Shortly after the Lord's appearance which is related to us in the previous chapter, the Lord came again to Abraham. Compare Genesis 17:21 with 18:14. These two texts make it clear that this visit was not very long after the last revelation. It shows that the Lord is free in His administration. Earlier Abraham had to wait fourteen years before the Lord came again. Sometimes it is only a few months or a few weeks. This variation is the experience of all God's children. It shows God's sovereignty.

The prophet Jeremiah complained: "The Lord has appeared of old unto me" (Jeremiah 31:3a). In Isaiah 49:14 we read, "But Zion says, The Lord has forsaken me and my God has forgotten me." But there are also times that the Lord comes back very soon, as is seen in this history. When we may experience this by God's goodness, then it shall be, "In the days of prosperity be joyful" (Ecclesiastes 7:14a). So it was with Abraham in our history.

Abraham still lived in the plains of Mamre. On a certain day about noon, which was the heat of the day, he was sitting in the entrance of his tent. At this time of day people sought a little rest in the shade, since the sun is so hot. Suddenly Abraham saw three men standing near him. It appeared that they were on a journey which led past his tent. Their journey must have been of the greatest importance, otherwise they would not be traveling in the middle of the day, but rather in the cool of the evening or during the night.

With great hospitality Abraham invited the strangers not to pass his tent, but to rest for a moment. In the meantime he would prepare a morsel of bread and wash their feet. Even today hospitality is one of the most important customs in the Orient. One receives a guest without asking who he is, and as long as the guest is in his house, he is under the protection of his host. Abraham received his guests with great politeness. He bowed to the ground, which is a kneeling down.

This portion of Scripture speaks extensively about hospitality. It is not without meaning, for here we see that the virtue of hospitality is approved. When God came to Abraham as an unknown traveller, then it was a testing of Abraham whether he would perform the holy requirement of hospitality. If he had not performed his duty in this way, then he was not worthy to be called the friend of God, as he is named in the Bible.

Who these three men were Abraham did not know at that moment; he would find out later. One of them was the Angel of the Covenant, the Son of God, who also later appeared to Moses in the bush which burned, but was not consumed. He came also to Joshua as the Captain of the Lord's host, and also visited Manoah and his wife when He made known the birth of Samson. The other two strangers were angels. All three had assumed for a moment a human body, as we find more often in the Old and New Testaments. Such bodies were put on by them like a garment and laid down when they had finished their particular task on earth.

The guests accepted the proposal, and so Abraham had, without knowing it, entertained angels (Hebrews 13:2). Later on he would know, by their deeds and words, who they were. God's Word urges us to extend hospitality freely. However, in another place in the Bible we read something which seems to contradict the text we mentioned. In 2 John 10 is written, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed."

This text tells us that we should not entertain all strangers in our homes. The reason for this lies in the nature of hospitality. It is not only to help somebody who is in need, which should be done to everyone, but it is especially to be done to those who are of the household of faith. We may not enter into friendship with an ungodly stranger and take part in his deeds. It is definitely a warning for us, young people, that we should think about who our friends are. There is a saying, "Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell who you are." We must realize that worldly as well as religious friends can be a danger for us. I know very well that we have to go through this world, but we may not go along with the world. The world has a great drawing power. It seems to give so much, and this can be stimulated by our worldly friends, while the church seems to give nothing, or very little. It is true, the world does give something, but it is no more than glittering gold, which has no value for eternity.

Religious friends can also be a danger, since there is so much religion which contradicts God's Word in many ways. There are many religious people, nice people, but they do not want to hear of the life of a poor sinner. They have everything, and you may never doubt their faith or make mention that life and doctrine should go together. They are once converted and that is enough. From God's people I hear it so differently, and this is also shown us in the Bible. Read Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and then you will find out how much strife there has been in the life of this servant of God. We must ask the Lord to give us friends in His favor.

When Abraham said in verse 3, "My Lord," its meaning, according to the margin, is "Gentleman." It was the custom of the Orient that the feet of the guests be washed, because they wore open sandals; then the meal would be prepared. Abraham asked Sarah to make cakes of three measures of meal, about forty quarts, which is an abundance. Also a calf, tender and good, was prepared.

Although Sarah was an important and rich woman, still her husband asked her to prepare this meal. He himself had spoken of a morsel of bread, but an extensive meal was prepared for the guests. In describing the preparation of this meal, we read three times of "haste": of Abraham, of Sarah, and of the servant. When we may do it with love, then it is an easy task; otherwise it is a burden.

Abraham stood nearby, ready to serve, which is a sign of reverence; "and they ate." These three men did not need it for themselves, but they ate for Abraham's sake. Abraham did not eat himself, but he enjoyed being the host.

Abraham was willing to show this hospitality and care for strangers; much more the Lord is caring for His church on earth. We read of this in Matthew 7:11, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him?" In Luke 11:13 it is written a little differently, "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"

The Lord has also prepared the means to be washed in the blood of His Son. The Lord also invites to rest under the apple tree, to sit in its shadow, and to receive of its fruit, which is sweet to their taste (Song of Solomon 2). Blessed is the people who may sit at such a well-furnished table of the Lord and be refreshed and strengthened by it. The Lord invites His people, "Rise up and eat, that the way may not be too much." Such unforgettable moments the Lord prepares for His children. It is our prayer, young people, that it may become also reality for you that you may at His time hear such an invitation of the Lord.

It was a well-prepared meal, too much for three persons, but quite possibly the servants also received something, as is mentioned in one of the commentaries. This is such a wonder. When the Son of God sits at the table and blesses the bread and wine, then differences between the master and servants fall away and they are all brothers and sisters in the Lord. Then there is communion of saints.

