Reading Through The Bible: Number 45
As I’m grazing on the Word this morning in Genesis 18, four main things stand out to me.
- Abraham’s hospitality to strangers
- God’s personal interest in the lives of those who seek to do His will
- God’s amazing grace toward sinful people
- The possible influence of Christians in the community
- Abraham sees three visitors passing his tent and immediately goes out to greet them and invite them in out of the hot sun. He gets involved in some pretty extensive meal preparation for them and makes them feel right at home. First, he washes their feet! How good must that have felt for them! Then he gives them a fine meal.
- Verse 1 says: “Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.” (all capitals in the name “LORD” denotes that this was Jehovah , and since the Scripture tells us that “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18. Therefore we must assume that this was Jesus with His glory veiled.) Sarah is told that she will have a son and laughs at this suggestion. When asked why she laughed she denies it but is confronted with the truth. God is interested in us personally and will sometimes face us with things about ourselves that we may not like to openly admit, but know to be true.
- It becomes apparent that these three visitors are on a mission to investigate the reports of what is happening in Sodom (an investigating judgment if you like) with a view to destroying it because of the unfettered evil that is being practised there. Abraham begins a step by step process of pleading for the souls of the people who live there, and God listens! For the sake of 5 righteous, He agrees not to destroy the whole city. What grace!! Unfortunately, there are not 5 righteous people there and the city is finally destroyed by fire from heaven!
- It is wonderfully encouraging to me that a righteous Christian can have such an influence in a community. Though often ridiculed and persecuted by those for whom they pray, God listens and holds back judgement on a society because of the earnest prayers of His people. Today we live in an age that approaches the sinfulness of Sodom, but there are still some to be gathered into the family of God before He again destroys it with fire! He needs you and me to be that influence today.
Have a great day!