God Promises Abraham a Son
May 1, 2024
Commentary
In the heat of the day, Abraham was sitting in the doorway of his tent enjoying the breeze when he saw three men approaching (vv. 1-8). These three were not just ordinary men – one was the Lord (v. 13), and the other two were angels. After greeting them, Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah to quickly take three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes on the fire. Abraham ran and butchered a calf so they could have steak. It is amazing how careful the Lord was to set Abraham completely at ease. When the Lord was ready to specify the fulfillment of the covenant promise, He came in person and ate in Abraham’s tent. After the meal was over, the Lord revealed that, “Sarah, thy wife, shall have a son within a year.” Sarah laughed when she heard this (vv. 11-15). The Lord knew she had laughed and rebuked her saying, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Sarah was embarrassed so she lied and said she hadn’t laughed. The things we laugh at and say are impossible are more than possible for God.
After eating and chatting with Abraham, the three heavenly visitors and Abraham began to walk in the direction of Sodom (v. 16). As they walked, the Lord informed Abraham of the impending judgment of Sodom (vv. 17-21). Since Abraham was going to become the father of the nation, the Lord wanted him to know that the coming punishment on Sodom was necessary, because of the great sin of this city (vv. 22-23). Abraham knew that his nephew Lot lived there, thus, he was greatly concerned. However, this people’s sins were so great that they had to be judged. Abraham appealed to the Lord that Sodom might be spared on the basis of God’s justice. (He thought for certain that there must be some righteous people in Sodom.) Thus, he pleaded that if there was a certain number of righteous people in the city, God would spare the whole city on behalf of the righteous. Abraham started with 50 and kept coming down until he got down to 10 (vv. 24-32). Since the city was destroyed, we can conclude that not even 10 righteous people could be found. Abraham goes home (v. 33).
Application
God is gracious enough to provide a child for an elderly couple and merciful enough to withhold judgement when the righteous intercede for the wicked. I have no doubt that the Lord would have withheld judgment if Abraham had asked, “What if there is only one righteous?”
Genesis 18:1– 33 (NET)
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest time of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing across from him. When he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by and leave your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought so that you may all wash your feet and rest under the tree. 5 And let me get a bit of food so that you may refresh yourselves since you have passed by your servant’s home. After that you may be on your way.” “All right,” they replied, “you may do as you say.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Take three measures of fine flour, knead it, and make bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran to the herd and chose a fine, tender calf, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 Abraham then took some curds and milk, along with the calf that had been prepared, and placed the food before them. They ate while he was standing near them under a tree.
9 Then they asked him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” He replied, “There, in the tent.” 10 One of them said, “I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” (Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, not far behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were old and advancing in years; Sarah had long since passed menopause.) 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?”
13 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child when I am old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” 15 Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.”
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked out over Sodom. (Now Abraham was walking with them to see them on their way.) 17 Then the Lord said, “Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 After all, Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations on the earth may receive blessing through him. 19 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 what is right and just. Then the Lord will give to Abraham what he promised him.”
20 So the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant 21 that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know.”
22 The two men turned and headed toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham approached and said, “Will you really sweep away the godly along with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty godly people who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?”
26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom fifty godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord (although I am but dust and ashes), 28 what if there are five less than the fifty godly people? Will you destroy the whole city because five are lacking?” He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”
29 Abraham spoke to him again, “What if forty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the forty.”
30 Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak! What if thirty are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Abraham said, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty.”
32 Finally Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak just once more. What if ten are found there?” He replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”
33 The Lord went on his way when he had finished speaking to Abraham. Then Abraham returned home.
Illustration: Guests Coming For a Meal in Fifteen Minutes
A husband calls from his office at five minutes to five saying, “Hi, dear! I’m just leaving, and I’m bringing some people home for supper: my boss, the chairman of the board, and the president of the corporation. we should be there in about 15 minutes. Please get busy and bake some bread; I’ll stop by the store and pick up some T-bone steaks and ice-cream for dessert.” Can you imagine what turmoil this would cause in most homes? (Lou Nicholes – Missionary/Author).