Who is this God? - Genesis 18:1–33

Who is this God? Genesis 18:1–33 9/5/2021 As chosen by God you are to be about his business, doing righteousness and jus1ce Introduc1on How do you know someone? How do you become true friends with someone? It is a combinaEon of things, isn’t it? Just yesterday, Vanessa and I returned from spending some Eme away together celebraEng our anniversary and we were giving these quesEons some careful consideraEon. Because we were, we are, and we will conEnue to be impressed by how we are learning more about one another, we are conEnuing to know each other more fully. And in the capacity of our friendship, we conEnue to grow in being the truest of friends. But how is this that we know each other or how is it you know someone? And how do you become true friends? In a way we see this is happening in the life of Abraham as he and the LORD grow together. This, too me, begs the quesEon of: Who is this God? Who is this God who can be known by man – even to the point of being called a friend? For Abraham is described by the Prophet Isaiah as the LORD’s friend (Is 41:8). Listen to this flow of Scripture that expounds upon this friendship: Is 41:8-10 “But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” The LORD approaches, he reveals what he is doing, he invites parEcipaEon. What is the response of sinful man? What is your response to similar a_empts made either by God or by others God has put around you? So o`en the response is fear. We can be afraid to be vulnerable, can’t we? And that makes sense. For it is risky to get to know someone deeply for you have to trust that they will maintain loving kindness, provide mercy and tenderness even while being just and righteous in their dealings with you. Now taking this kind of relaEonship, what I am describing into how we relate to God, means not only is God approachable, not only does God reveal what is going on, not only does God invite us into parEcipaEng with him but we have to do the same! Again, this is how relaEonships develop among fellow image bearers in the community, in the family, in the church and this is how we relate to God. The LORD is approachable (vv1-8) 1. He iniEates the interacEon a. v1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door... 2. Abraham noEces and grants homage a. v2 He liJed up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing… i. You have already heard the Scripture reading and if you are like most the three men descripEon leaves you asking the quesEon who are these three men. From what we have in this chapter and the chapter that follows it seems to be what is called a Theophany. A theophany is revealing of God in the Scriptures. Later on in this chapter the revealed name of God is being used to describe one, that is what we see when LORD is all capitalized. We also see that the LORD is traveling with two companions. In ch 19, two angels go to Sodom, at the end of ch 18 Abraham and the LORD are discussing earnestly what will be taking place in Sodom while the two companions, who I believe are the angels, depart on their mission to go down to Sodom. So, the three men are, I believe, the LORD and two of his angels. b. Abraham Is immediately ready to show hospitality i. Invites: 1. v3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight... ii. PracEcally meets the needs of the travelers: 1. Washing: v4 Let a liLle water be brought, and wash your feet… 2. Feeding: v5a while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may… iii. The invitaEon is accepted: 1. v5b So they said, “Do as you have said.” c. Abraham heart is put on display, a true servant, humble and dedicated: i. v6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said… ii. v7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good... iii. v8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared... 3. Abraham is a model host – and just as the LORD approached Abraham – Abraham was ready to show great and abundant hospitality. a. From what the author reveals we know that this is the LORD that is approaching but to Abraham we see he is ready to be hospitable for three men are approaching. In the truest sense he showed hospitality to angels and to the LORD. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” b. Now here, the LORD is clearly approachable – he comes to Abraham – but Abraham is also willing to receive the visit with eagerness. He humbly cares for these three. c. He breaks from his a`ernoon rest and pracEcally jumps into service. This is no small morsel of bread he provides. His household is thrown into preparing a feast fit for a king – a lavish meal. Just for the purpose of perspecEve the three seahs of fine flour that Sarah is instructed to make into bread is between 20 and 25 quarts of flour! d. The calf that is prepared would not have appeared cooked and ready to eat immediately but the process would have taken some Eme while these men took in the hospitality of Abraham under the tree and before his tent. e. I cannot over state that here at the beginning of the chapter is the LORD who is approachable – allowing Abraham to care for him even – while Abraham acts in a manner that is worthy of one who is called to be a follower of God. Humble, servant’s heart, willingness to meet needs and even exceed that which would be necessary for travelers. f. Church in a world that seems to be increasingly hosEle, increasingly divided, it is through the most simple method of drawing near to another, to serving and being hospitable that the major differences are slowly dismantled. Our awesome God, who so o`en brings about a terrifying response to those who are in his presence, here shows that he is approachable – he wants to be known and