Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day
Have you ever been near someone who is famous, maybe even a celebrity, and did not know it? I live near Nashville, Tennessee, so I have seen a lot of famous people over the years in different places. Sometimes there have been times when someone said, “Hey, do you know who that is?” I’ll say, “No.” I’ve learned that it is hard to impress people with how famous you are when they have not heard of you.
At any rate, imagine how surprised Abraham was, not just to be in the presence of the Lord, but to actually host Him. To what extent Abraham knew that he was hosting the Lord I do not know, but Genesis 18:1 says, “And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.” This is one of a number of stories that is bringing us to a crucial point in the history of Israel and, quite frankly, in the history of God’s grace to mankind. That is the beginning of Abraham’s family, then tribe, then nation, through which all the nations of the world would be blessed. God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son and heir through whom would come God’s own Son, the Savior and Messiah.
So, Abraham looked up and saw three men, one of whom turned out to be the Lord. The hospitality Abraham showed this group of three is in stark contrast to the terrible treatment shown to two angels who went to Sodom, that wicked city where Abraham’s nephew Lot was, in the next chapter. There is a contrast, Abraham hosted God and those who were with Him and Sodom’s contempt and contemptuous treatment of the angels God sent there.
Now, this is not a proof text for hospitality. It is about more than that. There are a lot of lessons to learn about hospitality, but the real questions are, “Whom do you host? Who facilitates your life? What thoughts do you entertain?” God could have sent a vision to Abraham any way He wanted to reaffirm His promise about the son He would send Abraham, but God wanted to communicate to Abraham in this way. He wanted to be basically face-to-face with Abraham in this sense. So, clear communication with God will keep you on course, and that is what we find from this story. What does clear communication with God look and sound like?
First, be quick to listen. James tells us to be slow to speak and quick to hear. That is good advice and a good command. In Genesis 18:1 the Lord came and Abraham hosted the Lord and the two that were with Him. Throughout the first seven verses you find over and again an eagerness for Abraham to host these men. He may not have known quite whom he was dealing with, but I do know that he was quick to listen. Any time you are going to hear from God, you need to be quick to listen.
This is in stark contrast to Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and the angels God sent to him. Lot first seemed to argue with them. In Genesis 19:18 Lot is warned of impending danger and he said, “Oh, not so, my Lord.” He is throwing sand into the gears of God’s plan. He is objecting instead of obeying. Again, in verse 26, the Bible tells us that Lot’s wife looked back. She was not eager to leave Sodom even though God had sent messengers to tell them to leave. God had a message for both Abraham and Lot. Abraham was quick to listen and Lot was slow, dragging his feet. If we are going to have clear communication with the Lord, be quick to listen.
Second, be patient to receive. God had made a promise to Abraham. He reaffirmed that promise here. In verse 14 the question is asked, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” Sarah had actually laughed when told she was going to have a son. She said, “I am old and Abraham is old. Can we have a child now?” She laughed. I can understand that, but this was a promise from the Lord. Is anything too hard for the Lord? No, nothing is too hard for God.
It is always wonderful when I can pray based on promises. That is to say, I am asking God for something that He has already promised. I don’t always do that. Sometimes I pray for things that I don’t know are God’s plan, but it is wonderful when you can pray about something for which God has already made a promise. Trusting God is one thing and trusting God on God’s terms in God’s timing is sometimes a horse of a different color. So, be patient to receive.
Lastly, be persistent to ask. In verse 25 Abraham asked this question, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” This is in the context of God saying, “I am going to destroy Sodom because their wickedness is great.” Abraham knew Lot was there and asked God, “Will you slay the righteous with the wicked? Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
There is a back and forth here. Abraham asked God if He would spare the city if there were a certain number of righteous there. God said yes and Abraham asked for yet a lower number of righteous. He persisted with the Lord and eventually said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there.” God answered, “I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.” This is a sad commentary on Lot’s family because with Lot and his family there were not even ten that were doing what is right. Lot is called “just Lot” in the New Testament, but you would never know that from how he was living in Sodom.
Sometimes we keep praying when God has already given an answer and we should just take the “no” that God gives. But, how will you know what God will answer if you don’t ask in the first place? In this case, Abraham was interceding. He was asking on the behalf of others.
All of this adds up to clear communication. As God was guiding Abraham, he was quick to listen, patient to receive, and persistent to ask. I think of things that I prayed for when I was just a child. My dad and mom, my sisters, and I prayed for certain things. We prayed for family members to be saved, physical needs, and things that seemed impossible, yet God answered those prayers. I have never forgotten it. Why? It is because God answered my prayers even as a child and my parents were teaching and training me in that.
I learned that clear communication with God is something that is possible, and it is possible for you today. That kind of communication will keep you on track. Be quick to listen, patient to receive, and persistent to ask.