Genesis 18.16-19-Abraham, the Friend of God
Sunday January 29, 2006
Genesis: Genesis 18:16-19-Abraham, the Friend of God
Lesson # 90
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 18:1.
On Wednesday evening we began a study of Genesis 18 and in particular we studied Genesis 18:1-8, which records the appearance of the preincarnate Christ and two elect angels before Abraham and in turn, Abraham showing hospitality to them.
Then, on Thursday evening we studied Genesis 18:9-15, which records the Lord’s promise to Abraham and Sarah of the birth of Isaac for the benefit of Sarah.
This morning we will study Genesis 18:16-19, which reveals the intimate fellowship that took place between the Lord and Abraham so much so that Abraham is called in Scripture, “the friend of God.”
So let’s read verses 1-15 and then we will study in depth verses 16-19.
Genesis 18:1, “Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.”
Genesis 18:2, “When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth.”
Genesis 18:3, “and said, ‘My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.’”
Genesis 18:4, “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.”
Genesis 18:5, “and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant. And they said, ‘So do, as you have said.’”
Genesis 18:6, “So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.’”
Genesis 18:7, “Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.”
Genesis 18:8, “He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.”
Genesis 18:9, “Then they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’”
Genesis 18:10, “He said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.”
Genesis 18:11, “Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing.”
Genesis 18:12, “Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?’”
Genesis 18:13, “And the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’”
Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Genesis 18:15, “Sarah denied it however, saying, ‘I did not laugh’; for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’”
Genesis 18:16, “Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off.”
“The men” are the preincarnate Christ and two elect angels.
“Looked down” is the verb shaqaph ([q^v*) (shaw-kaf), which means, “to look down over a valley from a steep angle” and Genesis 18:1 records this high elevation as being the “oaks of Mamre.”
According to Genesis 13:18, “the oaks of Mamre” were a grove of terebinth trees that were owned by Mamre who was chief of the Amorites who was allied with Abraham helping him defeat the Eastern kings (cf. Gen. 14:13, 24).
They were located in “Hebron,” which was located nineteen miles southwest of Jerusalem, on the way to Beersheba and was 3,040 feet above sea level, dominating a beautiful and fruitful area and ancient oaks (terebinths) filled the area.
Therefore, from this location in Hebron, 3,040 feet above sea level the Lord, the angels and Abraham looked down in a southeasterly direction toward Sodom, which according to Genesis 13:10 was located in the Jordan valley.
“The valley of the Jordan” was a tropical area between Jericho and Zoar, 800 to 1200 feel below sea level, where crops could grow all year-round.
“Sodom” was on the east at the south end of the Dead Sea and helped to form a confederation of cities, which included Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar according to Genesis 14:2, 8 and are called by theologians “the cities of the plain.”
Genesis 18:17, “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do.’”
Genesis 18:18, “since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?”
Genesis 18:19, “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”
The Lord asks this question “not” because He did not know what to do about the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah.
But rather He asks this question in earshot of Abraham who walking with Him and the angels and for the benefit of Abraham and the reader.
The Lord is revealing that He considers Abraham an intimate friend and that Abraham is a prophet.
Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.”
Genesis 18:17-21 reveals that Abraham was indeed the “friend of God” as stated in James 2:23 since the Lord does not withhold from Abraham His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham debates this intention with the Lord.
James 2:23, “and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,’ and he was called the friend of God.”
2 Chronicles 20:7, “Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?”
Isaiah 41:8, “But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend.”
Abraham was a friend of God because he was obedient to God.
John 15:14, “You are My friends if you do what I command you.”
Friends do not withhold information from each other and share secrets with one another.
Thus, we see that the Lord does not withhold that He is about to judge Sodom because He considers Abraham a trusted friend with whom He can confide in.
Genesis 18 reveals that Abraham was experiencing intimacy with the Lord.
Intimacy is a close, familiar and usually affectionate or loving, personal relationship with another person or group and in relation to people, intimacy is a close association with or detailed knowledge or deep understanding of a person.
Abraham has a close, familiar and affectionate personal relationship with the Lord, and possessed a detailed knowledge of His will and deep understanding of Him.
Jeremiah 9:24, “but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, declares the LORD.”
Genesis 18:17, “The LORD said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do.’”
Genesis 18:18, “since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?”
In Genesis 18:18, the Lord reiterates His promise to Abraham to make him a nation that is recorded in Genesis 12:2.
“Nation” refers to the nation of Israel that would originate from Abraham and Sarah’s son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob.
“Great” refers both to numbers and to significance or impact the nation of Israel would have on both human and angelic history.
“Mighty” describes the vast numerical quantity of the nation of Israel.
The Lord statement that “in him (Abraham) all the nations of the earth will be blessed” is an enlargement upon the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in Abraham “all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Galatians 3:8-14 reveals that this promise in Genesis 18:18 that “in (Abraham) all the nations of the earth will be blessed” is a reference to the fact that Abraham’s descendent, Jesus Christ, would bring salvation to the Gentile nations through faith in Him.
Galatians 3:8, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.’”
Genesis 18:19, “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.”
The statement “for I have chosen him (Abraham)” is incorrectly translated since “chosen” is the verb yadha, which means, “to know experientially the character of someone,” and expresses the intimate fellowship between the Lord and Abraham.
“Keep” is the verb shamar (rm#v#), which means, “to observe conscientiously” in the sense that Abraham would be careful, thoughtful, heedful, attentive, and meticulous in conforming his actions in compliance with the way of the Lord.
“The way of the Lord” refers to the way or manner in which the Lord does things, which is based upon His character and nature and is expressed by His acts of righteousness and justice towards both men and angels.
“The way of the Lord” is described as “doing righteousness and justice.”
Psalm 89:14, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”
“Righteousness” refers to conduct that is in conformity to the character and nature of God and which conduct flows from being rightly related to God through faith in Christ and is expressed by obedience to the will of God.
“Justice” refers to conduct guided by obedience to the Word of truth and thus in accordance with God’s perfect standards and principles.
The statement “so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him,” indicates that the blessings the Lord promised to Abraham in the covenant that He made with Abraham were conditioned upon him doing righteousness and justice.
Although the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant was unconditional, the “blessings” of the attached to the covenant would be conditioned upon Abraham doing righteousness and justice.