Walk in the Bible - Genesis 18

Walk in the Bible - Genesis 18

     This chapter pick up three days after Abraham was circumcised. Although the chapter itself doesn't say as much, pretty much all of the Torah scholars believe this is when this happened, as kind of a "get well" visit as this is when the circumcision would have been the most painful.  A lot of Bible translations say that Abraham was sitting by the "Terebinths" or the "Oaks" of Mamre.  Mamre was both the name of a city in Palestine and the name of a person. We know it's a person because he's mentioned back in Genesis 14:13 as Mamre the Amorite and Abraham was shown to be living in that same location as well!

     He's shown sitting in the door of his tent on the fourth hour of the day, now according to Daat Zkenim, this is when people ate lunch, typically the biggest meal of the day. The fourth hour of the day would be between 10-11 as the day started right at daybreak, and the first hour would fall roughly between Dawn and 8 AM. Rabbeinu Bahya tells us that Abraham was sitting in the sun to help heal his wounds from his recent circumcision, he claims Malachi 3:20 "For the sun brings healing on it's wings" as a basis for this statement. He was also sitting at the door, looking in all directions to see who he could share his meal with, according to Chizkuni, as that was the custom of the day. As an additional note Chizkuni also tells us that the fourth hour is the least likely time to see any guests at all. It's almost a metaphor for what's about to happen in Abraham's life!

     When the Bible says that Abraham ran out to meet his guests, that shows you how important he thought they were. According to the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible commentary, the host will typically just stand up, however, if the host recognizes you as having a superior rank, the host will rise, come towards you, then bow low, then lead you into his tent, either by putting his arm around your waist or tapping you on the shoulder as you go to let you know you're welcomed. Abraham didn't just bow, the Bible says he prostrated himself on the ground which is reserved for princes or kings! Remember that there weren't any hotels or inns at this time, someone had to host you in their home or you didn't have roof over your head that evening!

      Abraham went out to meet them and offered them water to wash their feet. This would have been especially needed during this time, as both Rashi and Chizkuni remind us. This would have been the season of the desert winds, or "Sharaf".It would have been so hot and windy that the traveler's feet would have been saturated in sweat soaked sand! He also offered to give them some bread.

       Now I imagine this sounds odd to us, but Rashi reminds us that in the Torah and the prophets, bread is considered the sustenance of the heart. The Torah does say "And I will fetch a morsel of bread and sustain your heart". Rashi also reminds us that Judges 19:5 tells us "Stay thy heart with a morsel of bread" and Psalms also  reminds us "And bread sustains a man's heart" (Psalms 104:15). It's likely that JESUS was referring to the same thing in John 6:35. Not only would he sustain a man's heart, but his very life as well!

       The angels did acquiesce to his request, now, this isn't too terribly odd, remember, the mid-day meal was the big meal in this culture and it really wasn't customary for that meal to be skipped. Chizkuni tells us that Abraham realized they were being modest and likely didn't want to impose on his generosity. Still he advised Sarah, his wife to make bread from three measures of flour. Chizkuni tells us that the scholars haven't decided if it was because it took that much flour to distill down into much better flower (each of the three measures of flour distilled down to 1/10th of a measure, which would have been enough for one person each !) or he was asking her to bake the entire amount which would have had his ovens running at full capacity, this is because bread baked in a full oven is superior to bread baked in a half full oven! None the less, he wasn't just giving them a piece of bread to be sure!

       Remember, Abraham's in a lot of pain from his circumcision and he's still moving around - and he's not done yet. He, himself, selects a calf and has his servant prepare it for his guests, and yes that does mean the calf was slaughtered. He likely gave them what was considered the best part of the calf, it's tongue seasoned with mustard, per Talmud Eyruvin 28). The next verse, 8, shows Abraham, again, who's in pain due to his circumcision, waiting on the angels. Remember, he's a rich man, he doesn't have to do this, he could have had his servant do it, but he lowered himself to be a servant, as Christ would do when he came down to Earth.

