Book of Genesis Chapter 18 Commentary by Pastor
Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 18:1-5
Verse 1. "Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of
Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day."
Though God is everywhere, we are often likely to encounter Him in what some
call "special"
places. For many it has been in buildings we call "churches." The "oak" or
"oaks" of "Mamre" was a favorite place of Abraham to pitch his tents and graze
his many animals. It was also a place where he had encountered the Lord
before, as it can be seen in Genesis 13:18, when it says, he "built an altar
there to the Lord." The word, "Mamre," by the way, means "teacher."
"Pagans," which can be defined as those who are religious but do not place
their faith in the Lord God, were people who often worshipped fertility "gods" under such trees,
but Abraham looked for that which was higher - "a heavenly city" (Hebrews 11:18). He worshiped
only the true God and the Lord sanctified the place by appearing to Abraham
there. Notice that Abraham was apparently not expecting the Lord, but was merely sitting next to "the tent door"
because it was a hot day. As it often is for us, God Himself was the
Initiator in this encounter. Certainly, in the gift of Jesus Christ, the
Lamb of God, as seen in places like John 3:16, God is the Initiator of what is
needed in our lives.
Verse 2. "When 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,"
Note Verse 1 which reports that it was "the Lord" who appeared
to Abraham. And yet, as the sequence of events continues in these verses,
we are told that "three men were standing opposite him." Abraham
immediately understood what was happening, though the events have seemed obscure
to many who have read about them. We will see in Verse 22 that "the men
turned away from there," and left him, but "Abraham was still standing before
the Lord." One of the three was the Lord Himself and Abraham knew it,
probably from a previous meeting, such as the one in Genesis 12:1.
When "the men" left Abraham (Verse 22), he was still in the
presence of the Lord, and they entered into a form of prayer about the fate
of Sodom which can be called "intercessory" prayer, but it also can be
called
"negotiation." When the "men" left Abraham, they went to Sodom, and we then
catch a glimpse of them as "the two angels" in Genesis 18:1. The full
understanding of these three who were appearing to Abraham at the time of this verse
seems to be that it was the Lord Himself and two angels, called in this place, "three men."
They were not human beings though they appeared in that form.
Verse 3. "and said, 'My Lord, if now I have found favor
in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.'"
Abraham really WANTED the Lord. When you consider that
the Lord is our Creator, our Sustainer and He loves us without limit, why
WOULDN'T we want Him? Yet so many don't seek Him or want Him, living unhappy existences when
they could know the joy of the Lord. There's a song which contains the
lyrics, "Jesus, I need you, please don't pass me by." Precisely that kind
of attitude lived in Abraham, and it's that type of response to God that we all need.
This man, Abraham, was BOLD in his faith, as we all should be.
The "favor" of this verse is actually "graciousness" or simply "grace" in
the ancient Hebrew language. The Bible is full of examples of the grace of
God, and the life of Abraham certainly shows us God's grace, reaching backward
in time from the cross of Christ into the man's heart and life. Scripture
teaches, "By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast"
(Ephesians 2:8-9). It was true for Abraham and it is true for you and me right
this minute. We need the Lord and He gives Himself to us because He is
full of grace.
Verse 4. "Please let a little water be brought and wash
your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;"
We often approach the Lord and understand Him in merely human terms.
Abraham was a man of faith who understood his own weakness and saw the power of
God. He realized that his standing with God was based in God's grace
(unmerited favor), not
because of his own works. He comprehended the Lord's love for him and it's
important for us to note that God RECEIVED Abraham's attempts to please Him
through external expressions, like this washing of feet. The man's heart
was right and so God accepted his outward attempts at worship.
In the ancient world of Abraham it was the highest sign of
respect to arrange for the feet of guests to be washed from the dust that filled
the land. This was a desert area and the sharing of water was a great
gift. Abraham assumed that anyone would be tired from a journey on foot
and he made provision for them to rest in a shady spot. What he had he
gave, and the Lord received what he had done. God gives us "living water"
(John 4:10) and He "washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5).
Jesus said, "I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
Verse 5. "'and 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.'"