to be in relaEonship with his own. Transi1on: He doesn’t remain hidden away but comes for a purpose which is what we will look to now in the second secEon. The LORD is a revealer and as we read the passage and work through the text we see his purpose for coming to Abraham and Sarah’s tent. The LORD is a revealer (of his purpose in coming) (vv9-15) 1. He iniEates the conversaEon – how long were they there, before the conversaEon picks up? It doesn’t say but we all are aware that it is through conversaEons that we learn a great deal about another. a. v9 They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” i. This is the LORD revealing his purpose for coming. He has spent a great amount of Eme culEvaEng his relaEonship with Abraham but more is required. Sarah’s involvement in the covenant promise. Sarah’s faith in him needs to be present like Abraham’s faith. For not only is God in covenant relaEonship with them but they are in covenant relaEonship with each other in marriage. And through the marriage God is going to bless all the naEons of the earth. 2. Look at what the LORD does, he returns to the importance of the promise and proclaims it again. He is revealing his purpose for coming. a. v10 The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this Qme next year… i. Sarah is listening: And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. 1. Background: v11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. ii. Sarah responds to what she hears: v12 So Sarah laughed.. 3. He returns to the importance of the promise and proclaims it again because Sarah does not believe it yet. He is reveling his purpose for coming. a. The LORD asks Abraham about this – while Sarah is listening: i. v13 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh… ii. The LORD is aware of Sarah’s listening, for nothing escapes his noEce. He wants here to know that God is not inconvenienced by the natural obstacles: v14a Is anything too hard for the LORD? iii. This is the promise Abraham and Sarah: v14b At the appointed Qme I will return to you, about this Qme next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” iv. Sarah is clearly afraid: So she does what most do in her situaEon – deny it lie about it 1. v15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” b. The LORD the Judge of all the earth will not accept this false statement: i. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” ii. He corrects Sarah for her good and he does so gently iii. And we know from Scripture that it yields a reward for Heb 11:11 says, “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” c. This reveals why the LORD was there. You see, Sarah did not have a peace within her, she agonized about being childless, she had given up on the possibility of ever having a child. She was willing to have another woman bear the child for her and Abraham, that of course did not bring about a peaceful resoluEon as it went outside of God’s design for marriage. The LORD was present there at the tent to draw Sarah into to a place of parEcipaEon with him, like her husband, to have faith, to believe the promise that was being made. d. You may ask but wouldn’t she have known already about the promise? Yes, I don’t think it would have been possible for her husband Abraham to have gone through with circumcision, his own, and that of all the males of the whole house without carefully explaining to her what was taking place. But no ma_er how emphaEc he was that God had promised that she was going to have a son, that he believed God, and as a sign of his belief went through with circumcision – that did not convince her. e. So, the LORD comes to the tent, he converses with Abraham in such a way that Sarah is listening to the conversaEon, she is parEcipaEng behind the door of the tent, out of sight, but God knows what he is doing, he knows who he is talking to, and he knows that a gentle rebuke along with an affirmaEon that nothing is too hard for him will have the intended result upon her heart. f. Is anything too hard of the LORD? What is a miracle to the LORD? Church this is the same LORD who will conEnue to do miraculous things for the rest of Eme. Why? To show that he is who he says he is and that he can do as he wills. He performs signs and wonders as a tesEmony to the truthfulness of his words. The pa_ern we find is that the LORD repeatedly says he will act to allow Sarah to conceive, that he will bless her, that he will do so by a given Eme, all this was covered last week (Gen 17:16, 19, 21). Here in this chapter the very idea that he will visit Sarah and that she will conceive and bear a son, this was promised again and now in her hearing (Gen 18:10, 14) and if you read ahead, you will see that is exactly what God does. g. She does indeed bear a son, the son of the promise, the son of the promise, that conEnues to point forward to the one that is to come who will crush the head of the serpent. God’s plan of redempEon advances and nothing is too hard for him. He puts an undeniable mark on what takes place – man can take no credit for what God does while by God’s sovereignty he uses man to advance his plan and holds man accountable for defying him. He is the Judge of all the earth – a merciful and just Judge. He will not let a lie stand and corrects Sarah gently. This is his character, the Judge of all the earth is ready to correct, and to do so gently – this is what we see in how he acts towards those he has chosen, those who are his, whom he has declared to be his covenant people. Transi1on: In moving forward, we have seen how the LORD is approachable, the LORD is a revealer, and now we will see the LORD is an inviter. He wants his chosen people to do as he does and