Genesis 18:1-16-. The Covenant Renewed.
1,2. Appearance of Yahaveh. (Three men.)
3-8. Their reception by Abraham.
9-15. Their conference with Abraham.
16-. Departure of Yahaveh. (Three men.)
1897 B.C.
Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre (= strength, fatness): and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him:
(God [Elohim] and two angels called men here, but in 19:1,15 are called "angels". #3= the number of Divine perfection. When two departed, Elohim [the Divine presence] remained.)
and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, "My LORD (God's sacred name - YHVH), if now I have found favour in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash Your feet,
(A common practice to this day; needed from the use of sandals and bare feet; cp. 24:32; 43:24.)
and rest yourselves under the tree:
(Note "the tree", not "a tree". Abraham is trying to be a good host, and offer them comfort under the tree.)
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."
6 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.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd,
(such speedy hospitality common in the East.)
and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 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.
(We do not totally understand this mystery, but the spiritual body does have substance. We read of "angel's food"; and that Christ ate after His Resurrection. It is this same line of thinking that questions how the angels could impregnate women, as we saw in Genesis 6:1-5. But then, who said they did not have a body? Many people confuse the Holy Spirit, and the spirits of Satan's realm, with the fallen angels, and yes even God and his angels. Don't let it be a mystery to you that God and these two angels could eat of the meat and bread of man, for man partook of the manna in the wilderness for forty years, and it sustained them.
We are made in the image, or pattern after the Almighty God, and those two that were with Him. It is the same body of man of the second earth age, and the second heavenly age. It will not be the same body that we are going to be in in the third earth age, nor was it the same body that existed in the first earth age. Peter wrote and outlined very carefully that there were three earth ages, in II Peter 3, in God's overall plan.
God and His angels then ate what was set before them. If there is any mystery in our minds as to this possibility, it comes from the false traditions that have been passed on through time and years. Abraham knew exactly who these men were that was with God, and the Massorah documents it. Don't let anyone take away from the wisdom of God.
This is not taking God down to man's level, but only understanding a little more of the person of God, who is our creator.)
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 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.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age;
(Sarah was well passed the change of life stage for a woman bearing a child. Even in her child bearing age she was barren, and could not conceive. This explains how Rebekah, a grand-daughter of Abraham's brother should be old enough to marry Isaac, Abraham's son.)
and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. (I.e. menopause)
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself (see 17:21), saying, "After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, "Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?'
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life (=280 days, gestation period), and Sarah shall have a son."
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, "I laughed not;" for she was afraid. And He said, "Nay; but thou didst laugh."
(God had His appointed times so that in those times, man can not boast of anything that are of God. This child, Isaac, will be a miracle and everyone will know that He was from God.
Nothing is impossible for God! When you pray for something in your life, are you ready to accept and receive it when it comes? It may take time, and happen in ways that you never expected, however, that faith must continue even into old age, or a time of death. How it is answered is up to our Lord, at His appointed time.)
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom:
18:-16-19:38. Destruction of Sodom.
18:-6-33. Abraham and Yahaveh.
19:1-26. Lot and the Angels.
19:27-29. Abraham and Yahaveh.
19:30-38. Lot and his daughters.
18:-6-33. Abraham and Yahaveh.
-16. Abraham before Yahaveh.
17-21. Announcement of Sodom's destruction.
22. Yahaveh before Abraham (see note).
23-32. Intercession for Sodom's preservation.
33. Yahaveh's departure. Abraham's return.
and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
(Abraham walked with God and these angels just a ways towards Sodom, after they were finished with their meal. Abraham was thankful for the visit, and wanted to visit a while longer.
We are made in God's image, and He is always with us. He is a personal God, and not a force off in some distant location.)
17 And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
(The Lord God is about to blow Sodom off the map, and He was very much aware of the sin and filth that was being carried on with the Nephilim and other offspring of the fallen angels, and men and women. When God looks down at the compromising of the so called Christians of today, with Sodomy and all the other filthy and violent acts, we can be assured that the time of this earth age is coming to a close. If you are in this sort of activity, or mind set, it is time to repent, and get right with the Lord.
If you ever wondered what Jesus thought of Sodomy, turn to Luke 17:32; He stated "Remember Lots wife", as His reaction to that type of sin. Does God hate Sodomites? He destroys them, and any illusion of compromise with God will end in the destruction of that soul, if not repented.
The wickedness and evil that is increasing today in this final generation is far worse then what Sodom and Gomorrah were doing, and all the signs for the end days are either history to us, or taking place before our eyes on the nightly news, and around us.)
18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
(Another proof that the mystery [Eph. 3] means more than Gentile blessing.)
19 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."
20 And the LORD said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
("The cry" in the Hebrew text is "Prosopopoeia", and it means "all human activity and actions". God is saying that the activity and actions of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah is sinful, and is very grievous to Him.)
21 I will go down now (always down in judgment), and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know."
(Figure of speech ascribing to God that which is human.)
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, "Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
(Note the 6 petitions in Abraham's prayer. #6 = the human number. Abraham is concerned for his nephew Lot, who is living down there in Sodom. Though Lot's family has grown attached to Sodom, Lot was still a righteous man.)
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked:
(In the sense of restless activity of the impious and ungodly, or robbers.)
and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from Thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
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."
27 And Abraham answered and said, "Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, which am but dust and ashes:
(Abraham is speaking and showing his submission to the Lord God.)
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.
29 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 is horse trading with God, for Abraham knows of the filth and sodomy that exists there in Sodom, and that righteous Lot still lives there. In Biblical numerics forty is "trials and probation".)
30 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.
31 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."
32 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."
(Abraham's knowledge of Sodom is so strong, that he has bartered with God all the way down from fifty to ten righteous souls in all of Sodom and Gomorrah, and at the same time he knows that Lot is still there. Ten in Biblical numerics stands for "law and responsibility".)
33 And the LORD went His way,
(The same as the One who came in v. 1.)
as soon as He had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
(So God left Abraham, having given to Abraham the assurance that if just ten righteous men lived in Sodom and Gomorrah he would not destroy the cities. However we will see that with this assurance of God's faithfulness to the righteous, Lot's life would be spared.)