April 13, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Genesis? Here’s today’s reading:
Genesis 18 (NIV)
The Three Visitors
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.……Continue Reading
Hospitality is an important thing. Abraham clearly recognized that this was God visiting but he and Sarah’s response was one god expects us to give everyone. In Matthew Jesus reminds us the “… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” It is important how we treat people and show God’s love in a tangible way whether in our home or in our church or just in our daily dealings with people!
Certainly not a surprise that Sarah would laugh when she heard God share that she will have a son, almost silly to lie about it as most women would have laughed at the thought! We know ALL things are possible but still sometimes God’s plan takes us places we dont expect, understand, or even think could work. God likely knew she was doubting the liklihood of His plan and yet another reassurance was given.
As for Sodom, Abraham’s challenge was also fair. No one wants to see the innocent hurt for the sake of the evil, however, I think about what it must have been like to live in such an evil place, what the innocent saw and were subject to when such evil is all around them. The danger and abuse that must have been rampant I do not see God as punishing the innocent but rather interceeding to stop the evil and rescue the innocent.
Abraham asks mercy upon S&G, with a hypothetical condition of the righteous being destroyed with the wicked, not by natural calamity, but by God’s direct and measured wrath. We are pleased to hear God spares the desperately wicked, for the sake of fifty. We do not know 50 of what population. We know men, women, and children of all ages would live there, little babies too; ought God to let them live?
It is as though Abraham knew he started out with a high number, but upon reconsideration, knew himself 50 was too generous, and sought mercy, to the last ten. I really can’t know what he thought, but he petitioned until God left off.
As the number of hypothetical (or real) number of righteous decreased, God’s mercy for the evil increased. Truly, God wants “all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
As Abraham became more intimate in his discussion with God, surprised by his mercy, Abraham had to became alarmingly aware of the severity of sin and dark evil thriving in S&G. (Geneva Bible marginal notes)
As we draw closer to God, do we not become even more aware of the iniquity within us?
“Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your heart, ye double minded.”
Peace, reb
Genesis 18
The first thing Abraham does is be a perfect host offering the best he has to the visitors. We are to do that no matter who it his. The Lord then tells Abraham at this time next yr will have child with Sarah. Sarah is chastised for laughing then denying it.
God has heard their sins are grreat!The Lord assures Abraham that even if only 10 believes he will not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah It took courage for Abraham to question God.
The Lord appears along with two angels to speak with Abraham and reassure him and his wife that they will have a child according to the time of life. The Lord { Jesus} also came to tell Abraham what and why He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. But by telling Abraham, He was showing love and compassion toward him. Abraham thought that there must be at least 10 righteous people. He was thinking that his nephew Lot surely must of had some influence. Lot`s two sons in law just thought that he was joking and not serious as we see in the next chapter. He actually lingered until morning and after telling his two sons in law. Perhaps hoping that they would change their mind? We don`t know why. It resulted in the two angels taken Lot, his wife, and the two daughters by the hands out of the city. We only know that Lot was a righteous man because of other scripture. 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.} Unfortunately the only thing that we know about Lot`s wife is that she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. What a sad ending for her and the two sons in law. Actually for the two daughters also for they lost their husbands and then got desperate and slept with their father. There is no excuse for their sin and because of this two nations were born that became enemies of Israel. The two nations were Moab and the Ammonites. All because they didn`t come to God for His advice but instead tried to help out God or so they thought. But it was probably more to do with their own security. They said it was to preserve the lineage. God would have provided husbands for them if they trusted Him. In whatever situation we are in; we need to consider if we are getting ahead of what God wants and bring it before Him. God bless.
We should compile all these comments and publish our own LHCC commentary. I actually have come to the website and read through our “commentary” when planning my Bible studies. 🙂
good thought, Amy!
Genesis 18.
How amazing to have personal interaction with God (believed to be an Old Testament manifestation of the second person of the trinity) while on earth. It seems natural to be as hospitable as possible, and so Abraham sets those wheels in motion. And I can understand Sarah laughing but maybe not lying about it (but who knows what it was like to have God ask you that question). But how good to know that we can be honest with God because He knows the truth anyway. And so great to follow a God for whom nothing is impossible. He also knows all and cares about those effected by the evil of the world and hears their cries. And yet also a God of mercy who for the sake of the righteous will spare all for 10….we can imagine an extremely small percentage of the population. It is sad and condemning that not even 10 can be found. God’s judgement is always just! And He always knows what is best for all involved.
Genesis 17-18
Genesis 18
Yes, Amy, I like the idea of our own commentary. I learn so much by reading the comments!
When Abraham rushes to prepare cakes and meat for his God guests, all I can think of is sitting in a restaurant and waiting for the waiter to go kill the calf and knead the bread! They must have been waiting a while, despite Abraham’s hurrying. Ah, life at a slower pace. Delayed expectation and gratification develop patience.
Sarah is rebuked for laughing, but Abraham laughed too.
”Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”“
Genesis 17:17 NKJV
God must have perceived that one thought it was funny, but believed, the other doubted.
I had the same thought Amy. Kind of like Mary and Zechariah’s questions around Jesus and John the Baptists births…
This conversation between Abraham and God concerning Sodom and Gomorrah has always been interesting to me. Makes me think of Romans 3:10, where Paul references Psalm 14:1-3 and maybe Eccles 7:20. There is a part of me that has always wondered if God is there thinking to Himself “Go ahead, Abraham…take
It down to ONE righteous person. I’ll spare the whole place for one…but I know that I will not find even ONE who is righteous.”
Romans 3 constantly grounds me and God uses it to always remind me that without Christ…I am just another soul who would have rightly been incinerated with the rest of Sodom and Gomorrah.
It also causes great sadness for those who are perishing. This world is so tremendously lost and in love with its sin. Vacation in Orlando has shown that day after day. But to be surrounded by the people of this country…who have freedom to believe what they want, to read what they want…ample access to churches and Bibles and all sorts of advantages when it comes to knowing Christ…and yet, to see that the vast majority of humanity has absolutely no interest in knowing, following and obeying Jesus…it is very sad, and it breaks your heart…probably the same way it broke Abraham’s heart.
May God continue to seek and save the lost.
Genesis 18