to parEcipate with him in doing righteousness and jusEce. The LORD is an inviter (and we see Abraham as the friend of God) (vv16-33) 1. The LORD wants Abraham to grow in his role as a blessing for all naEons and as one who does that which is righteous and pursues jusEce. a. Abraham walks with them: v16 Then the men set out from there... b. A discussion takes place, the LORD takes counsel with his angels: i. To bring Abraham in to the plan that is about to occur: v17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, v18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty naQon, and all the naQons of the earth shall be blessed in him? ii. It is as if the LORD reasons that in order for Abraham to do what he has been appointed to do he must have a be_er grasp of the consequences of wickedness: v19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household aJer him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and jusQce, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” c. The decision is made and the LORD proceeds to invite Abraham into what is about to take place. i. v20 Then the LORD said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, v21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” d. What will he do? He has heard the plan of the LORD and anEcipates what is about to transpire. i. We looked at the approachableness of God in the first point but it is here again - God shows how approachable he is to those whom are his own: v22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham sEll stood before the LORD. 1. Considering who God is this is a staggering picture of inequality of the Creator and the creature. But this is his desire. He wants to have relaEonship with his own. He invites this interacEon and welcomes the discourse. ii. Abraham shows that he is willing to engage with the LORD on this ma_er of great importance, he is exercising his role as one who will do righteousness and jusEce: v23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 1. For example: v24 Suppose there are fiJy righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fiJy righteous who are in it? 2. How could the Judge of all the earth do such a thing?: v25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 3. This is a friend of God interacEng with his Creator: v26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fiJy righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 4. And the example repeats itself – all the while God remains engaged and Abraham is humble in his appeal: a. v27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. v28 Suppose five of the fiJy righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” v29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” v30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” v31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” v32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” b. This friend of God proves to be a tremendous example to us as he pleads for the souls of the condemned. That more Eme would be afforded to them and for the righteous among them, no ma_er how few, to be powerful witnesses to bring about redempEon. iii. Though the LORD invites Abraham into this discussion he also knows when it is Eme to move on and act. v33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. Conclusion Who is this God? Clearly, he is a God who is approachable for he not only approaches Abraham and Sarah but he allows himself to be approached by Abraham. The LORD is a revealer of his plans and promises. He does not hold back that which is necessary for his own to have faith in him. Sarah is aided in her understanding of the promise by God’s direct statement of the promise in her hearing and his gentle rebuke of her disbelief and her denying of her laughter about the preposterous noEon of her having a child. The Judge of all the earth gives jusEce and it yields a faithful response. The LORD invites parEcipaEon, he wants Abraham to pass along to his household the importance of following the commands of God. Therefore, he reveals the devastaEng consequences that are about the befall Sodom and Gomorrah for their abject pursuit of wickedness. Who is this God? He is clearly a God who desires meaningful relaEonship with those who belong to him. But sEll a quesEon remains yet to be answered how does a person come to belong to the LORD? For we are all sinners – in fact we are wicked in our sinfulness and that is a direct afront to God – he desires righteousness and jusEce and sin is the exact opposite. The answer that is most fimng as to how we might be known as a friend of God like Abraham is found in the Gospel of John. It is a result of forgiveness that comes through the blood of Christ. John 15:13-17 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” This is how we have been given access to God in the first place – he has chosen us, despite our shortcomings, despite our sins, he has chosen us and has forgiven us through the power of Christ’s shed blood – we have been redeemed and made right, jusEfied, and called a friend of the LORD’s because the true son of the promise laid down his life for us. Now, fellow friends of the Judge of all the earth, this Mighty and Awesome God is approachable, he is a revealer of his plans, and he invites parEcipaEon: As chosen by God you are to be about his business, doing righteousness and jus1ce. May it be your pursuit in life to think, act, and do that which brings about righteousness and jusEce in your allo_ed staEon in this life. Which is most perfectly accomplished in the effectual work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – proclaim it, live it, and place your hope firmly in its power to save.