Notice that Abraham is treating his three visitors as honored
guests according to the customs of the time. In Verse 3, we see that He
encouraged them to stay, to not pass him by. In Verse 4 we see that he
arranged for their feet to be washed and positioned them in a favored spot under
the shade of Abraham's favorite tree. He indeed honored them. It is
interesting that Almighty God honors us in a similar manner. In Psalm
23:5, we catch a glimpse of His regard for us:
He "prepare(s)
a table" for us. He "anoints (our)
head(s) with oil," a high honor
of that time. David, the writer of Psalm 23, was
so full of joy at his treatment by the Lord that he said enthusiastically, "My
cup overflows." It's important to RECEIVE the Lord with the enthusiasm
showed by Abraham and David. The same God who honored those men and gave Himself to their
needs has also given
Himself to you. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John
3:16).
Father, I am astonished that You have given the Son of God
to me. Lord Jesus, I receive You and what You have done. Please
forgive my sins of omission and commission. I trust in You, Lord, and
praise You. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 18:6-10
Verse 6. "So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and
said, 'Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread
cakes.'"
Abraham had been given a gift of leadership by the Lord.
He had wisdom, strength of character, and there was what is called a "charisma"
about him which caused people to trust in his leadership. He could also
delegate effectively, in such a manner that others did what he requested.
Sarah, his wife, was a strong-willed person, a characteristic that periodically
emerged, and yet she also recognized his godly authority and responded to his
requests.
The "bread cakes" he requested her to make would have
been round unleavened cakes baked on stones. And notice he requested that
she was to use the very best of "fine flour" from their stores of food. He
could have delegated the preparation further to a hired servant, but he also
recognized that he and Sarah were both servants of the Lord. We should see his
attitude and understand that we are to give our very best to the Lord just like
he did.
Our God has given us everything and it's reasonable for us to respond in kind.
Verse 7. "Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a
tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare
it."
The Lord Himself had come to the tent of Abraham with the
intention of being a guest of this man of faith. This is not unusual, for
the Lord is knocking at the "door" of your heart and
mine - right this minute. In Revelation 3:20, the Lord Jesus spoke to the
church with these words: "Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and
eat with him and he with Me."
These verses are a picture of our relationship with the Lord.
He comes to us, reveals Himself to us, and at that moment, all that is left is
for us to respond or not as we choose. In this case, "Abraham...
ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant
(who) hurried to prepare it." The Lord
is continually knocking at the door of your heart. The question is, what
is your response? For your life to be complete, it is important that you
open "the door" and be willing to share
everything with the Lord.
Verse 8. "He 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."
Notice that Abraham was giving to the Lord the very best that
he had. That's precisely what God expects from you and me. Scripture
teaches, "The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the
house of the Lord your God" (Exodus 23:19). Notice that it is
anticipated that you will give to the Lord from "the first
fruits" BEFORE you pay your bills or buy
groceries. He has given you - everything!
and notice that He doesn't need - anything! But you honor Him and express
your faith in Him by your willingness to give the very best of what you have.
This "tender and choice calf" could have been sold at a
profit. It could have been fattened and when it grew to full size, it
might have multiplied into many calves. But this willingness to share is
pleasing to the Lord. Your money, whatever you may have, it's all from the
Lord. The business or job you might have, the welfare check that some
receive, it's all from Him. He gives to us and we acknowledge His
sovereignty, His love, by sharing with others in His name.
Verse 9. "Then they said to him, 'Where is Sarah your
wife?' And he said, 'There, in the tent.'"
It's always interesting to note that God asks questions of us to which
He already knows the answers. In Genesis 16:8, we find "the angel of the
Lord" asking, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are
you going." He already knew that she was running away from her mistress
and she had no real plan about what would come next. Abraham here was faced
with two angels and the Lord Himself, who knew the answer, but asked, "Where is Sarah your wife?"
We will see in the next verse that "Sarah was listening at the
tent door." The question by the three was directed to Abraham, but it was
intended for Sarah. They knew. You do understand, of course, that
Almighty God knows everything about you. Those things you have never told
anyone, He knows. Scripture teaches, "If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). He already knows what you will confess, but
He awaits your words and then He will make you clean. Our
relationship with the Lord is on a voluntary basis. He will not force you
to trust in His love.
Verse 10. "He said, 'I will surely return to you at this
time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.' And Sarah was
listening at the tent door, which was behind him."
When the Lord and His two angels said to Abraham (as reflected
in Verse 9), "Where is Sarah your wife?" they already knew where she was.
