Introduction
‘The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.’ ‘Very well,’ they answered, ‘do as you say.’ So, Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. ‘Quick,’ he said, ‘get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.’ Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.’ Genesis 18:1-8
THE THREE VISITORS
These events happen around three months after Sarah’s promise, but she isn’t yet pregnant. The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre, while Abraham was taking shelter from the heat, Genesis 18:1. When Abraham looked up, he saw three men who he knew were divine messengers, hence why he bowed down, Genesis 18:2.
They are the Lord Himself and two angels, there’s no doubting that this was the Lord Himself as we shall see later. The two angels we will see again in the next chapter, Genesis 19:1, and Hebrews 13:2, appears to be alluding to this event. The idea of Deity taking on human form isn’t foreign to the Scriptures, after all this what He, the Word, John 1:1-3, did in the New Testament in the form of Jesus, John 1:18 / 1 Timothy 6:15-16.
He asks if he has found favour in your eyes, my lord, indicating he is speaking to one of them, then don’t pass by, Genesis 18:3. Abraham invites the three of them in and as part of the custom of the day, he washed their feet, Genesis 18:4 / John 13:1-17 and prepared a feast, Genesis 18:5. They guests are happy with his suggestion, Genesis 18:5.
Abraham hurried into to tell Sarah to quickly get three seahs of the finest flour, that is around 36 pounds, knead it and bake some bread, Genesis 18:6. Abraham himself now ruins to his herd, selects a choice, tender calf and gives it to his servant who prepares it in a hurry, Genesis 18:7. He then brings some curds, milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them, Genesis 18:8. Abraham stood near them in the shade of a tree while they ate, Genesis 18:8.
‘Where is your wife, Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘There, in the tent,’ he said. Then one of them said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.’ Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So, Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, ‘After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?’ Then the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.’ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’ But he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh.’ Genesis 18:9-15
When they ask, ‘where is Sarah?’ Genesis 18:9, we’ve not to think they didn’t know where she was, but it is the custom of the day and for obvious security reasons that all women didn’t show themselves to visitors, hence why Sarah is in the tent, Genesis 18:9. The host was to provide the food, but it wasn’t custom for the man to eat with the visitors.
One of them told Abraham that He will return to him in a year’s times and Sarah your wife will have a son, Genesis 18:10 / Hebrews 11:11. Meanwhile Sarah is listening in to the conversation, Genesis 18:10. Because Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing, Genesis 18:11, Sarah who was listening in laughed, Genesis 18:12.
Just like Abraham laughed in the last chapter, Genesis 17:17, here we find Sarah laughing, Genesis 18:12, why? She was old and still thinking in human terms, she laughed within herself, Genesis 18:12, she needed to understand that it was impossible to have children on her own, Genesis 18:12, but with God, all things were possible, Romans 9:6-13. Why did Sarah laugh? Because she thought this was Abraham’s responsibility to bring about children.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘From the human standpoint, it was impossible for a woman long after the onset of menopause to give birth to a child, and Sarah’s derisive laughter seemed to her to be the most appropriate response to what the stranger had said. As yet, it was not fully evident to her that God Himself was behind the promise.’
It’s clear there was something different about one of the messengers because He is addressed as LORD, Yahweh and both Sarah and Abraham knew they were in His presence, Genesis 18:13.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘At this point, there could have been no doubt of the identity of the speaker. Only God can address the secret thoughts of the heart, and He did so in this question as to why Sarah laughed. Note the explanation of Sarah’s falsehood here. She was afraid to tell the truth, but her fears could not hide it from the Lord.’
The Lord heard her laughing and her words, Genesis 18:13, and her laugh and question is answered, she was afraid but needed to understand that nothing is hidden from God, nothing is impossible for God, Genesis 18:14 / Isaiah 9:6 / Jeremiah 32:17 / Jeremiah 32:27 / Matthew 19:26, and He will answer our prayers in His time.
The promise of a child is now repeated, Genesis 18:14, this was within three months of the last promise, Romans 10:17. Sarah was afraid, so she lied and denies laughing in the first place, Genesis 18:15, but she can deny it all she wants, because the Lord said she did, Genesis 18:15.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Sarah evidently denied that she had laughed from fear of the Lord’s powers or from fear of offending Him. Again, God built confidence in His word. If the Lord could read Sarah’s thoughts, could He not also open her womb?’
‘When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.’ Genesis 18:16-19
It was the custom in those days, that the host went out with their guests for a little while, Genesis 18:16.
Willis, in his commentary, says the following.
‘If they could see Sodom from the road, then they must have walked about three miles east of the terebinths of Mamre at Hebron, where the hills of Hebron overlook the Dead Sea and the adjoining region.’
