact is absurd. One who violates the laws of the physical world suffers the penalty here and now. One who jumps out of a twenty-story building, thus defying the law of gravity, breaks his neck. One who picks up a live coal, burns his fingers. One who indulges physical appetites unduly will sow disease in his body. Whatever a man sows, that shall he reap, sooner or later. Because law is not law without its penalty and without its enforcement. Why do we assume, then, that we can flout the moral laws of God and get away with it? As it has often been said, man actually does not break the moral law; on the contrary, that law, if violated, breaks him. God who is holy can do anything He wills to do that is consistent with His character as God. But for Absolute Holiness to accept a man in his sins would be a contradiction in itself: it would be putting a premium on sin; it would be accepting sin and all the anarchy that proceeds from sin. Therefore the problem before the Divine Government can be stated in rather simple terms: it was that of sustaining the majesty of the violated law while at the same time manifesting divine mercy and compassion toward the sinnera demonstration of love designed to woo the sinner back into fellowship with God.
God is holy. God hates sin. God cannot condone sin, and be God. God had to deal with sin. He could not be God were He to fail to deal with it. Calvary was the demonstration not only of the indescribable love of God for man, but also of the awfulness of sin. Never forget itour sins nailed the Son of God to the Cross.
How, then, did God resolve the apparent antinomy between His goodness and His omnipotence? This problem was raised in ancient times by Epicurus, if I remember correctly. If God is all good why does He permit evil to prevail in His world. Since, however, it is apparent that evil does prevail in the world in which He has put us, obviously it prevails because God is not sufficiently powerful to eradicate it. This is the age-old problem of the balance between the goodness of God and the power of God.
We reply to this dilemma by affirming that God Himself has resolved the antinomy. He Himself provided the Covering of Gracethe Gift of His Only Begottenessential to the sustaining of the majesty of His law and will violated by human sin, and by the same Gift has extended general amnesty to sinful man on the terms of the Gospel. The Blood is the remedy for sin, the Gospel is the method of application, and eternal life is the reward, the ultimate Highest Good.
In a word: Divine Justice required the Atonement, and Divine Love provided it. God freely gave His Son, whofor the joy that was set before him, the sheer joy of redeeming lost souls, Heb. 12:2endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. As stated so clearly by W. Robertson-Smith (The Religion of the Semites, p. 62) To reconcile the forgiving goodness of God with His absolute justice is one of the highest problems of spiritual religion, which in Christianity is solved by the doctrine of the Atonement. The design of the Atonement must be regarded as twofold, namely, to vindicate Gods justice and so sustain the majesty of the moral law, and at the same time to woo man back into a state of reconciliation by a demonstration of His ineffable love and compassion sufficient to overcomein every honest and good heartthe rebellion engendered by sin. To omit either of these objectives is to distort the doctrine of the Atonement. (Cf. 2Co. 5:18-20, Luk. 8:15, Rom. 3:26, 1Co. 6:2, Rom. 2:4-16, Rev. 20:11-15, Rev. 22:1-5, Rev. 10:15, etc.).
IV. Where does the penitent believer meet the efficacy of the Blood of Christ?
Denominationalized preachers proclaim glibly that we are cleansed by the blood of Christ (which, to be sure, is true), but they never tell the inquiring penitent how and where to meet the efficacy of that blood; that is, they never tell him in Scripture terms. In fact the great majority seem to have no conception of what the New Testament teaches about this important matter, even though the teaching is clear. We must accept and confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. We must repent of our sins; then we meet the cleansing blood of Jesus when, as penitent believers, we actually enter into the covenant which has been sealed with His blood (2Co. 1:21-22; Act. 16:31; Act. 2:38; Mat. 16:16; Rom. 10:9-10; 2Co. 7:10; Luk. 13:3; Gal. 3:27). The blood of Christ flowed when He died. Therefore, in order to come under the efficacy of His blood, we must die with Him. We must commit ourselves to His Cross that of self-crucifixion (Gal. 2:20; Gal. 6:14). Where does this transaction take place? It takes place when we are inducted into Christ. When and where are we inducted into Christ? When, as penitent believers, we are baptized into Christ. When the Roman soldiers came to the Cross, one of them plunged a spear into His side to make sure that He was dead, and out of the wound flowed blood and water. The only place divinely appointed in which we meet the efficacy of the blood of. Christ is the grave of water. (Gal. 3:27; Joh. 3:5; Act. 22:16; Tit. 3:5; Eph. 5:26). The efficacy is in the fact that Divine grace has made this appointment and human faith meets it, making it possible for the pardon to take place where it must take place, namely, in the mind of God. These facts are all made too clear for us to be in doubt, in the sixth chapter of Romans.
Shame on those who would speak of Christian baptism as a mere outward act, mere external performance, mere form, etc. There are no mere forms, no nonessentials, in Christianity. It is an insult to our Lord to accuse Him of establishing mere forms or nonessentials. We need to learn that in baptism we die, not just symbolically, but literally to the guilt of past sin. And we do well to make the words of the grand old hymn our favorite baptismal litany,
O happy day! happy day!
When Jesus washed my sins away.
Beloved, if we are saved at all, we are saved by the efficacy of the blood of Christ. There is no other way-no other remedy for the sin of the world. (Act. 22:16; Joh. 1:29). And, according to plain Scripture teaching, the only place where the believer appropriates the efficacy of Christs Blood is in the baptismal grave (Gal. 3:27, Rom. 6:3-11, Tit. 3:5, Mat. 3:13-16; Act. 2:38-41; Act. 8:12; Act. 8:38; Act. 10:47; Act. 16:31-33; Act. 22:16).
REVIEW QUESTIONS ON PART THIRTY-ONE
1.
Explain the Oriental ritual of hospitality as exemplified by Abraham in Genesis 18.
2.
How explain Sarahs laughter on hearing the announcement that she would bear a son? What kind of reaction did this indicate on her part?
3.
Why did she subsequently resort to deception when faced with the facts?
4.
What reasons have we for holding that of the three heavenly Visitants to Abrahams tent two were angels? Cf. Heb. 1:14.
5.
What reason do we have for believing that the third Visitant was God Himself in the person of the Logos?
6.
Review the Old Testament teaching concerning the Angel of Jehovah. Correlate Mic. 5:2.
7.
What announcement did these heavenly Visitants make concerning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah?
8.
Explain what is meant by the perennial problem of Absolute Justice.
9.
How is this problem stated, in the form of a question, in Gen. 18:23, and again in the same way in Gen. 18:25?
10.
How account for the boldness of Abrahams intercession? Would you say that it lacked humility?
11.
How does Cornfeld explain the apparent familiarity of Abrahams approaches to God?
12.
How refute the claim that these cultures had not yet attained the ideal of individual responsibility, but were concerned only with collective righteousness and responsibility?
13.
Did Abrahams intercession include any effort to benefit himself?
14.
Did he ask God to save the people of Sodom in their sins? Could God have done this and really been the living and true God?
15.
Why is the notion completely untenable that the narrative in chapter 18 is in any sense a myth?
16.
Comment on the patriarchs declaration in Gen. 18:27 that he was but dust and ashes. In what sense only can this be said to be realistic?
17.
Show how the notion widespread in our day that a future life is not even desirable is a violation of the noblest characteristic of man and a complete repudiation of the law of love? Summarize Baillies treatment of this view.
18.
Restate Langes treatment of pagan imitations of the story of Abraham and his heavenly Visitants.
19.
In what way does this narrative point up the nobility of the quality of mercy?
20.
In what way does it emphasize the sacredness of the individual?
21.
Why is the final suggestion of the story of Sodom designated a truly somber one?
22.
What according to Scripture is the only remedy for sin?
23.
In what facts is this remedy foreshadowed in the Old Testament?
24.
What forms do present-day denials of this fundamental truth take?
25.
With what great doctrine of Christianity are we dealing when we discuss the Scriptures having to do with the Blood of Christ?
26.
What is meant by the Covering of Grace? How is it related to our redemption?
27.
In what sense does the Blood of Christ cleanse us from sin?
28.
How is the Blood of Christ necessary to save man from sin?
29.
What is meant by the antinomy of Gods justice and His goodness?
30.
How is this resolved by the Christian doctrine of the Atonement?
31.
What is the twofold design of the Atonement?
32.
Explain how the justice and love of God are both involved in the efficacy of the Blood of Christ.
33.
Where does the penitent believer meet the efficacy of the Blood of Christ? Explain fully.
34.
Where in the process of conversion does pardon take place?
35.
Is there any such thing taught in Scripture as baptismal regeneration? Explain.
36.
Explain what is meant by the Mystery of the Flowing Blood.
37.
Is it conceivable that our Lord as Head of the Church would ordain non-essential institutions?
38.
In the light of our present study review the question of Gen. 18:23, Wilt thou consume the righteous with the wicked?
39.
In the light of the present study review the question of Gen. 18:25, Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
40.
What did Abraham do at the conclusion of his dialogue with God?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
XVIII.
VISIT OF ANGELS TO ABRAHAM AT MAMRE; AND OVERTHROW OF SODOM.
(1) And the Lord (Jehovah) appeared unto him.No new section could begin in this way, but evidently this is a continuation of the narrative of the circumcision. We thus find a Jehovistic section coupled in the closest way with one which is Elohistic (comp. Gen. 17:22-23); and even here it is Elohim who for Abrahams sake delivers Lot (Gen. 19:29). Far more important, however, is it to notice that this familiar intercourse, and clear revelation of Jehovah to Abraham, follows upon his closer relation to God by virtue of the sacrament of circumcision. Jewish tradition adds that this visit was made to Abraham on the third day after the rite had been performed, and was for the purpose of healing him from the painful consequences of it. It was on this account, as they think, that Abraham was resting at home, instead of being with his herds in the field.
The plains (Heb., the oaks) of Mamre.(See Gen. 13:18; Gen. 14:13.)
The tent door.Heb., the opening of the tent, formed by looping back one of the curtains.
The heat of the day.The time of noon, when Orientals rest from labour (comp. Gen. 3:8). As the air in the tent would be sultry, Abraham sits in the shade on the outside. So in Gen. 18:8 the meal is spread under a tree.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
ENTERTAINING ANGELS, Gen 18:1-15.
1. The Lord appeared This is the sixth revelation of promise to Abraham. 1) The call and promise while yet in his father’s house.
Gen 12:1 to Gen 3:2) At the oak of Moreh . Gen 12:7. 3) After his separation from Lot . Gen 13:14 to Gen 17:4) The covenant of the Word and vision of chap . 15 . 5) The covenant of circumcision, in chap . 17 . And after this sixth revelation, and after Isaac’s birth, when God will test the patriarch once more, we have the seventh revelation in connexion with the offering of Isaac in the land of Moriah . Gen 22:1-18. Thus the father of the faithful has a sevenfold revelation of promise and of prophecy .
Plains of Mamre Or, oaks of Mamre. See on Gen 13:18.
Sat in the tent door in the heat of the day A truly Oriental picture. Travellers at the present day often observe the like; the sheik sitting under an awning or in the shade of a tree or grove, and ready to repeat the ancient style of hospitality to the passing traveller.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Abraham Pleads for Sodom and Gomorrah – the Destruction ( Gen 18:1 to Gen 19:38 ).
Gen 18:1
‘And Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre as he sat in the tent door on the heat of the day’.
Reference to Abraham as ‘him’, applied from the last chapter, shows that the covenant accounts have not been inter-connected without thought. It is clear that the site at the oaks of Mamre was the permanent site from which the tribe still operated (compare Gen 13:18).
“He sat in the tent door at the heat of the day”. He was probably enjoying his siesta under some kind of cover and this was why he spotted the strangers. There is a deliberate contrast between Abraham who sits in the door of his tent, and Lot who sits in the gate of Sodom (Gen 19:1), bringing out the choices the two men have made.
“Yahweh appeared to him”. It may be that at first he did not realise that the three men he saw coming included Yahweh in human form, perhaps the ‘angel of Yahweh’, so the writer lets us know Who it was Who was coming. But the narrative does not tell us when the fact dawned on Abraham. It could however be that it is intended to be indicated by the switch from the impersonal ‘they said’ to ‘he said’. That certainly drew attention to the fact that the leader of the three was someone special from Yahweh. Or it could have been when God reveals to him His plans concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. Whatever be the case the reader knows immediately.
The final purpose of their arrival is to bring judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah for their evil ways. This emphasises that Yahweh is ‘the Judge of all the earth’ (Gen 18:25), not just of the tribe. The other two were angels who came as witnesses to demonstrate that the cities were being given a fair chance (Gen 18:21-22; Gen 19:1 on).
But the main purpose of the coming of Yahweh Himself is the confirmation of the covenant in respect of a son by Sarah, and, as we learn later, to give Abraham opportunity to intercede on behalf of any righteous people in the guilty cities. It this renewal of the covenant and the promise Abraham received about the cities which makes the writing down of the narrative necessary. The first is the treasured promise of a natural heir. The One Who can destroy Sodom and Gomorrah can surely produce an heir. The second is a record of Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham which will result in the deliverance of his nephew, Lot.
The fact that Yahweh comes to inform Abraham of what He is about to do, and that He allows him to be an intercessor (one who goes between) emphasises Abraham’s unique position in God’s sight. As the beginning of the new people of God he is introduced to God’s secrets, and given his first opportunity to influence wider events through intercession.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The Heavenly Strangers Who Visited Abraham – God’s Revelation of Himself to Abraham Gen 18:1-33 gives the account of the heavenly strangers who visited Abraham and told him about God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Since Abraham himself was a stranger in the land of Canaan, God also revealed Himself to Abraham as a stranger in this new land so that Abraham would better understand his office and calling to dwell in the land. This divine visitation by strangers helped him understand God’s divine provision for him as he dwelt in the land of Canaan out of obedience as Abraham feed them and meet their physical needs. God later revealed Himself unto Moses as “the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exo 3:6). This revelation allowed Moses to understand that his office and ministry was to bring God’s people, the descendants of Abraham, out of Egyptian bondage. Moses’ name, which means, “drawn out”, indicates his ministry and anointing of bringing the Hebrew people out from bondage. However, unto Joshua the Lord revealed Himself as the “Captain of the Host of the Lord” (Jos 5:14). This name indicated that Joshua was to walk under this anointing as a warrior and lead God’s people into battle.
Exo 3:6, “Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”
Jos 5:14, “And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?”
The Intercessory Prayer of Abraham Abraham responded to the revelation of divine destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by interceding for these cities. God did not have to pass through Abraham on his way to Sodom and Gomorrah, but He will always look for an intercessor (note Eze 22:30-31).
Eze 22:30, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.”
Gen 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
Gen 18:1
Gen 13:18, “Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.”
Gen 23:19, “And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.”
Gen 18:1 “and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day” Comments – The ancient people did not have clocks, as we know them today. They did, however, invent the sundial, as in the time of King Hezekiah (Isa 38:8). Therefore, Abraham identified the time of day of this event as the “heat of the day”. As was explained to me in Africa, many people in undeveloped parts of the world are event conscience, rather than time conscience. Thus, Abraham times the event of the appearing of the angels with an event that takes place each day, which is when the temperature reaches its maximum heat
Gen 18:3 Comments – Abraham addresses the Lord as “Adoni” ( ) (H113) in Gen 18:3, and Sarai uses this word in Gen 18:12. He is called “YHWH” ( ) (H3058) in Gen 18:13-14. The KJV translates these two Hebrew words as “Lord.”
Gen 18:10 “And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life” Comments – The “time of life” very likely refers to the time of ovulation, or the time of conception, when the wife ovulates and they come together. It could refer to the time when the sperm and egg come together; for it is at conception that life begins. The Lord did visit Sarah as He had promised (Gen 21:1). We have no record of what took place at this visitation. We can only compare it to the visitation of the Holy Spirit at the time of Mary’s conception (Mat 1:18-20).
Gen 21:1, “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.”
Mat 1:18-20, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
Note the New Testament reference to Sarah’s conception:
Rom 9:8-9, “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son .”
Gen 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Gen 18:11
Gen 18:14 Comments – There was a divinely appointed time in the life of Abraham and Sarah for Isaac’s birth. Although this couple attempted to have a child for decades, God held back this answer to prayer until an appointed time. One obvious reason for such a delay is so that they would understand that this miracle was done by the Lord, requiring an act of total faith and trust in Almighty God in order for righteousness to be imputed unto them (Rom 4:16-22). Another more subtle reason is that perhaps God delayed this miracle because He knew that this couple was not ready to raise their son in integrity. God had called Abraham out from a culture of deceit and cleverness. This mindset of cleverness took years for Abraham and Sarah to overcome, although they knew the Lord. As he learned to trust the Lord and walk with integrity before God and with his neighbours, Abraham became a man of genuine integrity, different from any other man on earth. God was calling out a people of righteousness, or integrity, and it must be a people could raise their children to fear the Lord in this same manner as well. For the nation of Israel to become a nation of righteousness, their forefathers must be transformed into men of integrity. Therefore, God waited until Abraham and Sarah were spiritually mature before giving them this precious gift of a son.
Gen 18:14 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament – Note the New Testament reference to Gen 18:14:
Rom 9:8-9, “That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son .”
Gen 18:18 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament – Note a New Testament reference to Gen 18:18.
Gal 3:8, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed .”
Gen 18:22 Scripture References Abraham also stood before the Lord in Gen 19:27, “And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:”
Gen 18:32 Comments – The reason Abraham made the decision to go into battle against the large army from the East in Gen 14:13-16 is because of one man, his nephew Lot. Because of this one man the Lord brought a great deliverance for the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. When we compare this deliverance to Abraham’s pray of intercession for these same wicked cities, we find that Abraham asked God for their preservation if ten righteous men could be found. We have to wonder if Abraham could have asked for one righteous man for their deliverance from judgment.
Gen 18:33 And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Ten Genealogies (Calling) – The Genealogies of Righteous Men and their Divine Callings (To Be Fruitful and Multiply) – The ten genealogies found within the book of Genesis are structured in a way that traces the seed of righteousness from Adam to Noah to Shem to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and the seventy souls that followed him down into Egypt. The book of Genesis closes with the story of the preservation of these seventy souls, leading us into the book of Exodus where we see the creation of the nation of Israel while in Egyptian bondage, which nation of righteousness God will use to be a witness to all nations on earth in His plan of redemption. Thus, we see how the book of Genesis concludes with the origin of the nation of Israel while its first eleven chapters reveal that the God of Israel is in fact that God of all nations and all creation.
The genealogies of the six righteous men in Genesis (Adam, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) are the emphasis in this first book of the Old Testament, with each of their narrative stories opening with a divine commission from God to these men, and closing with the fulfillment of prophetic words concerning the divine commissions. This structure suggests that the author of the book of Genesis wrote under the office of the prophet in that a prophecy is given and fulfilled within each of the genealogies of these six primary patriarchs. Furthermore, all the books of the Old Testament were written by men of God who moved in the office of the prophet, which includes the book of Genesis. We find a reference to the fulfillment of these divine commissions by the patriarchs in Heb 11:1-40. The underlying theme of the Holy Scriptures is God’s plan of redemption for mankind. Thus, the book of Genesis places emphasis upon these men of righteousness because of the role that they play in this divine plan as they fulfilled their divine commissions. This explains why the genealogies of Ishmael (Gen 25:12-18) and of Esau (Gen 36:1-43) are relatively brief, because God does not discuss the destinies of these two men in the book of Genesis. These two men were not men of righteousness, for they missed their destinies because of sin. Ishmael persecuted Isaac and Esau sold his birthright. However, it helps us to understand that God has blessed Ishmael and Esau because of Abraham although the seed of the Messiah and our redemption does not pass through their lineage. Prophecies were given to Ishmael and Esau by their fathers, and their genealogies testify to the fulfillment of these prophecies. There were six righteous men did fulfill their destinies in order to preserve a righteous seed so that God could create a righteous nation from the fruit of their loins. Illustration As a young schoolchild learning to read, I would check out biographies of famous men from the library, take them home and read them as a part of class assignments. The lives of these men stirred me up and placed a desire within me to accomplish something great for mankind as did these men. In like manner, the patriarchs of the genealogies in Genesis are designed to stir up our faith in God and encourage us to walk in their footsteps in obedience to God.
The first five genealogies in the book of Genesis bring redemptive history to the place of identifying seventy nations listed in the Table of Nations. The next five genealogies focus upon the origin of the nation of Israel and its patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
There is much more history and events that took place surrounding these individuals emphasized in the book of Genesis, which can be found in other ancient Jewish writings, such as The Book of Jubilees. However, the Holy Scriptures and the book of Genesis focus upon the particular events that shaped God’s plan of redemption through the procreation of men of righteousness. Thus, it was unnecessary to include many of these historical events that were irrelevant to God’s plan of redemption.
In addition, if we see that the ten genealogies contained within the book of Genesis show to us the seed of righteousness that God has preserved in order to fulfill His promise that the “seed of woman” would bruise the serpent’s head in Gen 3:15, then we must understand that each of these men of righteousness had a particular calling, destiny, and purpose for their lives. We can find within each of these genealogies the destiny of each of these men of God, for each one of them fulfilled their destiny. These individual destinies are mentioned at the beginning of each of their genealogies.
It is important for us to search these passages of Scripture and learn how each of these men fulfilled their destiny in order that we can better understand that God has a destiny and a purpose for each of His children as He continues to work out His divine plan of redemption among the children of men. This means that He has a destiny for you and me. Thus, these stories will show us how other men fulfilled their destinies and help us learn how to fulfill our destiny. The fact that there are ten callings in the book of Genesis, and since the number “10” represents the concept of countless, many, or numerous, we should understand that God calls out men in each subsequent generation until God’s plan of redemption is complete.
We can even examine the meanings of each of their names in order to determine their destiny, which was determined for them from a child. Adam’s name means “ruddy, i.e. a human being” ( Strong), for it was his destiny to begin the human race. Noah’s name means, “rest” ( Strong). His destiny was to build the ark and save a remnant of mankind so that God could restore peace and rest to the fallen human race. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning, “father of a multitude” ( Strong), because his destiny was to live in the land of Canaan and believe God for a son of promise so that his seed would become fruitful and multiply and take dominion over the earth. Isaac’s name means, “laughter” ( Strong) because he was the child of promise. His destiny was to father two nations, believing that the elder would serve the younger. Isaac overcame the obstacles that hindered the possession of the land, such as barrenness and the threat of his enemies in order to father two nations, Israel and Esau. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, which means “he will rule as God” ( Strong), because of his ability to prevail over his brother Esau and receive his father’s blessings, and because he prevailed over the angel in order to preserve his posterity, which was the procreation of twelve sons who later multiplied into the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus, his ability to prevail against all odds and father twelve righteous seeds earned him his name as one who prevailed with God’s plan of being fruitful and multiplying seeds of righteousness.
In order for God’s plan to be fulfilled in each of the lives of these patriarchs, they were commanded to be fruitful and multiply. It was God’s plan that the fruit of each man was to be a godly seed, a seed of righteousness. It was because of the Fall that unrighteous seed was produced. This ungodly offspring was not then nor is it today God’s plan for mankind.
Outline Here is a proposed outline:
1. The Generation of the Heavens and the Earth Gen 2:4 to Gen 4:26
a) The Creation of Man Gen 2:4-25
b) The Fall Gen 3:1-24
c) Cain and Abel Gen 4:1-26
2. The Generation of Adam Gen 5:1 to Gen 6:8
3. The Generation of Noah Gen 6:9 to Gen 9:29
4. The Generation of the Sons of Noah Gen 10:1 to Gen 11:9
5. The Generation of Shem Gen 11:10-26
6. The Generation of Terah (& Abraham) Gen 11:27 to Gen 25:11
7. The Generation Ishmael Gen 25:12-18
8. The Generation of Isaac Gen 25:19 to Gen 35:29
9. The Generation of Esau Gen 36:1-43
10. The Generation of Jacob Gen 37:1 to Gen 50:26
The Genealogy of Terah (and of Abraham) The genealogies of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have a common structure in that they open with God speaking to a patriarch and giving him a commission and a promise in which to believe. In each of these genealogies, the patriarch’s calling is to believe God’s promise, while this passage of Scripture serves as a witness to God’s faithfulness in fulfilling each promise. Only then does the genealogy come to a close.
Gen 11:27 to Gen 25:11 gives the account of the genealogy of Terah and his son Abraham. (Perhaps the reason this genealogy is not exclusively of Abraham, but rather of his father Terah, is because of the importance of Lot and the two tribes descended from him, the Moabites and the Ammonites, who will play a significant role in Israel’s redemptive history.) Heb 11:8-19 reveals the central message in this genealogy that stirs our faith in God when it describes Abraham’s acts of faith and obedience to God, culminating in the offering of his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. The genealogy of Abraham opens with God’s promise to him that if he would separate himself from his father and dwell in the land of Canaan, then God would make from him a great nation through his son (Gen 12:1-3), and it closes with God fulfilling His promise to Abraham by giving Him a son Isaac. However, this genealogy records Abraham’s spiritual journey to maturity in his faith in God, as is typical of each child of God. We find a summary of this genealogy in Heb 11:8-19. During the course of Abraham’s calling, God appeared to Abraham a number of times. God reappeared to him and told him that He would make his seed as numerous as the stars in the sky (Gen 15:5). God later appeared to Abraham and made the covenant of circumcision with him and said, “I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”(Gen 17:2) After Abraham offered Isaac his son upon the altar, God reconfirmed His promise that “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.” (Gen 22:17). The event on Mount Moriah serves as a testimony that Abraham fulfilled his part in believing that God would raise up a nation from Isaac, his son of promise. Thus, Abraham fulfilled his calling and destiny for his generation by dwelling in the land of Canaan and believing in God’s promise of the birth of his son Isaac. All of God’s promises to Abraham emphasized the birth of his one seed called Isaac. This genealogy testifies to God’s faithfulness to fulfill His promise of giving Abraham a son and of Abraham’s faith to believe in God’s promises. Rom 9:6-9 reflects the theme of Abraham’s genealogy in that it discusses the son of promise called Isaac.
