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GENESIS 18

Abraham served the LORD with food and haggled with him for the righteousness of a few. -- (DATE: Between 1852 and 1851 before Christ)

DISCOVER Genesis 18: A short time later, Abraham sat in the heat of day at the entrance to his tent by the oaks of Mamre (today in Hebron). And as he looked out, he saw the LORD pass by, who appeared to Abraham as three men. And when he saw them he sprang up and ran to them, bowed himself low to the earth, saying that if he had found favor before his Lord, then He should not pass by his servant. Instead Abraham suggested they rest under the trees by his camp, while he would bring water, to wash their feet, and a few morsels to eat, so that they might refresh themselves. And the LORD allowed it. So Abraham ran to his wife Sarah, telling her to make cakes for their guest. Then he chose a good and tender calf and told one of his workers to go and prepare it quickly for food. While the young man did as he was told, Abraham collected curds and milk and together with the calf brought them to his Lord. While God ate, Abraham stood by him under the tree. -- The three men, who are the LORD, then asked him, where his wife Sarah was, to which Abraham answered that she was close by in the tent. And the LORD told him that He would surely return to him and that by this time next year Abraham would surely have a son. When Sarah heard this as she worked in the tent, she couldn’t help but laugh to herself. She was old, so advanced in years, in fact, that she no longer bled by the way of women. And now, seeing how worn-out she was, not to mention the aged constitution of her husband, she was to experience pleasure? This seemed utterly absurd to her. But the LORD knew what was in Sarah’s heart, and thus He asked Abraham why Sarah was laughing at His promise, just because she was old? Did she really think that anything was too hard to accomplish for the LORD Almighty? Hearing this, Sarah came to deny her deed, but the LORD stood fast by the truth and made it clear that she did indeed laugh. -- Reiterating that He would return to them by this time next year, which would be when Sarah would have her son, the men set out to leave. As a good host, Abraham accompanied them a bit towards the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah, to make sure they were good on their way. As they walked, God debated with Himself, whether or not He should inform Abraham of the reason for His being here. But seeing that He had chosen him to uphold His way by doing righteousness and justice and that through him He had chosen to bless all nations on earth and not just the multitude of his offspring, God decided to speak up. So He told Abraham that He had heard an outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and had come to investigate whether their sin was truly as grave as He had heard. Thus the men headed towards these cities, but Abraham stood still before the LORD. -- (After some debating with himself) Abraham drew near to Him and asked if his Lord would truly sweep away the righteous in these cities with the wicked. What if there were, say, fifty people with righteousness in their hearts there? Surely He would not let these people taste the same treatment as all the wicked in the city. Certainly the judge of the earth would deal justly with them. Upon this, the LORD agreed that if He found fifty righteous people in the city, He would spare the whole place for their sake. To this Abraham answered subserviently that since he had already dared to speak up to the LORD that He would surely not go against His divine mercy if five of these fifty were lacking in their righteous conduct. Again the LORD agreed to spare the city if He found forty-five righteous there. But Abraham continued to haggle, asking what if the Lord found only forty. And God agreed to spare them in the name of those forty. (Although Abraham felt that he was beginning to overstep his boundary,) he still asked that his Lord would not grow angry with him: What was, if there were only thirty people in the city with a righteous heart? And God agreed to spare it for these thirty. And Abraham continued asking about the case of twenty, and the LORD agreed to spare the city for their sake. And finally Abraham supposed that in the whole city only ten righteous individuals could be found righteous. Again, God agreed not to destroy the city for the sake of these ten. At that Abraham withdrew and returned to his camp, and the LORD went on his way.

PRAYER: Our triune Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we marvel at your dealings with us human beings. You condescended to visit and have fellowship with your chosen servant Abraham near Hebron appearing as three men. You allowed him to prepare food for you and you actually ate it before Abraham. Thank you that through your Son Jesus Christ we too have fellowship with you today in Spirit and in Truth. Thank you also for revealing to Abraham that his heart’s desire to have a son from Sarah would be satisfied by you. And thank you for your incredible mercy that you would not destroy evil cities, if just a few righteous people could be found in them. We open our hearts to your humility, power and mercy and adore you over your love and patience. Amen

QUESTION 18: What are special character traits of the LORD which He revealed in His dealings with Abraham in this chapter?