Abraham and Sarah have been reminded of her promise of a child but there’s another reason why these two angels came, and as we shall see in Genesis 19:1-29, it is to rescue Abraham’s nephew Lot, from the cities the Lord was about to destroy.
The LORD asked, shall He hide from Abraham what He is about to do? Genesis 18:17. He declares that Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him, Genesis 18:18. God’s plan was always to bring about the Messiah through Abraham’s descendants, Genesis 3:15.
God had chosen Abraham in order that he will teach his children and all those who live in his home, God’s ways, Genesis 18:19. Abraham will show them God’s ways by going what is right and just in order that God can bring about the promise He made to him, Genesis 18:19.
‘Then the LORD said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.’ Genesis 18:20-21
God says He’s heard the great outcries against Sodom and Gomorrah, and because their sin is so grievous, Genesis 18:20, He is going to go down and see if things are as bad as the outcry He’s heard. If not He will know, Genesis 18:21.
We’re not to think that God didn’t know what was going on and that He had to go and see for Himself, when the Bible speaks about God ‘going to see what’s happening’, it’s simply the writer’s way of expressing what God is doing in human language.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The amazing anthropomorphism here represents God as having heard a very damaging report of the wickedness of the doomed cities, and as making a personal trip down to them in order to have the facts first hand. The justice and fairness of any authority making such an investigation before the execution of drastic penalties is indicated here, reflecting a revelation concerning the justice and fairness of God Himself. Of course, God’s omniscience enables Him to know all things instantly; but this language accommodates itself to the behavior and customs of men.’
‘The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ The LORD said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’ Then Abraham spoke up again: ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?’ ‘If I find forty-five there,’ he said, ‘I will not destroy it.’ Once again, he spoke to him, ‘What if only forty are found there?’ He said, ‘For the sake of forty, I will not do it.’ Then he said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?’ He answered, ‘I will not do it if I find thirty there.’ Abraham said, ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?’ He said, ‘For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.’ Then he said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’ When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.’ Genesis 18:22-33
Abraham was privileged because of his faith to get an insight into what was about to happen to these cities, judgment for sin, 2 Peter 2:6 / Jude 7. Surely, we understand that God will not tolerate sin forever, judgement is coming, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
As the two men, that is angels, went toward Sodom, Genesis 19:1-29, Abraham stays with the Lord, Genesis 18:22, and it’s then he asks the Lord, if He is going to destroy everybody? Will He sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Genesis 18:22 / Matthew 25:24 / Matthew 25:30. Abraham acted as a go-between for the people and the Lord.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is the first time in Scripture that a man initiated a conversation with God. He prayed for the people of Sodom, not just Lot.’
He asks God what if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will He really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Genesis 18:24. He then says, far be it from God to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ Genesis 18:25. God agrees and tells him Sodom and Gomorrah will be spared, if He can find fifty righteous, Genesis 18:26.
Abraham speaks again and acknowledges his humility and fear by referring to himself as dust and ashes, Genesis 18:26. He once again tries to negotiate with God and asks what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people? Genesis 18:27. Once again God agrees if He finds forty-five righteous people, He won’t destroy the cities, Genesis 18:28.
The number is slowly coming down as Abraham now asks what if only forty are found there? And once again the Lord agrees, if He finds forty, He will not destroy the cities, Genesis 18:29. Moses knows he is pushing his luck so to speak, hence why he asks God not to become angry with him, Genesis 18:30. He once again asks what if only thirty can be found there? And once again God agrees if He find thirty righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, He will not destroy them, Genesis 18:30.
Abraham, speaking boldly now asks, what if only twenty can be found there? And once again God says He will not destroy the city if He winds twenty righteous people, Genesis 18:31. Once again, Moses asks God not to be angry with him and asks one more time, what if only ten can be found there? And for the last time God agrees that He will not destroy the cities if He finds ten righteous people within them, Genesis 18:32.
Abraham obviously didn’t know what was really going on in Sodom and Gomorrah in terms of their sin, this is why he thought that surely there would be at least ten people who lived there who were righteous. He must have known that the Lord wouldn’t punish the righteous along with the unrighteous, Luke 18:8 / Matthew 25:24 / Matthew 25:30.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Evidently Abraham was not trying to wear God down by pressuring Him. Instead, he was seeking clarification from God as to the extent of His mercy. He wanted to find out how merciful God would be in judging these cities.’
This is the kind of heart God wants from all of us, a heart that cares for people’s souls, a heart that’s willing to do whatever it takes to save the few who will listen.
As we shall see later there were only four righteous people, that’s why God will destroy the city. God was drawing from Abraham’s heart, and we must believe that the Judge of the Earth, will always do what is right.
When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home, Genesis 18:33.