Abraham’s Faith Perfected ( Jas 2:21-22 ) – Abraham had a promise from God that he would have a son by Sarai his wife. However, when we read the Scriptures in the book of Genesis where God gave Abraham this promise, we see that he did not immediately believe the promise from God (Gen 17:17-18).
Gen 17:17-18, “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!”
Instead of agreeing with God’s promise, Abraham laughed and suggested that God use Ishmael to fulfill His promise. However, many years later, by the time God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, he was fully persuaded that God was able to use Isaac to make him a father of nations. We see Abraham’s faith when he told his son Isaac that God Himself was able to provide a sacrifice, because he knew that God would raise Isaac from the dead, if need be, in order to fulfill His promise (Gen 22:8).
Gen 22:8, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”
Heb 11:17-19, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”
The best illustration of being fully persuaded is when Abraham believed that God would raise up Isaac from the dead in order to fulfill His promise. This is truly being fully persuaded and this is what Rom 4:21 is referring to.
What distinguished Abraham as a man of faith was not his somewhat initial weak reaction to the promises of God in Gen 17:17-18, but it was his daily obedience to God. Note a reference to Abraham’s daily obedience in Heb 11:8.
Heb 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed ; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
Abraham was righteous before God because he believed and obeyed God’s Words on a daily basis. A good illustration how God considers obedience as an act of righteousness is found in Genesis 19. Abraham had prayed for ten righteous people to deliver Sodom from destruction. The angels found only four people who hearkened to their words. These people were considered righteous in God’s eyes because they were obedient and left the city as they had been told to do by the angels.
Abraham’s ability to stagger not (Rom 4:20) and to be fully persuaded (Rom 4:21) came through time. As he was obedient to God, his faith in God’s promise began to take hold of his heart and grow, until he came to a place of conviction that circumstances no longer moved him. Abraham had to learn to be obedient to God when he did not understand the big picture. Rom 5:3-5 teaches us that tribulation produces patience, and patience produces experience, and experience hope. Abraham had to pass through these four phases of faith in order to develop strong faith that is no longer moved by circumstances.
Let us look at Abraham’s history of obedience to God. He had first been obedient to follow his father from Ur to Haran.
Gen 11:31, “And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.”
He was further obedient when he left Haran and went to a land that he did not know.
Gen 12:1, “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:”
He was further obedient for the next twenty-five years in this Promised Land, learning that God was his Shield and his Reward. Note:
Gen 15:1, “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
God called Himself Abraham’s shield and reward because Abraham had come to know Him as a God who protects him and as a God who prospers him. Note that Abraham was living in a land where people believed in many gods, where people believed that there was a god for every area of their lives. God was teaching Abraham that He was an All-sufficient God. This was why God said to Abraham in Gen 17:1, “I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.” In other words, God was telling Abraham to be obedient. Abraham’s role in fulfilling this third promise was to be obedient, and to live a holy life. As Abraham did this, he began to know God as an Almighty God, a God who would be with him in every situation in life. As Abraham fulfilled his role, God fulfilled His divine role in Abraham’s life.
God would later test Abraham’s faith in Gen 22:1 to see if Abraham believed that God was Almighty.
Gen 22:1, “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.”
God knew Abraham’s heart. However, Abraham was about to learn what was in his heart. For on Mount Moriah, Abraham’s heart was fully persuaded that God was able to raise Isaac from the dead in order to fulfill His promise:
Heb 11:19, “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”
Abraham had to die to his own ways of reasoning out God’s plan. He had taken Eliezer of Damascus as his heir as a result of God’s first promise. Then, he had conceived Ishmael in an attempt to fulfill God’s second promise. Now, Abraham was going to have to learn to totally depend upon God’s plan and learn to follow it.
The first promise to Abraham was made to him at the age of 75, when he first entered the Promised Land.
Gen 12:7, “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.”
This first promise was simple, that God would give this land to Abraham’s seed. So, Abraham took Eliezer of Damascus as his heir. But the second promise was greater in magnitude and more specific.
Gen 15:4-5, “And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
This next promise said that God would give Abraham this land to Abraham’s biological child and that his seed would proliferate and multiply as the stars of heaven. So, Abraham has a son, Ishmael, by Hagar, his handmaid in order to fulfill this promise.
The third promise, which came twenty-five years after the first promise, was greater than the first and second promises. God said that Abraham would become a father of many nations through Sarah, his wife. Abraham had seen God be his Shield and protect him from the Canaanites. He had seen God as his Reward, by increasing his wealth (Gen 15:1). But now, Abraham was to learn that God was Almighty (Gen 17:1), that with God, all things are possible.
It was on Mount Moriah that Abraham truly died to himself, and learned to live unto God. In the same way, it was at Peniel that Jacob died to his own self and learned to totally depend upon God. After Mount Moriah, Abraham stopped making foolish decisions. There is not a fault to find in Abraham after his experience of sacrificing his son. When Abraham was making wrong decisions, he had the wisdom to build an altar at every place he pitched his tent. It was at these altars that he dealt with his sins and wrong decisions.
At Peniel God called Jacob by the name Israel. Why would God give Jacob this name? Because Jacob must now learn to totally trust in God. His thigh was limp and his physical strength was gone. The only might that he will ever know the rest of his life will be the strength that he finds in trusting God. Jacob was about to meet his brother and for the first time in his life, he was facing a situation that he could not handle in his own strength and cunning. He has been able to get himself out of every other situation in his life, but this time, it was different. He was going to have to trust God or die, and Jacob knew this. His name was now Israel, a mighty one in God. Jacob would have to now find his strength in God, because he had no strength to fight in the flesh. Thus, his name showed him that he could look to God and prevail as a mighty one both with God and with man. After this night, the Scriptures never record a foolish decision that Jacob made. He began to learn how to totally rely upon the Lord as his father Abraham had learned.
After Mount Moriah and Peniel, we read no more of foolish decisions by Abraham and Jacob. We just see men broken to God’s will and humble before God’s mercy.
Obedience is the key, and total obedience is not learned quickly. I believe that it takes decades, as we see in the life of Abraham, to learn to be obedient to a God whom we know as Almighty. This is not learned over night.
Abraham had a word from God before he left Ur. When he reached Canaan, he received a promise from God. Don’t mess with a man and his promise. Pharaoh tried to mess with this man’s promise and God judged him. King Abimelech tried to take Abraham’s promise, but God judged him.
Like Abraham, we may start the journey making some poor judgments, but God is greater than our errors.
We will first know God as our shield and our reward. He will protect us throughout our ministry. He will reward us. He will prosper our ministry. As we learn to be obedient, we will come to know our God as the Almighty in a way that we have never known Him before.
Do not mess with a man who has laid Isaac on the altar. I have heard Gen 17:17 taught as the laugh of faith.
Gen 17:17-18, “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!”
I see very little faith in Abraham’s words in these verses. On the other hand, I have heard other preachers criticize Abraham for his lack of faith at these times in his life; yet, I do not see God criticizing his faith. Abraham was not fully persuaded at this point, but he did not fail God. Abraham simply continued being obedient and living holy until the faith grew in his heart. Every wrong decision that Abraham made brought him that much closer to the right decision. We call this the school of hard knocks. As a result, faith continued to grow in his heart. By Genesis 22, Abraham was fully persuaded and strong in faith that God was Almighty.
Watch out, lest you criticize a man learning to walk in his promise. He may look foolish at times, but do not look on the outward appearance. You either run with him, or get out of the way, but don’t get in the way.
When I left Seminary and a Master’s degree, I was given a job driving a garbage truck while learning to pastor a Charismatic church. I was learning to walk in a promise from God. I will never forget riding on the back of these garbage trucks in my hometown, while the church members who had given money to send me to Seminary watched me in disbelief.
God does not measure a man by the size of his ministry, but by the size of his heart. When Jimmy Swaggart fell into sin, Alethia Fellowship Church was one of his partners, so this church was receiving his monthly ministry tapes during this period in his ministry. In a cassette tape immediately after his fall, he gave a testimony of how he told the Lord that he had failed. The Lord replied to him that he had not failed; rather the Lord had to get some things out of his life. [170] That word from God gave him the courage to go on in the midst of failure. You see, God was more pleased with Jimmy Swaggart living a godly life in fellowship with Him than preaching in great crusades while living in sin.
[170] Jimmy Swaggart, “Monthly Partner Cassette Tape,” (Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, February 1988), audiocassette.
Joyce Meyer said that if God measured our success by the way the world measured us, He would have called us “achievers” and not “believers.” [171] Abraham was justified by faith and not by his works. Our work is to believe, not to achieve.
[171] Joyce Meyer, Life in the Word (Fenton, Missouri: Joyce Meyer Ministries), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program.
Many of my church friends and relatives criticized me as a failure. However, I knew somehow that the walk of faith was obedience to the Word of God, and not a walk of pleasing man. I obviously did not spend much time with people who thought that I was nuts. Instead, I spent so much time in my bedroom studying my Bible that I looked dysfunctional. Yet, the Lord strengthened me. I will never forget, after riding the garbage truck during the day, and hiding in God’s Word in the night. One night, I laid down about 1:00 a.m. and the glory of God filled my room until 5:00 a.m. in the morning. It was during these most difficult times that the Lord strengthened me the most.
The Lord strengthened Abraham in the midst of his questions and errors. If you will just stay obedient, God will see His Word come to pass through you, as did Abraham learn to see God as Almighty.
Gen 11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.
Gen 11:28 Gen 11:28 “And in the thirty-fifth jubilee, in the third week, in the first year [1681 A.M.] thereof, Reu took to himself a wife, and her name was ‘Ora, the daughter of ‘Ur, the son of Kesed, and she bare him a son, and he called his name Seroh, in the seventh year of this week in this jubilee. And ‘Ur, the son of Kesed, built the city of ‘Ara of the Chaldees, and called its name after his own name and the name of his father. And they made for themselves molten images, and they worshipped each the idol, the molten image which they had made for themselves, and they began to make graven images and unclean simulacra, and malignant spirits assisted and seduced (them) into committing transgression and uncleanness.” ( The Book of Jubilees 11.1-5)
Gen 11:29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
Gen 11:29 Gen 20:12, “And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.”
Compare the comments in Gen 11:29 where Nahor, Abraham’s brother, took his niece, the daughter of Haran, as his wife.
Gen 11:29 “and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah” – Word Study on “Milcah” Gesenius tells us that by Chaldean usage the Hebrew name “Milcah” “Milkah” ( ) (H4435) means “counsel.” Strong tells us that the name means, “queen.” PTW tells us it means, “counsel.” She is daughter of Haran and sister to Lot and Iscah. She married her uncle named Nahor and bare him eight children. She is first mentioned in Gen 11:29 in the genealogy of Terah. She is mentioned a second time in Scripture Gen 22:20-24, where Nahor’s genealogy is given. Her name is mentioned on a third occasion in the chapter where Isaac takes Rebekah as his bride (Gen 24:15; Gen 24:24; Gen 24:47). She is mentioned no more in the Scriptures.
Word Study on “Iscah” Gesenius says the Hebrew name “Iscah” “Yickah” ( ) (H3252) means, “one who beholds, looks out” from ( ). Strong tells us that it comes from an unused word meaning “to watch.” PTW tells us it means, “Jehovah is looking” or “who looks.” Iscah was the sister to Milcah and Lot. Nothing more is mentioned of this person in the Scriptures, her significance being her relationship to her siblings, of whom Lot is the best known.
Gen 11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Gen 11:30 Gen 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
Gen 11:31 “And Terah went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, he and his sons, to go into the land of Lebanon and into the land of Canaan, and he dwelt in the land of Haran, and Abram dwelt with Terah his father in Haran two weeks of years.” ( The Book of Jubilees 12.15-16)
However, Act 7:1-4 says that it was Abraham who moved out from Ur due to a Word from the Lord.
Act 7:1-4, “Then said the high priest, Are these things so? And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.”
Gen 11:31 Scripture References – Note:
Jos 24:2, “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah , the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.”
Gen 11:32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.
Gen 12:1-3 The Calling of the Patriarchs of Israel We can find two major divisions within the book of Genesis that reveal God’s foreknowledge in designing a plan of redemption to establish a righteous people upon earth. Paul reveals this four-fold plan in Rom 8:29-30: predestination, calling, justification, and glorification.
Rom 8:29-30, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
The book of Genesis will reflect the first two phase of redemption, which are predestination and calling. We find in the first division in Gen 1:1 to Gen 2:3 emphasizing predestination. The Creation Story gives us God’s predestined plan for mankind, which is to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth with righteous offspring. The second major division is found in Gen 2:4 to Gen 50:25, which gives us ten genealogies, in which God calls men of righteousness to play a role in His divine plan of redemption.
The foundational theme of Gen 2:4 to Gen 11:26 is the divine calling for mankind to be fruitful and multiply, which commission was given to Adam prior to the Flood (Gen 1:28-29), and to Noah after the Flood (Gen 9:1). The establishment of the seventy nations prepares us for the calling out of Abraham and his sons, which story fills the rest of the book of Genesis. Thus, God’s calling through His divine foreknowledge (Gen 11:27 to Gen 50:26) will focus the calling of Abraham and his descendants to establish the nation of Israel. God will call the patriarchs to fulfill the original purpose and intent of creation, which is to multiply into a righteous nation, for which mankind was originally predestined to fulfill.
The generations of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob take up a large portion of the book of Genesis. These genealogies have a common structure in that they all begin with God revealing Himself to a patriarch and giving him a divine commission, and they close with God fulfilling His promise to each of them because of their faith in His promise. God promised Abraham a son through Sarah his wife that would multiply into a nation, and Abraham demonstrated his faith in this promise on Mount Moriah. God promised Isaac two sons, with the younger receiving the first-born blessing, and this was fulfilled when Jacob deceived his father and received the blessing above his brother Esau. Jacob’s son Joseph received two dreams of ruling over his brothers, and Jacob testified to his faith in this promise by following Joseph into the land of Egypt. Thus, these three genealogies emphasize God’s call and commission to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their response of faith in seeing God fulfill His word to each of them.
1. The Generations of Terah (& Abraham) Gen 11:27 to Gen 25:11
2. The Generations Ishmael Gen 25:12-18
3. The Generations of Isaac Gen 25:19 to Gen 35:29
4. The Generations of Esau Gen 36:1-43
5. The Generations of Jacob Gen 37:1 to Gen 50:26
The Origin of the Nation of Israel After Gen 1:1 to Gen 9:29 takes us through the origin of the heavens and the earth as we know them today, and Gen 10:1 to Gen 11:26 explains the origin of the seventy nations (Gen 10:1 to Gen 11:26), we see that the rest of the book of Genesis focuses upon the origin of the nation of Israel (Gen 11:27 to Gen 50:26). Thus, each of these major divisions serves as a foundation upon which the next division is built.
Paul the apostle reveals the four phases of God the Father’s plan of redemption for mankind through His divine foreknowledge of all things in Rom 8:29-30, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Predestination – Gen 1:1 to Gen 11:26 emphasizes the theme of God the Father’s predestined purpose of the earth, which was to serve mankind, and of mankind, which was to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with righteousness. Calling – Gen 11:27 to Gen 50:26 will place emphasis upon the second phase of God’s plan of redemption for mankind, which is His divine calling to fulfill His purpose of multiplying and filling the earth with righteousness. (The additional two phases of Justification and Glorification will unfold within the rest of the books of the Pentateuch.) This second section of Genesis can be divided into five genealogies. The three genealogies of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob begin with a divine calling to a patriarch. The two shorter genealogies of Ishmael and Esau are given simply because they inherit a measure of divine blessings as descendants of Abraham, but they will not play a central role in God’s redemptive plan for mankind. God will implement phase two of His divine plan of redemption by calling one man named Abraham to depart unto the Promised Land (Gen 12:1-3), and this calling was fulfilled by the patriarch. Isaac’s calling can also be found at the beginning of his genealogy, where God commands him to dwell in the Promised Land (Gen 26:1-6), and this calling was fulfilled by the patriarch Isaac. Jacob’s calling was fulfilled as he bore twelve sons and took them into Egypt where they multiplied into a nation. The opening passage of Jacob’s genealogy reveals that his destiny would be fulfilled through the dream of his son Joseph (Gen 37:1-11), which took place in the land of Egypt. Perhaps Jacob did not receive such a clear calling as Abraham and Isaac because his early life was one of deceit, rather than of righteousness obedience to God; so the Lord had to reveal His plan for Jacob through his righteous son Joseph. In a similar way, God spoke to righteous kings of Israel, and was silent to those who did not serve Him. Thus, the three patriarchs of Israel received a divine calling, which they fulfilled in order for the nation of Israel to become established in the land of Egypt. Perhaps the reason the Lord sent the Jacob and the seventy souls into Egypt to multiply rather than leaving them in the Promised Land is that the Israelites would have intermarried the cultic nations around them and failed to produce a nation of righteousness. God’s ways are always perfect.
1. The Generations of Terah (& Abraham) Gen 11:27 to Gen 25:11
2. The Generations Ishmael Gen 25:12-18
3. The Generations of Isaac Gen 25:19 to Gen 35:29
4. The Generations of Esau Gen 36:1-43
5. The Generations of Jacob Gen 37:1 to Gen 50:26
Divine Miracles It is important to note that up until now the Scriptures record no miracles in the lives of men. Thus, we will observe that divine miracles begin with Abraham and the children of Israel. Testimonies reveal today that the Jews are still recipients of God’s miracles as He divinely intervenes in this nation to fulfill His purpose and plan for His people. Yes, God is working miracles through His New Testament Church, but miracles had their beginning with the nation of Israel.
Abraham welcomes the Lord and the Angels
v. 1. And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains, that is, the groves of terebinths, the oaks of Canaan, of Mamre, v. 2. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him. v. 3. And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant.
v. 4. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; v. 5. and I will fetch a morsel of bread; and comfort ye your hearts. After that ye shall pass on; for therefore are ye come to your servant. v. 6. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. v. 7. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. v. 8. And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. EXPOSITION
Gen 18:1
And the LordJehovah, the Divine name employed throughout the present and succeeding chapters, which are accordingly assigned to the Jehovist (Tuch, Bleek, Davidson, Colenso), with the exception of Gen 19:29, which is commonly regarded as a fragment of the original Elohist’s narration (vide infra)appeared unto him. The absence of Abraham’s name has been thought to favor the idea that the present chapter should have begun at Gen 17:23 (Quarry). That the time of this renewed Divine manifestation was shortly after the incidents recorded in the preceding chapter is apparent, as also that its object was the reassurance of the patriarch concerning the birth of Isaac. In the plains of Mamre. Literally, in the oaks of Mature (vide Gen 13:18). And he sat in the tent door. Literally, in the opening of the tent, a fold of which was fastened to a post near by to admit any air that might be stirring. In the heat of the day, i.e. noontide (cf. 1Sa 11:11), as the cool of the day, or the wind of the day (Gen 3:8), means eventide. “The usual term for noon is Tsoharim (Gen 43:16), that is, the time of ‘ double or greatest light,’ while a more poetical expression is ‘the height of the day’ (Pro 4:18), either because then the sun has reached its most exalted position, or because it appears to stand still in the zenith” (Kalisch). Among the Orientals the hour of noon is the time of rest (cf. So Gen 1:7) and the time of dinner (Gen 43:16, Gen 43:25). In this case the patriarch had probably dined and was resting after dinner, sines, on the arrival of his visitors, preparations had to be commenced for their entertainment.
Gen 18:2
And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him. Not in addition to (Kalisch), but including (Keil), Jehovah, whose appearance to the patriarch, having in the previous verse been first generally stated, is now minutely described. That these three men were not manifestations of the three persons of the Godhead, but Jehovah accompanied by two created angels, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground. The expression denotes the complete prostration of the body by first falling on the knees, and then inclining the head forwards till it touches the ground. As this was a mode of salutation practiced by Orientals towards superiors generally, such as kings and princes (2Sa 9:8), but also towards equals (Gen 23:7; Gen 33:6, Gen 33:7; Gen 42:6; Gen 43:26), as well as towards the Deity (Gen 22:5; 1Sa 1:3), it is impossible to affirm with certainty (Keil, Lunge) that an act of worship was intended by the patriarch, and not simply the presentation of human and civil honor (Calvin). If Heb 13:2 inclines to countenance the latter interpretation, the language in which Abraham immediately addresses one of the three men almost leads to the conclusion that already the patriarch had recognized Jehovah.
Gen 18:3
And said, My LordAdonai, literally, Lord, as in Gen 15:2, q.v. (LXX; ; Vulgate, Domine; Syriac, Onkelos, Kalisch, Alford, Lange), though the term may have indicated nothing more than-Abraham’s recognition of the superior authority of the Being addressed (Murphy). The readings Adoni, my Lord (A.V; Dathius, Rosenmller), and Aden, my lords (Gesenius), are incorrectif now I have found favor in thy sightnot implying dubiety on Abraham’s part as to his acceptance before God (Knobel), but rather postulating his already conscious enjoyment of the Divine favor as the ground of the request about to be preferred (Delitzsch, Lange). Those who regard Abraham as unconscious of the Divinity of him to whom he spake see in his language nothing but the customary formula of Oriental address (Rosenmller; cf. Gen 30:27; 1Sa 20:29; Est 7:3)put not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. The hospitality of the Eastern, and even of the Arab, has been frequently remarked by travelers. Volney describes the Arab as dining at his tent door in order to invite passers-by. “The virtue of hospitality is one of the great redeeming virtues in the character of the Bedouins (Kalisch). “Whenever our path led us near an encampment, as was frequently the case, we always found some active sheikh or venerable patriarch sitting ‘in his tent door,’ and as soon as we were within haft we heard the earnest words of welcome and invitation which the Old Testament Scriptures had rendered long ago familiar to us: Stay, my lord, stay. Pass not on till thou hast eaten bread, and rested under thy servant’s tent. Alight and remain until thy servant kills a kid and prepares, a feast'”.
Gen 18:4
Let a little water, I pray yon, be fetched, and wash your feet. Feet washing was a necessary part of Oriental hospitality (cf. Gen 19:2; Gen 24:32; Gen 43:24). “Among the ancient Egyptians the basins kept in the houses of the rich for this purpose were sometimes of gold”. “In India it is considered a necessary part of hospitality to wash the feet and ankles of the weary traveler, and even in Palestine this interesting custom is not extinct. Dr. Robinson and party on arriving at Ramleh repaired to the abode of a wealthy Arab, where the ceremony was performed in the genuine style of ancient Oriental hospitality. And rest yourselves (literally, recline by resting on the elbow) under the tree.
Gen 18:5
And I will fetch a morsel of bread,a modest description of what proved a sumptuous repast (vide Gen 18:6, Gen 18:8)and comfort ye your hearts;literally, strengthen or support them, i.e. by eating and drinking (Jdg 19:5; 1Ki 21:7)after that ye shall pass on: for therefore introduces the ground of what has already been stated, something like quando quidem, forasmuch as, since, or because (Kalisch), and not = , for this cause that, or “because for this purpose” (Keil)are ye come to (literally, have ye passed before) thy servant. The patriarch’s meaning is not that they had come with the design of receiving his gifts (LXX; A.V.), but either that, unconsciously to them, God had ordered their journey so as to give him this opportunity (Calvin, Bush, Wordsworth, ‘Speaker’s Commentary,’ Keil), or perhaps simply that since they had passed by his tent they should suffer him to accord them entertainment (Kalisch, Rosenmller). And they said, So do, as thou but said. Therefore we must believe that Abraham washed the men’s feet, and they did eat (Gen 18:8). Here is a mystery (Wordsworth).
Gen 18:6
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures. Hebrew, three seahs, a seah being a third of an ephah, and containing 374 cubic inches each (Keil); a third of a bushel (Kalisch)of fine meal,literally, of flour, fine flour; (LXX.); the first term when alone denoting flour of ordinary quality (cf. Le Gen 2:1; Gen 5:11; Num 7:13)knead it, and make cakes upon the hearthi.e. “round unleavened cakes baked upon hot stones” (Keil).
Gen 18:7
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good,the greatness of the honor done to the strangers was evinced by the personal activity of the patriarch, and the offering of animal food, which was not a common article of consumption among Orientalsand gave it unto a young man;i.e. the servant in attendance (cf. Gen 14:24)and he hasted to dress it.
