(Life of Abraham) Divine Visitation – Part 9

From previous post we have learned much from the life of Abraham in the areas of faith and obedience.  When I think about him being called of God and making a journey to an unknown country, it always amazes me how Abraham knew God’s voice and obeyed.  As we take a moment to ponder even more, we need to be reminded that Abraham didn’t have the resources available to him as we do today.  He didn’t have a preacher or teacher explain to him who God is!  He didn’t have the written Word (Bible) as we do!  He didn’t have other’s testimonies directing him about the character or being of God.  Yet, by faith he believed God and we read in the Bible, Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness.  What a “walk of faith” and what a testimony!

Today we will take our journey into Genesis 18 to discover more about Abraham’s walk of faith and obedience.  In this chapter we will learn about three important events such as:

• The Divine Visitation
• The Promise Confirmed
• Plans to Destroy a Nation for Their Wickedness

The Divine Visitation – Genesis 18:1-8

Abraham was sitting in the door of his tent, in the plains of Mamre enjoying the warmth of the sun’s heat, when he looked up and saw three men standing nearby.   He got up and ran to meet them!  Immediately, he knew one of the visitors was the Lord!  He bowed before the Lord and asked to be favored by them by preparing them a meal.  What we have here is Jesus appearing to Abraham in the form of a theophany, which is the “manifestation or appearance of God to a human.”  It was the Lord Jesus appearing before Abraham!  The Lord appeared numerous times in the Old Testament this way known as the “Angel of the Lord” and each time the person He appeared before recognized Him as the Lord or God.  When God appeared before Jacob, he replied, “I have seen God face-to-face.”

What would your reaction be if the Lord and two angels visited your home?  Would you recognize the Lord?

The Promise Confirmed – Genesis 18:9-15

As we move into the next six verses we learn that God never forgets His promises.  Abraham and Sarah are now very old and have probably given up on the promised child, but God didn’t.  God always performs what His Word has spoken. 

Abraham and his visitors finished eating and now the Lord is about to reveal His purpose for His divine visit.  The Lord doesn’t remind Abraham of the promise, He simply asks , “where is Sarah your wife?” and Abraham replies “she’s right then in her tent.”  The Lord wanted Sarah to hear the miracle He is going to perform through their now dead bodies due to the aging process.  New life was going to flow through Abraham and Sarah’s bodies.  The Lord tells them  “I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son” (v.10).   Upon hearing this Sarah laughs, thinking to herself “after I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (v.12).  Little did Sarah realize that the Lord’s spoken words had already touched their bodies and reversed the aging process for them to conceive!  Verse 14 says it all!  The Lord replies “is any thing too hard for the Lord?  At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”  Friends, don’t miss this!  Nothing is impossible for our Lord!  Whatever He promises you, me or any of His children, He will fulfill, even if it means reversing the aging process in our bodies.  The Lord was about to perform supernatural surgery within Sarah and Abraham, a surgery that would bring pleasure to them for many years.  A surgery that in their old age would give them the desires of their heart!  A surgery that would put them to the test of acting on the Words of the Lord by faith that God could take what was dead in their bodies and make it alive.  I ask you, isanything too hard for the Lord to perform supernatural surgery in your life?  What dead situations are you believing God to bring to life?

Plans to Destroy a Nation for Their Wickedness – Genesis 18:16-33

Several principles can be learned from these verses:

• The Lord will reveal His plans to His children of faith
• The Lord honors faithfulness
• The Lord abhors wickedness and evil
• The Lord will allow His children to reason with Him

The cries of evil and wickedness from Sodom and Gomorrah were so grievous that the Lord had determined to destroy both cities.  So as Abraham was seeing the visitors off, the Lord decided that since Abraham would become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him, He wanted to share His plans with Abraham regarding these two cities.   Verse 19 is one of the greatest honors, I believe, spoken over an individual by the Lord: “For I know him (Abraham) 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.”  Can the Lord say that about and of today’s Believers?  Will we command our children and household to follow the Lord?  Will we defend the truths found in the Word of God?  The Lord acknowledged Abraham for his committed faith and faithfulness.  He was acknowledge for teaching his children and family of the power and protection and provision from Almighty God.

So, the Lord shared with Abraham His plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah with fire because of their wickedness.  Abraham knowing his nephew Lot resided in Sodom immediately began reasoning with the Lord for Lot’s life and the lives of his family.  As you read verses 23-33 Abraham asks the Lord for favor in both reasoning and interceding for his nephew Lot and his family.  Lot left Abraham for “greener pastures” instead of trying to work out an amiable solution;  and we read in these verses that Abraham didn’t carry a grudge or bitterness.  No!  Instead, he interceded with the Lord for Lot’s life.  What a testimony!  Never give up praying and interceding for your family and friends.  This should be a great example for all Believers. 

The Lord granted Abraham’s request.  He sent the two angels, that were with him, to remove Lot and his family out of Sodom before the destruction of fire, which was to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.  This reminds me of what will happen at end times when Jesus comes to execute judgment on this wicked and evil world, He will remove His children first, then His wrath and destruction will be poured out on this earth for its sins.

Reflection

• God loves to make His presence known to His children.
• God never forgets His promises and nothing is impossible with Him.  Before Moses, God showed Abraham the ”I Am!”  Before David, God made Himself known to Abraham as the Good Shepherd.  Before Joseph, God was with Abraham divinely protecting him – God was with Abraham every step of his journey.
• God abhors evil and will destroy it.
• God always makes His plans know to His children .  Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.”
• God honors faithfulness and obedience.
• God allows us to reason with Him.  He knows our hearts and our desires, so He wants us to be completely honest with Him.

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