# 04 2023 Dev. Gen.18:18. Chosen! Read all of chapter eighteen first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think on and interact with. This is God’s story. How will it affect yours? All passages are taken from The NIV.
Gen.18:18 “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[c] 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
Gen.18 Is the confirmation of the God’s covent with Abraham, his offspring, but also with us today, the confirmation of salvation, Gen. 3:15, John 3:16,18. It also shows the heart of Abraham, he has the heart of Jesus, not yet born, as he intercedes for Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham uses the Hebrew method, that Jesus often used by asking questions.
Vs.1-2 God shows up at Abraham’s dwelling as a theophany with two angels, members of God’s heavenly council. Did God fellowship with Adam and Eve in that way? Abraham follows the culture of the Middle East in terms of hospitality, that hospitality is also practiced in my African experience.
Vs.3-8 Abraham says: “If I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord do not pass your servant by.” He brings water, and offers them food, he is a servant to them. This is typical, eating with someone is an honor for the host, by eating the food one puts a blessing on the food and to refuse food is an extreme offense. You do not turn down food no matter what it is. Abraham put on quite a feast, three seahs of flour is about 36 pounds, and meat was not in the every day meal at that time. Abraham stood by ready to serve. At this time is Abraham becoming aware of who his guests are? I suspect so.
Vs.9-15 “Where is your wife Sarah? They asked him.” “In the tent, ”that she was in the tent is unusual, women were not isolated from normal discourse, if not in their monthly time. She however was listening and when she heard about the child she laughed. She denied it when confronted but God said, you did laugh, “is anything too hard for the Lord?” No, nothing, not one thing is too hard for the Lord, Amen. Something for us to remember when struggling with disappointments and illness.
Vs.16-21 As the men left, Abraham walked along with them, this also is part of Mid Eastern and African hospitality. Your host would travel with you for a time, in the Hausa language it is called rikiya, (uphold you on your way). God decided to tell Abraham the second reason for their visit, to see if the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah “is so great and grievous”. The reason God tells Abraham this is that God had said “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation….for I have chosen him, so that he will direct his household after him to keep the way Lord by doing what is right and just.” We are chosen, as well, all who call upon the Name of the Lord, to direct our households to do what is right and just. Amen.
Vs.22-33 the two angels went on to Sodom “but Abraham remained standing before the Lord…. ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous in the city?…. Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
God agreed, if there are fifty righteous, I will not destroy it. Through great humility Abraham continued to intercede – for the city? Yes, and for Lot who is called “righteous” in 2 Pet. 2:7, Abraham continues to intercede seven times, and God agreed not to destroy the city if ten righteous people were found there. Amazing Grace.
What are the implications for us? Are we to intercede for the people around us, both good and bad, intercede for nations, both good and bad? Yes, we are, we are to have the heart of Jesus, who is interceding 24/7 for his lost and found people.
Unfortunately only four righteous people were found there but God did not destroy them, only Lot’s family was saved, yet one of them disobeyed, she died, but I don’t think was lost. Amazing Grace! Praise the Lord!
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