They knew, Abraham knew the kind of person she was, and his heart was known as well. As it says in this verse, "Sarah was listening at the tent door"
behind the place where Abraham stood at the moment. God has given us a
conscience and He often speaks to us through it. Do you sometimes wonder
about your thoughts and your actions - Should I think this? Should I do
it?
Often the Lord God has been the "voice" inside you and please
note that He knows exactly what you have been thinking, what you have said and
what you have done. Yet even though He knows, He is very slow to condemn.
And what was Sarah doing behind that door in the side of the tent? She was
avidly LISTENING to every word. And now, to her astonishment, she heard
the words, "Next year... Sarah your wife will have a son."
The mouth and
eyes of this older woman must have opened wide at the very thought of it.
Father, we give ourselves and everything we have - to You.
We are Yours. Give us the courage to give the very best of what we have,
back to Your safekeeping. We know that if we give, we will receive in
return, but that is not why we give. We do it because You are
wonderful and we love You. We praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus Name.
Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 18:11-15
Verse 11. "Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in
age; Sarah was past childbearing."
Both "Abraham and Sarah were (now)
old." As it says in this verse,
they were "advanced in age." Sarah, it says
further, "was past childbearing."
She had lived a very long and full life, and knew from a biological
perspective that any chance there might be for her to finally have children was now
gone. She was just too old and apparently their attempts to have children
had ended, for as it is revealed in the next verse, she had an awareness that Abraham was too old as well.
Most people think that a great deal of that which is important
in life is impossible for us.
To rise up and go into outer space without some kind of spacecraft would
obviously be
impossible. To walk around without a spacesuit when you got there could
not happen. Going to the depths of the sea, being healed of stage IV
cancer or leprosy, listening when you are deaf, seeing when you are blind, life
after death, all these and more are beyond the ability of most to accept. But note the context of this Scripture
and others like it - Nothing is impossible with God.
Verse 12. "Sarah laughed to herself, saying, 'After I
have become old, shall I have pleasure, my 'lord being old also?'"
When Abraham first heard that he and Sarah would have a son in
their old age, he laughed so hard that he literally fell down on his face
(Genesis 17:17). He probably told Sarah what the Lord had said to him at
that time, but she would have dismissed it as the ravings of an old man.
Inwardly though, she might have wondered - and hoped. But more time had
passed and it seemed - impossible. The Lord had seen Abraham's response to the news, and He knew before it happened
that Sarah would laugh also.
And so the child's name, their son's name, was chosen by God
Himself to be "Isaac," which means "laughter." God knows what you
won't or can't believe
and He also knows about any faith that might exist within you. Sarah "laughed" at
the impossibility of it all, but she did have faith in the Lord even though
there were areas of unbelief in her life. God would not condemn her, but
He would restore their marital relationship physically and she would have a child.
Verse 13. "And the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah
laugh, saying, Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?'"
Here we are in the presence of the laughter of someone who
thought that the promise of God was impossible for their lives. Sarah was
hiding behind a tent flap, listening to the words of the Lord as they were
uttered to her husband, Abraham. "Sarah was past childbearing," as we saw
in Verse 11. She was convinced that her time to have a child was over, and
the thought of having one was bitterly amusing to her. Have you thought
that much of what we call, "humor" as expressed by "laughter" is actually a way of dealing with
our hurt
feelings about what we cannot have?
And did you notice that the Lord not only heard Sarah's soft
laughter, but He also knew her thoughts as well? David later observed, "O Lord,
You have searched me and known me... You understand my thought afar off..." And
he continued, "there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it
altogether" (Psalm 139:1-4). Just like with Sarah at the moment of this
verse, and just like it was for David, hundreds of years later, it is true right
now
for us: The Lord KNOWS you and me. And He loves us.
Verse 14. "Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At
the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will
have a son."
It's important to listen to the question in these words
carefully: "Is ANYTHING too difficult for the Lord?" And the answer is
emphatically -
No! God can do anything. I thought it had been too long since the
call of God and I had missed it, but He called me once more and ordained me, and is using me in spite of my age.
I met a man recently in a high-security prison who has been called by the Lord to a ministry, but doesn't
see how it is possible because he is incarcerated. That man is in the
process of discovering that EVERYTHING is possible
for our Lord.
The Lord now repeated the words He had uttered to Abraham
before, as reflected in Verse 10: "Next year...
Sarah will have a son."
