“The Privileges of Friendship with God”
Genesis 18:1-33
To say that Abraham was God’s friend meant that he was a human being to whom the God of the universe felt close, whom he regarded highly, and with whom He wanted to share some of His intimate thoughts. That God was Abraham’s friend we can easily understand. But that Abraham was God’s friend is almost beyond comprehension.
Friendship with God produces privileges in the life of a believer that we see exemplified in the life of Abraham. We shall see that the privileges include Companionship with God, Communication from God, and Compassion for People.
I. COMPANIONSHIP WITH GOD 18: 1-8
“ Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3and said, "My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant." They said, "Do as you have said."
We are told clearly in verse one who it is that appears to Abraham. “Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre.” It is God himself who appears to Abraham. In this passage over and over we read that the LORD said. In verse 22 we read, “Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD.” In chapter 19 we are told that the two men that accompany him are “angels” (19:1). I believe that this is a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord himself, what is referred to as a Christopany. Abraham is having a conversation with the Lord himself. I still find it amazing that the God of the Universe desire our company that he offer his companionship to man.
6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes." 7And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.”
Abraham does not recognize Him, at least at first. Yet Abraham reacts as a mid-eastern host should. All he sees are three weary travelers as they come off the desert. This is obviously a test of Abraham’s heart. God appears in such a commonplace way that Abraham is not aware of his identity. This is often the case with tests, they do not come when we are warned and ready. Anyone could pass them then. If you are told that you are to be tested to see if you can control your temper when you are irritated, you should be able to pass with flying colors. But God does not test that way. His test catch us unprepared, off-guard. It is when you tired and planning on a rest and you get a phone call that a friend is sick and needs someone to keep the kids, what do you do? These are the tests.
This test reveals Abraham for who he really is. He is not doing these things because he wants to gain something for himself. He is not trying to impress anybody. He is not striving for recognition. He is not trying to show how spiritual he is. For all he knows these three men are just what they appear, three weary travelers. People he will never see again. But he treats them like royalty. Even if he had known who they were he could not have treated them better. His prompt and generous response is the manifestation of a heart that has been so changed by God that he responds to human needs without thought of self or need of praise from others.
II. COMMUNICATION FROM GOD 18:9-21
A. A Word To Sarah (vv. 9-15)
9Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" So he said, "Here, in the tent." 10And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?" 13And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, "Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son." 15But Sarah denied it, saying, "I did not laugh," for she was afraid. And He said, "No, but you did laugh!"
The Lord reassures Sarah that she will bear a son. Sarah’s response is laughter. Humanly speaking, Sarah bearing a child is out of the question. Yet the Bible records, in Hebrews 11:11 (NKJV) “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.” How could this be? Perhaps after the guest left she began to think about what she had heard? The words of the Lord, came home to her heart with peculiar power, especially the question that he had asked, “Is there anything too hard for the LORD?” Too hard not only means too difficult, but also too extraordinary, too marvelous.
Is there anything that is too hard for God? The only reason for such unbelief is a failure to comprehend the extent of God’s ability to work in and through us. She began to think on it, the Creator of the Universe, the one that created out of nothing the world in which we live. The one who created the limitless reaches of space and who holds it all together day by day. Is there anything too hard for Him? Of course not! Faith calls us to look beyond the limited circle of our circumstances to the infinite character of the one who made the promises. This is what the text in Hebrews says Sarah did, “… because she judged Him faithful who had promised.”
Does it seem hard to be what God what you to
be? Does some task that you are facing seem impossible? Is there some circumstance in your life that seems insurmount-able? Well it may be too hard for you, but it is not too hard for your God. The lesson of faith teaches us to not rest our resources, but upon the unfailing resources of our heavenly father.
B. A Word to Abraham (vv. 16-21)
``16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. 17And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him." 20And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, 21I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know."
Scripture tells us that Abraham went with them. This is more than hospitality. It is a desire to commune with God. God says, “because Abraham has been given by grace a favored position in my sight I will not withhold from him my will.” It is amazing that the God of the Universe stoops to confide in men.
That men should desire and need a friend is not hard to understand. Men need friends when life becomes more than they can handle, but God is never in such a position. Men need friends when they need advice, but God is all knowing. Why then does God desire a friend. The answer is that because God is love, he desires to be loved. The one thing that we can give God is our adoration and love.
Just as Abraham, we as God’s people, have been given by grace a favored position before God.
III. COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE 18:22-33
“22Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? 25Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" 26So the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." 27Then Abraham answered and said, "Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: 28Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?" So He said, "If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it." 29And he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Suppose there should be forty found there?" So He said, "I will not do it for the sake of forty." 30Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose thirty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31And he said, "Indeed now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose twenty should be found there?" So He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty." 32Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: Suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." 33So the LORD went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.”
The highest point in Abraham life to this point is not in his generous hospitality but in his intercession with the Lord to spare Sodom. To us Sodom is nothing, a city that is obscured in remote history. But to Abraham it meant living people, flesh and blood. He knew the king of Sodom. It was the city in which his nephew Lot lived. It meant people he knew, many of whom he had saved from disaster of being taken as slaves in war (Gen 14). Had God allowed him to save this people only to now have them destroyed in judgment?
What a remarkable example of intercession – the first in the Bible. It is remarkable on God’s part that he would allow Abraham to entreat Him. And it is remarkable on Abraham’s part too. It shows the degree to which Abraham had progressed in his friendship and fellowship with God.
Through prayer God gives us the joy of partnership with Him in His kingdom. As fathers most of us have known the joy of have our children as youngsters help us with some project. Honestly we could have probably have completed the task faster without so much help!!! But Dad’s love to have their children help. And the child enjoys it too. There is a sense of partnership there. That is why the apostle says that we are co-laborers with God, workers together with him. Prayer gives us that incredible privilege.
Prayer also helps us to take on the character of God. We are never as much like God as when we pray. Abraham was never more like God than when he prayed for Sodom. Abraham’s prayer did not save Sodom, but it did something for Abraham, it filled him with the compassion of God.
Abraham pleaded well! He pleaded to God’s honor. He interceded for Sodom. God heard him. God vindicated His name. But God does not vindicate His name in the way Abraham expected it.
This world owes more to the presence of Christians in its midst than it may ever know. For the sake of God’s people, blessings have been given that are utterly undeserved and judgments have been averted that otherwise would have occurred. Laban’s flocks were increased because Jacob worked for him (Gen 30:27). Potiphar prospered because of the presence of Joseph in his household ( Gen 39:5). God saved all those who were on the boat with Paul during the storm (Acts 27:24).
Abraham was called upon to stand in the gap between Sodom and God, and interceded and plead as if his life depended on it. We need to recover that sense of urgency that possessed Abraham! When was the last time you prayed with that kind of urgency and fervor for your family? For our community? Our Nation? When did you last intercede and plead that God would spare someone? May God give us a sense of the need of the hour in which we live? That we might plead for those who still need to know the Lord.
