창세기 Chapter 18

Translation: ESV

1

And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.

Key Message

God appears in the ordinary time and place of everyday life, and a place of faith is one where the memory of God's meetings has accumulated.

▸God appears to Abraham in the form of three visitors.

God appears to Abraham in the form of three visitors. 'The oaks of Mamre' is the place where Abraham built an altar to the LORD (Gen 13:18), already a place of spiritual significance. The specific time description 'in the heat of the day' shows the vivid historicity of this story.

Related Verses

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
2

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth

Key Message

Abraham's running hospitality is the ideal model of love for strangers, and in showing hospitality to guests one may encounter God's guest.

▸Abraham runs to welcome the three visitors the moment he sees them.

3

and said, 'O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.

Key Message

True hospitality comes from humility; the posture of lowering oneself and elevating others is the way to receive God's visit.

▸Abraham addressing them as 'O Lord (Adonai)' can be interpreted both as an honorific for a divine being and as a simple term of respect.

4

Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree,

Key Message

True hospitality attentively notices and practically meets the guest's needs.

▸Washing the feet was the most basic act of hospitality toward guests in the ancient Near East.

5

while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on — since you have come to your servant.' So they said, 'Do as you have said.'

Key Message

True hospitality speaks humbly and acts lavishly, and comes from a serving posture.

▸The contrast between the humble words 'a morsel of bread' and the actual action of preparing a whole calf and food in verse 7 is a characteristic of ancient Near Eastern hospitality language.

6

And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.'

Key Message

Abraham's hospitality is doing one's best in haste, a heart that offers the best to guests.

▸The word 'quickly' is repeated several times in this chapter (vv.

7

And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly.

Key Message

The best hospitality toward God is service that joyfully offers the best.

▸The elderly Abraham 'runs' again.

8

Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

Key Message

True service is lowering oneself to stand before the guest, and Abraham's hospitality is a prefiguration of Christ's service.

▸Abraham brings the food and 'stands by them.

9

They said to him, 'Where is Sarah your wife?' And he said, 'She is in the tent.'

Key Message

God knows each person's name and the specific situation of their lives. Even the hidden Sarah is included in God's promise.

▸The fact that the guests already know Sarah's name is the first clue revealing their divine character.

10

The LORD said, 'I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.' And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.

Key Message

God's promise is surely fulfilled. Even one who is eavesdropping is not excluded from God's promise.

▸'I will surely return to you' is God's promise to visit, and 'Sarah shall have a son' is the announcement of Isaac's birth.

11

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah.

Key Message

God's promise shines most brilliantly when human limitations are most evident.

▸Having just made the promise to give Sarah a son, the text immediately explains how humanly impossible that promise is.

12

So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, 'After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?'

Key Message

Laughter of unbelief before the limits of reality is natural, but God turns that laughter into the laughter of joy.

▸Sarah's inward laughter is similar to Abraham's laughter (Gen 17:17), but in Sarah's case it is more directly depicted as unbelief.

13

The LORD said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?"'

Key Message

God knows even the most secret thoughts of our hearts, and our doubts cannot be hidden before God.

▸Sarah laughed inwardly behind the tent, yet the LORD knows even that inward laughter.

14

Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.

Key Message

Nothing is too hard for God, and his omnipotence transcends even the deepest human limitations.

▸'Is anything too hard for the LORD?' is one of the most important rhetorical questions in all of Scripture.

15

But Sarah denied it, saying, 'I did not laugh,' for she was afraid. He said, 'No, but you did laugh.'

Key Message

Even the false denial born of fear cannot be hidden before God, and God sets us free through truth.

▸The brief exchange of Sarah denying out of fear and God firmly saying 'No' shows the tension between human self-defense and divine truth.

16

Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way.

Key Message

Hospitality is completed when the guest departs, and Abraham's accompaniment opened the opportunity for the following intercessory dialogue.

▸The scene of hospitality concludes and the story transitions to the journey toward Sodom.

17

The LORD said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,

Key Message

God reveals his plan to Abraham like a friend, which is a divine invitation opening the privilege of intercessory prayer.

▸God declares his reason for wanting to inform Abraham of the plan to judge Sodom.

18

seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Key Message

Abraham's calling is not for his own prosperity but to become a channel of blessing for all the peoples of the world.

▸One of the reasons God reveals his plans to Abraham is connected with Abraham's mission — that all peoples will be blessed through him.

19

For I have chosen him, 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 to Abraham what he has promised him.'

Key Message

God's election includes the mission to live righteousness and justice and pass it on to children.

▸The purpose for which God chose Abraham is clearly stated.

20

Then the LORD said, 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave,

Key Message

God hears the outcry of the wronged, and the weight of sin cannot be hidden before God.

▸The declaration about Sodom and Gomorrah's sin begins.

21

I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.'

Key Message

God's judgment is a righteous judgment that sees and knows and decides, based on evidence not rumors.

▸The expression that God will 'go down to see' is anthropomorphic language, meaning God will directly investigate.

22

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.

Key Message

The moment Abraham stands alone before the LORD is the starting point of great intercessory prayer.

▸The two angels head toward Sodom, and Abraham stands alone before the LORD.

23

Then Abraham drew near and said, 'Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

Key Message

Intercessory prayer is a bold plea based on God's justice, and the courage to approach God on behalf of others.

▸Abraham's intercessory prayer begins.

24

Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?

Key Message

The theological insight that the existence of a few righteous can save the community is contained in Abraham's intercessory prayer.

▸Abraham begins the negotiation with the specific number of fifty righteous.

25

Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?'

Key Message

God's judgment follows his own standard of justice, and we can boldly pray on the basis of God's justice.

▸'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?' is the core theological principle of Abraham's intercessory prayer.

26

And the LORD said, 'If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.'

Key Message

God responds to intercessory prayer, and the existence of the righteous becomes the possibility of salvation for the community.

▸God accepts Abraham's first plea.

27

Abraham answered and said, 'Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

Key Message

Intercessory prayer is boldly pressing forward trusting in God's grace while knowing one's own smallness.

▸The paradox of Abraham who is 'but dust and ashes' boldly continuing to plead shows the essence of intercessory prayer.

28

Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?' And he said, 'I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'

Key Message

Persistent intercessory prayer that does not give up is an expression of faith seeking God's mercy, and God does not refuse such pleas.

▸Abraham begins the negotiation of lowering the number from fifty to forty-five.

29

Again he spoke to him and said, 'Suppose forty are found there.' He answered, 'For the sake of forty I will not do it.'

Key Message

Persistent intercessory prayer leads to discovering God's generosity, and unrelenting pleading is the power of prayer.

▸This is the second negotiation reducing the number from 45 to 40.

30

Then he said, 'Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.' He answered, 'I will not do it, if I find thirty there.'

Key Message

Prayer that does not give up in love despite fear is the essence of intercessory prayer.

▸Fear is felt in the expression 'Oh let not the Lord be angry,' yet Abraham continues to plead.

31

He said, 'Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.' He answered, 'For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.'

Key Message

Persistent intercessory prayer despite pessimism about reality leads to discovering the depth of God's mercy.

▸The negotiation decreases from 30 to 20.

32

Then he said, 'Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.' He answered, 'For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.'

Key Message

Abraham's intercessory prayer elicited God's mercy to not destroy even for the sake of ten, and God's mercy is greater than humans can imagine.

▸In the expression 'but this once' the simultaneous hesitation and determination of Abraham can be felt.

33

And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Key Message

Committing the results to God and returning in peace after completing intercessory prayer is the completion of faith.

▸The conversation with God is complete.