Question

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THE LORD VISITS ABRAHAM

Genesis 18:1-33   Lesson 13

Key verse: 18:18, 19

1. Read v. 1-8. How did Abraham show hospitality to the guests?  What does this event show about Abraham and his family? About Abraham's relationship to the Lord?

2. Read v.9-15. What was the message of good news they brought?  What was Sarah's response to the good news?  How and why did the Lord rebuke her?

3. Read v.16-19. Why did the Lord decide to tell Abraham what he was about to do? (16-19) What was God's promise and what must Abraham do to claim that promise? (18-19)

4. Read v. 20-25. What did the Lord tell Abraham about Sodom?  What is the implication of verse 21?  What important lesson about God should Abraham's descendants learn from God's dealing with Sodom?

5. Read v. 26-33. What was Abraham's prayer topic?  Why was he so concerned about Sodom?  What does this show about him? What can we learn about prayer from him?  What can we learn about God from this conversation?

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Attachment

• Ge18-q.docx

BibleNote

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THE LORD VISITS ABRAHAM

Genesis 18:1-33   Lesson 13

Key verse: 18:18, 19¹⁸ Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.^[c] 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.”

Why? The Story of the Lord’s visit and Lot’s story?

God made his promise more confirmed and detailed through his visit, not through vision or dream, but through his physical presentation.

Faith is the outcome of choice…What was the result of faith (Abraham’s choice and Lot’s choice.)

1. Read v. 1-8. How did Abraham show hospitality to the guests?  What does this event show about Abraham and his family? About Abraham's relationship to the Lord?

The Three Visitors

18 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,^[a] 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^[b] of the finest 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.

1. Abraham’s attitude toward the guests, who were representation of the Lord, was joyful, welcoming, willing, genuine, from his heart,---v. 6-8: “Hurried…quick…the finest flour…he ran….selected a choice, tender calf…hurried to prepare it…

Even though he didn’t have a child, but waited for God’s time patiently. His heart was filled with joy, gratitude,,, freedom, freedom from attachment for a son.

1. Well organized and orderly relationship…respect and obedient for their master….Abraham was a man of respect from all his household.

2. Abraham trusted in the Lord. Abraham recognized the Lord. This meant that he was waiting for God’s presence all the time. His spiritual eyes were opened.

2. Read v.9-15. What was the message of good news they brought?  What was Sarah's response to the good news?  How and why did the Lord rebuke her?

⁹ “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. ¹⁰ Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. ¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” ¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” ¹⁵ Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

1. Sarah your wife will have a son next year this time. God told the exact time of Isaac’s birth. In ch 17 God told them the son’s name ‘Issac.” Now the date.

2. Sarah laughed at God’s word and then she lied.

3. God knows everything in Sarah’s heart and our hearts. So we must be careful what we say and talk when we are alone. God hears all what we said of ourselves, knows what we are even thinking.

3. Read v.16-19. Why did the Lord decide to tell Abraham what he was about to do? (16-19) What was God's promise and what must Abraham do to claim that promise? (18-19)

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.^[c] 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.”

1. God treated Abraham as a friend. Friends share their secret. This shows Abraham’s spiritual maturity and deeper trust relationship with God.

2. God reaffirmed his promise with Abraham. God also taught Abraham what he had to do for his children---to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.

4. Read v. 20-25. What did the Lord tell Abraham about Sodom?  What is the implication of verse 21?  What important lesson about God should Abraham's descendants learn from God's dealing with Sodom?

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

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.^[d] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? ²⁴ What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare^[e] 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?”

1. The Lord told Abraham that he would destroy Sodom.

2. The Lord is holy. He does not condone men’s sin. He is just and righteous. We should not treat God’s warning lightly. God will surely judge the homo-sexuality.

5. Read v. 26-33. What was Abraham's prayer topic?  Why was he so concerned about Sodom?  What does this show about him? What can we learn about prayer from him?  What can we learn about God from this conversation?

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 for lack 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.

1. Abraham’s prayer topic was for God to practice his justice. His prayer topic was based on his compassion on Lot.

2. Abraham appealed God’s mercy and justice. He claimed that God who is just cannot destroy the righteous and the wicked alike.

3. Abraham prayed all these for the sake of Lot, his nephew. Lot was not a lovely sheep. He took all the best part of the land and left Abraham. Still, Abraham loved Lot, the selfish sheep.

4. God answers our intercessory prayer for the lost. God listens the prayer of the righteous.

   James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

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Attachment

• Ge18-answer.docx