Genesis 18:22 - 19:6

F.    Genesis 18:22 – And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

1.     Yĕhovah yet stood before Abraham.  Appendix 33 Companion Bible

2.     If we approach this verse with the view that each men represented a third of the Godhead, the two that are leaving toward Sodom would be the Spirit and the Word which go down in search of the righteous.  The Father, representing judgment remains behind with Abraham to discuss terms.    

3.     The 1^st of 18 emendations of the Sopherim or Scribes

a.      The Sopherim (or scribes) were authorized revisers of the sacred text; and their work being completed, the Massorites were authorized custodians of it.  Their work was to preserve it.  The Massorah is called “A fence to the scriptures,” because it locked all words and letters in their places.  It does not contain notes or comments as such, but facts and phenomena.  It records the number of times the several letters occur in the various books of the Bible; the number of words, and the middle word; the number of verses and the middle verse; the number of expressions and combinations of words.  All this not from a perverted ingenuity, but for the set purpose of safeguarding the sacred text, and preventing the loss or misplacement of a single letter or word.

b.      A note in the Massorah against several passages in manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible states a phrase translated as: “This is one of eighteen emendations  of the Sopherim”

c.      These emandations were made at a period long before Christ, before the Hebrew text had obtained its present settled form, and these emandations affect the Anthropopatheia (Ascribing to God what is human)

G.     Genesis 18:23 – And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

1.     Abraham knew what the “men” were on their way to do without being told

2.     Shows that Abraham was in fact not “standing” for how can one draw near while standing?

a.      God was the one standing, waiting on Abraham to “draw near.”

H.    Genesis 18:24 – Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that [are] therein?

1.     Curious about the pause between the first and second question, did Abraham ask immediately or was there an awkward moment between questions.

2.     If there was an actual pause, the Lord holds His peace allowing Abraham to continue with the thought by asking a secondary question.

3.     Why does Abraham start with 50 here rather than say just 1?

a.      Abraham asked in the previous verse “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?’ and God did not answer, Abraham must have taken this as a queue that it was up for negotiation, but one was not God’s starting point.

b.      What is Abraham really negotiating for?  It’s most likely that he is thinking of Lot and his family, but it appears that he doesn’t want to appear only concerned for his family so he starts with a higher number.

·        Obviously, by the continued dialogue Abraham had his doubts that there were 50 righteous otherwise this would have been the end of the conversation.

I.    Genesis 18:25 – That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

1.     As if God really needed to hear this, compare the interaction with Abraham and God to children and parents. 

2.     Quite a bold thing to do on Abraham’s part, but another revelation of God’s character in that He tolerates it.

J.     Genesis 18:26 – And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

1.     This really wasn’t a negotiation; God already knew what threshold would keep Him from destroying the cities, He doesn’t respond to Abraham with a counter offer, only that He would do as Abraham requests.

a.      The only negotiation taking place is Abraham with himself in determining how many he should ask for.

b.      God is content just to grant Abraham’s request without a counter offer

c.      Is there a threshold today that will commence the Lord’s Day of judgement?

2.     Matthew 5:13 - Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

a.      Salt is a preservative, as salt preserves meat so too do the followers of Christ preserve the world. 

b.      As the salt becomes less salty the meat becomes rancid, as Christians become more conformed to the world the world deteriorates into a rotten state.

c.      Sodom’s preservation was dependent upon the righteous or salt and as we will see whatever salt was in Sodom it had lost its savour.

K.     Genesis 18:27 – And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which [am but] dust and ashes:

L.    Genesis 18:28 – Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for [lack of] five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it].

M.    Genesis 18:29 – And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do [it] for forty's sake.

N.      Genesis 18:30 – And he said [unto him], Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do [it], if I find thirty there.

O.      Genesis 18:31 – And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for twenty's sake.

P.    Genesis 18:32 – And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake.

1.     The Lord’s answer’s were as follows:

a.      If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

b.      If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy [it].

c.      I will not do [it] for forty's sake.

d.      I will not do [it], if I find thirty there.

e.      I will not destroy [it] for twenty's sake.

f.       I will not destroy [it] for ten's sake.

·        First time that God repeats the FORM of His answer, could be what indicates to Abraham that 10 was the limit.

·        If so, shows how closely Abraham listened to God.

