Genesis 18:1-8
Abraham welcomes the Lord and the Angels... [ Continue Reading ]
Abraham welcomes the Lord and the Angels... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains, that is, the groves of terebinths, the oaks of Canaan, of Mamre, the Amorite, at Hebron. This was the sixth visit, or appearance, of the Lord to His servant. AND HE SAT IN THE TENT-DOOR IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY, SHORTLY BEFORE NOON.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him. It was not a case of a slow approach, but of a sudden appearance. A moment before no one had been in sight, and now three men stood by him, looming over him as he reclined on his chair or couch. AND WHEN HE SAW THEM, HE RAN TO MEET... [ Continue Reading ]
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in Thy sight, pass not away, I pray Thee, from Thy servant.... [ Continue Reading ]
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;... [ Continue Reading ]
and I will fetch a morsel of bread; and comfort ye your hearts. After that ye shall pass on; for therefore are ye come to your servant. The entire invitation of Abraham shows that this was not a case of ordinary hospitality to passing strangers, but a work of love performed for the Lord. He wanted t... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. With three seahs, about three pecks, or thirty liters, of the finest flour Sarah was quickly to bake round, unleavened cakes on the hot stones of the hear... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. Abraham personally selected a young and tender calf from the corral and entrusted it to one of the house-boys, who was to see to its preparation.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. Although the meal was simple, it was plentiful. Abraham himself did not sit down with his guests, but stood in order to wait upon them and carry out their sli... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah, thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPECIFIC PROMISE OF ISAAC'S BIRTH... [ Continue Reading ]
And He said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah, thy wife, shall have a son. The Lord Himself, as the spokesman, opened the conversation by inquiring after Sarah. Abraham, without the hesitation which the modern perverted life might cause him to feel, cou... [ Continue Reading ]
Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. They were both beyond the usual age when procreation was normally possible.... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, as the result of the return to youthful vigor, MY LORD, MY HUSBAND, who is the head of the household, BEING OLD ALSO? That was not the joyful laughter of faith, as in the case of Abraham, but a sneer of incr... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Sarah had supposed herself unnoticed, since she was behind the curtain of the tent, and her laughing had been in her heart only. But the omniscient Lord knew her thoughts and reproved h... [ Continue Reading ]
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. The Lord, the almighty God, is nevertheless also the merciful God, for He did not withdraw His promise to visit Abraham and Sarah in the gift of the son whom t... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Sarah denied; saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And He said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. In her chagrin at being discovered, Sarah hastily denied the charge, but the Lord added a second reproof, convicting her of her falsehood. As the following events showed, Sarah accepted the reproof... [ Continue Reading ]
The Lord reveals his plan regarding Sodom... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. The rising of the Lord and His two companions and their looking over into the direction of Sodom was a signal to Abraham that their mission in his house had been accomplished, and so he, as... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do,... [ Continue Reading ]
seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?... [ Continue Reading ]
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. These words of the Lord were apparently addressed to the angels. The question was... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said, turning now directly to Abraham, BECAUSE THE CRY OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH IS GREAT, AND BECAUSE THEIR SIN IS VERY GRIEVOUS,... [ Continue Reading ]
I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know. The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were of a nature to cry to heaven for revenge and punishment: "The cry about Sodom and Gomorrah yea, it is great; and their sin truly... [ Continue Reading ]
And the men turned their faces from thence and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. As the two angels continued their journey toward Sodom alone, Abraham stood before the Lord, his bold attitude signifying that he had an important matter to communicate. As the friend of God, a d... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham drew near and said, Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? It was a holy boldness which Abraham here displayed, both in drawing near to the Lord until he stood face to face with Him, and in speaking as he did: Surely Thou wilt not sweep off the righteous with the godless!... [ Continue Reading ]
ABRAHAM'S INTERCESSION... [ Continue Reading ]
Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?... [ Continue Reading ]
That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? The form of the petition is almost presumptuous, but it is the presumption of faith. It is not A... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, I will spare all the place for their sakes. This assurance of the Lord encourages Abraham to continue his pleading, although in a lowly, humble form.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes.... [ Continue Reading ]
Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And He said, if I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. This is a glorious example for the believers of all times, for they also are dust as to their origin and ashes as to their e... [ Continue Reading ]
And he spake unto Him yet again and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty's sake.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto Him, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. The entire prayer is a splendid example of the importunity of the believer's prayer. Cf Luke 11:8. That is the chief content of th... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord went His way as soon as He had left communing with Abraham; and Abraham returned into his place. The Lord had patiently and gladly listened to the intercession of Abraham, and it was for his sake that He arranged for the escape of Lot. But so far as the cities were concerned, the measur... [ Continue Reading ]