Sarah KNEW that those words came from God because He said them right outside the
tent flap! She heard them now for the second time, and inside her
believing heart, she now was becoming aware that all this might actually happen.
Inside her mind, she was both excited about it and also afraid of what it might
mean to have a child at such an advanced age.
Verse 15. "Sarah denied it however, saying, 'I did not
laugh;' for she was afraid. And He said, 'No, but you did laugh.'"
It's important to see that Sarah, wife of Abraham, directly
LIED to the Lord, as this verse reveals. She said, "I did not laugh," but
she did, due to the fact that "she was afraid." Have you ever lied to the Lord? Do
you say to yourself and to others that you believe in the Lord, and yet, at the
same time, you don't truly believe in His love for you, or trust fully that He
will deliver you?
Open yourself to the limitless power of God and recognize that He can do
anything. And let yourself see that He loves you enough to ACT on your
behalf.
Note also in this verse God's response to Sarah's denial.
You do understand that God has the power to bring lightning and more down upon the person
who lies to Him. But He did not do anything like that. He merely
corrected her. She was a flawed person like the rest of us, but she was
also God's child through faith, and like us, when WE have trusted in the Lord, it
is correction we need, not destruction. He loves Sarah now and forever,
just as He loves you and me. He has miracles in store for us, just like He
did for them.
Father, help me to BELIEVE in the power, in the love of
God. Help me to know that even though I am caught in circumstances that
don't seem possible to resolve, You are with me and You will see me through.
Save me from my unbelief and give me faith to trust in the power and love of
God. Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 18:16-20
Verse 16. "Then the men rose up from there, and looked
down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off."
There were "three men" who had arrived in Abraham's encampment
and sat with him. We will find in the next chapter (Genesis 19:1) that only two,
described as "the two angels"... "rose up" as in this verse, and
left to visit the place called "Sodom," a name which prophetically meant
"burnt." The name undoubtedly referred to the "asphalt pits" there, as
described in places like Genesis 14:10, but there was to be more significance in
the name. In Genesis 19:24 we will see that the Lord was to rain
"brimstone and fire" on Sodom and the
surrounding cities.
"Abraham was (now)
walking with (the two men)
to send them
off" on their errand, and we will see in the next verse that the remaining
person at his tent is called "the Lord." It is revealed in this verse that
the two who left were on a mission which involved the place called Sodom and the other
city-states which were near it. At the moment, Abraham knew none of that,
for he still was intensely looking to the needs of his honored guests.
Verse 17. "The Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham
what I am about to do,'"
The person in this verse who is referred to as "the Lord," was
exactly what those words mean. The Lord was revealed to Isaiah the
prophet, who said about Him: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole
earth is full of His glory!" (Isaiah 6:3). Isaiah said at another point,
"His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). At the time of His First Advent, the angels
said of Him, "there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who
is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).
At the moment of this verse in Genesis, we see the mind of the
Lord, reflecting a decision that already had been made in eternity: "Shall I
hide from Abraham what I am about to do?" And the answer was - no!
The information about what came next would not be hidden from him. As we
will see in the verses that complete this chapter, the man was to be given
information so unexpected, so startling that it would draw Abraham into fervent
prayer. He would plead with God for the people and nation of Sodom, an
evil place, but it was also the home of Abraham's beloved nephew, Lot. We
already saw in Chapter 14 that Abraham would risk everything to save Lot, and
now, here he is in these verses, and he will try to rescue the younger man once
more.
Verse 18. "since Abraham will surely become a great and
mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?"
Notice the confidence of God. If we were to view some
kind of sporting event on television, such as a football game, it makes a
tremendous difference in our responses to it, if we are seeing it
"live" or if we are viewing it as the replay of something that has already occurred. "The Lord"
of these verses has His real home in eternity, a place that is outside of time
as we know it. There is no past, no future, for everything that exists is
right now. Moses, who later wrote these verses, understood the
timelessness of God very well.
When Almighty God appeared to Moses, He identified Himself as,
"I am who I am" (Exodus 3:14), which
includes the meaning that everything and everyone in
eternity is in the present tense. In this verse in Genesis, we find the
confident assertion that "Abraham will surely become a great and mighty
nation..." There is no doubt with God. There is no wonder in
Him as
it is in us when we cross our fingers and say, "I hope such-and-such will
happen!" not knowing whether it will or not. All this is like "instant replay"
to Him.
