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Studies in Genesis, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, Lesson XLII, Genesis 18:1-8
Before we begin today’s lesson I want to make a correction to what I said last week, in relation to Abraham for later in Genesis 25 we learn of Abraham’s marriage to another woman after Sarah died.
We read of this in Genesis 25:1,2: Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
Six sons and no daughters are mentioned.
And verse 6 speaks of concubines in the plural so this indicates Abraham had additional sons for it says herein:
But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
Last week I said this:
“Remember Sarai was barren, so Hagar came into the picture to bring forth a son from Abram’s seed.
But Abram now at 99 has also lost his powers of reproduction.”
This last statement is probably in error unless God returned this power to Abraham in order to bring forth Isaac and then in later years 6 sons from Keturah.
And also, in Chapter 18, verse 11 Sarah is the only one mentioned where she was stricken in age and her child bearing years had ceased.
Verse 11 reads, Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
So, I think upon reflection it was only Sarah that was barren for remember how she laughed within herself at the thought that she would bear a son.
I appreciate Brother Phil Brainard pointing this out to me last week, a noble brother indeed! Thank you, Phil, for this help.
Brother Phil also asked the meaning of the name Isaac.
Isaac is From the Hebrew name Yitzchaq) meaning "he will laugh, he will rejoice"
Now God commanded this son to be named Isaac so I think the meaning of it came to be connected after with the laughter of Abraham and Sarah recorded in these two verses.
Genesis 17:17, Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
(Does this statement indicate the Abraham thought himself at this time unable to reproduce and perhaps God did indeed restore this power in order for him to have Isaac and then the sons of Keturah and the concubines?)
And in Genesis 18:12-18, Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Now that said we ended our last lesson by beginning chapter 18 of Genesis where we are given witness of a visitation to Abraham from the Lord.
Abraham is sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day, a good place where the air transfers across his body giving some respite.
And this appearance of the Lord is along with two other men for when Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, three men stood by him, not right next to him for when he saw them, he got up from his tent door and ran to meet them, bowing himself toward the ground.
In those days visitors were always welcomed for it was a time of exchange of information, a time of stories to be told, a time of getting to know strangers, and perhaps a time to make friends.
It was a time when technology did not interfere with the now and now for the now and now was spent with real, breathing people who were face to face rather than getting to know someone digitally from afar.
And it was a time of hospitality which always was reinforced with food plentiful and tasty.
Abraham seems to know this was the Lord indeed for the Lord had already appeared to him in the visit recorded in chapter 17.
So, we see here for the first time the Lord himself whom we believe to be Jesus Christ in human form moving into a relationship with Abraham that brings him to be called the Friend of God.
This is verified in these verses.
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?
And in Isaiah 41:8 here it is said by God himself, But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
And again in 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. Those of us who know God through Jesus Christ often sing:
What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear.
But ask the scribes and Pharisees about this Jesus and you will hear nothing about friendship for Jesus Christ is Truth himself and many times the truth is hard to bear and many times truth does not bring friendship.
On the contrary many times it
brings enmity. Abraham found out what this friend had come for and it was news hard to bear and news hard to grow a friendship.
For this visitor had come to destroy his neighbor, wicked Sodom and Gomorrah, the place Lot, his nephew, had chosen to dwell.
It was a time when this friend rebuked his wife Sarah who had laughed within herself at the thought of bearing a son, this friend saying, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
God brings truth and to know Him as a friend one must love truth.
And to love truth God reconciles us to Him and with that, friendship is begun.
What a friend indeed we have in Jesus!
A friend because we have recognized our state before God, that of a sinner and have bowed the knee in repentance receiving Jesus Christ as our Saviour.
So, with that reception begins a friendship that grows into a love for that special friend, that friend who bears all our sins and griefs.
Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness and then he was called the Friend of God.
So, Abraham who shows such hospitality to the Lord and his two companions and is called the Friend of God is showing us that friendship with God is only developed when we too believe God.
Believing in that which God has done for us by sending His Son to die for us. Believing Truth!
It is foundational that you must trust in Christ as your sin-bearer before you can develop a friendship with God.
Now how to develop a friendship with God is the question?
How do you develop a friendship with anyone?
Well the answer to that question is easy, for to develop a friendship is to spend time with them.
Friendship with God requires being available for it requires an investment in time.
This passage in our chapter 18 shows Abraham sitting at his tent door when these three heavenly visitors came by, and he wasn’t so busy that he couldn’t spend the time with them.