Q.     Genesis 18:33 – And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

1.     The Lord’s departure is a good indication that ten was the number

2.     We already know what the answer is.

a.      Ecclesiastics 7:20 - For [there is] not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

b.      Psalm 14:3 - They are all gone aside, they are [all] together become filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, not one.

c.      Romans 3:10 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

I.                The Rescue of Lot’s Family (Genesis 19:1-23)

A.    Genesis 19:1 – And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing [them] rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

1.     Angels - מלאך mal'ak, messenger, representative…translated angel 111 times, messenger 98 times and ambassador 4 times.  When used of God’s representatives it is normally translated angel, when man’s representative it’s normally translated messenger.  Every time the word angel or angels appears in the Old Testament it is this word except twice:

a.      Psalm 8:5 - For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

·        Angels - אלהים 'elohiym, this word appears in the Old Testement over 2500 times, of that 2,346 times its translated as God.  This is the only occurrence where it is translated as Angels.

·        Quoted in the New Testament: Hebrews 2:7 - Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

o       Angels - ἄγγελος aggelos, a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God.  Translated angel 179 times, messenger 7 times

o       It appears to revert back to the generic word meaning messenger in Greek rather than taking on something more significant as it does in the Psalms.

b.      Psalm 68:17 - The chariots of God [are] twenty thousand, [even] thousands of angels: the Lord [is] among them, [as in] Sinai, in the holy [place].

·        Angels - שנאן shin'an, repetitions, twice-told repetition, twice ten thousands, thousands of repetitions, twice-told thousands. Why did the translators use Angels here?

2.     Sodom - סדם Cĕdom, "burning"

3.     Sat in the gate of Sodom – apparently Lot was serving as a judge of some sort.  The sixth and final step of Lot’s downfall the previous 5 are described in chapters 13 & 14.

4.     At even - ערב `ereb, evening, night, sunset

5.     Lot humbled himself bowing to the ground - no correction from the angels given which could lead one to the conclusion that they were worthy of Lot’s worship, the only being worthy of our worship is God. 

B.     Genesis 19:2 - And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.

1.     My lords – אדון 'adown, 1) firm, strong, lord, master 2) reference to God

2.     Street – רחב rĕchob, broad or open place or plaza

C.    Genesis 19:3 - And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

1.     Lot is aware of the danger of remaining in the street, another indication that Lot is living in compromise in that he is aware of the corruption and yet remains in the city.

a.      Begs the question why? Is Lot’s decision to remain in Sodom due to his unwillingness to leave or other members in his family?  Is he only remaining for their benefit?

2.     Unleavened bread – מצה matstsah, feminine noun

3.     feast – משתה mishteh, feast, drink, banquet

4.     They ate – here again, why? Possibly to mask their cover, remember they are there looking for 10 righteous.

D.    Genesis 19:4 - But before they lay down, the men of the city, [even] the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

1.     All the people, Old and Young – not just youthful indiscretion but all the people.

a.      This makes determining the number of righteous much easier since they were all apparently circling the house

b.      This gives a visual of similar to “Night of the Living Dead” where people are zombies, slaves to their sin.

2.     Remember Lot holds some sort of official capacity in Sodom and even he doesn’t deter the wickedness of the men of Sodom.  This obviously has been going on for some time as the Lord mentions in the previous chapter that He has heard the cries from Sodom. 

a.      In order to live under such circumstances Lot had to be living a lifestyle of compromise, allowing this sort of thing to happen under his watch

b.      How can Lot’s corruption of that day be compared to the corruption we see all around us in government as well as business?

c.      If Lot wasn’t Abraham’s nephew would he have been rescued?

E.     Genesis 19:5 - And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where [are] the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

1.     “Know” doesn’t mean sit down and have a cup of coffee, we won’t go into detail, but the cries that God referred to would stem from these actions.

2.     There is some truth behind the saying “mob mentality”

3.     There are many sayings we tell our kids about the danger being influenced by others:

a.      “Don’t hang out with the wrong crowd”

b.      “If everyone jumped off a cliff would you jump too?”

c.      Proverbs 1:10 – My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

F.     Genesis 19:6 - And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,

1.     Indicates that Lot had familiarity with these people and thought that he would be able to reason with them.  His miscalculation may be the difference between negotiating on the individual level versus the irrational responses from a mob.  Individually most people can be reasonable, but a mob takes on a life of its own as if the spiritual puppet masters of darkness can harness the wickedness and alter the normal thought process.  History proves that mobs are capable of tremendous evils.