       Did you notice that this verse doesn't mention the bread that Abraham mentioned in the beginning? The Torah scholars actually don't agree on why that is. Some say that yes it was there, and didn't need to be mentioned as it's considered the main part of the meal. Other scholars insist that Sarah had started menstruating (as she was going to have a child) and couldn't serve the bread as it would be considered unclean. Verse 11, more or less, contradicts this.

       When the angels asked Abraham where Sarah was, it wasn't because they didn't know. Chizkuni tells us that they wanted her to pay attention.  She couldn't be in the room with them as this would have been against the custom of the day. So instead, they asked where she was, so they would get her attention, and Abraham let them know she was just inside the tent within hearing range.

       This is when the angels told him that GOD's prophecy, that he'd make a mighty nation out of him, would be answered. His wife was going to have, not just a child, but a son. Son's were highly prized in this day and time as Abraham couldn't pass on his estate to a daughter at all. Women were considered possessions, as were children. In this society, only men mattered. 

       The Bible lets us know that Sarah is indeed listening and heard what was said. In fact, the next verse lets us know (as I mentioned earlier) that Sarah had already stopped menstruating and therefore shouldn't be able to have a child at all. Sarah response was to laugh, now Tur HaAroch tells us that she wasn't laughing with joy, she was just about ridiculing this message. She didn't realize who the messenger was, she though it was a prophet.

       Rashi has a very interesting comment about this, he says that Sarah reflected on her condition, wondering if her dried up breasts could give milk, and if her wrinkled up skin could smooth out and stretch with her child. This is, in a way a foreshadowing of Ezekiel 37 1:1-10 where Ezekiel would preach to a dry valley full of bones and watch in amazement as they became flesh and blood men before his eyes and of Isaiah 43:19 where GOD says he will, among other things, put streams in the desert. GOD, of course, knew Sarah laughed and spoke through the angels and challenged her on that. Now some scholars believe that GOD omitted Sarah's words about Abraham being old, and as such, told a "little white lie". Tur HaAroch however, disagrees with this, and in fact, he references Nachmanides in saying that,no,there was no "little white lie", Sarah did,in fact, mention herself as being old as well.

       Also notice that Abraham believed and Sarah doubted, in Luke 1:5 - 20 it was Zacharias, a priest, who disbelieved and he was penalized for his disbelief, because he knew the law, Sarah didn't know the law and was not penalized for her disbelief. However, Chizkuni lets us know that her laughter would have lasting consequences, as he states that the Rabbinic ruling that in most matters women were not acceptable witnesses came from this incident in the Torah. After all, they reasoned, if Sarah would lie to GOD, how much more willing would women be to lie to judges? In fact, Sarah more than likely was afraid of the reproof from her husband, and worse, showing ill-manners to a guest!

       Those guests did leave, and Abraham, although still in pain, walked with them, likely to the outer perimeter of Sodom. Rabbeinu Bahya tell us that the sages of old, in Sotah 46 say that a student has to accompany a teacher when he leaves him to the outer perimeter of town. Abraham, once again,although wealthy and blessed by GOD, was taking on a role of humility. It would have certainly been a LOT more comfortable for him to have a few servants walk with the angels, but, he did this himself.

       In verse 17, the question GOD's asking is what's called an erotesis. An erotisis is a form of rhetoric where the question is asked when the speaker is confident of a negative answer. Remember, GOD's asking this rhetorical question while HE's on HIS way to Sodom with Abraham in tow, following HIM up to the gates of Sodom itself! GOD knew this news would grieve Abraham, just as it grieved HIM too. HE knew Abraham would try to talk HIM out of it, but HE knew HE was going to tell Abraham anyway, and that's just what HE did.