Gen 18:8
And he took butter,, from the root , to curdle or become thick, signifies curdled milk, not butter (, LXX.; butyrum, Vulgate), which was not used among Orientals except medicinally. The word occurs seven times in Scripture with four letters (Deu 32:14; Jdg 5:25; 2Sa 17:29; Isa 7:15, Isa 7:22; Pro 30:33; Job 20:17), and once without and milk,, milk whilst still fresh, or containing its fatness, from a root signifying to be fat (cf. Gen 49:12; Pro 27:27)and the calf which hei.e. the young manhad dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree,a custom still observed among the Arabs, who honor their guests not by sitting to eat with, but by standing to wait upon, themand they did eat. Not seemed to eat (Josephus, Philo, Jonathan), nor simply ate after an allegorical fashion, as fire consumes the materials put into it, but did so in reality (Tertullian, Delitzsch, Keil, Kurtz, Lange). Though the angel who appeared to Manoah (Jdg 13:16) refused to partake of food, the risen Savior ate with his disciples (Luk 24:43). Physiologically inexplicable, this latter action on the part of Christ was not a mere or simulation, but a veritable manducation of material food, to which Christ appealed in confirmation of the reality of his resurrection; and the acceptance of Abraham’s hospitality on the part of Jehovah and his angels may in like manner have been designed to prove that their visit to his tent at Mamre was not a dream or a vision, but a genuine external manifestation.
Gen 18:9
And they said unto him (i.e. the Principal One of the three, speaking for the others, interrogated Abraham during the progress, or perhaps at the close of, the meal saying), Where is Sarah thy wife? (thus indicating that their visit had a special reference to her). And he said, Behold, in the tent. It is obvious that if at first Abraham regarded his visitors only as men, by this time a suspicion of their true character must have begun to dawn upon his mind. How should ordinary travelers be aware of his wife’s name? and why should they do so unusual a thing, according to Oriental manners, as to inquire after her? If thus far their behavior could not fail to surprise the patriarch, what must have been his astonishment at the subsequent communication?
Gen 18:10
And he said (the Principal Guest, as above, who, by the very nature and terms of his announcement, identifies himself with Jehovah), I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life. Literally, at the time reviving; i.e. when the year shall have been renewed, in the next year, or rather spring; though other interpretations of the phrase have been suggested, as, e.g; “according to the time of that which is born,” i.e. at the end of nine months (Willet, Calvin, Bush, Murphy). And, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. I.e. at the time specified. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Gen 18:11
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age. Literally, gone into days, i.e. into years. This was the first natural impediment to the accomplishment of Jehovah’s premise; the second was peculiar to Sarah. And it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women (vide Le Gen 15:19, 25).
Gen 18:12
Therefore (literally, and) Sarah laughed within herselfAbraham had laughed in joyful amazement, (Gen 18:17) at the first mention of Sarah’s son; Sarah laughs, if not in unbelief (Calvin, Keil, ‘Speaker’s Commentary,’ Wordsworth), at least with a mingled feeling of doubt and delight (Lange, Murphy) at the announcement of her approaching maternitysaying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?literally, and my lord, i.e. my husband, is old. The reverential submission to Abraham which Sarah here displays is in the New Testament commended as a pattern to Christian wives (1Pe 3:6).
Gen 18:13
And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh,a question which must have convinced Abraham of the Speaker’s omniscience. Not only had he heard the silent, inaudible, inward cachinnation of Sarah’s spirit, but he knew the tenor of her thoughts, and the purport of her dubitationssaying, Shall I of a surely bear a child, whilst (literally, and I) am old? Sarah’s mental cogitations clearly showed that the temporary obscuration of her faith proceeded from a strong realization of the weakness of nature, which made conception and pregnancy impossible to one like her, who was advanced in years; and accordingly her attention, as well as that of her husband, was directed to the Divine omnipotence as the all-sufficient guarantee for the accomplishment of the promise.
Gen 18:14
Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Literally, Is any word too wonderful, i.e. impossible, for Jehovah (LXX.), with which may be compared Luk 1:37. At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life (vide supra, Luk 1:10), and Sarah shall have a son.
Gen 18:15
Then Sarah (who had overheard the conversation, and the charge preferred against her, and who probably now appeared before the stranger) denied, saying, I laughed not. Sarah’s conduct will admit of no other explanation than that which the sacred narrative itself gives. For she was afraid. The knowledge that her secret thoughts had been deciphered must have kindled in her breast the suspicion that her visitor was none other than Jehovah. With this a sense of guilt would immediately assail her conscience for having cherished even a moment any doubt of the Divine word. In the consequent confusion of soul she tries what ever seems to be the first impulse of detected transgressions, viz; deception (cf. Gen 3:12, Gen 3:13). And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. With a directness similar to that which he employed in dealing with the first culprits in the garden, not contending in a multiplicity of words, but solemnly announcing that what she said was false. The silence of Sarah was an evidence of her conviction; her subsequent conception was a proof of her repentance anti forgiveness.
HOMILETICS
Gen 18:1-15
Noontide at, Mamre, or angels’ visits.
I. THE ARRIVAL OF THE STRANGERS.
1. The appearance they presented. Seemingly three men, they were in reality three angels, or, more correctly, Jehovah accompanied by two celestial attend ants, who, at an unexpected moment, were making for Abraham’s tent. So are the homes of saints ofttimes visited by angels unawares (Heb 1:14), and, greater honor still, by him who claims the angels as his ministers (Psa 8:4; Isa 57:17).
2. The reception they obtained. Immediately that Abraham discerned their approach, he hastened to accord them most respectful and courteous salutation, in true Oriental fashion, falling on his knees and bowing till his head touched the ground; an illustration of that beautiful politeness towards one’s fellow-men (if as yet he only regarded his visitors as men), or of that reverential self-abasement before God (if already he had recognized the superior dignity of the principal figure of the three) which ought especially to characterize God’s believing and covenanted people (see Psa 95:6; 1Pe 3:8).
3. The invitation they received. Probably oppressed by the sultry beams of the noonday sun, if not otherwise travel-stained and weary, they were, with genuine Arab-like hospitality, entreated by the patriarch to avail themselves of such refreshment and repose as his cool-shaded, well-furnished tent might be able to afford. And this invitation of the patriarch was
(1) Humbly proffered, as if their acceptance of it would be more an act of grace conferred on him than a benefit enjoyed by themselves.
(2) Modestly described, as if it were only a trifle after all that he was asking them to accept, while all the time his liberal heart was devising liberal things.
(3) Piously enforced, by the consideration that he recognized in their arrival at his tent a special call to the discharge of the duty of hospitality.
(4) Promptly accepted, without apologies or deprecations of any sort, but with the same generous simplicity as it was offered. “So do as thou hast said.”
II. THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE STRANGERS. In the banquet which Abraham extemporized for his celestial guests beneath the umbrageous oak at Mamre were three things which should be studied by all who would use hospitality.
1. Joyous alacrity. That the patriarch’s invitation was no mere conventional remark which was meant to pass unheeded by those to whom it was addressed was proved by the expeditious cordiality with which he set about the preparations needed for the proffered repast,enlisting Sarah’s practiced hands in baking cakes, and commissioning a trusty servant of the house to kill and dress a young and tender calf selected by himself from the flocks. Here was no reluctance or half-heartedness with Abraham in the work of kindness to which Providence had called him. So ought Christians to manifest a spirit of cheerfulness and a habit of promptitude in doing good (Rom 12:8, Rom 12:13; 2Co 9:7).
2. Unstinted liberality. Modestly characterized as a little repast, it was in reality a sumptuous banquet which was set before the strangers. Abraham entertained his guests with princely munificence. The modern virtue of stinginess, or niggardliness, supposed by many to be a Christian grace, had not been acquired by the patriarch, and should with as much speed as possible be unlearned by Christ’s disciples. Hospitality towards the saints and beneficence towards all men, but especially towards the poor, should be practiced with diligence, and even with a holy prodigality, by all who are of Abraham’s seed (Luk 14:12-14; Rom 12:13; 1Ti 3:2; Heb 13:2).
3. Personal activity. Though the master of a large household, with 300 trained domestics, and the noble Eliezer at their head, the patriarch does not think of relegating the important work of preparing the entertainment to his subordinates, but himself attends to its immediate execution. Indeed, in all the bustling activity which forthwith pervades the tent his figure is always and everywhere conspicuous. And when the meal is ready he reverently serves it with his own hand; again a true pattern of humility, as if he had caught up by anticipation the spirit of our Savior’s words (Mat 20:26); and a true preacher of Christian duty, saying that in God’s work personal service is ever better than laboring by proxy.
III. THE COMMUNICATION OF THE STRANGERS. The noonday meal over, or perhaps while it was advancing, the principal of the three guests, who certainly by this time was recognized as Jehovah, made an important announcement to the patriarch, which, however, was specially intended for Sarah, who was listening behind the dark fold of the camel’s-hair tent, viz; that next year the promised seed should be born. That announcement was
1. Authoritatively made. It was made by him who is the faithful and true Witness, with whom it is impossible to lie, and who is able also to perform that Which he has promised.
2. Unbelievingly received. The laugh of Sarah was altogether different from that of Abraham (Gen 17:17). While Abraham’s was the outcome of faith, hers was the fruit of latent doubt and incredulity. There are always two ways of receiving God’s promises; the one of which secures, but the other of which imperils, their fulfillment.
3. Solemnly confirmed.
(1) By an appeal to the Divine omnipotence. The thing promised was not beyond the resources of Jehovah to accomplish.
(2) By a further certification of the event. As it were a second time the Divine faithfulness was pledged for its fulfillment
(3) By an impressive display of miraculous power, first in searching Sarah’s heart, and second in arresting Sarah’s conscience. The result was that Sarah’s unbelief was transformed into faith.
Learn
1. The duty and profit of entertaining strangers (Heb 13:2).
2. The beauty and nobility of Christian hospitality (Rom 12:13).
3. The excellence and acceptability of personal service in God’s work.
4. The condescension and kindness of God in visiting She sons of men.
5. The admirable grace of Jehovah in repeating and confirming his promises to man.
6. The right way and the wrong way of listening to God’s words of grace and truth.
HOMILIES BY W. ROBERTS
Gen 18:1-15
The theophany at Mamre.
I. THE DIVINE VISIT TO THE PATRIARCH.
1. A remarkable proof of the Divine condescension.
2. A striking adumbration of the incarnation of Christ.
3. An instructive emblem of God’s gracious visits to his saints.
II. THE DIVINE FEAST WITH THE PATRIARCH.
1. The courteous invitation.
2. The sumptuous provision.
3. The ready attention.
III. THE DIVINE MESSAGE FOR THE PATRIARCH.
1. Its delivery to Abraham.
2. Its reception by Sarah.
3. Its authentication by Jehovah.W.
HOMILIES BY J.F. MONTGOMERY
Gen 18:1-15
The theophany at Mamre.
“The Lord appeared unto him” (Gen 18:1).
I. THE PREPARATION FOR DIVINE MANIFESTATION.
1. Abraham stands on a higher plane of spiritual life. He is endeavoring to fulfill the commandment given (Gen 17:1): “Walk before me,” &c. The appearances and communications are more frequent and more full.
2. The concentration of the believer’s thought at a particular crisis. His place at the tent door, looking forth over the plains of Mature, representing his mental attitude, as he dwelt on the promises and gazed into the future.
3. There was a coincidence between the conjuncture in the history of the neighboring cities and the crisis in the history of the individual believer. So in the purposes of God there is preparation for his manifestation both in external providence and in the events of the world on the one hand, and on the other in the more personal and private history of his people.
II. THE MANIFESTATION ITSELF.
1. It was very gracious and condescending. The angels did not appear in angelic glory, but in human likeness. They came as guests, and, in the fragrant atmosphere of a genial hospitality, at once quickened confidence and led forward the mind to expect a higher communication. The household activity of Abraham and Sarah on behalf of the three visitors, while it calmed and strengthened, did also give time for thought and observation of the signs of approaching opportunity.
2. There was from the first an appeal to faith. Three persons, yet one having the pre-eminence. The reverential feeling of the patriarch called out at the manner of their approach to his tent The coincidence possibly between the work of the Spirit in the mind of the believer and the bestowment of outward opportunity.
3. The communication of the Divine promise in immediate connection with the facts of human life. The great trial of faith is not the appeal to accept the word of God in its larger aspect as his truth, but the application of it to our own case. We may believe that the promise will be fulfilled, and yet we may not take it to heart, “I will return unto thee.” “Sarah shall have a son.” The strength made perfect in weakness, not merely for weakness. The Divine in the Scripture revelation does not overwhelm and absorb the human; the human is taken up into the Divine and glorified. Taking the narrative as a whole, it may be treated
(1) Historicallyas it holds a place in the history of the man Abraham and in the progressive development of revelation.
(2) Morallysuggesting lessons of patience, reverence, humility, truthfulness, faith.
(3) Spirituallyas pointing to the Messiah, intimating the incarnation, the atonement, the prophetic, priestly, and kingly offices of the promised Redeemer; the freedom and simplicity of the fellowship of God with man; the great Christian entertainmentman spreading the meal before God, God accepting it, uniting with man in its participation, elevating it into that which is heavenly by his manifested presence.R.
Gen 18:12
“Sarah laughed within herself.”
1. The incongruity between a Divine promise and the sphere of its fulfillment is temptation to unbelief.
2. A disposition to measure the reality and certainty of the Divine by a human or earthly standard is sure to lead us to irreverence and sinful doubt.
3. There may be an inward and concealed working, known to God though not outwardly expressed. Which is still both an insult to him a d an injury to us.
4. The root of unbelief is in the ground of the soul. Sarah laughed because she was not prepared for the gracious promise. She was afraid of her own thoughts because they were not such as became her, and did dishonor to God’s sufficiency and love. “She denied, saying, I laughed not.” A more receptive and spiritual mind would have both risen above the incongruity and been incapable of the dissimulation.R.
Gen 18:14
“Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
I. TAKE IT AS THE QUESTION WHICH GOD ASKS OF MAN.
1. Remonstrance. The history of Divine manifestations proves that nothing is demanded of faith which is not justified by the bestowments of the past.
2. Invitation. We connect the question with the promise. He opens the gate of life; is it too hard for him to give us the victory? “At the time appointed” his word will be fulfilled. He would have us rest on himself. “Believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder,“ &c. What he is, what he says, are blended into one in the true faith of his waiting children.
II. TAKE THE QUESTION AS ONE WHICH MEN ASK OF ONE ANOTHER.
1. When they set forth the goodness of Divine truth. The possibility of miracles. The hardness of the world’s problems no justification of unbelief.
2. When they proclaim a gospel of supernatural gifts, a salvation not of man, but of God. Why should we doubt conversion? Why should a regenerated, renewed nature be so often mocked at?
3. When they would encourage one another to persevere in Christian enterprise. The methods may be old, but the grace is ever new. The world may laugh, but the true believer should see all things possible. The times are cur measures. Eternity is God’s.R.
Gen 18:1. And the Lord appeared unto him, &c. We have here an account of another appearance of the Lord Jehovah to Abraham; who came attended, as it seems most probable, by two angels, and in a human form. That one of these three was the Lord, there can be no doubt; as the sacred historian introduces the appearance of the three, by telling us, that the Lord appeared to Abraham: and it seems that Abraham knew him to be the Lord, by whatever method he was distinguished; for he plainly pays a peculiar deference to one, whom he addresses in Gen 18:3. And one manifestly speaks with superior dignity. See Gen 18:10, &c. Christian interpreters seem generally agreed, that this Divine Person was God the Son, the promised Messiah. This appearance was made to Abraham in the plains, or at the oak of Mamre, see Gen 18:4 under the tree. He was there sitting in the shade at his tent-door in the heat of the day, when travellers sought shelter and refreshment; to afford them which, perhaps, he took his watchful station here: And he lift up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men, three who had the external appearance of men, stood by him; or rather, were standing near him, at some small distance from him: alav is rendered in many versions above him; and possibly, as Abraham was sitting in the plain, where there were many mountains around, he might see these three persons above him, as it were descending from the mountains; and to this the phrase, he lift up his eyes, may refer. But if we understand it, that he saw these persons standing near him, we must remember, that it was not the manner of strangers in ancient times to knock at the door, or make the first advances to those by whom they would be entertained; they only stood in the way, waiting till they were invited. According to this custom, the great heathen Poet Homer describes Minerva under the appearance of Mentor, standing in Ulysses’s vestibule, till Telemachus seeing her, went to her in haste, and led her in, vexed that a stranger should have stood so long at his door. Odyss. I. 103, &c.
SEVENTH SECTION
Abraham in the Oak-Grove of Mamre, and the three Heavenly Men. Hospitality of Abraham. The definite announcement of the birth of a Son. Sarahs Doubt. The announcement of the judgment upon Sodom connected with the Promise of the Heir of blessing. The Angel of the Lord, or the Friend of Abraham and the two angels of deliverance for Sodom. Abrahams intercession for Sodom. The destruction of Sodom. Lots rescue. Lot and his Daughters. Moab and Ammon
Chs. 18 and 19
1And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre; and he sat in the tent-door in the heat of the day; 2And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3And said, My Lord [ not ],1 if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree 5[enjoy the noonday rest]: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort [stay, strengthen] ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye [even] come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready [hasten] quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man [a servant]; and he hasted 8to dress it. And Hebrews 2 took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed [caused to be dressed], and set it before them; and he stood3 by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 10And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life4 [return when this time of the next year shall be reached]; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall [then] have a son. And Sarah heard [was hearing] it in [behind] the tent-door, which [door] was behind him [Jehovah]. 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old [gray] also? 13And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am [and I am] old? 14Is any thing too hard5 [an exception] for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life [this time in the next year], and Sarah shall have a son. 15Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
16And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17And the Lord6 said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do [will do];7 18Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19For I know [have chosen] him, that he will [shall] command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20And the Lord said, Because the cry [of the sins, Gen 4:10] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 21I will go down now, and see whether they have done [until a decision] altogether8 according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23And Abraham drew near [bowing, praying], and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city [concealed in the mass]: wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25That be far from thee9 to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked [that it is all one both to the righteous and the wicked], that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now [once] I have taken upon me to speak [to say] unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. 28Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, if I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 29And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there [if one should search for them]. And he Said, I will not do [will leave off to do] it for fortys sake. 30And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak; Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. 31And he said, Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twentys sake. 32And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure there shall be ten found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for tens sake. 33And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Gen 19:1 And there came two10 angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat [was sitting] in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them, rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2And he said, Behold now, my lords,11 turn in, I pray you, into your servants house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. 3And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast [literally, a banquet], and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
4But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people, from every quarter [all collected]: 5And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. 6And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, 7And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. 8Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow [and protection] of my roof [the cross-beams or rafters of the house]. 9And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge:12 now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. 10But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. 11And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness [dazzling blindnesses], both small and great; so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
12And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here [in the city] any besides? son-in-law and thy sons, and thy daughters, arid whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: 13For we will destroy13 this place, because the cry of them [the outcry of their sins] is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it. 14And Lot went out and spake unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters,14 and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy [as a destroyer] this city. But he seemed as one that mocked15 unto his sons-in-law [Luther: he was ridiculous in their eyes].
15And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here [are found and rescued]; lest thou be consumedin the iniquity [the visitation for the iniquity] of the city. 16And while he lingered,16 the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad [into the open country], that he said, Escape for thy life [thy soul]; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain [valley-region]; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 18And Lot said unto them [the two passing from him; between whom Jehovah had revealed himself], Oh, not so, my Lord!17 19Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast showed unto me, in saving my life; and I cannot 20escape to the mountain, lest some [the] evil take me, and I die: Behold now this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh let me escape thither! (is it not a little one?) and my soul [through its exemption] shall live. 21And he said unto him, See, I have accepted18 thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 22Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither; therefore the name of the city was called Zoar [smallness].
23The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered19 into Zoar. 24Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;25And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: 28And he looked toward () Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace [lime-kilns or metal-furnaces. The earth itself burned as an oven].
29And it came to pass when God [Elohim] destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
30And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31And the firstborn said unto the younger [smaller], Our father is old, and there is not a man [besides] in the earth to come in unto us, after the manner of all the earth: 32Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he perceived not [was not in a conscious state] when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight [nights] with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 35And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab [from the father; or seed of the father; son of my father; brother and son]: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Ben-ammi [son of my people, son and brother]: the same is the father of the children of Ammon [= Ben-ammon] unto this day.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS
1. It is evident that these two chapters form but one section: the first verse of the 19th chapter forms the direct continuation of the previous narrative. [The connection of this chapter with the preceding is twofold, and very close. This forms the more complete unfolding of the promise, Gen 17:21, and the friendly intercourse which Jehovah here holds with the patriarch is the direct fruit of the symbolical purification of himself and his house through the rite of circumcision, Gen 17:23-27. Thus purified, the way was open for this friendly appearance and fellowship.A. G.] The modern criticism attributes this section to the Jehovistic enlargement, and finds it necessary, therefore, to regard Gen 19:29, as an Elohistic interpolation, which, in the original writing must have immediately followed Genesis 17 (Knobel, p. 166). But there are the same strong internal reasons why the name Elohim should appear in Gen 19:29, as there are that Gen 17:1, should speak of Jehovah, and afterwards of Elohim. In this section, however, Jehovah appears in all other passages. The complete theophany of God corresponds to the completed promise of Isaac, the bearer of the covenant; and in this completed form of revelation he is Jehovah. But the announcement of the judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah is essentially connected with the promise of the heir of blessing. The judgment itself, also, is a judgment of Jehovah; for, 1. The overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, through a fiery judgment, is an end of the world upon a small scale, with which the necessity, for that constant revelation of salvation, for the rescue of the world, whose foundation was now being laid, is clearly apparent. 2. With the firm confirmation of the father of the faithful in the future of his believing race, his relations to the world must also be actually and clearly defined, i.e., Abraham must prove his faith in his love, mercy, and his intercessions for Sodom also. 3. In the founding of this believing race, the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, as a judgment of Jehovah, stands as a solemn warning for Abraham and his children, and through them for the world in all ages. The Dead sea could not remain without significance for the dwellers in Canaan. 4. Even the issue of the history of Lot belongs to the history of the completed promise; not only the position of Lot, intermediate between Abraham and Sodom, nor even his exemption and safety, which he owes to Abrahams intercession, and his once better conduct, nor, on the other hand, the danger, terrors, losses, want, and moral disgrace into which he was betrayed through his worldly mind and his unbelief; but the issue of the history of Lot, his full separation from the theocratic obligations and privileges, and the descent from him of the Moabites and Ammonites, who were related to the Jews, and yet alien to them, belong also to the full presentation of the antithesis between the house of Abraham and the people of Sodom. 5. The abominations of Sodom, moreover, not only find a bright contrast in the consecrated marriage of Abraham and Sarah, but even a contrast in the incest with which the household of Lot was stained (see Introduction).Knobel finds contradictions here which have no existence; e.g., between Gen 18:12; Gen 17:17; between the recapitulation, Gen 19:29, and the whole narrative of the overthrow of Sodom. He remarks upon the narrative, that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is not, in his view, a natural event, but a divine judgment, like the flood. He explains the narrative of the impure origin of the Moabites and Ammonites by a reference to the odious Jewish motives. In answer to this Keil refers to Deu 2:9; Deu 2:19, according to which Israel should not possess the land of these two nations on the ground of their descent from Lot, and remarks, they were first excluded from a position among the Lords people, on account of their unbrotherly conduct towards Israel (Deu 23:4 ff.). Knobel here fails to recollect, that so far as the race of the chosen Judah is concerned, it was derived from an impure connection of Judah with his daughter-in-law, Thamar, just as in the remark, that the Jews gloried in the beauty of their ancestress, he failed to remember that Leah is especially described as not beautiful. He holds, that this narrative has an historical support, in the terrible fate of the vale of Siddim; but as to the rest, it is a pure mythical statement. [Aside from the fact that this supposition of the mythological character of the narrative overlooks the opposition referred to in the following sentence, it overlooks, also, the historical basis for this narrative in Gen 13:13, the close connection with the subsequent history, and the whole moral bearing and use of this history in both the Old and New Testaments.A. G.] Of the two sides or aspects of the history, the prominent side, viz., the opposition between the manifestation of God to Abraham, and the judgment upon Sodom, is thus not properly estimated.
2. This Section may be divided into the following parts: 1. The appearance of Jehovah in the oak-grove of Mamre, and the promise of the birth of Isaac (Gen 18:1-15); 2. the revelation of the approaching judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah to Abraham, and Abrahams intercessory prayer (Gen 18:16-33); 3. the entrance of the two angels into Sodom, and the complete manifestation of the corruption of the Sodomites, in opposition to the better conduct of Lot (Gen 19:1-11); 4. the comparative unfitness of Lot for salvation, his salvation with difficulty, and the entrance of the judgment (Gen 18:12-29); 5. the departure of Lot, and his descendants (Gen 18:30-33).