2.     How is this situation similar to some of the issues that we face in the world today? Here are a few examples of how individuals are mistreated for the benefit of the masses:

a.      A poor family can’t make the mortgage payments due to unfortunate circumstances, their home is foreclosed and goes up for auction…People swarm to the auction to get a “deal” with no sympathy whatsoever for the family losing their home.

b.      A city wants to build a strip mall but there are several houses on the land they want to use and the homeowners are refusing to sell.  The city claims eminent domain forcing the homeowners to sell.  The rest of the town is happy that they will now have a strip mall.

c.      A certain country X is a major importer of goods to the country Y.  It is widely known by country Y that this country X engages in slave labor and child labor, yet the citizens of country Y continue to purchase country Xs products because they are much cheaper.

Genesis 18:1-21

I.                The Covenant Renewed (Genesis 18:1-16)

A.    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;

1.     Lord - יהוה Yĕhovah, "the existing One"

2.     Targum of Jonathon 18:1 says “The Glory of the Lord was revealed to him at the Vision of Mamre; he was suffering from pain of circumcision.”

3.     plains of Mamre - an oak grove on Mamre's land in Palestine where Abraham dwelt

a.      Genesis 14:24 - Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.

b.      Mamre was an Amorite who had previously allied himself with Abraham.

c.      Mamre means "strength" or "fatness"

B.     Genesis 18:2 – And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw [them], he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

1.     Where did the Lord go?

a.      Obviously Abraham would not leave the Lord in order to run to strangers, clearly He recognized these men as the Lord.

b.      Did He appear as a mirage then fade with the appearance of the three men? 

c.      Or was it that Abraham felt His presence and when he looked up, instead of the Lord he saw these men standing?

d.      All indications point to the Lord’s presence in these three men

2.     Note the haste, here and throughout this passage that this 99 year old man is operating

3.     Three - שלוש shalowsh, three, triad, The following points are taken from E.W. Bullinger’s work entitled Number in Scripture:

a.      Denotes completeness, as three lines complete three dimensions of length, breadth, and height, and are necessary to form a solid. Hence three is the symbol of the cube--the simplest form of solid figure. As two is the symbol of the square, or plane contents (x²), so three is the symbol of the cube, or solid contents (x³). Hence, three is significant of Divine perfection and completeness

b.      Three, therefore, stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. All things that are spacially complete are stamped with this number three.

c.      God's attributes are three: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.

d.      There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future.

e.      Thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability.

f.       Three is the first of four perfect numbers:

·        Three denotes divine perfection;

·        Seven denotes spiritual perfection;

·        Ten denotes ordinal perfection; and

·        Twelve denotes governmental perfection.

g.      Three is the number associated with the Godhead, for there are:

·        "three persons in one God."

·        Three times the Seraphim cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy"--one for each of the three persons in the Trinity (Isa 6:3).

·        The living creatures also in Revelation 4:8.

h.      Three times is the blessing given in Numbers 6:24-26:

·        The LORD bless thee and keep thee (the Father);

·        The LORD make His face shine upon thee; and be gracious unto thee (the Son);

·        The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (the Holy Spirit).

i.       The gifts brought to the Christ Child were Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh

j.       Peter denied Christ three times representing absolute denial, yet Christ three times asked Peter to feed His flock showing perfect forgiveness.

k.      The inscriptions on the Cross in three languages show the completeness of His rejection by Man.

l.       The number of RESURRECTION, for it was on the third day that Jesus rose again from the dead.

·        This was Divine in operation, and Divine in its prophetic foreshowing in the person of Jonah (Matt 12:39,40; Luke 11:29; Jonah 1:17).

·        It was the third day on which Jesus was "perfected" (Luke 13:32).

·        It was at the third hour He was crucified;

·        It was for three hours (from the 6th to the 9th) that darkness shrouded the Divine Sufferer and Redeemer.

m.    God let down the sheet three times to Peter was the fulness of the testimony as to the admission of the Gentiles into the Church (Acts 10:16).

n.      Three gifts of Grace in I Corinthians 13:13:

·        Faith

·        Hope

·        Love

o       Love is the Greatest

o       God is Love (I John 4:8)

o.      Three great Feasts Ordained by God in Deuteronomy 16:16:

·        Unleavened Bread

·        Weeks

·        Tabernacles

p.      And here, the three persons appear to Abraham. Abraham "looked, and, lo, THREE men stood by him." But verse 1 declares that it was "Yehovah appeared unto him."

·        Abraham addresses them both as one and as three.

·        We read first that "they said," then "he said," and finally, in verses 13 and 17, 20, etc., "And the LORD said."

