The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth trees at Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent in the heat of the day (v1-5).
Abraham saw three men standing there and ran to meet them and bowed down to them. Once more we assume that this was a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus (the Bible says that no-one has seen God (The Father)), with two angels. He recognised that he was in the presence of holiness and offered to bring water to wash their feet and bread to eat.
Abraham hurried into the tent and told Sarah, to make ready some cakes, while he took a calf and asked a young man to prepare it and set it before them (v6-8). He stood by them while they ate it. All this was done in haste which seems to indicate that Abraham knew the visitors were special. The men asked where Sarah was (v9,10) and told him that Sarah would have a son ‘according to the time of life’ which I assume is nine months. Sarah overheard this and thinking about their age and she being passed the age of childbearing, laughed to herself, or so she thought! (v11,12) I guess there was every human reason to do so. It would certainly take a miracle for Abraham and herself to bear a child at their old age. God knew that she laughed, however, and came to Abraham and asked him, “Why did Sarah laugh….is anything too hard for The LORD?”
Either Abraham and Sarah were together when the LORD asked, or Abraham put the question to her (v13-15). She may have thought no-one heard her laugh, but God did. It seems that this was a laugh of unbelief, unlike Abraham’s laugh. God could have taken away His promise but, in His mercy, He didn’t. After all this was God’s plan and He will have His way despite our lack of faith.
We must remember that God knows our thoughts and hears even our silent words. God was going to fulfil His promise at the appointed time. Nothing is too hard for God.
The men change the subject (v16-19) and look toward Sodom. Their mission was obviously twofold. Abraham joined them on their journey, which was customary for a host to go part way with guests, but God reveals what He is going to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. It shows the intimacy of God and Abraham in revealing His purposes to Abraham. Even though he had this intimacy and fellowship with God, Abraham did not forget his own true place. Hebrews 10:19 tells us that we have access into the Holiest, but we must remember that God is Holy. It is a privilege to become a fellow worker with God, but we must be holy as He is holy, and we must walk in godliness.
It may well be that the angels went on a head and Abraham spoke with The LORD, “And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For 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.””
God had said that ‘all the nations of the earth shall be blessed by him’ so that included Sodom and Gomorrah even though it may turn out to be in judgment. God shared with Abraham the sin of these nations and what He was going to do. God’s words led Abraham to prayer. He is compassionate for the whole city not just his nephew Lot and his prayers are frank and open.
God informed Abraham that He would go down to Sodom and Gomorrah to see if the reports received were correct (v19,20). Apparently, there was a great outcry and their sin very great. We are not told where the outcry came from nor why God had to go down to check. I don’t think there was any reason why God didn’t already know, but it shows His justice and mercy by going to see personally. Abraham confidently asked God if He would destroy the righteous with the wicked? He asked if God would spare them if fifty righteous were found and makes an astounding statement to God, “Far 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?” So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”” It showed the closeness of Abraham and God that Abraham could speak so intimately. (v22-26)
We are told to – “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify your hearts, you double minded.” (James 4:8)
“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12,13)
Abraham recognised that God was the righteous judge and would make no mistakes. He pleads for the whole of Sodom not just Lot as you would have expected. God in His mercy said that He would spare them all if fifty righteous could be found.
In verses 27-33 Abraham spoke with God and again shows the intimacy between them. He obviously had doubts that he could find fifty, so he reduced if forty-five, then down to forty, thirty, twenty and then ten. Each time he apologises and pleads that God would not be angry with him. He spoke in humility, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord:” Yet he confidently spoke to The LORD and pleaded his cause. It was what we call ‘a prayer of intercession,’ pleading with God for lives of others. He showed that he cared, and this is a sign of a good leader. Note that he didn’t mention Lot, he was praying for all those in Sodom, not just his nephew.
As it turned out there were not ten righteous in the city, only Lot, his wife and their two daughters. One wonders if Abraham should have gone down to four and whether God would have spared the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah?