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
1. The completed manifestation and promise of God in the oak-grove of Mamre (Gen 18:1-15).The Lord appeared unto him.20Both the reality of the manifestation, on the one hand, and the seeing in vision on the other, appear in the clearest and most distinct form in the history. The elements which belong to the vision appear first at the very beginning: he lifted up his eyes and looked; then, further, in the departure of Jehovah from Abraham (Gen 18:33); and in his reappearance to Lot (Gen 19:17). The objective element is seen especially in the threefold character of the manifestation, in the transaction between Jehovah and Sarah, and in the history of the two angels in Sodom; especially in the assaults of the Sodomites upon them. But the peculiarities serving to introduce these wonderful objective facts, lie partly in the peculiar character of the history, as the narrative of a vision, partly in its symbolic statements, and partly in its peculiar ghostly form. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is near; for them the evening of the world has come. It is a prelude of the last day, in which the angelic appearance is entirely natural, and is introduced through an inner and spiritual anticipation of the judgment itself, in those who seek to resist its influence, by indulgence in wicked, or, as in the case of the Sodomites, in abominable, courses. Delitzsch thinks that Abraham recognized the unity of the God of revelation, in the appearance of the three men. As to this, see the remarks upon the Angel of the Lord, Genesis 12. He adds: One should compare the imitations of this original history among the heathen. Jupiter, Mercury, and Neptune, visit an old man, by name Hyricus, in the Boeotian city Tanagra; he prepares them a feast, and, though childless hitherto, receives a son in answer to his prayer (Ovids Fast., v. 494, etc.). And then, further, the heathen accompaniment to Genesis 19 : Jupiter and Mercury are journeying as men; only Philemon and Baucis, an aged, childless wedded pair, receive them, and these, therefore, the gods rescue, bearing them away with themselves, while they turn the inhospitable region lying around the hospitable hut into a pool of water, and the hut itself into a temple (Ovids Metam., viii. 611 ff.). But the essential distinction between our ideal facts and these myths, lies in this, that while the first lie in the centre of history as causal facts or forces, having the most sacred and real historical results, these latter lie simply on the border ground of mythology. [How completely and thoroughly these words dispose of the whole mythical supposition in this as in other cases.A. G.]In the heat of the day.The dinner hour, when they took their principal meal (Gen 43:16; Gen 43:25; 1Ki 20:16) and their accustomed rest (2Sa 4:5). Volney (Travels, I. p. 314) says the Arab, when he takes his meal, sits at the door of his tent, in order to observe and invite those who are passing; and Burkhardt (Arabian Proverbs, p. 331 f.), it is a custom in the East to eat before the door and to invite to a share in the meal every passing stranger of respectable appearance. Knobel.And bowed himself to the ground.Abraham instantly recognizes among the three, the one whom he addresses as the Lord in a religious sense, who afterwards appears as Jehovah, and was clearly distinguished from the two accompanying angels, Gen 19:1. [The original Hebrew word is used to denote both civil and religious homage. The word itself, therefore, cannot determine whether Abraham intended by his bowing to express religious homage, though it is probable that he did.A. G.] They are three, Delitzsch says, because of the threefold object of their mission, which had not only a promising, but also a punitive, and saving character. Against this interpretation, however, there is the fact that Jehovah not only speaks the promise, but sends the judgment also upon Sodom, and that not one, but both angels conducted the rescue of Lot. If there lies, says Delitzsch, further, in the fact that God appears in the three angels, a trinitarian reference, which the old painters were accustomed to express, by giving to each of the three the glory which is the characteristic sign of the divine nature, still the idea that the Trinity is represented in the three is in every point of view untenable. The germ of the doctrine of the Trinity lies, indeed, not in the three forms, but truly in the opposition between the heavenly nature of Jehovah and his form of manifestation upon the earth in the midst of the two angels, i.e., in this well-defined, clearly-appearing duality.If now I have found favor.Knobel and Delitzsch differ in the explanation of the , etc. (Knobel: If I have still found favor, i.e., may it still be the case.) We agree with the Supposition that Abraham uses the expression in his prayer, out of the consciousness that he had already found favor, i.e., that his expression presupposes a covenant-relation between himself and Jehovah. The cordial invitation is in this case far more than oriental hospitality, but still Abraham uses the human greeting, as the heavenly forms wear the appearance of human travellers.And wash your feet.This is the first concern of the pilgrim in the East, when he enters the house after treading the sandy, dusty ways, with nothing but sandals. They were to rest themselves under the tree, leaning upon the hand in the oriental manner.21A morsel of bread.A modest description of the sumptuous meal which he had prepared for them. His humble and pressing invitation, his modest description of the meal, his zeal in its preparation, his standing by to serve those who were eating, are picturesque traits of the life of faith as it here reveals itself, in an exemplary hospitality. According to the custom still in use among the Bedouin sheiks (comp. Lane, Manners and Customs, II. p. 116), Abraham prepared, as soon as possible, from the cakes made by his wife from three seahs [About three pecks. A seah was about the third part of an ephah; the ephah was equal to ten omers, and the omer about five pints. Murphy.A. G.] of fine meal, and baked under the ashes (, unleavened cakes, baked upon hot, round stones), and a tender calf,22 with butter and milk, or curdled milk (Knobel: Cream), a very rich and pleasant-tasting meal. Keil.And he stood by them.[Wordsworth here calls attention to the points of resemblance between this history and that of Zaccheus, Luk 19:4; Luk 19:6; Luk 19:8-9, and then says with great beauty and force: This seems to be one of the countless instances where, in the tissue of the Holy Scriptures, the golden threads of the Old Testament are interwoven with those of the New, and form, as it were, one whole. p. 84.A. G.] This is the custom still in the Eastern countries. The Arab sheik, if he has respected guests, does not sit in order to eat with them, but stands in order to wait upon them. (Shaw, Travels, p. 208; Buckingham, Mesopotamia, p. 23; and Seetzen, Travels, I. p. 400, etc.) Knoble.And they did eat.In Jdg 13:16. the Angel of Jehovah refuses to eat. Knobel regards it as a mark of distinction to Abraham, that these heavenly messengers should eat. Since the two angels were entertained by Lot in Sodom, it would appear that the peculiar reception of the meal should be ascribed in a special sense to them. This, however, does not remove the difficulty, in the fact, that those coming from heaven should eat earthly food. The supposition of Neumann, that it is all a dream up to Gen 18:16, is refuted by the whole tenor of the narrative, but especially by the history of the entertainment of the two angels by Lot. Josephus, Antiq., i.11, 2, Philo, the Targums, and the Talmud, explain the eating as a mere appearance. Tertullian, on the contrary (Adv. Marc., iii. 9), holds to a temporary incarnation. Delitzsch and Keil [So also Jacobus, after Kurtz, referring to Joh 1:14; Php 2:7; Luk 24:44.A. G.] agree with him, and both refer to the eating of the risen Saviour with his disciples. But the idea of a temporary incarnation in a peculiar sense, is an extremely anthropomorphic, and not well-grounded, assumption; and the bodily nature of the glorified Christ, of whom Augustin says: that he ate is a fruit of his power, not of his necessity, quod manducavit, potestatis fuit non egestatis, is not to be identified with the form of the manifestation of the angels. But Delitzsch gives still another explanation. The human form in which they appeared, was a representation of their invisible nature, and thus they ate, as we say of the fire, it consumes (or eats) all (Justin, Dial. cum Tryph., Genesis 34). There may be here an intimation of the mysterious fact, that the spiritual world is mighty in its manifestations, and overcomes the material, according to the figurative expression of Augustin: The thirsting earth absorbs the water in one way, the burning rays of the sun in another; that from want, this by power. [Aliter absorbet terra aquam siliens, aliter solis radius candens: illa indigentia, iste potentia. Thus Baumgarten: That the angels could eat lies in their pneumatic nature, for the spirit has power over matter; that they did eat here is the very highest act of this divine sojourn or rest in the home of Abraham, p. 206.A. G.]Which was behind him.The Angel of the Lord was placed with his back towards the door of the tent. But it greatly strengthens the real objective character of the manifestation, that Sarah also hears, and indeed hears doubting, the promise of the Angel.According to the time of life.23The time of returning to life, is the return of the same time in the next year. Time returns to life again apparently in the similar appearances of nature. Thus one form of time in nature expires after another, and becomes living again in the next year.Wherefore did Sarah laugh.Although Sarah only laughed within herself, and behind Jehovah and the tent door, yet Jehovah observed it. Her later denial (although, indeed, she had not laughed aloud) and her fear, prove that her laugh proceeded from a bitter and doubting heart. Keil, however, is too severe when he says that her laugh must be viewed as the laugh of unbelief, and Delitzsch, when he describes it as the scoff of doubt. It is sufficient that there is a distinction between her laughing and that of Abraham. The Scripture says (Heb 11:11) that she was a believer in the promise, and the fact of her conception is the evidence of her faith. [It thus becomes evident that one object in this manifestation, the drawing out and completing the faith of Sarah, has been accomplished. The question, Is anything too hard for the Lord? is the same which the angel Gabriel used when announcing to Mary the birth of Jesus. Mary bowed in faith, while Sarah laughs in doubt. But the words here used, with the reproof administered to her laugh, seem to have called out and strengthened her faith. See Wordsworth, p. 84; Baumgarten, p. 207.A. G.] [Delitzsch closes his exposition of this passage with the suggestive words: This confidential fellowship of Jehovah with the patriarch corresponds to that of the risen Lord with his disciples. The patriarchal time is more evangelic than the time of the law. As the time before the law, it is the type of the time after the law, p. 285.A. G.]
2. The announcement of the judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abrahams intercessory prayer (Gen 18:16-32).And the men rose up from thence.24The travellers depart from Hebron in the direction of Sodom, i.e., over the mountain to the valley of the Jordan. Abraham accompanies them. There is a wonderful union of the state of visions and of the actual outward life. We do not forget that this condition was habitual in the life of our Lord, and that it is reflected in the history of Peter (Act 12:11-12) as it is also in that of Paul. According to tradition, Abraham accompanied them as far as the place Caphar-Barucha, from whence Paula looked through a deep ravine to the Dead Sea, the solitude and lands of Sodom. Robinson thinks this is probably the present village Bni Naim, about one and a half hours easterly from Hebron [Bib. Researches, vol. ii. p. 189.A. G.] (Von Raumer, Palestine, p. 183).Shall I hide from Abraham.The reason why God would announce to Abraham, beforehand, the judgment upon Sodom, is given in the following words. There is at first great regard to the excellence of Abraham, but connected with this, however, a reference to his destination as the father of the people of promise; he must understand the judgments of God in the world, because he must understand the redemption. [All the principles of the divine providence in its relations to the sins of men appear here; his forbearance and patience, his constant notice, the deciding test, and the strictness and righteousness of the judgment, and hence Abraham is told here, that these same principles might operate upon the minds of the people of God in all ages.A. G.] For the judgment cannot be understood without the redemption, nor the redemption without the judgment. The natural event of Knobel thus becomes to Abraham and his children, a divinely-comprehended event, and cannot remain a dark mystery; it presupposes its spiritual and moral significance. But on this account especially, the event, as a judgment, is of peculiar importance, in order that, like every following judgment, it may prove a monitory example to the house of Abrahamthe people of God.For I have known him.Luther, following the Vulgate, I know that he, etc. Thus the good behavior of Abraham is (in an Arminian way) made the cause of the divine knowledge. But the is opposed to this. The knowledge of Jehovah is fore-determined, like , Rom 8:29, and thus one with the , Eph 1:4. Keil: In preventing love he sees (), as in Amo 3:2; Hos 13:5, which, however, cannot be included in the mere acknowledgment of Abraham. [The word includes knowledge and love. See Psa 1:6; Psa 31:8; 1Co 8:3; 1Co 13:12. Baumgarten, p. 208.A. G.] Kurtz explains this passage strangely. God has given the possession of the land to Abraham, therefore he would be sure of his consent in this arrangement as to a part of the land. Keil: The destruction of Sodom and the neighboring cities should serve as an enduring monument of the divine punitive righteousness, in which Israel should have constantly before its eyes the destruction of the godless. Finally, Jehovah unveils to Abraham, in the clearest manner, the cause of this destruction, that he might not only have a clear and perfect conviction of the justice of the divine procedure, but also the clear view that when the measure of iniquity was full, no intercession could avert the judgment. It is both for the instruction and warning of his descendants. But still more certainly, also, at first, to give occasion to the prayer of Abraham, and thus show to his children what position they must take in regard to all the threatening judgments of God upon the world.The cry of Sodom.It is right to refer to Gen 4:10 for the explanation of these words, and hence the cry which is meant is the cry of sins for vengeance or punishment. Outbreaking offences against the moral nature, as murder and lusts, especially unnatural lusts, abuse and pain nature, and so to speak, force from it a cry of necessity, which sounds throughout the world and ascends to heaven.25 The infamy of Sodom and Gomorrah in the world, is not excluded from this tendency and result, but forms only the reflex, or one element of the cry. The gives the strongest emphasis to the utterance. [Baumgarten and Keil render it indeed. The cry of Sodom, indeed it is greattheir sin, indeed it is very grievous. But the usual force of the , for, because, gives a good sense. It is for or because the cry is such, that the Lord comes down to test and punish.A. G.]I will go down now.The anthropomorphic expression includes also a divine thought or purpose. Jehovah could not be uncertain whether the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah contained the truth, but it was still a question whether Sodom, by its conduct against the last deciding visitation of God, would show that its corruption placed it beyond any help or salvation. The translation of Luther, whether it has done according to the cry, does not meet the demands of the text. It must become evident through its last trial, whether it has reached the limit of the long-suffering patience of God. Thus it is not specially to convince himself, but to introduce the final decision. According to Delitzsch and Keil, the must be taken as a noun, as in Isa 10:23, not as an adverb, as Exo 11:1, , to bring to an end, here to denote the most extreme corruption, in other passages used to express the utmost severity of punishment (Nah 1:8 f.; Jer 4:27; Jer 5:10). Keil.I will know.A sublime, fearful expression of the fact, that Jehovah will at last introduce for the godless a decisive test, which according to their situation is a temptation, the judgment which in their case hardens, and the judgment for the hardening. It will issue at the last, as they themselves have decided. Patience and anger both have definite, sharp limits.And the men.The two angels who accompanied Jehovah in the form of men. It is observable that here it is the men simply, and then in Gen 19:1 it is the two angels. This order presupposes a very clear consciousness as to the distinction between the one chief person and his two companions; a distinction which Delitzsch misses, according to his view of the Angel of the Lord. Here, also (Gen 18:22), the two angels disappear, as they go farther, while Jehovah remains at the place, in the Angel of the Lord; in (Gen 19:17) on the contrary, the two angels receive an increase through an undefined, but evident, new appearance of Jehovah. It is with reference to the later assault of the Sodomites, that the angels are here described as men. Their departure to Sodom is in fulfilment of the word of Jehovah: I will know. They depart to introduce the final decision. They depart, but Abraham remains standing before Jehovah, upon that height whence the vale of Sodom could be seen (Gen 19:17), and addresses himself to prayer. The Jewish conjecture, that Jehovah remains standing before Abraham, is a wretched way of bettering the connection, which presupposes the distinction between the one Jehovah and the two angels before Jehovah.And Abraham drew near.The designates especially the nearness to Jehovah, and more especially the venturesome [Rather the bold. Heb 4:16; Heb 10:22.A. G.], mediating nearness in the priestly and believing disposition which the prayer implies and contains (Jer 30:21). That Abraham in his prayer thought especially of Lot, is evident, but that he interceded for Lot only, is an assumption which wrongs not only the divine thought of this prayer but the text itself. Abraham would not then have ceased with the number ten, and his prayer also would have taken the form of an ambiguous circumlocution. Keil is correct in his remark against Kurtz, Abraham appeals in his prayer, not to the grace of the covenant, but to the righteousness of Jehovah. But he is incorrect when he rejects the position of Calvin: Common mercy towards the five nations impels Abraham to his prayer, and on the contrary brings into prominence the love springing from faith; for the one of these does not exclude the other. Luther admirably explains his heartfelt desire: He asks six times, and with so great ardor and affection, so urgently, that in the very great and breathless interest with which he pleads for the miserable cities, he seems as if speaking foolishly. In the transactions of Abraham with God, the pressing earnestness on the part of Abraham, and the forbearance on the part of Jehovah, stand out in clear relief. Abraham goes on from step to step, Jehovah grants him step by step, without once going before his requests. He thus draws out from Abraham the measure and intensity of his priestly spirit, while Abraham, on his side, ever wins a clearer insight as to the judgment of God upon Sodom, and as to the condition of Sodom itself.The first prayer or petition. Foolish, apparently presuming in form, sacred as to its matter! God, as he has known him as the righteous one, must remain the same in his righteousness, and cannot, in any exercise of his punitive providence, separate his almighty power from his righteousness. The prayer is a pious syllogism. Major proposition: Jehovah cannot sweep away the righteous with the wicked. (The emphasis lies upon the sweeping away. The prayer itself proves that the righteous suffer through the wicked, indeed, with him and for him.) The minor premise: there might be fifty righteous ones in Sodom, i.e., righteous, guiltless in reference to this destructive judgment. Innocent children are indeed not intended here, but guiltless adults, who might form some proportionate counterpoise to the rest. The conclusion: If it should be thus, the judge of the world could not destroy the cities, for righteousness is not the non plus ultra of strength, but power conditions and limits itself through right. Fifty righteous, five [twice five?] in each city (the singular is used here because Sodom represents all the five cities, or the pentapolis appears as one city, whose character and destiny is decided in the conduct of Sodom) of the pentapolis, would be sufficient salt to save the city. Five is the number of freedom, of moral development.Second petition. The lowly, humble form of the second prayer, corresponds with the bold form of the first, for Abraham has now heard that Jehovah will spare it for the sake of fifty.I have taken upon me (ventured) to speak unto the Lord.This is not merely to pray unto the Lord. He has ventured the undertaking, to exert a definite influence upon Jehovah, i.e., on the supposition of a moral and free relation, boldly he has ventured to speak to him, although uncalled.Which am but dust and ashes.Delitzsch: In his origin dust, and ashes at the end. Notwithstanding this creature nature, he has still ventured to place himself in his personality over against the personality of Jehovah. He has taken the step of faith across the Rubicon, from the blind, creaturely subjection to Jehovah, into the free kingdom of his love.Per-adventure there shall lack five.He does not say: Peradventure there are five and forty righteous, but clings to the divine concession. If it is as thou hast said, then the want of five cannot be decisive. The forty-five will compensate for the want of five.Third petition. Since he knew now that Jehovah would not insist upon the five, he descends at once to the forty, and urges still that the righteous vengeance should be restrained for their sakes until perhaps they might be found. Still from this point on he ventures only to make the supposition, per-adventure there are so many righteous there, without expressly joining to it the inference: wilt thou not spare, etc.?Fourth petition. But now, after the number forty is allowed, Abraham feels that he can take a bolder step, before which, however, he prays that Jehovah would not be angry. Jehovah had twice yielded the five; he now comes to thirty, and prays that he would at once yield the ten.Fifth petition. The compliance of Jehovah with his requests emboldens him. Thus he excuses his boldness this time by the mere consistency of his words, as he comes down to twenty.Sixth petition. He would venture only one more request, and that not without the deprecatory prayer: Oh, let not the Lord be angry.He ceases with the ten, since less than two men to each city could not avail to turn away the destructive judgment. But great as the interceding Abraham appears in his bold, persistent progress in his petitions, he appears equally great in ceasing when he did, although the human motive to bring into the account Lot, his wife, his two daughters, and his sons-in-law, and thus to go on to the number five, was obvious and strong. And thus there is still a distinction between the mere begging, which knows no limit, and the prayer which is conscious that it is limited through the moral nature or spirit, and, indeed, by the Holy Spirit. When Delitzsch says that apparent commercial kind of entreaty is the essence of true prayeris the sacred of which our Lord speaks, Luk 11:8, the importunity (shamelessness) of faith, etc., we would underscore and emphasize the apparent, and appeal rather to the repeated asking than to the bargaining nature, and recollect that the importunity, Luk 11:8, has its full authorization only in the figure, but cannot be identified without explanation, with what is analogous to it, the full joyfulness of prayer.And the Lord went his way: not to avoid (as Delitzsch conjectures) further entreaties on the part of Abraham, for Jehovahs remaining where he was, and the joyfulness of Abrahams prayer, stand in a harmonious relation. The judgment, which now follows, upon the five cities, shows that not ten , i.e., not sinless, holy persons, but upright, who, through the fear of God and the power of conscience, had kept themselves free from the prevailing sins and crimes of those cities, could be found in Sodom. Keil. Delitzsch: His prayer, however, has not fallen to the ground. He refers to the rescuing of Lot and his family.
See Gen 19:1 ff for DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL and HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL.
Footnotes:
[1][Gen 18:3.The versions vary, some reading one form and some the other. The Septuagint has , Vulg. Domine. So also the Syriac and Onkelos. The Masoretic text, therefore, is preferable to that used in our version.A. G.]
[2][Gen 18:8.He, i.e. Abraham.A. G.]
[3][Gen 18:8.was standing.A. G.]
[4][Gen 18:10.Heb., according to the living time.A. G.]
[5][Gen 18:14.Heb., difficult, wonderful, Sept. ? See Luk 1:37.A. G.]
[6][Gen 18:17.Jehovah.A. G.]
[7][Gen 18:18.Lit., I am doing, am about to do.A. G.]
[8][Gen 18:21.Heb. whether they have made completeness, or to a consummation.A. G.]
[9][Gen 18:25., abominable.A. G.]
[10][Ch. 19 Gen 18:1.two of the angels.A. G.]
[11][Gen 18:2.. Not the same form which Abraham uses.A. G.]
[12][Gen 18:9. , will he always be judging.A. G.]
[13][Gen 18:13.Lit., are destroying.A. G.]
[14][Gen 18:14.Lit., The takers of his daughters.A. G.]
[15][Gen 18:14.as a jester.A. G.
[16][Gen 18:16.Heb. delayed himself.A. G.]
[17][Gen 18:18.. O Lord.A. G.]
[18][Gen 18:21.have lifted up thy face.A. G.]
[19][Gen 18:23.Heb., and Lot came unto.A. G.]
[20][The Lord appeared, but the appearance was in the form of three men or angels. There may be, as Wordsworth suggests, here a declaration of the divine unity, and an intimation of the plurality of persons; perhaps of the doctrine of the Trinity.A. G.]
[21] [For therefore are ye cometo give me occasion to offer yon my hospitality. Keil, p. 166.A. G.]
[Their coming was of God. He recognized in it a divine call upon his hospitality. Jacobus, Notes, vol. i. p. 9.A. G.]
[22][Flesh-meat was not ordinary fare. See Pict. Bible, and Bush, Notes, vol. i. p. 286.A. G.]
[23][Literally, living time. Murphy: Seemingly the time of birth when the child comes to manifest life, p. 316.A. G.]
[24][Jacobus has a striking note here upon the connection of what follows with what precedes. These are only the right and left hand movements. The records are in their proper antithesis, as setting forth the divine character and counsel. The right and left hand of the Judge are for the opposite parties. Life eternal is for the one, and everlasting punishment for the other. Mat 25:46. All history is full of this antithesis.A. G.]
[25][It is the moral demand which sin makes for punishment. Bush: Notes, vol. i. p. 297.A. G.]
CONTENTS.
In this Chapter, we have the account of another revelation of the divine will, which God was pleased to make to Abraham. The subject of the conversation is also recorded, and the hospitable manner in which the Patriarch received the messengers. A renewal of the divine promise, concerning a son by Sarah, is now made, and the time fixed for its accomplishment. The purposes of God relating to the destruction of Sodom, are made known to Abraham; and the Patriarch’s intercession for the salvation of the place, is also taken notice of in this Chapter.
Gen 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
In what manner the Lord appeared is not said, but the Reader is enabled to form an idea by what follows. See Jdg 13:21Jdg 13:21 .
Abraham’s Intercession
Gen 18:16-33
When Scott the commentator was dying, we are told that he spoke much to those around him on the way in which his prayers for others had been answered. He thought he had failed less in the duty of intercession than in any other. Whether that be true of Scott or not, it is surely very true of Abraham. His nearness to God is never more apparent than when he intercedes for Sodom. Meyer notes these features of his prayer: (1) It was lonely prayer. ‘He waited till on all the wide plateau there was no living man to overhear.’ (2) It was prolonged prayer. ‘ We do not give the sun a chance to thaw us. (3) It was very humble prayer, and (4) It was persevering prayer. ‘In point of fact God was drawing him on.’
Reference. XVIII. 17-33. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xli. No. 2400.
Gen 18:32
Burke in his ‘Observations on a late Publication intituled “The Present State of the Nation,”‘ remarks that the author, ‘after the character he has given of [England’s] inhabitants of all ranks and classes, has great charity in caring much about them; and, indeed, no less hope, in being of opinion that such a detestable nation can ever become the care of Providence. He has not found even five good men in our devoted city.’
References. XIX. 12. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. x. No. 601. XIX. 14. C. Perren, Revival Sermons, p. 216. XIX. 14, 15, 17, 24-26. R. S. Soanes, Sermons for the Young, p. 83. G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 120. XIX. 15-26. A. Maclaren, Expositions: of Holy Scripture Genesis, p. 142. XIX. 15. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. li. No. 2944. XIX. 16. W. J. Wilmot-Buxton, Sunday Lessons, vol. i. p. 222. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xiv. No. 789. XIX. 17. J. Aspinall, Parish Sermons (1st Series) p. 200. W. H. Hutchings, Sermon Sketches, p. 71. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xli. No. 2400; vol. x. No. 550. G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 119. XIX. 20. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol v. No. 248. XIX. 23. Ibid. vol. xlv. No. 2642. J. C. M. Bellew, Sermons, vol. iii. p. 111. XIX. 26. A. G. Mortimer, The Church’s Lessons, vol. ii. p.” 241. C. Perren, Outline Sermons, p. 286. H. Melvill, Penny Pulpit, No. 2445. XIX. 27, 28. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. x. No. 602. XIX. F. W. Robertson, Notes on Genesis, p. 43. XX. 11. J. Baldwin Brown, The Sunday Afternoon, p. 402. XX. J. Parker, Adam, Noah, and Abraham, p. 151.
