THE LORD'S VISIT WITH ABRAHAM

Entertaining Angels (Verses 1-8)

Hebrews 13:1–2 “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Discuss the use of Adonai (verse 3) and Yahweh (verse 10)...

Promises and Laughter (Verses 9-15)

Genesis 17:19 “God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.”

Genesis 17:21 “But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.””

Sarah seemed to doubt, or at the very least question, this promise that she was going to bear a son within a year’s time. The Lord reminded her that nothing was too hard for the Lord. And in the 11th chapter of Hebrews, we see that Sarah learned her lesson and trusted in the faithfulness of God’s promise.

Hebrews 11:11–12 “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”

The Judge of All the Earth (Verses 16-21)

Genesis 13:13 “Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.”

The Lord is a just and righteous judge. He always does what is right.

Psalm 89:14 “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.”

Deuteronomy 32:4 ““The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

The Lord doesn’t delight in the death of the wicked, but He will not clear the guilty.

Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”

Exodus 34:6–7 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.””

Hebrews 10:30–31 “For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

The Lord is going to teach Abraham about righteousness and justice.

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (Verses 22-33)

Abraham is concerned for the sake of the Lord’s name and the destruction of the righteous.

Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

No one is righteous by their own merit.

Romans 3:10 “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;” (see Romans 3:23)

See Luke 13:1-5...

Psalm 130:3–4 “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”

We can only be declared righteous by grace through faith.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Genesis 15:6 “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”