Last time we saw a 23 year period of silence between the Lord and Abraham broken with the reaffirmation of the covenant. Now in chapter 18, perhaps a few weeks or months after the events of chapter 17, God appears to Abraham again.
Abraham is the only man in the Bible to be given the designation of 'a friend of God'. We see it in three separate places in the Scripture.
(2 Chronicles 20:7) Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
(Isaiah 41:8) But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. (James 2:23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
In our passage this evening, we find a 'Friend' coming to visit. It was in the heat of the day, when most folks were resting or sleeping, and Abraham was sitting in the door of his tent when he saw three men approaching. It didn't take him long to realize that these were not just ordinary men. He ran to meet them. (This is a 99yr old man running across the plain in the heat of the day!) [2]
I. Notice His Excitement. v1 -8
A. Some have said that he was just being hospitable as the custom was in those days. B. Notice the wording of these verses.
1. v2 "He ran to meet them"
2. v6 "Abraham hastened into the tent"
3. v6 "Make ready quickly"
4. v7 "Abraham ran to the herd"
5. v7 "He hasted to dress it"
C. All of this activity in the heat of the day from a man who was nearly 100 years old ... why?
D. I believe He was excited about the fact that God had come to visit! E. His desire was to be a servant to his Friend.
II. Notice the Promise. v9-15
A. The Lord promised that Sarah would have a son. (v9-1 0)
1. God had told Abraham this truth in the last meeting.
2. But this time it seems that God wanted Sarah to hear it for herself.
3. He asked about where she was, not because He didn't know, but to gain her attention.
4. Sarah listened from within the tent.
B. Note Sarah's reaction. (v11-15)
1. Sarah laughed within herself, not out loud.
2. She still doubted that this could possibly come to pass.
3. Perhaps Abraham had not shared with her what God had told him the last time they met.
4. In any event, she reacted to the news with doubt and laughter.
5. The Lord confronted her with her doubt.
6. "Is any thing too hard for the Lord?"
a. He repeated the promise that Sarah would have a son.
b. Sarah was fearful and denied that she had laughed, but God knew what was in her heart.
III. An After-Dinner Walk and Talk with the Lord. v16-33
A. The Lord has something to say. v16-22
1. About Abraham. v17-19
a. He will become a great nation.
b. All the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.
c. He will command his household to keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment.
d. God will bring everything to pass that He has promised Abraham.
2. About Sodom and Gomorrah. v20-22
a. The cry is great and their sin is very grievous.
(Genesis 13:13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
b. God was to see if they were still as wicked as they had been.
c. To do this He sends the two angels on into Sodom.
d. They also went to warn Lot of impending judgment.
B. Abraham has something to say. v23-25
1. "Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?" "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
a. God never intended to destroy the righteous with the wicked.
b. And there was no question but that God would do that which was right.
c. The question at hand was would He spare the city if fifty righteous men be found.
2. God's mercy is seen as Abraham intercedes on behalf of Lot and the rest of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. v26-33
a. Abraham continues to intercede and make appeal to God.
b. And God responds to Abraham's proposals until they reach the number 10.
c. At that point the "negotiations" end.
d. Would God have gone on with it if Abraham hadn't stopped? Some think so.
(Jeremiah 5:1) Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
e. Others might say no because God had already made up His mind about the destruction of the cities.
(Genesis 19:13) For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.
f. God has 'changed His mind' concerning destruction of cities, one example is Nineveh.
g. However, there is a vast difference between how the people of Nineveh responded and the continued wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah.
C. The Lord went His way, and Abraham returned unto his place. v33
This chapter serves as a stark contrast between Lot and Abraham. Lot was a friend of the world, and Abraham was a friend of God.
(James 4:4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
The challenge for each of us tonight is to choose to be a friend of God. How? Like everything else in our spiritual walk…it can only be by faith! Friends like to spend time together…they enjoy talking with one another…they can tell each other their hurts and find encouragement…they know that even when it seems no one else cares…their true friends will always be there. What a beautiful picture of our relationship to God could be if we would but choose to be His friend!