Abraham’s Intercession for the Cities of the Plain
Gen 18
This chapter gives two views of life as unlike each other as possible. The one is a quiet domestic scene, and the other a scene of terrible judgment. In the heat of the day Abraham was sitting in his tent under the shade of the trees, when three travellers came unexpectedly upon him. The account reads very curiously; for in the first verse we are told that “the Lord appeared unto Abraham as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day,” and in the second verse we read that “three men stood by Abraham”; then in the third verse instead of Abraham addressing his visitors in the plural number he spoke to them as if they were one only, saying: “My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.” It was the Lord; it was three men! What contradictions we meet in the Bible! How could it be both the Lord and three men; how could there be one, yet three; three, yet one? Easily. The greater includes the less. Reality assumes many manifestations. Blessed is he who sees the Divine in the human, and the human in the Divine. Abraham would have had no difficulty with the Incarnation such as some moderns seem to have. He would have known the Lord at once when he saw Jesus; nay, verily, he did see the Christ; Jesus himself said so: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” That day was always visible to the eye that looked for it. Jesus has always been in the world, but the world as a whole knew him not; here and there some strong heart took hold of him and enjoyed the Gospel beforehand, and thus were the mysteries and the prophets of their day. In those three men at Abraham’s tent door, I see the Lord Jesus Christ and two ministers of his, angels armed with the Lord’s burning vengeance. How softly the way is smoothed to the end at which the three men were aiming! Thus: they came as ordinary travellers; they bathed their weary feet; they partook of the generous fare to which their host invited them; and in all other ways they seem to have done as other men would have done. Suddenly, however, they asked a question which might have startled Abraham: “They said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife?” How did they know that Abraham had a wife, or how did they know her name? Are there eyes that can see into our tents? Can any one see through the roof of my house and tell all that is done in the quietest home? The question was not, Art thou married? but, Where is thy wife? and not that only, but, Where is Sarah thy wife? By-and-by you will hear the Lord say unto Moses, “I know thee by name”; farther on you will hear Jesus say to a publican and a sinner, “Zaccheus, make haste, and come down, for today I must abide at thy house”; and about the same time you will hear a man ask in a tone of surprise, “How knowest thou me?” If you put all these circumstances together you may reach the conclusion that in all the cases the Speaker was one and the same, and that his name is Wonderful!
Then, once more, Abraham was told that he should have a son. This was indeed weary work for Abraham, for it was quite thirteen years since the promise was first made to him, and now the son was to come next year. Sarah heard this in the tent door which was behind the speaker, and she laughed. Sarah did quite right to laugh if she lived within the range of mere facts. From any side of the facts of the case, the thing was ridiculous because impossible. Sarah denied that she laughed, and perhaps her denial was true; she wished to say, “I did not laugh unbelievingly in any sense that meant disrespect to the Lord; I did not laugh mockingly or profanely, but in an innocent way, thinking it out of the question that two such old folks should ever have a child.” A question had been asked that had made Sarah serious: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” When Sarah heard that question she wished to disown her laughter and to fall into the hands of the Lord. Abraham laughed, and Sarah laughed, and in their laughter there were blended joy, fear, hope, doubt: a right human laughter, yet it did not turn away the good purpose of God.
Then came a matter which in its immediate aspects was more solemn than any other. Thus softly have we been led up to it. The three men had strange work on hand, though they looked so quiet as they sat in the tent. Was the thing to be told to Abraham or not? Was he to know nothing until he heard noises and saw sights which might well lead him to think that the promise made to him of a son was a bitter mockery? When the whole sky was ablaze, and the air was pierced by beams of fire, and the earth trembled under a terrific blow, what was Abraham to think of the prophecies which had been spoken to his heart? The outward would contradict the inward, and there would be tumult in the good man’s soul.
Yes; he would tell Abraham. Two of the travellers passed on towards Sodom. “But Abraham stood yet before the Lord,” and he became a priest and an intercessor. Let us follow him in the noble course which he adopted when he was taken into the Lord’s confidence.
1. See how his moral nature is startled at the proposal. “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” There is a marked difference between the tone of Abraham and the tone of Noah. So far as we can learn from the record Noah did not put any such inquiries as those before the Flood, though, perhaps, they were in some measure rendered needless by the distinct separation of himself on account of his righteousness. Still, the inquiries are intensely interesting as showing how Divine judgments on a great scale strike a pious observer. Could such a thing be right? was Abraham’s anxious question. A wonderful question, opening up a wonderful range of moral speculation! Remember from whom Abraham held moral nature, and you will see that this very question is itself a tribute to the righteousness of God. The question was an inspiration. And the course which God took in answering it shows that he has ever held it of the first consequence to secure the moral approbation of his creatures. In many things he has transcended their reason; in nearly all things he has baffled and even confounded and mocked their speculations ; but in all instances he has been most careful not to excite controversy against himself in the human conscience. If it could once enter the mind of man that God has done wrong, that is to say has acted unjustly, man would be in a position to vindicate the most strenuous rebellion against his government. That God should tantalise our imagination, limit our influence, determine the measure of our days, and hold us completely under his dominion, are amongst the primary conditions of created life; but there must be no dissatisfaction in the conscience. We must feel that how much soever our ideas are set aside, our moral instincts are respected. It is true, indeed, that we may come upon many things, even in moral government, which we can neither understand nor explain; but if where we can enter into God’s purpose, and the method of its execution, we are enabled to see that righteousness is the habitation of God’s throne, we are entitled to give our conscience rest in cases which are to our reason inscrutable. Let us be thankful that Abraham raised this question, and that it was raised so early in human history. Its importance is infinite.
2. See how cautiously, yet how hopefully, Abraham’s prayer enlarged itself. From fifty to forty-five, to forty, to thirty, to twenty, to ten! A whole city would have been spared for the sake of ten righteous men. Here we see a great principle in the government of God. We are sparing others, or are being spared for their sakes. It may be your little child that is keeping the cloud of wrath from bursting upon your wicked house. Even now you may be getting the benefit of prayers your mother prayed long ago. The righteous man has to suffer many disadvantages on account of the presence of the wicked, whereas the wicked man receives nothing but advantages from the presence of the man who is good. Is there, then, injustice with God in this particular? In no wise. For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not; and there is no man who is inherently and independently good: if you are n w good, you were once “dead in trespasses and sin,” and then you were spared on account of the goodness of others. Besides, in proportion as any man is good is he willing to suffer disadvantage and loss rather than judgment should come upon the wicked. God himself suffers most. And if he is longsuffering and pitiful, who are we that we should speak of personal injury and distress? In this passage there are four great facts which should be borne in mind by Christian thinkers and teachers.
First: That God holds inquest upon the moral condition of cities. Second: That God is accessible to earnest human appeal. Third: That the few can serve the many. Fourth: That human prayer falls below Divine resources.
The Lord’s people axe the first to know the Lord’s will. If we lived nearer heaven we should have earlier notice of God’s purposes. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.” “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
XXIV
ABRAHAM’S CONVERSION (PART TWO) AND SOME SELECTED THOUGHTS
Genesis 15-19:28
SACRIFICES OF THE COVENANT AND BIRDS OF PREY THE WAITING AND THE DARKNESS Abram waited until the sun was nearly down. There he was. He had passed between the pieces. Night came, and a horror of great darkness came upon him. He still waited. God had not signified his presence. Suddenly in a trance he sees a smoking furnace and a shining lamp pass between the sacrifices. The shining lamp is the Shekinah, the indication of divine presence. With the passing through of the visible representation of God there comes a voice of prophecy: “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in the land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I Judge; and afterwards they shall come out with great substance. But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. And in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.” That is a remarkable prophecy, that the descendants of Abram should go into bondage among Egyptian people, but would come out in the fourth generation to the land promised to Abram. Two reasons are assigned why Abram or his descendants should not immediately have the land. It would be a long time before his descendants would be sufficiently numerous and disciplined. Then the land was occupied by the Amorites, whose iniquity was not yet full. God does not remove a people until their iniquity is full. The promise, then, was made to Abram afar off. He himself died in a good old age.
I want to notice a serious chronological difficulty. Gen 15:13 , says, “And they shall afflict them four hundred years.” Exo 12:4 , “The time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.” Notice that difference of thirty years. Act 7:6 , “And God spake in this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage and treat them ill for four hundred years.” That agrees with Gen 15:13 .Gal 3:17 , “A covenant confirmed beforehand by God, the law, which came four hundred and thirty years after.” Paul states that it was back 430 years from the giving of the law to the call of Abram. If that is so, how do you get 400 or 430 years in bondage in Egypt, as it was 220 years from the call of Abram before they went into Egypt? In my discussion on the covenants I took Paul’s New Testament statement as the correct one, adopted by Archbishop Usher and given in your Bibles, leaving only 210 years in Egypt.
THE TRANCE AND THE PROPHECY Jehovah said to Abram, “Unto thy seed have I given this land from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the Euphrates.” I find Old Testament proof that at one time Abram’s descendants did actuary-possess all the country from the eastern mouth of the Nile to the Euphrates. The sixteenth chapter opens with a human attempt to fulfill the prophecy of God. In the fifteenth chapter Abram said, “O Lord Jehovah, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Jehovah said, “This man shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels.” Sarah, knowing that she was barren, and that she and her husband were old, falls upon an Oriental method by which Abram should have a son. She gives her handmaiden, Hagar the Egyptian, to Abram as a wife in order that Hagar’s child by Abram should be as Sarah’s child. She got herself, Abram and the handmaiden, the descendants of Abram through her own son and through Hagar’s son all into a world of trouble. Once I kept worrying a teacher who had promised that in an hour he would go to a certain orchard for some fruit. I waited and waited and asked him if it wasn’t most time. So he took an old-fashioned hourglass, filled with sand and narrow in the middle so that the sand could run through in just one hour, and said to me, “When that sand drops through we will go.” I sat there and looked at that hourglass. Finally I reached over and shook it. That was human effort. It did not make the sand come a bit faster. So Sarah’s shaking the hourglass did not help matters. When the handmaiden found she was to be the mother of Abram’s child, she despised Sarah; Sarah began to quarrel and oppress the handmaiden so that she ran away. We now come to a new expression (Gen 16:7 ), “And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness.” After this point that expression occurs often, and all the circumstances go to show that it was a pre-manifestation of the Son of God. You will see later that he is here spoken of as God. The angel prophesied to Hagar. “Return to thy mistress and I will greatly bless thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. Thou shall bear a child and thou shalt call his name Ishmael because God hath heard thy affliction, and he shall be as a wild ass among men; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand shall be against him, and he shall dwell over against all his brethren.” When I was eleven years old a man in Sunday school asked where the passage was about the boy who was to become like a wild ass. Every boy went home to find the passage, and I determined to find it before I slept. Beginning at Genesis, I read through until I found it, and what a thrill of joy went through my heart. A gentleman in Arkansas who used to know me when a boy asked me this, “What achievement of your life has filled you with the greatest Joy?” I told him that it was catching my first ‘possum. I was about seven years old and had a bob-tailed brindle dog named Lupe. He got to smelling around an old log, and finally pulled out a ‘possum. I grabbed him by the tail and went home shouting. Now the object of these general questions is to put you on a line of thinking for yourselves. I asked my elder brother about Ishmael. In an atlas he showed me. Arabia, and described the marvelous exploits of the people, and particularly since they adopted the religion of Mohammed how their hands have been against every man. They live in tents and have camels and horses. Lew Wallace tells about the Arab sheik whose fine horse Ben Hur drove in the chariot race. Sir Walter Scott’s Talisman treats of these Bedouins of the desert. Strange that God’s prophecy should designate the characteristics of the descendants of this man for thousands of years.
Gen 16:13 says, “Thou art a God that seeth, Wherefore the well is called Beer-Lahai-roi,” meaning “living after, you have seen.” You remember the saying that no mortal can see God and live. She was persuaded that God had met bex. She obeyed his voice, and went back and became subject to Sarah.
I have selected certain thoughts for the reader’s attention. The first relates to the establishment of the covenant of circumcision. I would go extensively into a discussion of that but for the fact that at the twelfth chapter we discussed all the covenants with Abram.
The second thought is the enlargement in God’s announcement to Abram. He now not only specifies that Abram’s son shall be his heir and not his bondservant, but that he shall be a son of his wife, Sarah. It is characteristic of the Old Testament prophecies to become more particular in each subsequent announcement. Gen 2 says, “The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.” As the light increases, this seed of the woman shall be a descendant of Seth, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, more particular all the time. In Hebrews, Romans, and Galatians this subject is particularly discussed. In Hebrews we learn that God made an announcement to Abram that involved a natural impossibility, but Abram staggered not through unbelief. In one of these books there is a reference to the steps of Abram’s faith. When the general convention was in session at Dallas some years ago, I was called upon to preach a sermon at the pastors’ conference, and took for my text, “The Steps of Abraham’s Faith.” Commencing with the statement that a faith that cannot walk is a very puny child, I traced the steps of Abraham’s faith. When he was seventy years old, God called him out of Ur of the Chaldees. He believed God, and stepped far enough to reach Haran. He halted there till his father died, and took another step to the Holy Land. As each new revelation of God would come his faith stepped higher and culminated in the offering of Isaac, confident that God would raise him from the dead and perpetuate his seed through him.
In this larger announcement God changes the name of Abram to Abraham, and of Sarai to Sarah. Indians do not name their children until some exploit is performed which gives them a name. We sometimes overburden our children with names. A child who may have great facility in telling lies about cherry trees, or anything else, we name George Washington. One without missionary spirit is often named Judson, or a child without pulpit eloquence or faith we name Spurgeon. My father did the same with his children. He named one for Richard Baxter, author of Saints’ Rest. He named me for Solomon’s commander-in-chief who succeeded Joab. We are very illustrious in our names. But Abram’s name was changed by an event in his life which evidenced great faith. In other words, it is better to earn a name than to have a great name thrust upon us. Jacob’s name originally meant supplanter, which he was. In that great struggle where he wrestled with God, his name was changed to Israel, a marvelous name, fairly earned. We ought to be more concerned about the name that we merit than about the name with which fond and over expectant parents burden us.
In the enlargement of this promise that his son would inherit, Abraham gives utterance to an expression from which have often preached, and I give it to you to preach from: “O, that Ishmael might live before you.” Ishmael, his son by Hagar, was about thirteen years old. Abraham was very much attached to him, and fondly hoped that in him the family fortunes rested. Now comes God’s announcement that a child yet unborn should set Ishmael aside. How many times in substance has a father prayed that prayer. Dr. Andrew Broadis, the elder, had an illustrious son that he did not think much of. He had another son, his Absalom, and prayed continually that this son might live before God. But that son died a drunkard, while the other became a preacher as great as his father. In the Prentiss family of Maine, the likely son died. There was a crippled boy in the family called the child of his mother’s hand, because he was kept alive for five years t)y his mother’s rubbing. The father said, “Oh, that it had been the crippled boy that died.” The crippled boy became S. S. Prentiss. What the other boy would have been we do not know.
The next thought refers to Abraham’s hospitality. Standing under an oak tree he sees three illustrious visitors coming in the garb of men, and entertains them with great hospitality. One of them proved to be the angel of the Lord, a pre-manifestation of the Son of God, and the others, the angels that destroyed Sodom. Upon that passage the writer of Hebrews says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” I quoted that passage to a woman once who had a big house and never entertained anybody. I told her how much the lives of families were influenced by illustrious persons that stopped just one night. How Spurgeon’s career was shaped by an illustrious man who stayed at his father’s house one night, and next morning put his hand on the boy’s head and prayed that God might make him a great preacher and send him to preach the gospel to lost London. The boy never got from under the power of it, nor did the family. This lady said if she ever entertained any angels it was certainly unawares, for she had never found it out. I have known my father to entertain seventy-five messengers at an association. When we did not have enough beds, we scattered the cotton out and put quilts down in the cotton house. When Waco was a village the First Church entertained free of charge 3,500 visitors. They were there from every state in the Union attending the Southern Baptist Convention. We did not have enough homes, so after filling every hotel and boarding house, we went out two or three miles in the country. When I paid the hotel bill next morning it was just $1,500. It did not hurt us. Nothing ever did Texas more benefit. The railroads took it up and gave every one of them a free trip through Texas and Mexico. It advertised Texas all over the world. I entertained forty men in my house. Dr. Sears entertained forty women. His neighbors said he nearly broke his leg so he might stay at home and talk. Anyhow, it was a blessing on his home and mine.
While Abraham entertained these angels a renouncement is made that a son should be born and to his wife, Sarah. Sarah was inside the tent. But women can hear better than men. What I say downstairs my wife can always hear upstairs. Sarah heard them and laughed aloud at the idea that an old woman like herself should become the mother of a son so illustrious. When her child was born and she saw how foolish it had been to laugh at the word of God, she named the child Isaac, meaning, “laughter” and what a sweet name!
After the entertainment the destroying angels start off to Sodom on their mission. The angel of the Lord, walking with Abraham, asked the question, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do to Sodom, seeing that I know that he will command his children after him to keep my law?” Look at the thoughts: Abraham by his faith had become the companion of God so that God said, “I will have no secrets from Abraham as to my dealings with the affairs of earth.” By similar faith and life we get into confidential relations with God, and he promises that we shall know things that others do not know. Notice next the great act which made Abraham trustworthy: “For I know that he will command his children after him.” The great sin of Eli was that he did not restrain his children. The great merit of Abraham was that he did rightly raise his child Isaac. The great virtue of Jews to this day is the reverence they have for parents and the obedience that children render to their parents. The Gentile boy is like that wild ass of the desert we discussed. He learns to call his father “the old man,” and thinks it mighty smart “to row his own boat,” to “gang his own gait.” A Jewish boy would not dream of such a thing. They are a thousand miles ahead of us in this respect. The curse of the present day is the ill regulated youth. Instead of remaining children, which would be better, boys nine and ten years old become manikins. A preacher found one on the streets one day and asked, “My son, do you drink?” The boy, thinking it a disgrace if he did not, said, “No, sir, I hasn’t got to that yet but I chews and cusses.” That is the spirit of the boyhood of today. The Presbyterians are ahead of the Baptists in training their children. They teach the Catechism better. We let the devil take possession of our children and fortify himself before we begin to do anything for their salvation, as a rule.
As soon as God announced the destruction of Sodom, Abraham commenced praying. In all the Word of God and in all literature there is nowhere else to be found such a prayer. He starts out, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right, and if he does right will he slay the righteous with the wicked?” He asked if God would spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous men. God said, “Yes.” He took a forward step and asked God if he would save the city for the sake of forty righteous men. God said, “Yes.” “Hear me once again, Will you not save the city if there be thirty?” God said he would spare the city. “Will you spare the city for twenty’s sake?” God said, “Yes.” Abraham made his last step, “Will you save the city if there be ten righteous men?” With that precedent why did not Abraham go to five? That leads to a thought presented by our Saviour in the Sermon on the Mount, viz.: “Ye are the salt of the earth” as well as “the light of the world.” The world cannot be destroyed while the righteous are in it. The reason why the fire has not leaped out of the storm cloud and riven the earth with its fiery bolt is the good people of God that are in the world. That only keeps cities, states, and nations from instantaneous annihilation by the irrevocable judgments of God. The wicked do not know that all that keeps them from sudden death and out of hell is the righteous constituting the salt of the earth. When God raises the dead bodies of his saints that sleep in the earth, and snatches up to the clouds the living Christians that are changed, immediately, as by the following of an inexorable law, fire worldwide seizes the earth, and ocean and continent are wrapped in flames. The conserving power is gone.
I want you to barely look at what is too foul for public speech. Read it alone, covered with shame, this last sin of Sodom which gives a name to a sin, “Sodomy.” Our courts recognize that sin, which is incorporated in the common law of England and the United States. They sought to perpetuate this sin that night and Lot restrains them. These angels of God whom they mistook for men and upon whom they purposed to commit this sin, smote the lecherous crowd with blindness. And after every one of them was stricken blind, they groped for the door still to commit that sin. If you want a picture of the persistence of an evil passion, when the heart is hard and the neck stiffened, when the soul is incorrigible and obdurate, take the picture of these people, blinded by the Judgment of God and yet groping for the door.
The record states that the angels told Lot if he had anybody in that city to get them out mighty quick, and Lot went to his sons-in-law and urged them to go out. My question is, Were they actually his sons-in-law? He had two daughters at home. Did he have other daughters married to Sodomites? Or were the sons-in-law merely betrothed, fiancs? An old backwoodsman first called my attention to it, and I refer the matter to you. In the morning the angel gathers the family out of the city as fast as he can. He says to Lot, “Make haste. We can do nothing till you are out of the city.” You must get the good people out before a city can be destroyed. Notice the lamentable fate of Lot’s wife, an Old Testament woman immortalized by our Lord in the great prophecy in Luk 17:32 : “Remember Lot’s wife.” She looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. The angel said to Lot, “Stay not in the plains.” Lot said, “That is too far. Let me stop at Zoan, this little city near by.” Some of the funniest things I ever heard in my life were connected with that text, “Is it not a little one?” Like the Methodist preacher’s sermon on “How shall Jacob arise since he is small?”
The destruction that came was a good deal like the report given in Marryat’s novel, Poor Jack. When the father whipped his wife with a pigtail off his head until she fainted, the doctor inquired, “What is the matter with your mother? Is it external or internal?” The boy replied, “Doctor, I think it is both.” The destruction that came upon Sodom was both internal and external. Fire came down from heaven, and the earth opened and swallowed it. It had the characteristics of a volcanic eruption, an electric storm and an earthquake. The destruction was instant and total and down there under the water lie the relics of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the sea is called the Dead Sea. No flesh or animal life is in it. Josephus says that when you bite the fruit from the apple tree on its borders a puff of dust fills your mouth. If you jump into it you do not sink. The Dead Sea, lower than the Mediterranean, has no outlet. The Dead Sea that receives into its bosom all the tides of the sacred Jordan from the snows of Lebanon which come through Galilee, waters upon which Christ walked, in which he was baptized; waters that Elijah smote with his mantle; waters in which Naaman was healed of his leprosy; waters the most famous in sacred history; that whole river is like a string on which a necklace of pearls is strung, yet all that water goes into the Dead Sea, which receives it and turns nothing out but dust and ashes. Harris, the author of the book entitled Mammon, compares that sea to the Antinomian heart, always receiving and never giving. It has become the image of eternal destruction. Can you question whether God knows how to preserve the righteous and his ability to punish the wicked and the sinner?
QUESTIONS 1. How was the covenant between God and Abraham ratified and how is the primary meaning of the word “covenant” here exemplified?
2. What two interpretations of “Abram drove them away” and what is the spiritual meaning of it?
3. What trial of Abraham follows this, how then did God signify his presence and what word of prophecy accompanied it?
4, What two reasons assigned for the descendants of Abraham not immediately possessing the land promised to him?
5. What chronological difficulty is pointed out and how do you solve it?
6. How did Sarah try to help the Lord fulfill his prophecy to Abraham and what was the result?
7. How do you explain the appearance of the angel of the Lord to Hagar, what prophecy did he make to her and what was remarkable about this prophecy?
8. What two elements of the enlargement of God’s announcement to Abraham?
9. How did Abraham receive the first and what were the steps of Abraham’s faith?
10. Why did God change the name of Abram and what is the application?
11. In this enlargement to what expression does Abraham give utterance, its meaning and application? Illustrate.
12. What can you say of Abraham’s hospitality, who were the guests and what is the blessing that often comes from such entertainment?
13. What is the origin and meaning of the word “Isaac”?
14. After the destroying angels departed for Sodom, what question did the angel of the Lord raise, into what secret did he let Abraham and what great act of Abraham made him trustworthy?
15. Contrast Jews and Gentiles on parental duty and what denomination of people stands next to the Jews in training children?
16. Describe Abraham’s intercession for Sodom and what was the teaching of our Lord in point?
17. What is the name which indicates the awful sin of the Sodomites?
18. Did Lot have actual sons-in-law? If not, explain the reference to his sons-in-law.
19. What was the fate of Lot’s wife and what was our Lord’s use of this incident?
20. By what means were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed?
21. What New Testament use was made of the judgment on these cities? (2Pe 2:6-9 ; Jud 1:7 .)
22. Ancient writers locate Sodom and Gomorrah at the southern, extremity of the Dead Sea, modern writers at the northern extremity. What do you say?
23. What does the destruction of these cities symbolize and in view of the permanent effect, what question does this forever settle?
Gen 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
Ver. 1. And the Lord appeared unto him. ] 1. Ut proeludium incarnationis . 2. Ex philanthropia ;” his delight” is “in the habitable part of” God’s “earth”. Pro 8:31
And he sat in the tent-door.
In the heat of the day. NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 18:1-8
1Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 3and said, “My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. 4Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; 5and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.
