Several Scripture references refer to Abraham as God’s friend: 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23. Genesis 18 seems to reveal something of the deep and intimate friendship Abraham had with God, when God and two angels stop by for a visit with Abraham on their way to bring judgment on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
When they appear during “the heat of the day”, Abraham was relaxing under the shade trees. As soon as they came into view, he hurried to greet them and to offer his hospitality to them. I suppose that it wasn’t too often that strangers would stop by, and it would have been a good opportunity to chat and hear something about the outside world.
It doesn’t appear that Abraham initially recognizes that his visitors are heavenly ones. Whatever their origin or rank, he is eager to provide them with the best meal and offer them the most comfort possible. Moses writes so descriptively that you can picture Abraham and Sarah hastily preparing a sumptuous meal and making every effort to make their visitors feel welcomed and at home.
After enjoying the carefully-prepared repast, the visitors inquire into the whereabouts of Sarah. Then we suddenly discover who the visitors are, because the Lord announces to Abraham that in about a year Sarah would have a son. At last Abraham is given a specific timetable for the long-awaited birth!
The Scriptures humorously paint the picture of Sarah eavesdropping at the door of the tent, and remind us, in no uncertain terms, that Sarah and Abraham are old – far too old to expect to have children. As Sarah listens to the male conversation on the mat outside the tent, she laughs derisively to herself. I almost sense that she thinks that the joy of childbearing would be certainly lost on a woman of her age and energy level.
God reveals that he knows exactly what Sarah is thinking, and he gently reminds her and Abraham that nothing is too hard for Him to accomplish. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14) He forcefully states, “I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah, abashed at the public revelation of her thoughts lies and says she did not laugh. But God lets her know that He knows perfectly well what she’s thinking and she did, indeed, laugh.
Perhaps Sarah’s faith had not progressed as far as Abraham’s had at this point. Who knows if she had understood the gravity of God’s covenant with Abraham? God’s rebuke served to push her growth along, as we can see in Genesis 21:6 where she admits that “God has brought me laughter.” (Isaac means “he laughs”.)
God's relationship with Sarah and Abraham is relevatory:
1. He will fulfill His promises.
2. He will fulfill His promises in His own time.
3. He wants to use the periods of waiting as times of growth for us.
4. Above all else, He wants us to grow in our trust of Him.
God’s purpose in this visit was not only to give Sarah and Abraham a timetable for their son’s birth; He was also on His way to mete out judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. We read God’s thoughts as He mulls over whether or not to make Abraham privy to His plans. As God reflects about this, He affirms his unique relationship with Abraham, and He informs Abraham of His plan.
God is not acting on the basis of mere complaints about Sodom and Gomorrah’s sinfulness, but He is going to judge for Himself whether they indeed deserve to be punished. We might surmise from the text that God doesn’t know what is going on in these two cities. God, the omniscient One, is fully aware of the nature of these cities, but the Scripture figuratively indicates that He, as Judge, is not acting on mere hearsay, but is determining justice on the basis of His own observation.
As the angels continue on toward Sodom, Abraham stands before the Lord, and in interesting dialogue begins to pray for the souls of Sodom. He has relatives in the city, and does not want them to suffer the distress of destruction. (This is not the first time that Abraham has intervened for Lot and the citizens of Sodom. See Genesis 14.) We glimpse Abraham’s compassion as he pleads with God for the salvation of the city. Had Abraham been calculating that there might be ten righteous people living there? For some reason, he stops asking when he has determined that God will save the city if ten righteous people can be found there. In answer to Abraham’s prayer, God agrees to save the city for the sake of ten righteous souls. God and Abraham finish their dialogue and Abraham returns home.
Abraham has come a long way in his relationship with God. He is now at the point where he can come to God very directly with his concerns, and in this case we see him interceding on behalf of others. This story parallels some of the prayers of Moses, who intercedes for the people of Israel when all they deserve is God’s anger and wrath. Both men were willing (and close enough in their relationships with God) to pour out their hearts in prayer and petition for the benefit of other needy people.
Abraham’s prayer was based on God’s mercy, not man’s merit. His prayer was based on the fact that God, the Judge of all the earth, would only do right, and never evil. “Will you really sweep it [Sodom] away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating 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?”
Abraham was not bargaining with God. He desired more than anything else to see God’s compassion given to his relatives and to know God’s ways more intimately. Even though he certainly knew the reputation of Sodom and Gomorrah, he was sure from what he already knew about God, that God would not measure out punishment unjustly.This passage encourages me to keep praying for others who may not even know their great spiritual need. The ministry of intercession is a worthy one and a necessary one. Just as I depend on the prayers of others on my behalf, I can go to God on behalf of people who may not have the energy, the boldness or even the awareness that they need His help.
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