Genesis Chapter 18
(Genesis 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;
- Abraham is newly circumcised, and hopefully healed!
- On the hottest of days, it is common to rest midday and travel morning and evening only.
- Another reason, as Abraham shows, is to spot passersby and have a chance to offer refreshments to them on their travels on the heat.
- God meets you where you are.
- He called Abraham to go, just go, but not to go to Him He met him wherever he was at.
- He asked Moses to go to the mountain to meet with Him, not because Moses had to go, but because the nation of Israel had to be apart from Moses, due to their sin
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,
- No doubt these are angels, but also another visit from the LORD Jesus Christ
- Again, Abraham bows himself to the ground, but is not told to get up and not worship, signifying that this is literally an appearance of the LORD.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
(Genesis 18:3)
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
- Also no doubt that Abraham had found favor in Gods eyes from long before this time
- God visited him enough to know this, so this may be just small talk, customary as a greeting
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
- Washing the feet was a custom of the day, as a servant to do this meant humbling oneself.
- Jesus did it to the disciples as an example:
He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
(Genesis 18:5)
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.
- Jesus does not have to rest, since He is our rest
- He rested to allow time to talk to Abraham
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.
- Abraham is in a hurry!
- They were still in tents
- Here's the bread
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
- Veal for the visitors
- Abraham's hurry is now transmitted to the young man.
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.
- Bread, meat, dairy products
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
- God already knows where Sarah is. He wants Abraham to just acknowledge it
- This means she did not exit to cook on that hearth, which is either in the tent or behind it
- Or, she exited the tent, served them and then returned to 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 in the tent door, which was behind him.
- Again, Jesus tells them of the promised son, Isaac
- The time of life may mean springtime, when the resurrection of the dead winter things happens
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
- It can be said that both Abraham and Sarah were in the wintertime of their lives as well, in terms of childbearing
- It was by God, the faith
- It was by God, the seed, the strength
- Sarah was past age
- Abraham was as good as dead
- This all led to Israel, the Messiahs Epiphany and eventually the Church
Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
(Genesis 18:12)
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
- Isaac means laughter
- Sarah is not laughing because she was happy
- First Abraham laughed (Genesis 17:17) and so Isaac's name was given
- Now Sarah laughs, and Isaac name is confirmed again
- Sarah is really laughing in a mocking sort of way
And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
- Again, the LORD knows why. He wants Abraham to just explain it
- Notice He does not ask Sarah, the one who laughed, why she did in fact laugh. He asks Abraham
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
- Why does God need to ask us if anything is too hard for Him?
- The time appointed is now repeated
- God returning to Abraham and Sarah repeated
- The time of life is repeated also
Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
- This was completely false, and she felt embarrassed to say the least
- This was God speaking to her husband, so it was not a good idea to laugh at the idea.
- Sarah laughed"within herself" and not audibly, so the ability to hear her must come only from God Himself
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
- Abraham seems to be very hospitable, taking care of his guests to the point of seeing them off
And the LORD said, 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 know him, that he will 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.
- God knows the heart of Abraham, and that it is merciful, gracious and kind
- What God is about to do is going to be frightening, even to Abraham.
- God knows Lot is there also so, when He tells Abraham what is going to happen, He knows Abraham's first thoughts will turn to Lot.
- God's description of what Abraham would do for his descendants shows also that He knows WHAT Abraham is, not just WHO.
- His kids and his household as well would follow him in walking with God, as they did in circumcision.
And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
- Either this is Lot crying in his heart or even openly, or the inhabitants who were in bondage to the Sodomites
- The other thing that they did was oppress the poor and the stranger
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
(2 Peter 2:7-8)
And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
(Genesis 18:21)
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.
- God sees everything
- The angels, as humans, do not.
- The LORD could have just told the angels, but God likes us and them to work.
- We will be working and worshiping for all eternity, never getting tired.
The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
(Genesis 18:22)
And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
- Apparently the angels leave, the The Angel of the LORD does not, and Abraham makes the choice to abide with God, rather than let curiosity dictate him leaving to find out what is going on at Sodom and Gomorrah ,since his nephew is there.
And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
- The closer you get to God, the more you want to (and get to) know about His mercy.
- Apparently it must have been known to be really bad if he had to ask about God's plans for destruction
- Abraham knew about the Flood, so he knew that as few as eight could be saved
- His nephew Lot was there, so numbers were important as to how many would be righteous and remain alive
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
(Genesis 18:24-25)
Peradventure there be 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?
- It may be that Abraham is asking this because either he is unsure there are even this many, or unsure about God saving some through the judgment
- God never destroys those He has declared righteous, as they are His children.
- The Flood is an example
- The Rapture is another example
- Egypt is another example, and one closer to Abraham's mind. He knows God will judge Egypt, "and afterward", so maybe he is not getting that Israel will get out after that judgment and is worried
- We often forget God's grace and mercy is extended to us who are undeserving, but declared innocent and righteous through Jesus Christ
And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a 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 afterward shall they come out with great substance.
(Genesis 18:26)
And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
- However many people there were, fifty would have to be a small amount percentage-wise
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
- Abraham acknowledges where we originally came from and to what he will return
- He humbles himself before God to ask this, a most proper approach
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
(Genesis 18:28)
Peradventure 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.
- It seems that fifty was aiming a bit high and the reputation of the city is pretty bad
- This of course limits Lot's family and servants pretty low, compared to how many Abraham probably had altogether
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 forty's sake.
- Abraham seems to be slowly working his way down, not wanting to miss a "magic" number of some sort and have to wince at the answer he gets.
And 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.
- Abraham is about at half the level that he started at, and is not too shy to ask.
- Abraham does not realize that only men pester and are pestered. God is overly longsuffering and patient, wants to talk to Abraham and hear from him, no matter what he asks.
- God is still this way today, and things on earth are fast approaching the levels of sin as at Sodom and Gomorrah
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
(Genesis 18:31-32)
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 twenty's sake 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 ten's sake.
- Ten is where he stops. This includes only Lot and his immediate family.
MATTHEW HENRY:
And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once,.... This should be the last request he should make on this account, and therefore he desired he might be heard without any marks of his displeasure; Peradventure ten shall be found there: how would the place be dealt with then? would it be consumed or not? and he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake; though no more righteous persons were found in it. Some of the Jewish writers say {g}, he ended at ten, because he supposed there were ten righteous persons in Lot's family, Lot and his wife, and their four daughters, and their four husbands; but they forgot that two of Lot's daughters were unmarried, and how many he had married is not known; ten they say make a congregation, and wherever there are ten righteous persons, a place is saved for their sakes.
(Genesis 18:33)
And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
- This shows a sense of "urgency, to meet the emergency". God has been merciful, longsuffering, patient and kind to this wicked city, but God must not allow sin to dwell in His presence.
- The destruction of the cities is also an act of mercy, since presumably there were small children and babies who, if they had been raised, would have become as God-rejecting and wicked as their parents but, because of God in His mercy, are now in Heaven forever.
- He also has to get Lot out before any more pollution infects him and his loved ones, and his soul is further vexed. (2 Peter 2:7-8)
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