Verse 19. "For I have chosen him, so that he may command
his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing
righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has
spoken about him."
The events that happen in your life are not merely about you.
The first half of 2nd Corinthians Chapter One contains an excellent discussion
about WHY the troubles and blessings of this world come to us. The author
Paul observed, God "comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves
are comforted by God..." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Things happen to us that
are not necessarily about us - they are about our children, our neighbors,
relatives, people we haven't even met as yet. The blessings in his life
were for his "children and his household..." as well as for himself.
The "Abraham" of these verses made many mistakes in life, as
we all do, but he also had true faith in the Lord and therefore he was carefully
"chosen" by the Lord for an important mission. He had been given a large
"household" and now he was being promised another son, a child of the promise, a
generation that was to ultimately lead to the birth of the Messiah, the Christ,
who would redeem humanity by His own death. To begin all this, a man was
needed who would "command his children and his household after him to keep the
way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice..." and that man was Abraham.
The words that later in history would teach fathers to, "not provoke your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord"
(Ephesians 6:4) are very important. If you are a man or woman of faith and
integrity, the Lord will bring good into the world because of you.
Verse 20. "And the Lord said, 'The outcry of Sodom and
Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.'"
What the world calls "freedom" is often what the Lord refers
to as "sin." The thoughts and behavior of the city-states called "Sodom
and Gomorrah" had degenerated to the point where the few decent people of the
region were making an "outcry" against the
blatant sin in their midst. The people stank in the sight of God and
note that the world today is headed down precisely the same road. In our
modern "permissiveness," we are becoming like "Sodom and Gomorrah," and we must
learn from the past to look to the Lord or we will be destroyed in the present
because of our unbelief.
The "sin" of Sodom is revealed in Ezekiel 16:49-50. "She
had her daughter had pride, fullness of food and abundance of idleness; neither
did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and
committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit."
Sodom pursued what we call, "leisure time." They were proud, had plenty to
eat, but did not help the "poor and needy." They were "haughty," thinking
they were right and others were wrong, and they degenerated into abominable
sexual practices. Note that the very reason that many of our modern nations have
been spared so far is because people in them have been willing to aid the "poor and
needy" in this world.
Father, Lord, we are lost sinners in Your sight and we
confess our sin right now. We ask for forgiveness and that You will
make us clean inside. We place our trust in Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Word of
God, and ask that You will fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Only You can
save us and we place our trust in You. Thank You. In Jesus Name.
Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 18:21-25
Verse 21. "I will go down now, and see if they have done
entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will
know."
In the preceding verse, the Lord had said, "The outcry of Sodom
and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave."
Literally the Hebrew expression is, "Their sin is heavy." When you
discover that sin is like a heaviness in your soul which wears you down, the
words in Matthew 11:28-30 acquire new meaning. Jesus called to us, "Come
unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take
My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
He will lighten the burden on your soul by bearing it with you.
Notice in this verse in Genesis, how careful the Lord is in
judging not only nations, but individuals as well. Outwardly as people, we
often do not understand the appropriateness of His judgments. God judges,
but He also protects. When the blow falls on a nation, there are indeed
innocent people who are injured by what happens, but God softens that blow,
especially for the ones who love Him. And it is our duty as God's people
to help the injured whenever possible, praying for them and giving whatever aid
we are able to give. It is also important to remember that ultimately it is our sins, the sins of
people that brings the judgment in the first place. Judgment is intended
to correct our wayward course, to bring us the healing touch of God.
Verse 22. "Then the men turned away from there and went
toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord."
"The men (who)
turned away from there and went toward Sodom," were
what is called, "angels." We see that
descriptive word about them in Genesis 19:1, where it says, "the
two angels came to Sodom..." Many in humanity, over thousands of
years have struggled to understand what "angels"
actually are. They can appear to be mere people when it is appropriate to
do so, but they are also exceedingly powerful beings, beyond our ability to
understand.
In 2 Kings 19:35, we find that "it came
to pass on a certain night that the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in
the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people
arose early in the morning, there were the corpses - all dead." The
Lord is immensely powerful, infinitely beyond our ability to comprehend, and He
delegates those powers to whom He, in infinite wisdom, chooses for some of those
abilities.
We need to trust in the Lord as Abraham did. He gives much to those who
love Him and He is the only One who can keep us safe.
