ABRAHAM PLEADS FOR SODOM AND GOMORRAH - THE DESTRUCTION (GENESIS 18:1 TO GENESIS 19:38). Genesis 18:1 ‘And Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre as he sat in the tent door on the heat of the day'. Reference to Abraham as ‘him', applied from the last chapter, shows that the covenant account... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood over against him, and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed himself to the earth.' Yahweh is accompanied by two others who, we learn later, are messengers of God (angels = messengers). ‘Three men'. We are int... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said, “My lord, if now I have found favour in your sight, pass not away I beg you from your servant. Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and you can comfort your heart, after that you shall pass on; be... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and fetched a good and tender calf and gave it to a servant, and he quickly dressed it. And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they said to him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” And he said, “Why, in the tent.” The question is still from the impersonal ‘they'. Abraham knows they are important but is not yet aware of the One with Whom he is dealing. Genesis 18:10 A ‘And he said, “I will certainly return to you when the s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “When I have grown old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”.' The words she overhears make Sarah laugh to herself. The idea is preposterous. The pleasure refers to the pleasure of birth, the joy when a child comes into the world (compare Psalms... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying ‘will I really bear a child, when I am old?' Is anything too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son”.' Nothing is hidden from God. The laugh, and the thought of the heart,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what am doing? Seeing that Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I have known him to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous I will now go down and see whether they have totally done according to its cry (ze‘aqa) which has come to me, and if not I will know”.' The cry of those who have suffered in Sodom and Gomorrah,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the men turned from that place and went towards Sodom, but Abraham yet stood before Yahweh.' The repetition of their advance on Sodom (compare Genesis 18:16), now more specific, represents their inexorable approach to its judgment. It is intended to intensify the drama. It is a sign of Abraha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Abraham drew near and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked? It may be that there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you consume, and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it? Far be it from you to behave in this way, to slay the righteous with the wicke... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city then will I spare all for their sake.' Yahweh confirms Abraham's faith in His justice. If there are fifty righteous within the city all will be spared lest the fifty righteous be thought to be unfairly dealt with. Genesis 18:27... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he spoke to him yet again and said, “It may be that forty will be found there.” And he said, “I will not do it for forty's sake.” And he said, “Oh, let not the Lord be angry and I will speak. It may be that there will be thirty found there.” And he said “I will not do it if I find thirty there... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Yahweh went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.' Yahweh does not go down to Sodom. When Yahweh, or the angel of Yahweh, leaves the presence of men, where He goes is never described. He passes into the unseen world. What a remarkable picture... [ Continue Reading ]