Gen 18:1 “Now the LORD appeared to him” The VERB “appeared” (BDB 906, KB 1157, Niphal IMPERFECT) is used several times in Genesis (cf. Gen 12:7 [twice]; Gen 17:1; Gen 18:1; Gen 26:2; Gen 26:24; Gen 35:1; Gen 35:9). It denotes a personal physical manifestation. Since YHWH is an eternal spirit, this physicalness is hard to explain.
It is interesting to me that the rabbis say that chapter 18 is directly connected to chapter 17 and the reason for the visit from the Lord was to see if Abraham had recovered from his circumcision. As a matter of fact, the rabbis understand all three of these visitors to be angels who simply represented the Lord. They assert that (1) one angel came to help Sarah conceive; (2) one came to heal Abraham; and (3) one came to destroy Sodom.
SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD DESCRIBED AS HUMAN (ANTHROPOMORPHISM)
“by the oaks of Mamre” The same place is mentioned in Gen 13:18 (see note) and Gen 14:13. It is very important for us to recognize the significance of trees in semi-arid areas. They were almost seen as having a holy sense because they represented the presence of underground water. Also they provided shade which, in this area of the world, can mean a 60 degree difference in temperature. In reality it was probably not an oak, but a terebinth (cf. UBS, Helps For Translators, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp. 154-155). The rabbis say that it was not a single tree but an orchard, which may be true.
“he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day” This is so realistic to the culture of that day, for the tent flap would have been open during the hot time of the day. The people would have been relaxing quietly at this time of day in order to avoid heat stroke.
Gen 18:2 “behold, three men were standing opposite him” We learn from Gen 19:1 that two of the men were angels (cf. Heb 13:2).
“bowed himself to the earth” This can be seen as
1. an Oriental custom of greeting (i.e., Gen 23:7; Gen 33:6-7; Gen 43:28)
2. an act of reverence (divine visitors, i.e., Gen 19:1; or YHWH Himself, Gen 24:26; Gen 24:48; Gen 24:52)
3. an act of fear (Abraham was a sojourner in a foreign land, See Textual Insights, C)
Gen 18:3 “My lord” These are the consonants for the word Adonai (BDB 10). The pointing of the term tells us what the Masoretic scholars believed these names to represent (i.e., #3 below). The title is pointed in three different ways: (1) the first as “Sir” or “Mister”; (2) the second is the PLURAL of this form, usually kings or lords; and (3) the third way is to signify Deity (i.e., here). See see Special Topic: Names for Deity .
“if now I have found favor in your sight” This is a common Oriental greeting (cf. Gen 30:27).
Gen 18:3-5 are a series of polite but urgent requests.
1. entreaty to stay and rest a while (BDB 716, KB 778, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense), Gen 18:3
2. entreaty to let water be brought (BDB 542, KB 534, Hophal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense) to wash (BDB 934, KB 1220, Qal IMPERATIVE) their feet, Gen 18:4
3. entreaty to relax against the large tree in the honored place (“lean,” BDB 1043, KB 1612, Niphal IMPERATIVE), Gen 18:4
4. entreaty to allow Abraham to prepare and bring food (BDB 542, KB 534, Qal COHORTATIVE), Gen 18:5
5. entreaty to refresh/sustain themselves (BDB 703, KB 761, Qal IMPERATIVE), Gen 18:5
Gen 18:4 “rest yourselves under the tree” In this day the term “rest” meant to prepare to eat. Usually a fellowship time centered around meals. Meals were a way to seal friendships and agreements.
Gen 18:5 “I will bring a piece of bread” This was an understatement when one compares the size of the loaf which Sarah made in Gen 18:6, which must have contained 33 quarts.
“since you have visited your servant” This is a Hebrew idiomatic phrase that seems to imply that even at this point, Abraham seems to understand that this visit was not an accident, or to no purpose. From Gen 18:9 I believe the purpose was to increase Sarah’s faith and also to help Abraham understand his place of intercession as a ministry, which will be significant for all the Patriarchs.
Gen 18:6 Abraham rushes (VERB used three times in Gen 18:6-7) to command his wife to prepare a meal for the guests. This would take some significant time.
1. quickly prepare, BDB 554, KB 553, Piel IMPERATIVE
2. knead it, BDB 534, KB 525, Qal IMPERATIVE
3. make bread cakes, BDB 793, KB 889, Qal IMPERATIVE
“three measures” This is the term “se’ah” (BDB 684), which equaled about 1/3 ephah.
SPECIAL TOPIC: ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WEIGHTS AND MEASURES (METROLOGY)
Gen 18:7-8 Gen 18:6-8 describe an expensive and elaborate meal. Abraham was offering these guests the very best he had! These were important visitors!
Gen 18:8 “he was standing by them under the tree as they ate” Philo, Josephus, and the Targums of Jonathan translate this as “they seemed to eat,” but those of us who accept further NT revelation see that even Jesus ate (cf. Luk 24:41-43) after His glorification, which makes the eating of food by Deity not an impossibility. Jewish writers are very uncomfortable with these anthropomorphic statements.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
plains = among the oaks of Mamre. Compare Gen 13:18; Gen 14:13, and Gen 18:8.
sat = was sitting.
Chapter 18
And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day ( Gen 18:1 );
And it can get awfully hot.
And he lifted up his eyes and he looked, and, behold, there were three men who stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and he bowed himself down toward the ground, and he said, My Lord, Adonay, if now I have found favour 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 you in your hearts; and after that ye shall pass on: for therefore you are come to your servant. And they said, Do so, as you have said ( Gen 18:2-5 ).
So the Lord was coming with two angels passing through. Abraham ran up to meet them. So really, tremendous hospitality to them. Let me get some water. Wash your feet. Let me get you something to eat. Rest awhile under the tent. It’s a hot part of the day. And then continue on your journey.
In Hebrews we are told to be careful to entertain strangers. We never know but what we might be entertaining angels unaware.
Abraham hastened to make into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make quickly three measures of fine meal, and knead it, make some cakes upon the heaRuth ( Gen 18:6 ).
Some good old pita bread.
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and he fetched a calf that was tender and good, and he gave it to the young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which they had dressed, and he set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat ( Gen 18:7-8 ).
Now here’s an interesting thing to me. He gave them butter and milk and meat. That’s not kosher. Here’s Abraham, the father of Israel not being kosher. Now the kosher law of not having milk products with meat is not a proper interpretation of the scriptures. It is one of those “straining at a gnat” things that the Pharisees loved to do. The law did declare thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk. In other words, you’re not to take a little goat and boil it in its mother’s milk, cooking it in its own mother’s milk. It was just not the right thing to do.
But the Jews have taken that as a kosher prohibition of having dairy products with meat products. Because you see, if you drink a glass of milk and you eat a steak, you don’t know but that steak may have come from the calf of the mother cow from whom you drank the milk, and in your stomach it’s going to seethe in that milk. And so you’re seething a kid in its mother’s milk. And so to be careful that you don’t do that, they’ll not eat cheese or any dairy products with any meat products unless the meat product be a fish. Kosher law. But it’s straining at things. It’s not what God intended at all. Here’s Abraham being very un-kosher. And the angels were, too, because they ate it.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah your wife? He said, She’s in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it ( Gen 18:9-10 ),
She was staying in the tent door eavesdropping on what the man was saying out there. She was behind the tent door, you know, listening and
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women ( Gen 18:11 ).
She’s gotten through the change of life.
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am so old shall I have the pleasure, my lord being old also ( Gen 18:12 )?
Calling Abraham her husband lord.
And the LORD said unto Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Surely I of a surety bear a child, shall I of surety bear a child when I’m so old? Is any thing too hard for Jehovah ( Gen 18:13-14 )?
Oh, what a neat question, isn’t it? God said to Abraham, Behold I am God, “Is there anything too hard for me?” Paul tells us, “Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” ( Eph 3:20 ). Is there anything too hard for God? Why did Sarah laugh? Is there anything too hard for God? Why did Sarah laugh? Because she was looking at only the human possibilities. She wasn’t looking at God.
It is oftentimes that we laugh at something that seems so incredible because we are only looking at the human aspects rather than looking to God Who’s able to set aside human laws and human kind of restrictions or prohibitions. So she’s gone through the change of life. So he’s over a hundred years old. So what? Is there anything too hard for God? Why did Sarah laugh?
At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. And Sarah denied, saying, I didn’t laugh; for she was afraid. And he said, Oh; but you did laugh. And the men rose from thence, and they looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on their way ( Gen 18:14-16 ).
So Abraham started walking with them a bit.
And the LORD ( Gen 18:17 )
Now here is interesting. And the word LORD here is Jehovah, “And Jehovah.”
said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do ( Gen 18:17 );
Now there were three who appeared as angels but one of them was Jehovah Who, of course, would have been Jesus Christ, one of the theophanies or manifestations of Jesus Christ and this is what Jesus was probably referring to. It could have been Melchizedek. This is what He was probably referring to when He said, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day and saw it.” Now here is Abraham talking directly with Jehovah, but not with the Father.
“No man has seen the Father at any time; but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath manifested him or made him known” ( Joh 1:18 ). So this is one of the manifestations of God in the Old Testament. It is not the Father; no man has seen the Father, Jesus said, at any time. So this would be the manifestation of Jesus Christ in and as Jehovah because the name Jesus itself is Jehovah Shuah and His name in the millennium will be Jehovah Tsidkenu. And so He is manifesting and appearing here as Jehovah, talking directly to Abraham. “And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do.”
Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do justice and judgment; that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and they went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before Jehovah. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ( Gen 18:18-25 )?
Now notice Abraham as he begins to intercede with Jehovah for the city of Sodom. What is the premise? It would not be right or fair or just for God to destroy the righteous with the wicked. If God’s judgment is going to come upon the place, then the righteous should not share with the wicked in that judgment. If the judgment is coming for the wickedness of the people, then it would not be right for God to judge the righteous along with the wicked. That’s the whole premise of his argument. And the basis for it is, “Shall not the judge of the earth do right?” It isn’t fair that these righteous people should all to suffer the same penalty, the same judgment as the wicked are suffering. Would you judge the righteous with the wicked?
Now that is a very important point. And Peter picked it up in his epistle. And he speaks about how God delivered that righteous man Job who was vexed by the ways of people who were living around him. That righteous man who was vexed by the manner of life of those around him. “For God knows how to deliver the righteous, but to reserve the ungodly for the Day of Judgment” ( 2Pe 2:9 ).
Now I bring that out because there’s a lot of people who are seeking to adhere to a post-Tribulationist view. And what is the post-Tribulationist telling you? That God is going to be unfair. He is going to judge the righteous with the wicked. That the church is going to have to go through this great time of God’s judgment and God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth. And the very opposite premise from which Abraham was coming is being declared by these people as they declare that the church will have to go through the Great Tribulation and suffer with the wicked. That judgment and the wrath of God which is to be poured out against the wickedness of those who are dwelling upon the earth.
They are declaring that God is not just or God is not fair because Abraham’s whole premise is this would not be fair, this would not be right to destroy the righteous with the wicked. “Shall not the Judge of the earth be right or do right?”
And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, I will spare the place for their sakes ( Gen 18:26 ).
Now notice how few people it takes to forestall the judgment of God. God is so patient. If in this whole city there are fifty righteous people, the hand of judgment will be withheld. God does not delight in judgment. God delights in mercy. And just a few righteous people can be a saving influence in a whole community of wickedness. Jesus said, “Ye are the salt of the earth” ( Mat 5:13 ). And so God has you as a saving influence, as a savory influence in the community. And it doesn’t take many; just a few can withhold the judgment of God.
Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord [Adonay here], which am but dust and ashes ( Gen 18:27 ):
Hey, I’m just dust and ashes but I have, I’m actually taking upon myself to talk to God.
Peradventure what if there is only five less from the fifty: will you destroy the city because you’re just lacking five? The Lord said, If there are forty-five, I’ll not destroy it. He spake to him again, he said, Peradventure there will only be forty found there. And he said, I’ll not destroy it for forty. Oh, don’t be angry with me, I’m going to speak: What again what if there is just thirty righteous there. He said, I’ll not destroy it for thirty. What if perhaps there’s only twenty? I’ll not destroy it for twenty ( Gen 18:28-31 ).
Make the best deal you can.
And he said, Oh don’t be angry with me, I’m going to speak but one more time: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake ( Gen 18:32 ).
Abraham thought surely I can find ten. There’s Lot, his two sons, and his daughters, and families, all right you know. This is an interesting picture of intercession. Abraham standing, interceding for these people, for this city of which the judgment of God is about to fall. Beautiful picture of intercession.
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place ( Gen 18:33 ).
So two weeks, we’ll find out what happened to Sodom. Oh, you’re supposed to read ahead anyhow. Next five chapters. The beautiful picture of intercession. But the principle is the thing I wanted to point out. The Lord knows how to deliver the righteous. Of course, you know they didn’t find ten. They found one righteous man.
Now one thing I want to point out when the judgment came, he went to his children and he begged them to leave, but they laughed at him. They mocked him. Oh, God’s not going to judge this place. This has been going on for a long time. Though he, Lot himself, was able to escape the pollutions, his children were not, and his move to Sodom cost him his family. He was strong even. He withheld against the vileness and pollution of the area, but his children could not withstand and he lost his children through the move. Very tragic indeed. They fell into the culture and sin of Sodom and were destroyed.
But getting back to the principle, will God destroy the righteous with the wicked, and the answer of God was negative. No, He would not destroy the righteous with the wicked. So what did God do to the righteous man before he destroyed the wicked? He led that righteous Lot out before He destroyed the city. Even before the wrath and the judgment of God will come upon the earth, He will lead the righteous out. For the Lord knoweth how to deliver the righteous, but to reserve the ungodly for the day of judgment. The Day of Judgment is coming upon the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth of God in unrighteousness, but it would not be fair for the God of the earth to destroy the righteous with the wicked.
I consider the post-tribulationists’ view as being inconsistent with the very nature of the loving righteous God. And the rapture totally consistent with His righteous nature and with the history of delivering the righteous out before the judgment came.
We’ll get into that more as we press on. Shall we stand?
Now may the Lord be with you, bless you and keep you. May the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and give you peace. May your heart be filled with his love. May you walk in the Spirit and may you be strengthened by the work of His Holy Spirit in your inner man. May you be increased in knowledge and understanding of His Word and of His will and of His purposes for your life that you might walk before the Lord in a way that is pleasing unto Him. And may God increase your faith and your trust. May He work in your life in a very beautiful way as He nurtures you and as He leads you into that path of fellowship with Himself. May your life be enriched in all things in Christ Jesus.
And may the Lord and the blessings of the Lord be upon you while we are absent from each other until we are brought back together again to continue our fellowship and our growing together in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “
This is the account of the sixth appearance of God to Abraham. In it four phases of relationship between God and Abraham are revealed. God visited Abraham and Abraham provided for Him. God bestowed on Abraham and Abraham received from Him. God communicated to Abraham and Abraham answered with the statement of a difficulty. God listened to Abraham and Abraham interceded with Him.
The picture of Abraham providing for the supernatural Visitors is beautiful in its revelation of his love and loyalty; but yet more in its manifestation of the grace of God.
Jehovah now communicated to Abraham His purpose concerning the cities of the Plain and His reasons for making this communication were stated. Abraham was the depository of blessing to the nations. It was fitting that his children should know the meaning of the destruction of Sodom.
Abraham found himself confronted with a difficulty which had to do with the strict justice of God; and his question, “shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” revealed his anxiety for the vindication of the character of God among the nations. The story of the intercession of Abraham with God on behalf of the cities, in the interest of the righteous, is a wonderful revelation of the patience of God. He will ever listen to honest intercession, though He knows His ways are infinitely better, than the fears that prompt our prayers. The sequel shows that in His action He goes beyond anything we ask. Abraham stopped at ten. Jehovah saved the two or three in whom there was any trace of recognition of Himself.
Abraham Entertains Heavenly Visitors
Gen 18:1-15
The Son of God is the central figure here. He loves the homes of men. It has ever been His wont to visit the homes and hearts of those who love him. See Pro 8:31. Abraham knew well that the High and Lofty One, who inhabits eternity, had come to dwell with him. Others might see only three men, but he recognized his divine friend, addressing Him as My Lord; and when the two angels went forward alone to do their awful work in Sodom, he entered into close converse with the wondrous central figure, who remained with him still. He gave personal service, and so did Sarah. They gave their very best, fine, tender, and good. And in their love the Lord found satisfaction and rest. But remember that He still stands at the door and knocks. Ponder Joh 14:23; Rev 3:20. Christ tells His secrets to those He loves. His proposals and promises are so great that we can almost laugh with incredulity, but the question of Gen 18:14 is answered by Jer 32:17. Reckon on Gods faithfulness; He cannot fail those who trust Him.
Gen 18:19
I. The vale of Sodom was a region blooming and smiling in all the riches of nature; on every hand there was something to raise the thoughts to the Creator. But amidst all this, what was man? His wickedness was so aggravated and extreme, that the region itself was doomed to perish with its inhabitants. Sin still infects the fair field of nature, and it is this which spoils the beauty of the scene. If all the sin in the world could become a visible thing, it would blast and overpower in our view all the beauty of nature. The sin of Sodom was so aggravated that its cry went up to heaven, and the righteous Governor was obliged to manifest Himself.
II. It is impossible not to be struck with the calmness and quietness with which the work of vengeance proceeded. Three persons came on a friendly visit to Abraham. They accepted his hospitality; spoke with him on a matter of complacent interest-the renewed assurance of his posterity. Then “the men rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom.” We are left in the dark as to one circumstance here. Only two of the persons went on to Sodom, leaving Abraham to converse with the Almighty. The third disappears from our view-unless he was a manifestation of the Divine Being himself, and the same that Abraham conversed with in that solemn character.
III. Notice what value the Lord must set on the righteous, when for the sake often such men he would have spared Sodom. Only one righteous man dwelt in Sodom, and he was saved.
IV. The precise manner of the fearful catastrophe is beyond our conjecture. It would seem that an earthquake either accompanied or followed it, but the “fire from heaven” is intimated as the grand chief agent of the destruction. The people of Sodom had no time for speculations; there was just time for terror and conscience and despair. Yet our Lord says there is a still greater guilt, a more awful destruction even than theirs. The man that lives and dies rejecting Him had better have been exposed to the rain of fire and brimstone and gone down in the gulf of the vale of Siddim.
J. Foster, Lectures, vol. i., p. 103. Reference: Gen 18:19.-R. M. McCheyne, Additional Remains, p. 125.
Gen 18:22
Even under the Old Testament, there were certain visits of Christ to our world which we cannot but consider as earnests or shadows of His great advent. It is clear that in very ancient times God appeared to His servants in the form of a man.
I. From many passages in the Old and New Testaments (notably Isa 63:8-9, Joh 8:56) we are led to believe: (1) that Christ exercised great concern in the affairs of the Old Testament Church; (2) that He did at certain periods discover Himself in the garb which He was afterwards to assume, and which when assumed He went on to wear for ever; (3) that He was the superior angel whom we find speaking under that manifestation, and to whom, always, Divine honours were paid.
II. The narrative in this chapter opens by telling us generally that “the Lord appeared unto Abraham.” How the Lord appeared is related in the rest of the chapter. (1) To all his three guests Abraham was kind, hospitable, reverential; but to one he was more. From the first that one attracted his regard. He addressed him at once as “my Lord.” (2) In the conversation which ensued there are certain things which all said together, and certain things which only one says. The former are comparatively trivial, the latter most important. (3) When the men were gone, we have these very discriminating words: “Abraham stood yet before the Lord.”
III. Note some points in Christ’s character and work brought out in this chapter. (1) He was accompanied by the ministration of angels. (2) He condescended to receive from man. (3) He exercised the two offices of a promiser and a reprover. (4) He came to Abraham as a Friend in sympathy, but He came also as a mighty Deliverer and an avenging Judge.
J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 1874, p. 228.
References: Gen 18:22.-Bishop Woodford, Cambridge Lent Sermons, 1864, p. 73; C. J. Vaughan, Harrow Sermons, p. 371; J. Van Oosterzee, The Year of Salvation, vol. ii., p. 343.
Gen 18:22, Gen 18:30
The intercession of Abraham is the first prayer that the Bible records; and in its great characteristics, human and spiritual, it is one of the most remarkable. It is the intercession of a good man, a friend of God, for men who, in their wickedness and their defiance of God, had well-nigh approached the utmost possibilities of human evil.
I. A man’s praying power is not an arbitrary thing; it is the result of long antecedent spiritual processes. It is very significant that it is Abraham and not Lot who is the intercessor for Sodom. (1) Jehovah does not even impart His confidence to Lot; only at the last moment, when all is determined, He mercifully sends His messengers to bring him to a place of safety. (2) Even supposing Lot had been made acquainted with Jehovah’s purpose, he would not have been capable of interceding for Sodom as Abraham did. He had not the requisite spiritual qualifications. There was spiritual life in Lot, but it ever leaned to the worldly side of things. There was spiritual life in Abraham, but it leaned to the heavenly side of things.
II. The praying power of man is conditioned upon the circumstances by which he surrounds himself. Abraham was at Mamre; Lot in Sodom.
III. Even when God vouchsafes to visit a man, much of his spiritual blessing depends on his character and circumstances.
IV. It is instructive to compare the intercession of Abraham with the pleadings of Lot when the angels sought to deliver him. The prayer of Abraham is perfect in its humility, when daring in its boldness. The prayer of Lot is troubled, selfish, and self-willed.
V. There is one contrast more, which is very suggestive. The narrow, selfish, self-willed prayer of Lot was answered; the holy, Christ-like intercession of Abraham was unavailing. Therefore it is no criterion of a right or a wrong prayer, that it does not receive the kind of answer we solicit.
H. Allon, Congregationalist, vol. i., p. 201.
References: Gen 18:22, Gen 18:23.-H. Allon, The Vision of God, p. 197. Gen 18:23-25.-A. W. Momerie, Preaching and Hearing, pp. 174, 189. Gen 18:23, Gen 18:33.-R. S. Candlish, Book of Genesis, vol. i., p. 304.
Gen 18:25
Abraham had learned that to address himself to God’s justice was better even than to appeal to His mercy. And for this reason,-it is a stronger basis. Justice is a more definite thing than mercy. Every man who feels his sins should lay firm hold on the thought that “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” Then we stand upon a rock.
I. The greatest requisite of a judge is justice. The last great judgment will be characterised by the most exquisite justice. All the justice of this world is merely a reflection of this attribute of the Almighty.
II. It seems essential to the dignity and uprightness of that tribunal that we believe equally two things: (1) That God having been pleased to lay down only one way of salvation, no man who, having been made acquainted with that way, attempts to get to heaven by any other, can be admitted; (2) that no man, who is in earnest about his salvation, can or shall be lost.
III. Here the question arises, What is the state before God now? what will be the final condition of those who have never heard the name of Christ? We must keep to the one thought-the justice of the last judgment shall be vindicated. We inherit from Adam an entail of condemnation. Jesus Christ by His death rolled back the entail of condemnation from all mankind. These two facts are co-extensive. No man perishes because of Adam’s sin: God has cancelled that evil by the death of His Son. From the second chapter of Romans we gather that every man will be judged and dealt with according to his conscience; and if any man have really lived up to the light that was in him, even though that light was only the light of reason and nature, that man will not eternally perish. The man who does not perish because he has obeyed his own conscience is saved for Christ’s sake, even though he never heard His name. He owes his salvation to an unknown Saviour.
IV. Does this view affect injuriously the work of missions? No; because (1) it does not follow, because a heathen who obeys his conscience will not perish, that therefore he can attain the same degree of eternal happiness as a Christian. By making him a Christian we put him in a better position. (2) Consider the very small chance there is that any heathen will follow his conscience. Christ bids us “preach the Gospel to every creature.”
J. Vaughan, Sermons, 15th series, p. 117.
References: Gen 18:25.-T. Birkett Dover, A Lent Manual, p. 15; R. H. Story, Good Words, 1877, p. 128; S. Cox, Expositions, 1st series, p. 54; W. Hubbard, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxi., p. 376.
Gen 18:32
I. Notice first the words of God which introduce this history. “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great,” etc. Behind this human manner of speaking what a lesson is here! The judgments of God from time to time overtake guilty nations and guilty men; but, huge and overwhelming catastrophes as these often are, there is nothing hasty, blind, precipitate about them. He is evermore the same God who, when the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah waxed great, is described as going down to see and inquire whether they had “done altogether according to the cry of it.”
II. In God’s assurance to Abraham that if there are fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, or even ten righteous men found in the city He will not destroy it, we may recognise a very important law of His government of the world: this, namely,-that it is not the presence of evil but the absence of good which brings the longsuffering of God to an end. However corrupt any fellowship of men may be, however far gone in evil, yet so long as there is a sound, healthy kernel in it of righteous men, that is, of men who love and fear God and will witness for God, there is always hope.
III. This promise of God, “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake,” shows us what righteous men, lovers and doers of the truth, are. They are as the lightning conductors, drawing aside the fiery bolts of His vengeance, which would else have long since scorched, shattered, and consumed a guilty world. Oftentimes, it may be, they are little accounted of among men, being indeed the hidden ones of God crying in their secret places for the things which are done against the words of God’s lips. The world may pass them, may know nothing of them, yet it is for their sakes that the world is endured and continues unto this day.