Verse 23. "Abraham came near and said, 'Will You indeed
sweep away the righteous with the wicked?'"
We must remember, as we continue to study these verses, that,
as we saw in Verse 1 of this chapter in Genesis, it was the Lord Himself
who was listening intently to the words of Abraham. Even though the
Lord had taken the form of a man in this visitation to Abraham, it was indeed
the Lord. Abraham was now in prayer, as he questioned the Lord and
expressed his concerns to Him. A couple of thousand years after these
verses, the Lord Jesus intently listened to and spoke to many people
Face-to-face, such as His
apostles and disciples. He's listening to you right now and He has much to
say that you need to hear.
It's difficult to understand because such conversations in
Scripture are not
presented in the manner that most people view as prayer, but that's what it is.
Prayer is merely speaking to the Lord and also listening to Him. Abraham spoke to the Lord and the
Lord spoke to him - that's prayer. And here in this verse we find another aspect of
Abraham's character - He cared for people. No doubt, when he asked
about "the righteous" in this verse, he had in
mind a group that included his nephew, Lot, who lived in Sodom. This was
personal. He had great love for his nephew.
Verse 24. "Suppose there are fifty righteous within the
city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the
fifty righteous who are in it?"
This verse and the ones that follow are not only a surprising
and interesting form of prayer, but the other name for it is -
negotiation. Abraham will, in each instance, get the answer he wanted from God, but then he
would have the thought, what if I had asked for more? And that's exactly
what he did. Do you have the right to ask God for something you have
already prayed for and received an answer about in the past? Yes you do.
Abraham is presented in Scripture as the "father," the model
"of all those who believe" (Romans 4:11). We have the opportunity to look
into, to study the life of this man, Abraham, and get an idea of how people who
have placed their faith in the Lord should live. Your key act in life is
to place your faith in the Lord. You will still discover that your
thoughts and actions are not humanly perfect, but the Lord will listen to you,
speak to your heart, and lead you in the way everlasting. Just like He did with
Abraham, it will be for you.
Verse 25. "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to
slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are
treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal
justly?"
Abraham had an excellent understanding of the nature of God.
He knew that "the wages of sin is death" and he also understood that the free
"gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord," as
Paul the Apostle would later reveal in Romans 6:23. Abraham did not know
the name, "Jesus Christ," but He knew the Lord. He recognized that it
is not God's nature to "slay the righteous with the
wicked," for the two groups (those who trust in the Lord and those who
don't) are ultimately to be treated differently - the one group will be saved
and sadly, the others will be lost.
When our Lord was on this earth, He taught us how to pray by
giving us a model prayer, in Matthew 6:9-14 and Luke 11:2-4. In both of
those versions, He began with praise to God: "Our Father in
heaven, hallowed be Your name." And that's certainly reasonable,
for if you don't respect, honor and love the character of God, then your faith
in Him is incomplete. However, Abraham's concern is the question of many in
this world: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal
justly?" Do you believe in God? Do you believe He is just in
His treatment of you?
Father, you are indeed just and true in everything You do.
We give our hearts and lives to You, trusting that You will do what is
appropriate for our lives. We praise Your Holy Name, for You are good.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 18:26-33
Verse 26. "So the Lord said, 'If I find in Sodom fifty
righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.'"
The next few verses are the recorded words from a type of prayer that few would
expect. Abraham enters into what is essentially, from his perspective,
negotiation with Almighty God. Abraham was a man who had faith in the Lord
and so he was an optimistic person, recognizing that God is good and He will ultimately have
the victory in this world. The man had Amorite friends who had faith in the
Lord, such as Mamre the Amorite, who even went to war as an ally with Abraham on at least
one occasion (Genesis 14:13 & context).
Abraham assumed that surely there were "in Sodom fifty
righteous" people who trusted in the Lord as he did. There was his nephew,
Lot, and the younger man's wife and daughters, and considering that Lot was likely a good
influence on the community, surely, Abraham thought, there were more. But even as the Lord
responded, "if I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will
spare the whole place on their account," Abraham began to wonder because he,
too, had heard stories about the sin in that place.
Verse 27. "And Abraham replied, 'Now behold, I have
ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes.'"
