Genesis 18 Study – “Abraham’s Hospitality, promise of a Son & Abraham intercedes for Sodom “– (vv. 1-33)
The Hospitality of Abraham
18 Then the Lord appeared to him by [a]the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
The Promise of a Son
9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
So, he said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and [b]Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since 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 known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” 20 And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 And Abraham came near and said, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do, right?”
26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
27 Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28 Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?”
So, He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose there should be forty found there?”
So, He said, “I will not do it for the sake of forty.”
30 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?”
So, He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 And he said, “Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?”
So, He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.”
32 Then he said, “Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?”
And He said, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” 33 So the Lord went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.
NOTES Genesis 18 Study – (vv. 1-33)
18:1-3: The Holy Spirit sys through the prophet Moses that GOD APPEARED to Abraham … This is another personal appearance of the Son of God to him … He saw three men standing before him, but he worshipped only one of them as LORD, for He is Lord and God … The other two are called “ANGELS” – (Genesis 19:1) … The Son of God is the Lord of all the angels …
Genesis 19:1
Sodom’s Depravity
19 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
18:4-8: The hospitality of Abraham was a virtue that should be shared by his spiritual children …
18:9: The Lord was ignorant of Sarah’s location … He asked the question of Abraham’s sake and for those who read the Scriptures … He also asked questions for the same reason after He became incarnate, for example, concerning the location of Lazarus’s grave – (John 11:34) …
John 11:34
34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
18:14: The Lord speaks of God the Father, who does not will everything He can do He wills … For nothing is impossible with Him … Likewise, nothing is impossible with His Son, for the Father works all things through the Son … As St. Athanasius the Great once said, “He is the Will of the Father … “Therefore, the Son would strengthen Abraham and Sarah, and Sarah would conceive to bear Isaac, the child of God’s promise …
18:17-19: The Lord possesses foreknowledge - (FOR I KNOW) … Abraham and his spiritual children would be characterized by RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGEMENT, because they know the Lord and KEEP His ways … Righteousness and judgement are the gifts of the Lord to the faithful … These are two of the four general virtues of wisdom that produce all the other virtues – (see Proverbs 1:2-5 & Notes) …
Proverbs 1:2-5
WILL BE READ FROM MY ORTHODOX STUDY BIBLES ALONG WITH THE NOTES I HAVE … JEHOVAH SHALOM …
18:22: One of three men was the Lord, and ABRAHAM REMAINED BEFORE HIM … The other two men, who were the Lord’s angels, WENT TOWARD SODOM – (see, also 19:1) …
18:23-32: Abraham interceded for the righteous of Sodom, but the city was so morally depraved that Lot was the only righteous person in the entire place … Abraham’s intercession delivered him … The Lord delivered Lot, but He allowed Abraham to participate in the work …
18:33: Abraham returned to his home, but the Lord went on to Sodom …
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