       The Bible show us that not too much time elapsed between GOD's erotesis and HIS answer!  Literally just as soon as HE asked that question, HE answered it by telling Abraham that the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were great. Now, up to this very day, there's a huge disagreement on what those sins are, and to be honest, a whole Bible Study could be done on just Sodom and Gomorrah alone!

       We do know that Sodom and Gomorrah were located near the Dead Sea, Genesis,verse 14 1-3 let us know this. We also know that the valley of Sodom had tar pits in it, this is shown in Genesis 14:10. This also indicates that Sodom was near the Dead Sea, as The Dead Sea was once known as Lake Asphaltites (where we get the word "Asphalt" from), per Josephus, also known as Josephus Flavius. We also know that the Sodomites were descended from Canaan who was the son of Ham, who was the son of Noah himself! We see this in Genesis 10:16-20.

       We also know that they were evil people. In this day and time, hospitality towards guest and visitors was a must! This was a Nuzi custom (The Nuzi customs were recorded in the Nuzi tables in the city of Nuzi). The bible refers to them as "Horites", "Hivites" and "Jebusites". The actual city is located in Kirkuk in Northern Iraq.

       We know they were an evil people because we have evidence both from the Bible and outside the Bible. Josephus, in Antiquities 1:194-5, tells us that the Sodomites were really proud of how big their city was and how much money they had and hated all foreigners. The Mishnah (The written recordings of the Jewish Oral Law) expresses the sin of Sodom in the phrase "What's mine is mine, what's yours is yours".  The Talmud (which is an authoritative view of rabbinic discussions of Jewish Law, customs and ethics) tells us that Sodom  was haughty, they had plenty of food and gold and they believed that the foreigners were coming in to take their wealth, so they went out of their way to keep foreigners out of their city. The judges of the city felt the same way and would bend the law to make sure that happened.

       The Talmud also lets us know that the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah thought nothing of taking advantage of a traveler entering their city. They had no problem taking their goods by cunning or force. Sodom is also mentioned in a Midrash ( a Midrash is an interpretation of the Torah. This is done by Rabbis, typically to explain Mosaic law), "Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer" ( a Midrash by Rabbi Eliezer)  explains that the Sodomites were evil, wealthy, had no consideration for travelers. They even went as far as fencing the fruit on their trees so that not even the birds could get their fruit.

     The Bible, itself, also mentions Sodom in Ezekiel 16:49-50 where he explicitly states what the sin of Sodom was, as does Isaiah in Isaiah 1:10-20. Sodom is also mentioned in Jeremiah 23:14 as well as Zephaniah 2:8-11. The Wisdom of Solomon (also called "Wisdom) 19:14-17 also mentions Sodom's sin 

too. Some verses mention idolatry, treating visitors with contempt or adultery.

     There can be no doubt that Sodom was an evil city, and GOD himself was going to the city HIMSELF. This was something rather unusual. Typically, GOD didn't have to come down to Earth HIMSELF, it wasn't necessary, HE was GOD and therefore HE was omniscient (HE knew everything!). Rabbeinu Bahaya tells us that GOD was warning Sodom by letting this be known, he was telling them "Repent right now, or else!". Or HaChaim in his commentary on Genesis 18:18 states that GOD came down HIMSELF to teach earthly judges not to make judgments on capital crimes except on the basis of eye witnesses. Siftei Chakhamim says something similar as well. Either way, this city was judged and was being given one last chance to change.

      In verse 22 we see that Abraham is still at the gates of Sodom, standing with GOD. As I mentioned it was customary to walk your teacher to the gates of the town, Abraham had done just that and could have just left, but he didn't, he remained and interceded on Sodom's behalf. The next section of verses are really interesting. Any study I've read on this section refers to this section of verses with legal terms.