He wasn’t rushing from one appointment to the next, with dozens of things to do crying out for his attention.
Bring this chapter to our time and try to find us sitting.
We are so filled with commotion today, brought upon by all the events and activities on our calendar, brought about by all the beeps and buzzers and signals to press this, turn that, answer that device, turn on that device, while watching every cable news channel.
This is the world of the Prince and Power of the air and he has so arranged and confused things to hinder friendship and that of course includes an Abrahamic-like friendship with God.
We are to fight against following the course of this world, following the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
If you or I are too busy to grow in our friendship with God, we are indeed too busy.
There is an old saying that goes like this: Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.
Kind of goes along with Take time to smell the roses, but better yet take time to converse with the Lord.
You speak to Him by prayer and He speaks to you by His Word.
When we are so busy that we do not take time regularly for reading, studying, and memorizing Bible truths, too busy for prayer, too busy to be in the house of God whenever the doors are opened we ought to face the fact that we are too busy and we must be open to change.
You nor I are not here to invest our 24-hour allotment of time, an equal allotment given to both the weak and the strong, in a world that always tries to keep us from growing in our relationship with God.
Friendship with God will not happen if you are not available for it.
God has placed this passage in scripture to teach us that friendship with God requires being hospitable toward Him.
Hebrews 13: reminds us to: Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
We, as part of the local body of Christ, the body of that One who fed the thousands and had leftovers are to show hospitality toward others, even strangers.
God’s word requires of elders to be given to hospitality, a quality that we all need to work at improving.
Abraham and Sarah’s actions teach us that a hospitable host makes his or her guest feel welcome and comfortable and at ease.
We read this in Genesis 18:3-5 as Abraham addresses his guests:
And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
Matthew Henry in his comprehensive commentary writes: “God is a guest worth entreating.” If we covet God’s friendship, we should do everything we can to be hospitable toward Him, so that He is welcome in our lives and homes.
Another principle that Abraham exhibits is eagerness of hospitality.
There is nothing in this account to show a reluctance in being hospitable but on the contrary, Abraham seems very excited to receive these guests for we see him immediately rise to meet them and eagerly move to meet their needs.
He entreated them to stay, a word which means to plea, implore or even beg.
He hurried to his tent to tell Sarah to quickly make a large quantity of bread and then running to the herd, he selected the best of meat, a calf and gave orders to the servant to prepare it.
Here we are given an example of a hospitable man, one hundred years old in the heat of the day eagerly desiring fellowship and showing hospitality to encourage it.
Is this a rebuke to those of us who reluctantly sit down and hurriedly read a few verses, and recite a quick prayer so we can get on with what we think is life?
Remember the Bible tells us that Abraham was a Friend of God and just from this we ought to know that God is telling us what it takes to nurture that friendship.
It is so easy to neglect spiritual things in favor of things where the reward comes immediately from this world.
I remember the days after my salvation in 1970 when I spent many hours getting my mind immersed in God’s word.
I never at the time thought this was the way of friendship with God for I was but a babe in Christ.
But I felt the need of a mind cleansing from the years connected with false doctrine from the church of my youth.
What an eagerness I had to get up early and spend time in this important endeavor!
And this is the kind of eagerness to fellowship with our living Lord we are to cultivate, an eagerness to grow in that friendship, that tie that binds us together with the God who made us.
Pray that spending time alone with God not be simply a duty but instead be a delight.
We are to invite the Lord to dwell in our home and visit every room in our heart, to point out those things that do not conform us to His Son, the Lord Jesus.
Remember the Genesis account where God came to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day.
It was a walk of friendship and fellowship.
It was a daily walk of enjoyment and pleasure until sin showed its ugly head and broke the blessed bond. But until then you can imagine what joy the couple had while walking with their maker inspecting the garden, reveling in the beauty that God had given them to dress and to keep.
Jesus does indeed desire fellowship and hospitality for remember the Jesus who stands at the door and knocks in:
Revelation 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
So, eagerness in hospitality with the Lord is returned gladly.
The guests are eager to stay with Abraham and enjoy each other even though God’s judgment is about to fall.
Abraham is glad to minister, and the Lord is pleased to accept his ministry even as He was willing for Abraham to show hospitality.
Remember hospitality is a two-way street, hospitality given and hospitality received with the right spirit.
Both are necessary to friendship.
If you have lost the eagerness of meeting with the Lord as a friend remember it is not just for you.
He wants to fellowship with you because He loves you as a father loves his children.
Like Abraham, we need to be eager to meet with the Lord!
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! |