GOD'S FRIEND (GENESIS 18:1-8, 16-33)
An English publication offered a prize for the best definition of a friend. Among the thousands of entries received were the following: "One who multiplies joys, divides grief"; "One who understands our silence"; "A volume of sympathy bound in cloth"; and "A watch which beats true for all time and never runs down."
But the entry which won the prize said, "A friend--the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."
An internet entry proposed that the best definition of a true friend ever given was that of the little boy who said that a true friend was somebody who knew all about you and still liked you. Another said, There are two kinds of friends in life, the one that says "call me if you need anything," and the one who shows up on your doorstep and says, "What can I do?"
Chapter 18 progresses from the Lord's voice話 in chapter 12 and His vision in chapter 15 to His visitation of Abraham presently. Previously the Lord appeared to Abraham and spoke to him on at least five occasions (Gen 12:1, 12:7, 13:14, 15:4, 17:1). "The Lord appeared" occurs for the first time in the Bible (Gen 12:7). Twice the text says "the Lord appeared to Abram" (Gen 12:7, 17:1) and once the word of the Lord came to him in a "vision" (Gen 15:1). In chapter 12 it was a one-way disclosure by God but by chapter 15 they had a two-way discussion. In this chapter the Lord finally made a personal visitation to Abraham to see if Abraham was ready to be the father of nations as well as the friend of God. More than God's friend (James 2:23), Abraham was God's friend forever (2 Chron 20:7, KJV), but how exactly does a friend treat his God, his family and his neighbors.
How does a friend respond to a doomed neighbor? What can he or she offer to a world that is lost and dying? What can you do for to ungodly, unashamed and unrepentant sinners?
Be Hospitable in Service
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. 3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way -- now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say." 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." 7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree. (Gen 18:1-8)
A student in the second month of nursing school was given a pop quiz by the school professor. The conscientious student had breezed through the questions until the last one, which read: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
"Surely this was some kind of joke. How would I know her name?" remarked the student who had seen the tall, dark-haired cleaning woman in her 50s several times. So she handed in the paper, leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward the quiz grade. Absolutely, said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello". The student learnt the janitor's name - Dorothy and had never forgotten that lesson.
Abraham's hospitality to God will later be contrasted with Sodom's hostility to God. It was a hot day (v 1), far worse than the normal burning, blazing and baking desert day. Experience from waiting for a bus in Hong Kong tells me that it takes me less than 10 minutes in the sun to sweat. Abraham jumped into action the moment he saw the strangers, especially when he could guess their identity. He did not wait to be asked, bowing low (v 2) as no one in the Bible before him did, bringing the three men water (v 2) to wash their feet and then providing them shelter (v 4). The patriarch then called himself "your servant" twice (vv 3, 5) -- the first person to do so in the Bible - and addressed God as "my Lord" -- "my Lord" (v 3) and "ashes" (v 27) also make their debut in the Bible. Next he selected the finest flour (v 6) and the choicest calf for a feast (v 7) -- all the very best. He did not sit with them but stood in respect (v 8) while they ate.
The patriarch's actions were amusing and amazing even to God. Abraham did his fair share of running that day, in the heat of the day when it was not cool or conducive (v 1). He not only "hurried" (v 2) to act; he "RAN" to act in Hebrew, also according to the KJV, RSV and NASB translation. He not only "ran/hurried" from the entrance of his tent to meet them (v 2), he also ran (v 7) to select a choice, tender calf for the meal -- the two "hurried/ran" (ruwts) words are the same in Hebrew. Another word to describe his determination and delight to serve the Lord is the repetition of "hurried" (mahar) or "quick" in verse 6, and "hurried" again in verse 7 --meaning "sped, quicken" - the three words are the same in Hebrew. Both these two comparable words (hurried, quick) make their debut in the Bible, expressing Abraham's passionate and utmost desire to serve the Lord, to make an impression (Gen 18:3) and to give his best.
Abraham's thoughtfulness was a hard act to follow. In the Hebrew text, there should be a polite "I pray" after "not" in verse 3, and another "I pray" after "bring" in verse 4. His choice of oxen is a calf (v 7) -- remarkably this kind of preferred offering was later stipulated in Leviticus (Lev 1:5, 4:3, 4:14, 9:2, 16:3, 23:18); his pick of a calf is tender (v 7); his marinade is curds (v 8), translated as cream in Job (Job 20:17, 29:6) and butter in Proverbs (Prov 30:33) for the guests to take and pick their dressing. To make meat digestible and creamy, milk was provided. Altogether Abraham used six imperatives that day to express his delight in serving: "Wash" and "rest" in verse 4, "refresh" in verse 5, "quick" and "knead and bake" in verse 6.
Be Heightened in Sensitivity
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 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." 20 Then the Lord said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? (Gen 18:16-23)
A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, "This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you."
The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, "Which do you want, son?" The boy takes the quarters and leaves. What did I tell you?" said the barber. "That kid never learns!"
Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. "Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?" The boy licked his cone and replied, "Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!"