      The Oxford Biblical Studies refers to this as a case of Abraham playing advocate (in his time, they'd call this person a "paraclete"), who, under the court system at that time,would speak on your behalf before a judge because you were not able to speak on your own behalf. Here, GOD would be the judge and Abraham was the intercessor, or the paraclete, foreshadowing a time when Christ would become our intercessor, our paraclete, before GOD and grant us life, not death as would be the case here. The Shalom Institute also refers to these passages as a legal approach, once again depicting Abraham as an advocate for Sodom.

      I also note that he approached it like one would approach a merchant and haggle for a good price, which wasn't unknown in that day and time either. The website Torah.com makes a good point by stating that the numbers Abraham was asking for weren't simply figures in the air. If the town of Sodom had 50 people who were righteous in GOD's eyes, then perhaps they could convince the town itself and help them all to become righteous too. With GOD agreeing with that number, Abraham begins to haggle GOD down to ten.

      Some commentators believe that because GOD agreed to it readily, Abraham believed that there really weren't ten righteous people in town. Rambam states that he believes that Abraham went no lower than 10 people because during the flood where everyone else dies,(Genesis 7:7) except for Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives there were a total of 8 righteous people and GOD still destroyed the cities, all of them. Rashi also agrees with this.  Sforno states that according to the first Mishnah in Sanhedrin, only a quorum of ten male adults can "save" the accused person. Rabbeinu Bahya states that the number 50 wasn't chosen at random as well, but he gives a different rationale, he states that in the Valley, where Sodom was, there were a total of five towns, and by selecting 50 people, it could mean that each town could have at least 10 righteous people! Radak totally disagrees with Rabbeinu Bahya and states that Abraham knows GOD only means Sodom and not the other towns. 

    Abraham haggles GOD down to 10 righteous men, which is what he meant when he said "What if there are only 10". GOD agreed to spare the town if just 10 righteous men are found in that town. Abraham and GOD parted ways at this point and Abraham went home, back to his tent. GOD would sent his angels to Sodom that evening. Some scholars actually think that GOD was one of the three angels, they base this on Genesis 18:2 saying that three angels were near Abraham and he invited them to eat with him. In Genesis 18:33 it says GOD departed, but in verse 19:1 it shows not three angels, but two angels arriving in Sodom. We'll hear a bit more about them in our next walk in the Bible.

     In this chapter we see Abraham being told that he will become a father in the least likely point of his life, and Sarah's too! We see him believe even though possibly everyone else would have told him that this was impossible, and we'd see a repeat of this again in Luke 1:5 - 20 as well. We see Abraham minister to the angels by giving them something to eat when he invited them by his tent to eat with them, even though he was in a lot of pain from his circumcision, and we'd see Christ in John 13:3 - 20, getting up from up the Passover meal, removing his tunic, and replacing it with a towel. Then he would wash his disciples feet and dry them with the same towel, even though he was in a great deal of emotional pain,so much so that he would experience a rarely documented condition called Hematohidrosis, where blood exits from the sweat glands. This happens under extreme stress and has been documented outside the Bible.

     We then see Abraham walk up to the cities gates, even though he was still in pain, even though someone else could have done this for him, and then we see him act as a paraclete, or an intercessor for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, just as Christ does for us, Paul mentions this in Romans 8:34. In many respects, Abraham foreshadows what Christ would do for us, and what we should be doing for others today. He shows us that we should be ready to minister always, and what we should offer in ministry should be our very best, even if we, ourselves, aren't at our very best. Not that we should always be ministering or that we shouldn't take a break, even GOD did in Genesis 1, but that we should be ready to minister anywhere, and minister with the best of our ability.

     In Abraham's day, only certain people could do this, but since Christ came and became our ultimate sacrifice, he paid the way for anyone and everyone to imitate this way of life, this lifestyle. Whether we're a a home-maker, a professional, a child, and adult, man or woman and especially if you're a minister. So, are you ready to be the light of the world? Christ is counting on you to be that. If you're experiencing trouble being that, or you just don't think you ready to be that, feel free to drop me and email, I'd love to talk!