Genesis 18:1-15 NKJV
18 Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
So he said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
What a blessed event and how thankful for us to be able to read and hear it! Abraham has three visitors from heaven come to him to prophecy about the birth of his and Sarah’s son, Isaac. Abraham certainly exuded the proper character by humbling himself before them and considering himself unworthy: “he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” (vss. 3-5) That’s New Man genuine!
Early Lutheran theologians hold that it was the Pre-Incarnate Christ, with His two ministering angels, who had visited Abraham. Some Christians may say to themselves, “It sure would be nice if I had the opportunity to give lodging and receive Christ.” But we must keep in mind what God says in His Word — that this does happen in three ways: First, when we love Him with all our heart, and receive His divine Word with a believing heart. As He says, “Whoever loves Me will keep My Word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our dwelling with him: (Jn. 14:6).
Second, when we partake of the most worthy Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood in faith according to the proper manner and ordnance. As He says, “Whoever eats My fleshed drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him” 9Jn. 6:56). And third, when for God’s sake we receive a poor miserable man, feed him, give him something to drink, clothe him, etc. As He says, “I was a guest, hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and you gave Me lodging, fed Me, gave Me something to drink, clothed Me, and visited Me” (Matt. 25:35-36). And what Christ means by this He goes on to say: “Truly I say to you, whatever you did to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me” ([vs. 40].
Let us pray: O Lord, grant me the virtues of Abraham and keep me aware of Your visitation and rejoice in You. Amen.