The
Three Visitors
Genesis
18
1Later,
the LORD again appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre.
Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the
hottest part of the day.
2He looked up and saw three
men standing near him. When Abraham saw them,
he ran from his
tent to meet them. He bowed facedown on the ground before
them
3and said, “Sir, if you think well of me, please stay
awhile with me, your
servant. 4I will bring some water
so all of you can wash your feet. You may rest
under the tree,
5and I will get some bread for you so you can regain your
strength.
Then you may continue your journey.”
The three men
said, “That is fine. Do as you said.”
6Abraham
hurried to the tent where Sarah was and said to her, “Hurry,
prepare twenty quarts of fine flour, and make it into loaves of
bread.” 7Then
Abraham ran to his herd and took one
of his best calves. He gave it to a servant,
who hurried to kill
it and to prepare it for food. 8Abraham gave the three men
the
calf that had been cooked and milk curds and milk. While they
ate, he stood
under the tree near them.
9The
men asked Abraham, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
“There, in
the tent,” said Abraham.
10Then
the LORD said, “I will certainly return to you about this time a
year
from now. At that time your wife Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah was
listening at the entrance of the tent which was behind him.
11Abraham and Sarah were very old. Since Sarah was
past the age when women
normally have children, 12she
laughed to herself, “My husband and I are too old
to have a
baby.”
13Then
the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say,
‘I am too old to have a baby’? 14Is anything too
hard for the LORD? No! I will
return to you at the right time a
year from now, and Sarah will have a son.”
15Sarah
was afraid, so she lied and said, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the LORD
said, “No. You did laugh.”
16Then
the men got up to leave and started out toward Sodom. Abraham
walked
along with them a short time to send them on their way.
Abraham’s
Bargain with God
17The
LORD said, “Should I tell Abraham what I am going to do now?
18Abraham’s children will certainly become a great
and powerful nation, and all
nations on earth will be blessed
through him. 19I have chosen him so he would
command
his children and his descendants to live the way the LORD wants them
to, to live right and be fair. Then I, the LORD, will give
Abraham what I
promised him.”
20Then
the LORD said, “I have heard many complaints against the people of
Sodom and Gomorrah. They are very evil. 21I will go
down and see if they are as
bad as I have heard. If not, I will
know.”
22So
the men turned and went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood there before
the LORD. 23Then Abraham approached him and asked, “Do
you plan to destroy
the good people along with the evil ones?
24What if there are fifty good people in
that city?
Will you still destroy it? Surely you will save the city for the
fifty good
people living there. 25Surely you will not
destroy the good people along with the
evil ones; then they would
be treated the same. You are the judge of all the earth.
Won’t
you do what is right?”
26The
LORD said, “If I find fifty good people in the city of Sodom, I
will
save the whole city because of them.”
27Then
Abraham said, “Though I am only dust and ashes, I have been brave
to speak to the Lord. 28What if there are only
forty-five good people in the city?
Will you destroy the whole
city for the lack of five good people?”
The LORD said,
“If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy the city.”
29Again
Abraham said to him, “If you find only forty good people there,
will
you destroy the city?”
The LORD said,
“If I find forty, I will not destroy it.”
30Then
Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me
ask
you this. If you find only thirty good people in the city,
will you destroy it?”
He said, “If
I find thirty good people there, I will not destroy the city.”
31Then
Abraham said, “I have been brave to speak to the Lord. But what if
there are twenty good people in the city?”
He answered,
“If I find twenty there, I will not destroy the city.”
32Then
Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me, but let me
bother you this one last time. What if you find ten there?”
He said, “If
I find ten there, I will not destroy it.”
33When
the LORD finished speaking to Abraham, he left, and Abraham
returned
home.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version
SITUATION
God planned to destroy Sodom and
Gomorrah for their many sins. Abraham pleaded with God for Sodom in
order to save Lot's life. God completely punished the city but
rescued Lot by sending two angels to escort him away.
OBSERVATION
God punishes sin but protects
righteousness. God destroyed entire cities because the evil practiced
in them was great.
INSPIRATION
Though God's people often forgot their
God, God didn't forget them. He kept his word.... He could have given
up. He could have turned his back. He could have walked away from the
wretched mess, but he didn't.
He didn't give up.
When he became flesh and was the victim
of an assassination attempt before he was two years old, he didn't
give up.
When the people from his own home town
tried to push him over a cliff, he didn't give up.
When his brothers ridiculed him, he
didn't give up.
When he was accused of blaspheming God
by people who didn't fear God, he didn't give up.
When Peter worshiped him at the supper
and cursed him at the fire, he didn't give up.
When people spat in his face, he didn't
spit back. When the bystanders slapped him, he didn't slap them. When
a whip ripped his sides, he didn't turn and command the awaiting
angels to stuff that whip down that soldier's throat.
And when human hands fastened the
divine hands to a cross with spikes, it wasn’t the soldiers who
held the hands of Jesus steady. It was God who held them steady.
For those wounded hands were the same
hands that had ... brought light into thick and dreadful darkness.
They had come to do it again.
(From Six Hours One Friday by
Max Lucado)
APPLICATION
Does the place where you live resemble
Sodom? Stand against evil in your town or city. Be a voice for
righteousness. Brainstorm with a friend how you can make a
difference.
EXPLORATION
God's Judgment - Deuteronomy 7:2;
Judges 2:1-3; 1 Samuel 2:25; 1 Kings 22:34-38; 1 Chronicles 13:10-14.
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