What was more remarkable to Abraham's hospitable service was his heightened sensitivity toward God. At this juncture, Abraham's mind was not occupied, distracted or taken by the Lord's announcement of a son (v 10). Upon bidding farewell to his tent guests after meal and some rest, Abraham made the initiative to walk along with them to see them on their way (v 16) as a good host should do but he was also on the same path and could see (an emphatic "piel") the direction of the three men on their way. Yet Abraham also walked with them for a reason, to see where they were heading and to check out a hunch. Previously, he seemed to notice the men looking down toward Sodom (v 16); presently they made a sudden U-turn (v 22) to the direction of Sodom (v 22). The verbs "looked down" (v 16) and "turned away" (v 22) occur for the first time in the Bible, and the actions did not escape Abraham's eye or attention. True enough, his worst fears were realized. It was too late to warn his nephew Lot and the people who were living in Sodom.
The Hebrew expression "stood before" the Lord (vv 22, 27), or "standing" in NIV, applies only to three specified individuals in the Bible, including Moses and Samuel in Jeremiah 15:1, but with a difference. Abraham did not just stand before the Lord; he "remained" standing before the Lord -- "more" and "again" in Hebrew. The word describes Abraham's intercession, his intensity and his insistence of not letting God go so soon and not letting Lot perish like that.
Also, the word "approach" (v 23) makes its debut in the Bible. Approach is to draw near. How near? This word is used most liberally as many as six times in Genesis 27, where Jacob approached his father to be near him, to bring Isaac food and to receive a kiss (vv 21, 22, 25*2, 26, 27). Near enough for Isaac to feel his son (Gen 27:21), kiss his son(Gen 27:26) and bless his son (Gen 27:27). The three men were definitely not asking Abraham in verse 17, but it did not stop Abraham from asking them to clarify. There was no dialogue or doubt that Abraham could not disclose to God.
Be Heartfelt in Supplication
24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing -- to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26 The Lord said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." 29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. (Gen 18:24-33)
Little Jimmy was laying about on a hill in the middle of a meadow on a
warm spring day. Puffy white clouds rolled by and he pondered their
shape. Soon, he began to think about God.
"God? Are you really there?" Jimmy said out loud. To his astonishment a voice came from the clouds. "Yes, Jimmy? What can I do for you?"
Seizing the opportunity, Jimmy asked, "God? What is a million years like
to you?" Knowing that Jimmy could not understand the concept of infinity, God
responded in a manner to which Jimmy could relate. "A million years to
me, Jimmy, is like a minute."
"Oh," said Jimmy. "Well, then, what's a million dollars like to you?" "A million dollars to me, Jimmy, is like a penny."
"Wow!" remarked Jimmy, getting an idea. "You're so generous...can I have
one of your pennies?" God replied, "Sure thing, Jimmy! Just a minute."
Abraham's determination to save Sodom and Gomorrah is admirable and awkward. Not only was Abraham the first to use the audacious "Far be it" (v 25 twice), he dared to provoke the wrath of God (vv 27, 30, 31) by raising "if" six times with the Lord (vv 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32), moderating his request with four "Oh/now" ("na") in Hebrew, and finally asking for increasing discounts from the modest 10-12% range (from 50 to 45, from 45 to 40), to a bigger 25% discount (from 40 to 30), then a much bigger one-third discount (from 30 to 20), and finally twice asking for a bold 50% (20 to 10) reduction. Altogether he had asked for a whopping 80%, till it was too embarrassing and too awkward to ask anymore. Yet the Lord did not regard Abraham as arrogant, angry or antisocial. To the Lord, Abraham's request was respectful, not rude; rational, not ridiculous; radical but not reckless. Why? Because God loves the world -- the foolish and the wise, the wicked and the righteous, Jews and Gentiles, the saved or believing or the unsaved or unbelieving. Verse 33's "finish" is in the definite and determined "piel" stem, taking all questions and talking in depth.
In fact, God would have been disappointed if Abraham did not ask, speak up or open his mouth. The Lord asked a question (v 17 "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?"), to which Abraham responded in kind (v 23, "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?") In asking, he knew more about God's nature and His will. The Lord openly invited Abraham to discover and appreciate the truth of His divine mercy. God would not sweep the righteous with the wicked, not with less than ten left standing, or even five. In the end, He did sweep the city, but not the righteous. Four were spared -- Lot, his wife and two daughters (Gen 19:16). In truth, only one was righteous -- Lot, even though he was unwise. God was more merciful and reasonable than Abraham thought; He extended His mercy to the family that has one righteous member in it. Jeremiah 5:1 says, "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city."
God had promised Abraham to be the father of many nations (Gen 17:4) and that all nations on earth will be blessed through him (v 18). Out of a good and godly heart Abraham intervened without being asked. As the father of many nations he appeals for humanity and the world as a whole, not wanting to see a soul lost. In the end Abraham had no questions left for the "Judge of the earth" (v 25). God left a more matured Abraham in awe of God's holiness and mercy. Abraham petitioned God to spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous people (v 24), but God did more than that -- He will spare the WHOLE place (v 26).
Conclusion: Jesus is the first person to be described as a friend in the New Testament. Would you be like Him, who is a friend of tax collectors and sinners (Matt 11:19)? Is your relationship with God close or cold? Are you closer than a friend or brother to your God? Do you trust or doubt His fairness, justice and mercy? Have you intervened or prayed for sinners without being asked? Do sinful, selfish and stubborn people annoy you? Have you given up hope or hardened your heart in reaching them? Would you come before God's presence or stand in the gap for them?