IV. Does not this remind us of one duty on behalf of others which we might effectually fulfil if a larger measure of grace dwelt in our hearts?-I mean the duty of prayer and intercession for others. Prayer for others is never lost, is never in vain; often by it we may draw down blessing upon others, but always and without fail it will return in blessing on ourselves.
R. C. Trench, Sermons Preached in Ireland, p. 190.
References: Gen 18:32.-W. Morley Punshon, Old Testament Outlines, p. 9; J. Oswald Dykes, Contemporary Pulpit, vol. i., p. 182; Parker, Pulpit Analyst, vol. ii., p. 241.
CHAPTER 18 The Sixth Communication and Jehovah Visits Abraham
1. The manifestation (Gen 18:1-2)
2. Abrahams welcome (Gen 18:3-8)
3. The promise repeated (Gen 18:9-10)
4. Sarahs laughter (Gen 18:11-15)
5. The departure towards Sodom (Gen 18:16)
6. Abrahams intercession (Gen 18:17-33)
This most remarkable visitation was the answer of Jehovah to Abrahams obedience of faith. The one in the middle was none other than Jehovah in human form; the other two were angels. Before Abraham was I am, He said when on earth. Here Abraham is face to face with Him.
Sarahs laughter when the son is promised to her is the laughter of unbelief She looked to her womb, which was a grave. Her laughter was made the occasion of that blessed word Jehovah spoke. Is anything too hard for the Lord? From the place of sweet communion they now proceed towards the scene where a great judgment was to be enacted.
Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? is another gracious word. Abraham was the friend of God. The Lord said to His disciples, The servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you (Joh 15:15). Yes, He has told us all about the things to come, the doom of the world and the secrets of His coming. And then follows that wonderful intercession before the Lord. How He pleads! What humility and yet boldness! Blessed privilege of all saints the prayer of intercession, which the great Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ, loves to hear from the lips of His children, for it is the echo of His own heavenly occupation.
tent
Cf. Gen 19:1. For significance of Abraham’s tent, Heb 11:9; Heb 11:10.
appeared: Gen 15:1, Gen 17:1-3, Gen 17:22, Gen 26:2, Gen 48:3, Exo 4:1, 2Ch 1:7, Act 7:2
Mamre: Gen 13:18, Gen 14:13
and he sat: In these verses we have a delightful picture of genuine and primitive hospitality: avenerable father sits at the tent door, not only to enjoy the current of refreshing air, but that if he saw any weary and exhausted travellers, he might invite them to rest and refresh themselves during the heat of the day, and the same custom still continues in the east. It was not the custom, nor was there any necessity, for strangers to knock at the door, or to speak first, but to stand till they were invited.
Reciprocal: Gen 12:7 – appeared Gen 18:22 – stood Gen 19:1 – General Gen 20:1 – from Gen 31:11 – the angel Gen 35:9 – General Gen 35:27 – Mamre Exo 4:5 – the Lord Heb 11:9 – dwelling
LOTS AFTERMATH
We have almost forgotten Lot, but he is not having a happy time in the land of his choice. The Sodomites have learned nothing by experience and are increasing in iniquity and ripening for judgment. The facts in chapter 18 introduce the story of the climax in their case.
A SECOND THEOPHANY (Gen 18:1-15)
The word LORD in (Gen 18:1 is in capitals, another manifestation of the second Person of the Godhead as in the case of the Angel of the LORD in the last lesson. Compare also 13:18 and notice that Abraham is still at Hebron, about twenty miles south of Jerusalem, where he had settled perhaps twenty-five years prior to this time. We may judge this by the fact that when he had become separated from Lot the latter was unmarried, but now, as chapter 19 indicates, had a family including married daughters. Keep giving attention to the map in these historical studies, as it will be increasingly beneficial as we proceed.
In what form does Jehovah seem to have appeared to Abraham (Gen 18:2)? How are the other two men identified (Gen 19:1 RV)? Abrahams action in running to meet and show hospitality to these travelers shows that he did not know their true nature, but yet there was something about them which he recognized as unusual. Notice, for example, his address in Gen 18:3.
How does the speaker in (Gen 18:10 identify himself with Jehovah? What do you think of Sarahs laughter in (Gen 18:13 as compared with that of Abraham in the last lesson? In the light of the context does it express confidence or doubt (Gen 18:13-15)?
A GREAT PRAYER (Gen 18:16-33)
Abrahams prayer is the first prolonged supplication recorded in the Bible and suggests several thoughts upon the subject:
1.The duty and privilege of intercessory prayer, for Abraham was now asking for others, not himself; The source and inspiration of prayer, which in this case is the revealed purpose of God concerning Sodom. He who knows Gods purposes prays in harmony with them and thus finds abundant food for prayer; but to learn His purpose one must listen to His voice in His Word; The value of argument in prayer. See how Abraham pleads the holy and just dealings of God! But to be possessed of arguments one needs to be familiar with what God is and what He says another reason for searching His revealed Word; The right of importunity in prayer. God is not displeased to have us press our cause, but expects us to do so, and frequently answers according to our earnestness; and
2.The efficacy of prayer, for Abraham received his real desire, the deliverance of Lot, even though Sodom itself was not saved.
How is Jehovah discriminated from the two men at Gen 18:16-17? What reason is given for His readiness to reveal His purpose to Abraham (Gen 18:18)? Read (Gen 18:19 in the Revised Version and observe that Abrahams faithfulness to God, resulting in the fulfillment of Gods promise to him, was itself of grace. Jehovah says, I have known him to that end, which is the same as saying, The purpose I have in calling and blessing Abraham is to keep him faithful that I may bring upon him that which I have promised. Here is food for prayer surely, that God might know us as He knew Abraham; and perhaps one reason He revealed this dealing of His with Abraham is to stimulate us thus to plead.
How strangely (Gen 18:21 sounds, bringing to mind Gen 11:5, the note on which please again read. Perhaps in this case the words were spoken by Jehovah in Abrahams hearing. They suggest His fairness in dealing with the wicked, for (speaking after the manner of men) He will not act on hearsay evidence, but learn the facts for Himself. He will send special messengers to report to Him, who alas! obtain all the evidence they need. Does Jehovah Himself visit Sodom? What, in a sense, prevented Him?
On the plains of Mamre, when Sarah heard she would have a son, “according to the time of life,” she too laughed ( Gen 18:1-15 ). Sarah was old. She was past the age of conception. The Lord’s response was to ask if anything was too hard, or literally “wonderful,” for him to do. Though her response may have initially come out of doubt, she did come to believe the word of God ( Heb 11:11-12 ).
Gen 18:1. This appearance of God to Abraham seems to have had in it more of freedom and familiarity, and less of grandeur and majesty, than those we have hitherto read of, and therefore more resembles that great visit, which in the fulness of time the Son of God was to make to the world. He sat in the tent-door in the heat of the day Not so much to repose himself, as to seek an opportunity of doing good, by giving entertainment to strangers. And when there were no inns where travellers could refresh themselves or lodge, it was as common, as it was necessary, for hospitable persons to invite such at noon, or at eventide, to their houses or tents.
Gen 18:1. The plains, or the oak, of Mamre, which became a far-famed place, because of Abrahams intercourse with the heavenly guests.
Gen 18:2. Three men. The manners of the east, and the ancient rule of hospitality, are here exemplified. Strangers of rank and decency were often entertained as friends, while common travellers lodged in sheltered places of the streets. Gen 19:2. Jdg 19:18. These visitors were standing over against him. When a traveller visits an Indian town of America, he sits down at a little distance till the men confer together, and come and invite him to some hut.The three men were three angels, whom Abraham entertained unaware, one of whom was the Lord Christ, Mal 3:1; which is a farther proof of his Godhead, and of the Holy Trinity. The christian fathers have laid great emphasis on this passage. The Council of Antioch urge it, with the corresponding history, very forcibly against Paulus Samosaten. This Son of God, say they, personally distinct from the Father, appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mamre. He was one of the three in human form, with whom the patriarch conversed as with the universal Lord and Judge. He was the Lord who rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. He was his Fathers hallowed Agent, in his intercourse with the patriarchs. He is also the same person, distinguished by the several names of Angel of the divine Council, Angel of the Lord, and of God. Now assuredly it must imply the most horrid impiety and irreligion, to imagine that Moses would call any angelic power Ton Theon ton olon, the God of the universe and of the whole creation. And yet, He who is thus the Lord and God, is both the Son and the angel of the Father. Council, tom. 1. col. 846.
Gen 18:3. My Lord. Adonai, not Jehovah; for Abraham knew these persons only as men of rank and patriarchal respectability; and by consequence addressed himself to him, who had the appearance of priority. This person is called Jehovah in the subsequent parts of this history, and is with one voice among the christian fathers understood of Christ. They will not allow that Jehovah ever lent his name to an angel.
Gen 18:8. They did eat, having temporary bodies or vehicles, the better to try Abrahams faith; and they ate merely to support the character of strangers.
Gen 18:10. I will certainly return, at the end of nine months, and Sarah shall have a son. The like promise is made to the Shunamite. 2Ki 4:16. St. Paul seems to allude to this promise when he says, 1Ti 2:15, She shall be saved in childbearing, if she continue in the faith; a promise of peculiar comfort to pious females in such circumstances. To Sarah it was assuredly the promise of a happy issue.
Gen 18:12. My lord being old. This example of Sarahs reverence for her husband, in calling him lord, is commended in the scriptures, and enforced upon all married females. 1Pe 3:6.
Gen 18:13. Wherefore did Sarah laugh. She laughed with pleasure; but her unbelief, knowing her age, was greater than her pleasure. Women were not admitted into promiscuous company, yet through the curtain of the tent they might often enjoy the conversation of strangers. It is christianity which has introduced women to their proper rank in society, there being neither male nor female in Christ Jesus; but in him all are one.
Gen 18:17. Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do? God made Abraham here his friend, by admission to his council, that he might command his children with the greater authority, and teach them to do justice and judgment. This was a high mark of confidence which God put upon a worm.
REFLECTIONS.
The Lord here once more appears to Abraham, and on a mission of mercy and of judgment. Formerly he had appeared to this patriarch in his glorious angelic character, to enlarge the promises, and defend his person; now he appears as man to try his faith in those promises, a proof that providence never for one moment lost sight of the promise of our redemption by Jesus Christ. Learn then, oh my soul, to keep thine eye stedfastly fixed on the same promise, and on the same hope.
Abrahams piety was distinguished by hospitality; he courteously received the three strangers approaching his tent, and feasted them with one plain but excellent dish. He received them as men, but before their departure he found he had received his master also. Let us learn to follow him in acts of benevolence and love. Heb 13:2-3. The Lord came likewise to try Sarahs faith, which, on account of her age, seemed totally lost; for she laughed when she heard of a son; and when reproved, being confounded with shame, she would fain have dissembled her weakness. Lord, and can faith weak and faulty, like Sarahs, obtain a blessing? Then let my confidence be revived, and let my soul have its portion in the same Messiah.
Abraham having received the Lord as a friend, went not without his reward: the Lord made a friend of Abraham in return. He acquainted him with the secrets of his providence in regard to Sodom; for he is wont to make man a witness of his ways, and fully apprized him of the equity and wisdom of his conduct. And mark the ground of Gods friendship; it was because he knew Abraham would command his household after him to keep the way of the Lord. Let us learn then to contract no particular friendship but with Gods friends. No bonds are lasting but the bonds of those who act with a single eye to the glory of God.
The cry of Sodom was great: Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and nine other towns, according to Josephus, were included. The cry of blood, of violence, and wrongs; the cry of unprotected innocence, and sins which cannot be named, all ascended in one dark cloud to heaven, and so long that they seemed to reproach God with supineness and delay. And what shall we say for Britain! Our crimes are great and grievous. Our luxury and dissipation, our impiety and profaneness, our infidelity and debauchery are great in the sight of the Lord. And our day * * * Ah what would my fears suggest! I check myself. But let the minister cry aloud, let the magistrate punish vice, and let the parent restrain his children; then the Lord will punish the guilty alone, and not involve the whole land in the calamity.
The Lord having informed the patriarch that he would destroy Sodom, in case he found the reports true; and Abraham, but too well assured of its wickedness, feeling as a man for men, and trembling for the situation of Lot, enters, in some sort, unawares into the highest strains of supplication and deprecatory devotion. Trace the characters of his intercession; he appeals to the Judge of all the earth for equity; and on being assured that the righteous should not be destroyed with the wicked, he ventures to fix the number at fifty, for whose sake the whole should be spared. The more the Lord condescends to the supplicant in reducing the number on every petition, the more he humbles himself as dust and ashes, till at last the Lord said, I will not destroy the city for tens sake. What an example of a mortal man pleading with his Maker, and in so bad a cause! How happy, how very happy must they be, who have Jesus Christ pleading for them at Gods right hand. Let us learn therefore ever to pray for our king and our country, for the church and the whole human race.
But did Abraham leave off pleading on the number being reduced to ten? There is a point, an awful point, when the righteous can no longer protect the wicked. When God protests that Noah, Daniel, and Job, should not deliver them; then there is no remedy, no more help in the Lord.
Genesis 18
This chapter affords a beautiful exemplification of the results of an obedient, separated walk. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3: 20) again, we read, “Jesus answered, and said unto him, If a man love me he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” (John 14: 23) From these passages, taken in connection with our chapter, we learn that an obedient soul enjoys a character of communion entirely unknown to one who moves in a worldly atmosphere.
This does not touch, in the most remote manner, the question of forgiveness or justification. All believers are clothed in the same spotless robe of righteousness-all stand in one common justification, under the eye of God. The one life flows down from the Head in heaven through all the members on earth. This is plain. The doctrine, in reference to the above important points, is fully established in the word; and has been, again and again, unfolded through the foregoing pages of this volume. But we should remember that justification is one thing, and the fruit thereof quite another. To be a child is one thing, to be an obedient child is quite another. Now, a father loves an obedient child, and will make, such a child more the depository of his thoughts and plans. And is this not true, in reference to our heavenly Father? Unquestionably. John 14 puts this quite beyond dispute; and, moreover, it proves that for one to speak of loving Christ, and not to “keep his words,” is hypocrisy. “If a man love me, he will keep my words.” Hence, if we are not keeping Christ’s words, it is a sure proof we are not walking in the love of His name. Love to Christ is proved by doing the things which He commands, and not by merely saying, “Lord, Lord.” It is of very little avail to say, “I go, sir,” while the heart has no idea of going.
However, in Abraham we see one who, however he may have failed in detail, was, nevertheless, characterised, in the main, by a close, simple, and elevated walk with God; and in the interesting section of his history now before us, we find him in the enjoyment of three special privileges, namely, providing refreshment for the Lord! enjoying full communion with the Lord, and interceding for others before the Lord. These are high distinctions; and yet are they only such as ever result from an obedient, separated, holy walk. Obedience refreshes the Lord, as being the fruit of His own grace in our hearts. We see in the only perfect man that ever lived, how He constantly refreshed and delighted the Father. Again and again, God ‘bore testimony to Him from heaven, as His “beloved Son; in whom he was well pleased.” The path of Christ furnished a continual feast to Heaven. His ways were ever sending up a fragrant incense to the throne of God. From the manger to the cross, He did always the things which pleased His Father. There was no interruption, no variation, no salient point. He was the only perfect One. There only can the Spirit trace a perfect life below. Here and there, as We look along the current of inspiration, we find one and another who occasionally refreshed the mind of Heaven. Thus, in the chapter before us, we find the tent of the stranger at Mamre affording refreshment to the Lord Himself – refreshment lovingly offered, and willingly accepted. (Ver. 1-8)
Then we find Abraham enjoying high communion with the Lord, first, in reference to his own personal interests, (ver. 9-15) and, secondly, in reference to the destinies of Sodom. (Ver.16, 21) What confirmation to Abraham’s heart in the absolute promise (Sarah shall have a son!” Yet this promise only elicited a laugh from Sarah, as it had elicited one from Abraham in the preceding chapter.
There are two kinds of laughter spoken of in scripture. There is first, the laughter with which the Lord fills our mouth, when, at some trying crisis, He appears in a signal manner for our relief. “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them; the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” (Ps. 126: 1, 2)
Again, there is the laughter with which unbelief fills our mouths, when God’s promises are too magnificent for our narrow hearts to take in, or the visible agency too small, in our judgement, for the accomplishment of His grand designs. The first of these we are never ashamed or afraid to avow. Zion’s sons are not ashamed to say, “then was our mouth filled with laughter.” (Ps. 126: 2) When Jehovah makes us to laugh, we may laugh heartily. “But Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid.” Unbelief makes us cowards and liars; faith makes us bold and truthful. It enables us to “come boldly,” and to “draw near with true hearts.”
But, further, Abraham is made the depository of God’s thoughts and counsels about Sodom. Though having nothing to do with it personally, yet he was so near the Lord that he was let into His mind in reference to it. The way to know the divine purposes about this present evil world, is not to be mixed up with it, in its schemes and speculations, but to be entirely separated from it. The more closely we walk with God, and the more subject we are to His word, the more we shall know of His mind about everything. I do not need to study the newspaper, in order to know what is going to happen in the world. God’s word reveals all I want to know. In its pure and sanctifying pages I learn all about the character, the course, and the destiny of the world; whereas, if I go to the men of the world for news, I may expect that the devil will use them to cast dust in my eyes.
Had Abraham visited Sodom in order to obtain information about its facts, had he applied to some of its leading intelligent men, to know what they thought of Sodom’s present condition and future prospects, how would he have been answered? Doubtless, they would have called his attention to their agricultural and architectural schemes, the vast resources of the country; they would have placed before his eyes one vast, mingled scene of buying and selling, building and planting, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. Doubtless, too, they would never dream of judgement, and if any one had made mention thereof, their mouths would have been filled with infidel laughter. Hence, then, it is plain, that Sodom was not the place in which to learn about Sodom’s end. No; “the place, where Abraham stood before the Lord,” afforded the only proper point from whence to take in the whole prospect. There he could stand entirely above the fogs and mists which had gathered upon Sodom’s horizon. There, in the clearness and calmness of the divine presence, he could understand it all. And what use did he make of his knowledge and his elevated position? How was he occupied in the Lord’s presence? The answer to these inquiries leads us to the third special privilege enjoyed by our patriarch in this chapter, namely, –
Intercession for others before the Lord. He was enabled to plead for those, who were mixed up in Sodom’s defilement, and in danger of being involved in Sodom’s judgement. This was a happy and a holy use to make of his place of nearness to God. Thus it is ever. The soul that can “draw near to God,” in the assurance of faith, having the heart and conscience perfectly at rest, being able to repose in God as to the past, the present, and the future – that soul will be able and willing to intercede for others. The man, who has on “the whole armour of God,” will be able to pray for all saints.” And, oh I what a view this gives us of the intercession of our Great High Priest, mho has passed into the heavens! What infinite repose He enjoys in all the divine counsels! With what conscious acceptance He sits enthroned amid the brightness of the Majesty in the heavens! And with what efficacy He pleads, before that Majesty, for those, who are toiling along, amid the defilement of this present scene! Happy, ineffably happy, they, who are the subjects of such all prevailing intercession! At once happy and secure. Would that we had hearts to enter into all this hearts enlarged by personal communion with God, to take in more of the infinite fullness of His grace, and the suitability of His provision, for all our need.
We see, in this scripture, that, how blessed soever Abraham’s intercession might be, yet it was limited, because the intercessor was but a man. It did not reach the need. He said, “I will speak yet but this once,” and there he stopped short, as if afraid of having presented too large a draft at the treasury of infinite grace, or forgetting that faith’s cheque was never yet dishonoured at God’s bank. It was not that he was straitened in God. By no means. There was abundance of grace and patience in Him to have hearkened to His dear servant, had he proceeded even to three or one. But the servant was limited. He was afraid of overdrawing his account He ceased to ask, and God ceased to give. Not so our blessed Intercessor. Of Him it can be said,” He is able to save to the uttermost,….. seeing he ever liveth to make intercession.” May our hearts cling to Him, in all our need, our weakness, and our conflict.
Before closing this section, I would offer a remark, which, whether it may be regarded as properly flowing: out of the truth contained therein, or not, is nevertheless worthy of consideration. It is of the utmost importance, in the study of scripture, to distinguish between God’s moral government of the world, and the specific hope of the Church. The entire body of Old Testament prophecy, and much of the New, treats of the former, and, in so doing, presents, I need hardly say, a subject of commanding interest to every Christian. It is interesting to know what God is doing, and will do, with all the nations of the earth. Interesting to read God’s thoughts about Tyre, Babylon, Nineveh, and Jerusalem; about Egypt, Assyria, and the land of Israel. In short, the entire range of Old Testament prophecy demands the prayerful attention of every true believer. But, let it be remembered, we do not find therein contained the proper hope of the Church. How could we? If we have not therein the Church’s existence directly revealed, how could we have the Church’s hope? Impossible. It is not that the Church cannot find there a rich harvest of divine moral principles, which she may most happily and profitably use. She undoubtedly can; but this is quite another thing from finding there her proper existence and specific hope. And yet, a large portion of the Old Testament prophecies has been applied to the Church; and this application has involved the whole subject in such mist and confusion, that simple minds are scared away from the study, and, in neglecting the study of prophecy, they have also neglected that which is quite distinct from prophecy, properly so called, even the hope of the Church, which hope, be it well remembered, is not anything which God is going to do with the nations of the earth, but to meet the Lord Jesus in the clouds of heaven, to be for ever with Him, and for ever like Him.
Many may say, I have no head for prophecy. Perhaps not, but have you a heart for Christ Surely if you love Christ, you will love His appearing, though you may have no capacity for prophetic investigation. An affectionate wife may not have a head to enter into her husband’s affairs; but she has a heart for her husband’s return. She might not be able to understand his ledger and day-book; but she knows his footstep, and recognises his voice. The most unlettered saint, if only he has affection for the Person of the Lord Jesus, can entertain the most intense desire to see Him; and this is the Church’s hope. The apostle could say to the Thessalonians, “ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven.” (1 Thess. 1: 9, 10) Now, evidently, those Thessalonian saints could, at the moment of their conversion, have known little, if anything, of prophecy, or the special subject thereof; and yet they were, at that very moment, put into the full possession and power of the specific hope of the Church – even the coming of the Son. Thus is it throughout the entire New Testament. There, no doubt, we have prophecy-there, too, we have God’s moral government; but, at the same time, numberless passages might be adduced in proof of the fact, that the common hope of Christians in apostolic times – the simple, unimpeded, and unencumbered hope was, THE RETURN OF THE BRIDEGROOM. May the Holy Ghost revive “that blessed hope” in the Church – may He gather in the number of the elect, and “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Gen 12:1 to Gen 25:18. The Story of Abraham.In this section the three main sources, J. E, P are present. Gunkel has given strong reasons for holding that J is here made up of two main sources, one connecting Abraham with Hebron, the other with Beersheba and the Negeb. The former associates Abraham with Lot. (For details, see ICC.) On the interpretation to be placed on the figures of Abraham and the patriarchs, see the Introduction. The interest, which has hitherto been diffused over the fortunes of mankind in general, is now concentrated on Abraham and his posterity, the principle of election narrowing it down to Isaac, Ishmael being left aside, and then to Jacob, Esau being excluded.
A DIVINE VISITATION
Though previous to this chapter we read twice of the Lord appearing to Abraham (ch.13:7; 17:1), we are not told in what way He appeared. Now, in chapter 18 we are faced with what is called a “theophany,” for the Lord Himself appears in manhood form, and two angels accompany Him, also appearing as men. They are called angels in chapter 19:1. The occasion is not confirmed to leaving a message, but involves having a prolonged visit with Abraham. It is clear that the Lord desired this time of fellowship with His servant before He must engage in the solemn work of judging Sodom and Gomorrah. In what body He came remains a mystery: we do not know, though it was certainly miraculous.
Abraham was no doubt meditating as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day (v.2). It was not the time for work, but for relaxation. Sitting in the tent door reminds us of his pilgrim character. Very likely his thoughts were centered around his Lord, for when He saw the three men nearby, he immediately recognized one of them as the Lord (v.3). He ran to meet them, though he was not a young man. The energy of his faith and affection for the Lord is lovely to observe. He bowed himself to the earth and entreated the Lord to remain with him in order to partake of his hospitality, offering water to wash their feet and asking them to rest under the shade of the tree. Then he only mentions a piece of bread for food, though he had much more than that in mind (v.5).
When his suggestion is accepted, he enlists the help of Sarah to quickly prepare three measures of fine flour to make bread cakes. Mat 13:33 speaks of “three measures of meal” also. Typically this speaks of the Lord Jesus in the detailed perfection of His manhood, the number three implying His resurrection from among the dead. Besides this, Abraham ran to his herd to find a tender and good calf, having a young man slaughter and cook it. Of course this would occupy some time, and he added butter and milk to the nourishing meal, setting it before them to eat while he stood by (v.8). The calf speaks of Christ in His patient, lowly service, and His blood shed in sacrifice. Milk symbolizes the word of God in its simplest form shed in sacrifice. while butter is the cream of the milk churned and solidified, thus typically the word of God becoming substantial to one who is exercised by it. How good is such food! Let us keep always in mind too that the heart of God is delighted with that which speaks to Him of His beloved Son. Thus we too may have practical fellowship with the Gather and with His Son Jesus Christ.