The three guests of Abraham received this meal. Sometimes there are questions about this, as they had only temporal bodies. We will quote Calvin out of his commentary on this portion of God's Word:

A question, however, arises out of the assertion of Moses, that the angels 'did eat.' Some expound it that they only appeared as persons eating; which fancy enters their minds through the medium of another error, since they imagine them to have been spectres, and not endued with real bodies ... And as they truly walked, spoke, and discharged other functions, so I conclude that they did truly eat; not because they were hungry, but in order to conceal themselves until the proper time for making themselves known. Yet as God speedily annihilated those bodies, which had been created for a temporary use, so there will be no absurdity in saying that the food itself was destroyed together with their bodies. But, as it is profitable briefly to touch upon such questions, and as religion in no way forbids us to do so, there is, on the other hand, nothing better than that we should content ourselves with a sober solution of them.

After the meal was finished, One of the guests asked Abraham, "Where is Sarah thy wife?" This question showed clearly that they were not common guests, because they knew the name of Sarah. Abraham said she was in the tent, as it was customary in those days that a woman should not come into the company of other men. And the guests respected this custom.

When the Lord asked this question, He knew the answer. Nothing is hidden from Him, but He wants His people to speak to Him. So the Lord spoke to the spouse in the Song of Solomon, "Show Me thy countenance, let Me hear thy voice." He knows the condition of the church before they open their mouth, but He wants to be acknowledged by them.

Sarah was in the tent, which was her specific place. Since that time, much has changed in society. The Lord has given a place to men, but also to women. The special task of the woman is to take care of the family. For many, family life has become non-existent because the mother is no longer at home. The many divorces of today are also related to the customs of working women in our society. This is not according to the divine ordinances. I realize that there are circumstances wherein it is not possible that a woman remains at home, but the institution of the Creator was that the woman has her task first in the home.

One of the three angels told Abraham that next year Sarah would receive a son. This promise had caused much strife for Abraham through the last twenty-five years since the promise was first given, but now the Lord testified, "I have given this promise and will surely fulfil it at My time, in My way and manner." Sarah heard what the Lord said to Abraham, but she could not believe anymore that at her age such a miracle would happen. So many times she had expected that soon the promise would be fulfilled, but by now it had become impossible. It can be the same in spiritual life. Especially in the beginning when the Lord works in the heart, then there can be the hope that soon the promise of the Lord will be fulfilled. But when years pass by, those people become discouraged. Still, what the Lord has spoken will be done, but most of the time when we have come to an end with everything. Do you know something of this also in your life?

At that moment Sarah did not know that it was the Angel of the Covenant. She did not believe what was said, and therefore she laughed within herself. She laughed in unbelief. This is a different laughing from that of Abraham in the previous chapter, as we have seen. Unbelief is always reasoning, always has doubt about the Word of God. It reasons so long that we begin to suspect everything in our life. Humanly speaking, we can understand Sarah's unbelief, because it seemed to go against the laws of nature, but she was not in the right place. Therefore the Lord said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

How different was the attitude of the virgin Mary after the angel had spoken to her that she would become the mother of the Lord, as we find written in Luke 1:37, "For with God nothing shall be impossible." For both Sarah and Mary it was a powerful exhortation to believe. The Lord does not say it is understandable for our minds. No, He emphasizes that it is a miracle and to accept this we need true faith; nothing is too wonderful for the Lord. Then it is not impossible anymore. The promise of the Lord may go above our human comprehension. Before God's might, every difficulty has to yield. He can make the crooked straight and the darkness light, and He does not forget His promise which was also experienced by Abraham and Sarah. Hebrews 11 makes it clear that in the life of Sarah there came a change, because there she is mentioned among the heroes of faith. Sarah believed the promise and by faith she became the mother of Isaac.

On the question of the Lord, "Wherefore did Sarah laugh?" she denied it. She was ashamed that these strangers knew all her thoughts. She would have liked to undo her lie, but it was too late.

We can learn from this that it is sinful to come before the Lord with all kinds of excuses. He knows when we speak the truth, or when we lie. Honesty is the best policy, and those who cheat never prosper. Let us keep always in mind that we have to answer to an all-knowing God, from whom nothing is hidden. When we receive an impression of this, we become careful in all we do, and ask continually, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13a).

The Lord did not punish Sarah very hard, but He repeated His promise. By all these things the Lord revealed that He was God. He showed His identity to Abraham by the following things:

1. The Lord showed He knew the name of Sarah.
2. The Lord repeated His promise which He gave before.
3. The Lord revealed the inmost thoughts of Sarah.

Thus Abraham received a special blessing in his tent. Is it not a great blessing when the Lord is our guest? Abraham entertained these strangers, but One of them was the Lord Himself. The Lord left a blessing behind in the promise that soon a son would be born, in whom all generations of the world would be blessed. This was one of the most blessed days in the lives of Abraham and Sarah. With Naomi we may say, "The man will not be in rest, until he have finished the whole thing this day" (Ruth 3:18b).

Questions⤒🔗

1. Try to find other examples of hospitality in the Bible.
2. In this history we have spoken several times about angels.
   a.When were they created?
   b. Mention a few examples of their service.
   c. When were they sent out for judgments?
   d. God's Word speaks of different classes or ranks of angels. Do you know them?
   e. Some angels are known by name. Can you mention their names?
3. Some of the angels became devils.
   a. How did this happen?
   b. Can they be saved?
   c. What do we know about the devil in the last days?