To recognize in the Person and Presence of the Lord that we
are "but dust and ashes," is very reasonable because not only is He all-powerful
and all-knowing, but He is also full of infinite love. The Lord is holy,
set apart from anything we would call "sin." He is pure in purpose, exercising
justice in all that He does. Most people would save their lives at all cost, but
the Lord gave up His life for us, and He
has a higher purpose and calling for us all.
Jesus responded to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever
desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake
will find it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses
his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew
16:24-26). Almighty God has a much higher purpose for us than anything
this world can offer. All of our human aspirations are but "dust and ashes"
whereas the Lord's purpose for us is - wonderful!
Verse 28. "'Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking
five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?' And He said, 'I will not
destroy it if I find forty-five there.'"
This was Abraham's opportunity to recognize that Sodom was
indeed an evil place and that if his nephew, Lot, believed in the Lord, there
might only be ONE person of faith in the whole area of Sodom. But Abraham
was an optimist to the extent that he thought, "surely there must be 'forty-five
righteous' people who live within the city-state called Sodom.
Certainly
(he may have thought) there is some good in everyone!" - a belief shared by
many in this world.
Abraham believed that good existed in people. But he was also a
thoughtful man, and he was now giving more consideration to the stories he had heard of the evil
practices in the city of Sodom. And even as the Lord was responding, "I
will not destroy (Sodom) if I find forty-five" righteous people in the place,"
Abraham once again had doubts about the numbers involved in his request for
mercy on Sodom and the other city-states in the area.
Verses 29-32. "He spoke to Him yet again and said,
'Suppose forty are found there?' And He said, 'I will not do it on account of
the forty.' Then he said, 'Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak;
suppose thirty are found there?' And He said, 'I will not do it if I find thirty
there.' And he said, 'Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord;
suppose twenty are found there?' And He said, 'I will not destroy it on account
of the twenty.' Then he said, 'Oh may the Lord not be angry,
and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?' AndHe said, 'I
will not destroy it on account of the ten.'"
Abraham now continued in a form of prayer that can only be
called negotiating with the Lord. Actually this was prayer to Him
for mercy. The man was becoming more-and-more concerned in his
mind about the many stories he had heard about the sin of Sodom and now he was
very frightened for his nephew, Lot. What if there were only
forty, what if there were merely thirty or twenty? Or ten? Would the Lord
spare the place if only ten people believed in the Lord within the area of
Sodom? Surely He would, and believing that, Abraham ended his prayer.
We have the advantage of hindsight because we can read ahead
into Chapter 19 and see that Sodom, Gomorrah and the surrounding cities were
about to be obliterated. The Lord's Word is good and if there were even
ten who trusted in the Lord there, He would have spared the place. Note, by the way,
that God has the advantage of seeing everything from the perspective of
eternity, in which, from His vantage point, all that happens has already
occurred. And He knows our hearts utterly. Is there any good in us?
He KNOWS. You may have wondered about the nations in the Old Testament,
destroyed because the Lord decreed it. It is our SIN, our unbelief that
brings destruction.
Verse 33. "As soon as He had finished speaking to
Abraham the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place."
There is an implied "Amen!" in this verse, for Abraham did not
ask for more and "The Lord (simply)
departed." The prayer, this
conversation between the Lord and Abraham was now over. It may be that if Abraham
had continued asking by going down to five, the place might still have been
destroyed, for those in Sodom continually "committed abomination,"
as it can be seen in Ezekiel 16:49-50, and Lot may
well have been the only person in the region who had some kind of trust in God.
We can catch numerous glimpses of poor judgment and a lack of
moral character in the person of Abraham's nephew, Lot, but he did have a core
belief, a trust in the Lord, as seen in the Holy Spirit's comment about the
destruction of Sodom, through the Apostle Peter: God "delivered righteous Lot,
who was oppressed with the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man,
dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and
hearing their lawless deeds)" (2 Peter 2:7-8). Lot had chosen to live in
Sodom, hoping to find financial gain there and it's interesting to see how little
influence he had over those who lived around him. He likely kept quiet about his
faith - How much might his life and Biblical history have been changed if he had
openly shared his faith with his wife, daughters and neighbors? If he had
brought ten of his neighbors to the Lord, Sodom would have been spared because
of the prayers of Abraham. Do your neighbors trust in the Lord?
Father, we see that unbelief brings ruin to a people, and
so we confess our sin and place our faith in You. Lord, we trust in You
now. Help us to tell others and please rescue our land, our people from
destruction. In Jesus Name. Amen.