But the Lord had a message for Sarah too. He asks Abraham where she was, which was certainly intended to attract Sarah’s attention, specially when her name was mentioned (v.9). Therefore she understood well what the Lord said to Abraham, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son” (v.19). However, Sarah did not stop to consider who it was who was speaking in this unusual way. . . She only thought of the fact that Abraham and she were very old, and being far past the age of childbearing. She laughed inwardly (v.12) in total disbelief, and her silent words are forever recorded in the word of God (In fact, to her credit, 1Pe 3:6 speaks of this very occasion when she called Abraham “lord,” indicating her subjection to him even in her private thoughts).
The Lord therefore asked Abraham why Sarah laughed, questioning the truth of what He had said about her. Then He has a question for her that she must face directly: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (v.14). So that He repeats what He had said, and not the slightest questioning of it can be permitted: “Sarah shall have a son.”
Sarah did not again show her disbelief, but she did deny that she had laughed. She may have meant she did not laugh audibly, but the Lord insisted, “No, but you did laugh” (v.15). The Lord had the last word, and no doubt this occasion was the turning point for Sarah; for we read in Heb 11:11, “By faith Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” Her unbelief was changed into genuine faith through the plain word of God given to her, and that faith bore fruit. To take deeply to heart the truth of God’s word is the very essence of faith. As to this same occasion, Abraham’s faith is commended in Rom 4:19-21.
Abraham has therefore had the wonderful privilege of ministering comfort to the Lord and the two angels as they are on their way to do the painful work of judging Sodom and Gomorrah. It is a reminder to us that the Lord now seeks the comforting fellowship of the church of God previous to His having to pour out His judgment upon an ungodly world. Is there not a special emphasis on this truth involved in the Lord’s words to His disciples on the night of His betrayal, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luk 22:15)? Today He seeks that same fellowship with us before He must judge the world.
ABRAHAM INTERCEDES FOR SODOM
Following the Lord’s refreshing, comforting experience with Abraham, there is solemn, dreadful work to be done. The men rise up from their enjoyable meal, and look toward Sodom. Abraham, not realizing their purpose, accompanies them for a distance (v.16). Then the Lord spoke, evidently to the two angels, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in Him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”
It is a wonderful principle that the Lord affirms here. His own future purposes are not to be hidden from the man of faith. Because the Lord has known Abraham to be a man of solid, dependable character, He will reveal to Him His thoughts as to the future. Indeed, He had already told Abraham that he would be the father of a great and might nation and that in Him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. More than this, the Lord knew Abraham well, and knew that Abraham would command his children and his household. This is just what God Himself does, in contrast to great numbers who show irresponsibility in regard to so serious a matter. It is not merely that Abraham would give orders to his children, but that his character and conduct were such as to command their respect. Compare Gen 22:7-9.
But not only does God have thoughts of future blessing for those who trust Him. He will reveal to them also another side of the truth, most solemn and terrible. He must punish the rebellion of evil doers. This is just as faithfully recorded in the word of God as is the blessing of the godly. He speaks to Abraham therefore of the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah: the outcry of the city was becoming so alarming, their sin so extremely grave, that He would go down to fully investigate its condition (v.21). Of course the Lord knew every detain of the evil of those cities, but He is always slow to judge until the wickedness is demonstrated to be beyond remedy.
The Lord personally, however, remained with Abraham to give him opportunity to intercede, while the two others left and went toward Sodom, plainly as being representatives of the Lord (v.22). Now as Abraham pleads with the Lord, we know he has Lot particularly in mind. Yet he could evidently not bring himself to think that Lot might be the only righteous person in Sodom. The Lord had mentioned both Sodom and Gomorrah (v.20), but in Abraham’s intercession only Sodom is considered (v.26). He begins by asking if God would destroy the righteous with the wicked, and questions, if only 50 righteous were in the city, would all be destroyed? He cannot imagine the Judge of all the earth making the righteous suffer together with the wicked, for certainly the Judge will do right (vs.23-25). Fifty would be a very small percentage, yet Abraham probably remembered that God had saved eight people only out of the whole world when He destroyed it by a flood (Gen 7:7).
The Lord gives Abraham full assurance that He would not destroy the city if He found fifty righteous there. This surely reminds us that believers are “the salt of the earth” (Mat 5:13). Their presence preserves the world from the judgment that seems so imminent. At the Rapture, when all believers are transferred into the presence of the Lord, this preserving character will be gone, and judgment will fall in all its terror on the ungodly world.
When Abraham lowers the number to forty-five (v.28), he takes the humble place of recognizing that he is only a creature of dust speaking to his infinitely great Creator, yet he asks out of confidence in the living God. Again God gives His word that He would not destroy the city if forty-five righteous were found there. Then Abraham reduces the number to forty, and receives the same gracious assurance that the city would be spared for the sake of forty. The to thirty (v.30), and lower yet to twenty, and finally to ten (v.32). Each time he shows that he feels his own unworthiness of making these requests, but the Lord loves to encourage confidence in His grace, and declares that He would not destroy the city if even ten righteous were found there.
No doubt Abraham may have gone further yet in his intercession, for evidently Lot was the only righteous person in the city. But this surely tells us that we generally always underestimate the fulness and perfection of the grace of God. Our prayers might have much more confidence in them than we usually show. Whether Abraham thought there must be at least ten righteous in Sodom, or whether he decided that he had gone low enough in his intercession, yet he ends it here, and the Lord leaves while he returns home. Yet Abraham would certainly be left with subdued thoughts, and his eyes would be turned in apprehension toward Sodom.
8. Yahweh’s visit to Abraham 18:1-15
Chapters 18 and 19 constitute one integrated story, but we shall consider this episode in the Abraham narrative section by section. Like the Flood story, it has a chiastic structure, this time focusing on the announcement of the destruction of Sodom (Gen 19:12-13). [Note: See Wenham, Genesis 16-50, p. 41, for the chiasm.] Again there is a mass destruction with only one man and his family escaping. Both stories end with intoxication and shameful treatment by children that have consequences for future generations. [Note: See ibid., pp. 43-44; and Mathews, Genesis 11:27-50:26, pp. 212-13; for more parallels.]
We perceive the Lord’s gracious initiative toward Abraham in His visit to eat with the patriarch in his tent. This was a sign of intimate fellowship in Abraham’s culture. On the basis of that close relationship God guaranteed the soon arrival of the promised heir. In response to Sarah’s laugh of unbelief the Lord declared that nothing would be too difficult for Him.
This chapter and the next may seem at first reading to be extraneous to the purpose of the Abraham narrative, which is to demonstrate God’s faithfulness to His promises to the patriarch, but they are not. Chapter 18 contributes the following.
1. It records another revelation (the sixth) in which God identified for the first time when the heir would appear (Gen 18:10; Gen 18:14). With this revelation God strengthened Abraham’s, and especially Sarah’s, faith.
2. It fortifies Moses’ emphasis on God’s supernatural power at work to fulfill His divine promises in spite of apparently impossible circumstances (Gen 18:9-15).
3. As a literary device it provides an interlude in the story line and heightens suspense by prolonging the climax. We anticipate the arrival of the heir with mounting interest.
4. It presents Abraham as an intercessor, one of the roles of the prophets of whom Abraham was one of the first (cf. Gen 20:7).
5. It records God’s announcement of judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:16-33), which follows in chapter 19.
"The noon encounter in this chapter and the night scene at Sodom in the next are in every sense a contrast of light and darkness. The former, quietly intimate and full of promise, is crowned by the intercession in which Abraham’s faith and love show a new breadth of concern. The second scene is all confusion and ruin, moral and physical, ending in a loveless squalor which is even uglier than the great overthrow of the cities." [Note: Kidner, p. 131.]
"There is also a blatant contrast between how Abraham hosted his visitors (ch. 18) and how the Sodomites hosted the same delegation (ch. 19)." [Note: Victor P. Hamilton, The Book of Genesis: Chapters 18-50, p. 5.]
Abraham was living near Hebron at this time (cf. Gen 13:18).
ABRAHAMS INTERCESSION FOR SODOM
Gen 18:1-33
THE scene with which this chapter opens is one familiar to the observer of nomad life in the East. During the scorching heat and glaring light of noon, while the birds seek the densest foliage and the wild animals lie panting in the thicket and everything is still and silent as midnight, Abraham sits in his tent door under the spreading oak of Mamre. Listless, languid, and dreamy as he is, he is at once aroused into brightest wakefulness by the sudden apparition of three strangers. Remarkable as their appearance no doubt must have been, it would seem that Abraham did not recognise the rank of his visitors; it was, as the writer to the Hebrews says, “unawares” that he entertained angels. But when he saw them stand as if inviting invitation to rest, he treated them as hospitality required him to treat any wayfarers. He sprang to his feet, ran and bowed himself to the ground, and begged them to rest and eat with him. With the extraordinary, and as it seems to our colder nature extravagant courtesy of an Oriental, he rates at the very lowest the comforts he can supply; it is only a little water he can give to wash their feet, a morsel of bread to help them on their way, but they will do him a kindness if they accept these small attentions at his hands. He gives, however, much more than he offered, seeks out the fatted calf and serves while his guests sit and eat. The whole scene is primitive and Oriental, and “presents a perfect picture of the manner in which a modern Bedawee Sheykh receives travellers arriving at his encampment”; the hasty baking of bread, the celebration of a guests arrival by the killing of animal food not on other occasions used even by large flock-masters; the meal spread in the open air, the black tents of the encampment stretching back among the oaks of Mamre, every available space filled with sheep, asses, camels, -the whole is one of those clear pictures which only the simplicity of primitive life can produce.
Not only, however, as a suitable and pretty introduction which may ensure our reading the subsequent narrative is it recorded how hospitably Abraham received these three. Later writers saw in it a picture of the beauty and reward of hospitality. It is very true, indeed, that the circumstances of a wandering pastoral life are peculiarly favourable to the cultivation of this grace. Travellers being the only bringers of tidings are greeted from a selfish desire to hear news as well as from better motives. Life in tents, too, of necessity makes men freer in their manners. They have no door to lock, no inner rooms to retire to, their life is spent outside, and their character naturally inclines to frankness and freedom from the suspicions, fears, and restraints of city life. Especially is hospitality accounted the indispensable virtue, and a breach of it as culpable as a breach of the sixth commandment, because to refuse hospitality is in many regions equivalent to subjecting a wayfarer to dangers and hardships under which he is almost certain to succumb.
“This tent is mine,” said Yussouf. “but no more
Than it is Gods; come in, and be at peace;
Freely shall thou partake of all my store,
As I of His Who buildeth over these
Our tents His glorious roof of night and day,
And at Whose door none ever yet heard Nay.”
Still we are of course bound to import into our life all the suggestions of kindly conduct which any other style of living gives us. And the writer to the Hebrews pointedly refers to this scene and says, “Let us not be forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” And often in quite a prosaic and unquestionable manner does it become apparent to a host, that the guest he has been entertaining has been sent by God, an angel indeed ministering to his salvation, renewing in him thoughts that had been dying out, filling his home with brightness and life like the smile of Gods own face, calling out kindly feelings, provoking to love and to good works, effectually helping him onwards and making one more stage of his life endurable and even blessed. And it is not to be wondered at that our Lord Himself should have continually inculcated this same grace; for in His whole life and by His most painful experience were men being tested as to who among them would take the stranger in. He who became man for a little that He might for ever consecrate the dwelling of Abraham and leave a blessing in his household, has now become man for evermore, that we may learn to walk carefully and reverentially through a life whose circumstances and conditions, whose little socialities and duties, and whose great trials and strains He found fit for Himself for service to the Father. This tabernacle of our human body has by His presence been transformed from a tent to a temple, and this world and all its ways that He approved, admired, and walked in, is holy ground. But as He came to Abraham trusting to his hospitality, not sending before him a legion of angels to awe the patriarch but coming in the guise of an ordinary wayfarer; so did He come to His own and make His entrance among us, claiming only the consideration which He claims for the least of His people, and granting to whoever gave Him that the discovery of His Divine nature. Had there been ordinary hospitality in Bethlehem that night before the taxing, then a woman in Marys condition had been cared for and not superciliously thrust among the cattle, and our race had been delivered from the everlasting reproach of refusing its God a cradle to be born and sleep His first sleep in, as it refused Him a bed to die in, and left chance to provide Him a grave in which to sleep His latest sleep. And still He is coming to us all requiring of us this grace of hospitality, not only in the case of every one who asks of us a cup of cold water and whom our Lord Himself will personate at the last day and say, “I was a stranger and ye took Me in”; but also in regard to those claims upon our hearts reception which He only in His own person makes.
But while we are no doubt justified in gathering such lessons from this scene, it can scarcely have been for the sake of inculcating hospitality that these angels visited Abraham. And if we ask, Why did God on this occasion use this exceptional form of manifesting Himself; why, instead of approaching Abraham in a vision or in word as had been found sufficient on former occasions, did He now adopt this method of becoming Abrahams guest and eating with him?-the only apparent reason is that He meant this also to be the test applied to Sodom. There too His angels were to appear as wayfarers, dependent on the hospitality of the town, and by the peoples treatment of these unknown visitors their moral state was to be detected and judged. The peaceful meal under the oaks of Mamre, the quiet and confidential walk over the hills in the afternoon when Abraham in the humble simplicity of a godly soul was found to be fit company for these three-this scene where the Lord and His messengers receive a becoming welcome and where they leave only blessing behind them, is set in telling contrast to their reception in Sodom, where their coming was the signal for the outbursts of a brutality one blushes to think of, and elicited all the elements of a mere hell upon earth.
Lot would fain have been as hospitable as Abraham. Deeper in his nature than any other consideration was the traditional habit of hospitality. To this he would have sacrificed everything-the rights of strangers were to him truly inviolable. Lot was a man who could as little see strangers without inviting them to his house as Abraham could. He would have treated them handsomely as his uncle; and what he could do he did. But Lot had by his choice of a dwelling made it impossible he should afford safe and agreeable lodging to any visitor. He did his best, and it was not his reception of the angels that sealed Sodoms doom, and yet what shame he must have felt that he had put himself in circumstances in which his chief virtue could not be practised. So do men tie their own hands and cripple themselves so that even the good they would take pleasure in doing is either wholly impossible or turns to evil.
In divulging to Abraham His purpose in visiting Sodom, it is enounced here that God acted on a principle which seems afterwards to have become almost proverbial. Surely the Lord will do nothing but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets. There are indeed two grounds stated for making known to Abraham this catastrophe. The reason that we should naturally expect, viz., that he might go on and warn Lot is not one of them. Why then make any announcement to Abraham if the catastrophe cannot be averted, and if Abraham is to turn back to his own encampment? The first reason is: “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do? Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.” In other words, Abraham has been made the depository of a blessing for all nations, and account must therefore be given to him when any people is summarily removed beyond the possibility of receiving this blessing. If a man has got a grant for the emancipation of the slaves in a certain district, and is informed on landing to put this grant in force that fifty slaves are to be executed that day, he has certainly a right to know and he will inevitably desire to know that this execution is to be, and why it is to be. When an officer goes to negotiate an exchange of prisoners, if two of the number cannot be exchanged, but are to be shot, he must be informed of this and account of the matter must be given him. Abraham often brooding on Gods promise, living indeed upon it, must have felt a vague sympathy with all men, and a sympathy not at all vague, but most powerful and practical, with the men in the Jordan valley whom he had rescued from Chedorlaomer. If he was to be a blessing to any nation it must surely be to those who were within an afternoons walk of his encampment and among whom his nephew had taken up his abode. Suppose he had not been told, but had risen next morning and seen the dense cloud of smoke overhanging the doomed cities, might he not with some justice have complained that although God had spoken to him the previous day, not one word of this great catastrophe had been breathed to him.
The second reason is expressed in the nineteenth verse; God had chosen Abraham that he might command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment that the Lord might fulfil His promise to Abraham. That is to say, as it was only by obedience and righteousness that Abraham and his seed were to continue in Gods favour, it was fair that they should be encouraged to do so by seeing the fruits of unrighteousness. So that as the Dead Sea lay throughout their whole history on their borders reminding them of the wages of sin, they might never fail rightly to interpret its meaning, and in every great catastrophe read the lesson “except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” They could never attribute to chance this predicted judgment. And in point of fact frequent and solemn reference was made to this standing monument of the fruit or sin.
As yet there was no moral law proclaimed by any external authority. Abraham had to discover what justice and goodness were from the dictates of his own conscience and from his observation upon men and things. But he was at all events persuaded that only so long as he and his sought honestly to live in what they considered to be righteousness would they enjoy Gods favour. And they read in the destruction of Sodom a clear intimation that certain forms of wickedness were detestable to God.
The earnestness with which Abraham intercedes for the cities of the plain reveals a new side of his character. One could understand a strong desire on his part that Lot should be rescued, and no doubt the preservation of Lot formed one of his strongest motives to intercede, yet Lot is never named, and it is, I think, plain that he had more than the safety of Lot in view. He prayed that the city might be spared, not that the righteous might be delivered out of its ruin. Probably he had a lively interest in the people he had rescued from captivity, and felt a kind of protectorate over them as he sometimes looked down on them from the hills near his own tents. He pleads for them as he had fought for them, with generosity, boldness, and perseverance; and it was his boldness and unselfishness in fighting for them that gave him boldness in praying for them.
There has come into vogue in this country a kind of intercession which is the exact reverse of this of Abraham-an obtuse, mechanical intercession about whose efficacy one may cherish a reasonable suspicion. The Bible and common sense bid us pray with the Spirit and with the understanding; but at some meetings for prayer you are asked to pray for people you do not know and have no real interest in. You are not told even their names, so that if an answer is sent you could not identify the answer, nor is any clue given you by which, if God should propose to use you for their help, you could know where the help was to be applied. For all you know the slip of paper handed in among a score of others may misrepresent the circumstances; and even supposing it does not, what likeness to the effectual fervent prayer of an anxious man has the petition that is once read in your hearing and at once and for ever blotted from your mind by a dozen others of the same kind. Not so did Abraham pray; he prayed for those he knew and had fought for; and I see no warrant for expecting that our prayers will be heard for persons whose good we seek in no other way than prayer, in none of those ways which in all other matters our conduct proves we judge more effectual than prayer. When Lot was carried captive Abraham did not think it enough to put a petition for him in his evening prayer. He went and did the needful thing, so that now when there is nothing else he can do but pray, he intercedes, as few of us can without self-reproach or feeling that had we only done our part there might now be no need of prayer. What confidence can a parent have in praying for a son who is going to a country where vice abounds, if he has done little or nothing to infix in his boys mind a love of virtue? In some cases the very persons who pray for others are themselves the obstacles preventing the answer. Were we to ask ourselves how much we are prepared to do for those for whom we pray, we should come to a more adequate estimate of the fervency and sincerity of our prayers.
The element in Abrahams intercession that jars on the reader is the trading temper that strives always to get the best possible terms. Abraham seems to think God can be beaten down and induced to make smaller and smaller demands. No doubt this style of prayer was suggested to Abraham by the statement on Gods part that He was going to Sodom to see if its iniquity was so great as it was reported; that is, to number, as it were, the righteous men in it. Abraham seizes upon this and asks if He would not spare it if fifty were found in it. But Abraham, knowing Sodom as he did, could not have supposed this number would be found. Finding, then, that God meets him so far, he goes on step by step getting larger in his demands, until when he comes to ten he feels that to go farther would be intolerably presumptuous. Along with this audacious beating down of God, there is a genuine and profound reverence and humility which at each renewal of the petition dictate some such expression as: “I who am but dust and ashes,” “Let not my Lord be angry.”
It is remarkable too that, throughout, it is for justice Abraham pleads, and for justice of a limited and imperfect kind. He proceeds on the assumption that the town will be judged as a town, and either wholly saved or wholly destroyed. He has no idea of individual discrimination being made, those only suffering who had sinned. And yet it is this principle of discrimination on which God ultimately proceeds, rescuing Lot. Yet is not this intercession the history of what every one who prays passes through, beginning with the idea that God is to be won over to more liberal views and a more munificent intention, and ending with the discovery that God gives what we should count it shameless audacity to ask? We begin to pray,
“As if ourselves were better certainly
Than what we come to-Maker and High Priest,”
and we leave off praying assured that the whole is to be managed by a righteousness and love and wisdom, which we cannot plan for, which any love or desire of ours would only limit the action of, and which must be left to work out its own purposes in its own marvellous ways. We begin, feeling that we have to beat down a reluctant God and that we can guide the mind of God to some better thing than He intends: when the answer comes we recognise that what we set as the limit of our expectation God has far overstepped, and that our prayer has done little more than show our inadequate conception of Gods mercy.
Not only in this respect but throughout this chapter there is betrayed an inadequate conception of God. The language is adapted to the use of men who are as yet unable to conceive of one Infinite, Eternal Spirit. They think of Him as one who needs to come down and institute an inquiry into the state of Sodom, if He is to know with accuracy the moral condition of its inhabitants. We can freely use the same language, but we put into it a meaning that the words do not literally bear: Abraham and his contemporaries used and accepted the words in their literal sense. And yet the man who had ideas of God in some respects so rudimentary was Gods Friend, received singular tokens of His favour, found His whole life illuminated with His presence, and was used as the point of contact between heaven and earth, so that if you desire the first lessons in the knowledge of God which will in time grow into full information, it is to the tent of Abraham you must go. This surely is encouraging; for who is not conscious of much difficulty in thinking rightly of God? Who does not feel that precisely here, where the light should be brightest, clouds and darkness seem to gather? It may indeed be said that what was excusable in Abraham is inexcusable in us; that we have that day, that full noon of Christ to which he could only, out of the dusky dawn, look forward. But after all may not a man with some justice say: Give me an afternoon with God, such as Abraham had; give me the opportunity of converse with a God submitting Himself to question and answer, to those means and instruments of ascertaining truth which I daily employ in other matters, and I will ask no more? Christ has given us entrance into the final stage of our knowledge Of God, teaching us that God is a Spirit and that we cannot see the Father; that Christ Himself left earth and withdrew from the bodily eye that we might rely more upon spiritual modes of apprehension and think of God as a Spirit. But we are not at all times able to receive this teaching, we are children still and fall back with longing for the times when God walked and spoke with man. And this being so, we are encouraged by the experience of Abraham. We shall not be disowned by God though we do not know Him perfectly. We can but begin where we are, not pretending that that is clear and certain to us which in fact is not so, but freely dealing with God according to the light we have, hoping that we too, like Abraham, shall see the day of Christ and be glad; shall one day stand in the full light of ascertained and eternal truth, knowing as we are known.
In conclusion, we shall find when we read the following chapter, and especially the prayer of Lot that he might not be driven to the wild mountain district, but might occupy the little town of Zoar which was saved for his sake-we shall find that much light is reflected on this prayer of Abraham. Without trenching on what may be more fitly spoken of afterwards, it may now be observed that the difference between Lot and Abraham, as between man and man generally, comes out nowhere more strikingly than in their prayers. Abraham had never prayed for himself with a tithe of the persistent earnestness with which he prays for Sodom-a town which was much indebted to him, but towards which for more reasons than one a smaller man would have borne a grudge. Lot, on the other hand, much indebted to Sodom, identified indeed with it, one of its leading citizens, connected by marriage with its inhabitants, is in no agony about its destruction, and has indeed but one prayer to offer, and that is, that when all his fellow towns-men are destroyed, he may be comfortably provided for. While the men he has bargained and feasted with, the men he has made money out of and married his daughters to, are in the agonies of an appalling catastrophe and so near that the smoke of their torment sweeps across his retreat, he is so disengaged from regrets and compassion that he can nicely weigh the comparative comfort and advantage of city and rural life. One would have thought better of the man if he had declined the angelic rescue and resolved to stand by those in death whose society he had so coveted in life. And it is significant that while the generous, large-hearted, devout pleading of Abraham is in vain, the miserable, timorous, selfish petition of Lot is heard and answered. It would seem as if sometimes God were hopeless of men, and threw to them in contempt the gifts they crave, giving them the poor stations in this life their ambition is set upon, because He sees they have made themselves incapable of enduring hardness, and so quelling their lower nature. An answered prayer is not always a blessing, sometimes it is a doom: “He sent them meat to the full: but while their meat was yet in their mouths, the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them.”
Probably had Lot felt any inclination to pray for his townsmen, he would have seen that for him to do so would be unseemly. His circumstances, his long association with the Sodomites, and his accommodation of himself to their ways had both eaten the soul out of him and set him on quite a different footing towards God from that occupied by Abraham. A man cannot on a sudden emergency lift himself out of the circumstances in which he has been rooted, nor peel off his character as if it were only skin-deep. Abraham had been living an unworldly life in which intercourse with God was a familiar employment. His prayer was but the seasonable flower of his life, nourished to all its beauty by the habitual nutriment of past years. Lot in his need could only utter a peevish, pitiful, childish cry. He had aimed all his life at being comfortable, he could not now wish anything more than to be comfortable. “Stand out of my sunshine,” was all he could say, when he held by the hand the plenipotentiary of heaven, and when the roar of the conflict of moral good and evil was filling his ears-a decent man, a righteous man, but the world had eaten out his heart till he had nothing to keep him in sympathy with heaven.
Such is the state to which men in our society, as in Sodom, are brought by risking their spiritual life to make the most of this world.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: The Sermon Bible
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: James Gray’s Concise Bible Commentary
Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Mackintosh’s Notes on the Pentateuch
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary