Genesis 18 ~ And the Lord appeared

 

A vintage lithograph and then a photo of the size of the Oaks of Mamre

Abraham's tree and the surrounding Oaks had offspring, and the Culture preserved them,

this above photo was the last one sure of the tree's heritage, about 1860 AD

 

Genesis 18

And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre

As he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” 

So they said, “Do as you have said.” 

6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” 

And he said, “She is in the tent.” 

10 The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” 

Ancient tent of Ur, or Persia

are seen in museums and are quite beautiful.

Then again, the tents of the Exodus,

probably looked more like this:

And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” 

13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” 

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. 

He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

We look at Genesis 18 and get caught up in Sodom. Let's push this to one side, later, and, now, see the Glory, Glory, Glory of Genesis 18.

Genesis 18. Who perfectly understands the Holy Spirit? Evidently, Abraham. He sees 3 men, and Abraham perfectly comprehends he is meeting the Holy Spirit. Apparently, Abraham is precisely correct.  The men speak with one voice. Perfectly understanding each other. 

Just as Jesus rises victoriously to celebrate Life with the Disciples on the Shore of the Sea of Galilee, fixing them breakfast, the disciples argue with Jesus, The Lord, Messiah, Risen.

And each time, the faithful are seeking wisdom, to understand something in their lives.

James 1:5

If you need wisdom, ask God, 

who gives generously

 to 

all

 without finding fault

and 

it will be given 

to you.

The Comfort of God's Spirit.  Messengers of God proclaim, "Have no fear." The Presence of the Lord is displayed as Comforter, Help and Helper.

The Disciples followed Jesus and felt... Awe.

Sarah isn't part of the company. She is outside. Sarah both laughs and has fear. Politely, we will say

Sarah misrepresents ... herself. The Lord will address Sarah like this...

 Is anything too hard for the Lord? 

At the appointed time I will return to you, 

about this time next year, 

and Sarah shall have a son.” 

Sarah is so comforted, she names Isaac, Laughter. Sarah has joined the conversation. And found Comfort, Help, Helper.

16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. 

17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to 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 chosen him, 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 to Abraham what he has promised him.” 

20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.”

22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 

26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” 

And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 

29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” 

He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 

30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” 

He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 

31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” 

He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 

32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” 

He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 

33 And the Lord went His way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Abraham has explored the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is living the Transfiguration. And in this experience, God is God. The Almighty. Abraham has no wish to depart from them.

And Abraham immediately wants to explore the Nature of God. Wisely, like the 10 Talents Parable of Jesus, Abraham insists on the Goodness of God. Wise. God has chosen, Wisely.

Let's explore Jesus in this Genesis 18.

Jesus and King Ahab have a conversation after King Ahab has ruined many.

1 Kings 21

20 Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” 

He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel the Lord also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ 24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.)

27 And when Ahab heard those words, 

he tore his clothes 

and put sackcloth on his flesh 

and fasted 

and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 

28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 

29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”

The Lord reaches out to His Children. And explains Himself:

Exodus 34:6-7

And HE passed in front of Moses, 

proclaiming, 

“The LORD, the LORD, 

the compassionate and gracious God, 

slow to anger, 

abounding in love and faithfulness, 

maintaining love to thousands, 

and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Abraham and the Lord close Genesis 18

Beautifully

33 And the Lord went His way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Jesus says:

Our Father, Who art in Heaven

Hallowed be Thy Name

The Holy Spirit says:

Therefore God has highly exalted Him 

and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name,

  so that at the Name of Jesus 

every knee should bow, 

in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

and every tongue confess

 that Jesus Christ is Lord,

 to the glory of God 

the Father.

The Father says:

And a Voice from Heaven said, 

“This is my Son, 

whom I love; 

with Him I am well pleased.”

And in Jesus

in the Holy Spirit

and Our Father in Heaven,

we 

are given:

Ask, 

and it will be given to you; 

seek, and you will find; 

knock, 

and the door will be opened 

to 

you.

Just as Sarah

found

from the door,

the mercy

and graciousness

of Jesus

Our Father in Heaven

and 

The Holy Spirit

Abba, Father,

In Jesus, we ask

Dwell in us, Father

Send Your Holy Spirit as Helper

Dwell in those we love

and 

Help us to seek You first

And in Jesus,

we will finish well.

We ask for Your Favor

for Gracious

Weather

to 

ALL

of Your Children.

Our God is working. His Son, 

Jesus is working.

And we say Amen in Jesus.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yes Bless The Lord Jesus

Yes Thank You Father