·        The whole narrative, which begins with the appearance of the LORD, ends (v 33), "And the LORD went His way."

q.      The list goes on and on…

4.     Men - אנוש 'enowsh, man, mortal man, person, mankind

5.     Men here, but in 19:1 two are referred to as angels

C.    Genesis 18:3 – And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

1.     My Lord? Three men yet Abraham addresses one

2.     My Lord - אדני 'Adonay, spoken in place of יהוה Yĕhovah in display of reverence

D.    Genesis 18:4 – Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

E.     Genesis 18:5 – And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

1.     Bread – food in general

2.     They said? Were they speaking simultaneously with one voice?

F.     Genesis 18:6 – And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead [it], and make cakes upon the hearth.

1.     Abraham hastened

2.     What are the emotions driving Abraham here:

a.      Fear

b.      Eagerness to please

c.      Anticipation of some big event

d.      Respect

G.    Genesis 18:7 – And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave [it] unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

1.     Abraham ran

H.    Genesis 18:8 – And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set [it] before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

1.     They did eat – What is the purpose of this

2.     God doesn’t require food, yet He is accepting the hospitality of Abraham as Abraham is doing all of these things with the humility of a servant’s heart.

I.      Genesis 18:9 – And they said unto him, Where [is] Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

1.     Again, they said speaking in unison?  This had to be kind of creepy

J.      Genesis 18:10 – And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard [it] in the tent door, which [was] behind him.

1.     Transitions from they speaking to He

2.     Will return at springtime

K.    Genesis 18:11 – Now Abraham and Sarah [were] old [and] well stricken in age; [and] it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

L.     Genesis 18:12 – Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

1.     Says that she laughed within herself, she may not have even laughed out loud.

2.     The rest of the verse we’ll  leave to the imagination

M.   Genesis 18:13 – And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

1.     Think about Sarah’s situation here, she laughed in her own mind and God questions her husband about it.  Talk about an awkward moment when you know whatever you are thinking in response is already known. 

a.      Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

b.      It’s hard enough to guard our tongues, but God even knows what we are thinking and corrects us for it.

2.     Notice that the Lord responds to Abraham and not Sarah, yet Sarah is the one who laughed (or thought about laughing), does this mean anything?

N.    Genesis 18:14 – Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

1.     Is anything too hard for the Lord?

a.      Hard – wonderful

b.      The question was asked by the Lord here, and answered by an angel in the Gospel of Luke

c.      Luke 1:37 – “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

2.     Time appointed…from vv.10 springtime.

O.    Genesis 18:15 – Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

1.     Here the Lord responds directly to Sarah

2.     More evidence of a merciful God for Sarah lied directly to the Lord yet He merely corrected

3.     Up until this point Sarah may not have known who these guests were, but God is opening her eyes here

P.     Genesis 18:16 – And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

II.              Abraham and God Negotiate the Fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:17-33)

A.    Genesis 18:17 – And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;

1.     Who was the Lord addressing? The other two men/angels?  There is no response.  Did Abraham hear this question?

B.     Genesis 18:18 – Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

1.     Ephesians 3

C.    Genesis 18:19 – For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

1.     He knows because Abraham has demonstrated his faithfulness in doing these things already

D.    Genesis 18:20 – And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

1.     This message seems to be directed both at the men/angels accompanying Him as well as Abraham.

2.     Seems that God “thought” about the option of not telling Abraham and decided against it.  Provides us some insight

3.     What is this “cry” of Sodom & Gomorrah?

E.     Genesis 18:21 – I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

1.     What is it that God is verifying?

a.      What is the nature of crying out

·        Cry - זעק za`aq, feminine noun, “cry, outcry”

·        Is it for justice to be done?

b.      Genesis 4:10 - And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

·        Abel’s blood cried out - צעק tsa`aq, verb, “to cry, cry out, call, cry for help”

c.      Exodus 2:23 - And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

·       Cried - זעק za`aq, same word as above but here it is used as a verb to cry out or call for help

·        Cry - שועה shav`ah, feminine noun, “cry for help”

·        Nehemiah 9:9 - And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

o       Cry - זעק za`aq, feminine noun, “cry, outcry”, same word as Gen. 18:20 and 21 describing the events of the Exodus and used as a noun instead of the verb.

d.      The usage of this word appears to be associated with that of oppressed crying out for help.  This provides some insight into God’s character in that He hears the cries of victims, abused and oppressed people and ultimately will be moved to action.  One does not have to use much imagination as to what type of abuse is going on in Sodom and Gomorrah because it becomes evident in the next chapter with respect to what the men of the city attempted to commit against the angels of God.