Week 31, Day 3: The Lord visits Abraham
Today’s Reading: Genesis 18:1-33
Some thoughts from the reading…
Abraham is visited by three men. We are not told anything about what they looked like or whether it was Abraham’s custom to greet all passerbies in the manner he did with these. It is interesting to consider how Abraham knew he was speaking with the Lord.
The Lord tells Abraham that when He returns this time next year Sarah will have a child. Sarah was “advanced in age” and “past childbearing”. But the Lord would now give Abraham the promised child and has told him the time is at hand. All these years of waiting are coming to an end.
I want to focus most of this post by looking at the discourse regarding Sodom and Gomorrah. After the three visited Abraham they turn and went toward Sodom. They tell Abraham that the sin of these cities “is exceedingly grave”. They are going to see if the people have done entirely according to “its outcry, which has come to Me.” This sounds similar to when God told Cain that the voice of Abel’s blood cries out to Him from the ground, Gen 4:10. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was grave and it cried out to God. It is interesting to consider this concept of how the Lord knows what has occurred.
Today there are some who try to say that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was that they were not hospitable. They say this to avoid admitting that the sin of Sodom involved homosexuality. Homosexuality was not their only sin but it reflected their depraved mind and actions, Ezek 16:46-50, Jude 1:7. No matter what some may claim was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, it is obvious to see what these men found when they went into Sodom. They were going to “see if they have done entirely according to its outcry”. They were going to investigate and see what the city was like. What did they find? Look for yourself when we read tomorrow from chapter 19. What actions did they find? It is not hard to see what sin the people of Sodom exhibited very boldly and openly. Yes, homosexuality was not their only sin but it refllected the way these cities had degenerated and crept into ungodliness and sinfulness.
I also find the asking of Abraham for mercy very interesting. Abraham pleaded with the Lord for Him not to destroy the righteous with the wicked. He then begins to respectfully entreat the Lord to see how few righteous were needed in order for the city to be spared. I want to emphasize how respectful Abraham was during this dialogue. Abraham always showed piety in the way he acted toward the Lord. He had washed their feet when they first turned aside to his tent, he gave them a generous meal (a tender, choice calf), walked with them to send them off, and now speaks in a respectful way to ask regarding the city of Sodom.
The main reason I find this dialogue intriguing is when you think about how corrupt the world is today and specifically how corrupt the USA has become in its morals. Abortion, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, divorce, murder, etc are rampant. We live in a perverse generation who are bold and unashamed in committing their sin. How many righteous must be present to keep this nation from destruction? God raises up nations and brings them down, Jer 18:5-10. How long will God be patient with this nation? I have often wondered this question. When you consider that only 10 righteous people in the city of Sodom would have spared the city from destruction it really drives home the thought that the righteous are the salt of the earth. It is impressive how little salt it takes to make a difference in a meal. Though we may be few, we can make a BIG difference when we are godly people. Let us be the salt of the earth and try to make as much difference as we can in the lives of those around us. Also, remember that God does not ever forget you. Even if you are surrounded by such wickedness, God will not forget nor abandon you. He will remember your righteous deeds and faithful service to Him.
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