Christophany

Last time we spoke about God promising Abraham his son Isaac through Sarah.

We spoke about God being a promise keeper.

He is able and does keep his promises, no matter how impossible they may seem.

We also said that we should do the same and only make promises that we would be able to keep.

Before we start, have you known anyone who has had God speak to them personally, audibly?

Are all of those events credible?

What happens when its not God speaking and people still believe what they hear?

Disappointment

Resentment

Distance from God

Disbelief

We’re gonna look at the third and last account where God appears to Abraham to promise him Isaac.

Genesis 18:1–5 ESV

And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

V.1 And the LORD appeared to him,

LORD - All caps. This is the word YHWH. This is God Almighty.

specifically mentioned at the tent during the heat.

V.2

Genesis 18:2 ESV

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth

Is Abraham here worshipping/ submitting himself or just paying respect? Lets see if the next passages help clear this up.

Genesis 18:3–5 ESV

and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

Abraham uses the word Lord, this one if different, it is Adonai not YHWH.

Abraham is specifically singeling out one of the because YHWH is used in the singular form but as he continues to speak references all three visitors.

The word Adonai is a title, it usually refers to God but can also refer to a human. Similar to the term MASTER.

In this case though, its 3 individuals that are able to eat food and have their feet washed.

Q: Whats going on here?

v 6 to 8 - Abraham tells Sarah to get the meal prepared and they do and the 3 men eat.

Genesis 18:9–15 ESV

They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

V 9 - And THEY said. The three men.

If these were 3 random men how could they even know of the promise?

How could they even try to reinforce God’s promise if they were only mere mortals.

Sarah laughed..... she said

Genesis 18:12 ESV

So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”

The word lord here is different, it is adon or donai it means husband or master to a lesser extent.

Also here, the comment “my lord is old and shall I have pleasure”

This points to the fact that they are both old, this was the 3rd or 4th time it was restated in a different way

And the last part about pleasure, its kind of a snarky remark that they have not been intimate for a long time.

Genesis 18:14a (ESV)

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

A reminder to Sarah and to ourselves, there is nothing too great for God to do.

God still visited for a purpose here

This process had to happen because Sarah needed to be brought into faith over this promise.

Abraham either had not yet told he of the promise, this may be unlikely because of the previous event with Rahab

Or she was not yet convinced or believed it.

God did not promise this once and waited a few years until it occured.

Some applicability for us.

Hebrews 13:2 ESV

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Matthew 25:35–40 ESV

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Theological application.

This is a perfect passage to bring up for Jews, it is a stumbling for them because the invisible God of the universe who cannot be looked up came in physical form.

Only the christian faith with the doctrine of the trinity can answer this passage and still have the rest of the passages about God still be correct since this was most likely Jesus appearing.