Genesis 18 LMAP Notes
Homework:
Today's Topics:
· Treating God right
· Consequences to every action
Important Points:
LITERAL (L)
MESSAGE (M)
PERSONAL APPLICATION (A)
PROPHETIC (P)
Lecture Topic:
· Don't Give Just the Minimum to GOD
"The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, [a] do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant."
"Very well," they answered, "do as you say."
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs [b] of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree." Genesis 18:1-8 NIV
Pasted from
L = Mamre is south of Jerusalem, about half way down the Dead Sea (Sodom & Gomorrah are thought to be at the s. tip)
-the sheik/chieften would often sit at his tent entrance in shade (probably right near the trees) in the heat of the day, being able to watch any approaching people; visitors of that culture would wait until they were invited to join a host;
-'hurrying' and 'bowing low to the ground' were not how sophisticated people acted, and yet we know Abraham was of some wealth; this insinuates that he was eager to please these 3 apparently majestic individuals;
-'lord' signified 'master'; Abraham, already rich and powerful at this point was highly impressed by these 3 visitors;
-refresh and rest, then eat; this shows accuracy/trustworthiness of the text, as one would not eat immediately after exertion (such as traveling); the washing of feet is still practiced today (due to sandals in dusty terrain; for example, Algeria); arm around the waist, tap on the shoulder to show welcome;
-one 'omer' was considered sufficient for one man for one day (Ex 16:16); an omer was 1/10 of a 'seah'; so 3 seah's was enough to feed 30 men (some guess 56lbs of food); this was a sumptuous feast!
-ME bread is sometimes made by mixing the flour and water and then heating it in a skillet, flipping it over and back until it is ready; the tenderest of calf meat (rare to offer meat!); and they literally ate (they had physical, real bodies).
-Abraham 'hurried in preparations' as they got refreshed and rested; he then 'stood' while they sat and dined well
-SO WHO WERE THESE 3 VISITORS?
M = so what is the Message here? Abraham recognized God and jumped at the chance (when it was the hottest, most uncomfortable part of the day), with eagerness and humility, to serve God; and he did not do the bare minimum, he went above and beyond!
A = so what can you learn from this? Do you jump at the chance to serve God, and do so eagerly and humbly, even when it's an inconvenient time and costly? How can you show such hospitality to God today?
P = Jesus towards His disciples at the Last Supper? Jesus towards us at the Great Feast?
· Don't Disbelieve GOD's Promises / He knows your thoughts!
"9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him.
"There, in the tent," he said.
10 Then the LORD [c] said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master [d] is old, will I now have this pleasure?"
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh."
But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."" Genesis 18:9-15 NIV
Pasted from
L = -after the meal, business begins; the wife stayed in the tents, not to be involved with the men;
-Jesus uses Sarah's name to get her attention; Jesus makes a difficult promise;
-Sarah hears it and laughs 'within', quietly; Sarah was 90 (lit, her womanness had left her) and Abraham was 99;
-Jesus knows though anyways; Sarah comes out to deny it; Jesus corrects her.
M = If God makes a promise, however unlikely, we should not question it.
A = What is one of the promises of God that you personally don't believe? Do you realize that God knows you don't believe Him?
P = another unlikely birth, the virgin birth of Mary
· Don't Underestimate GOD's Hatred of Sin / He knows your righteous deeds!
"16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. [e] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [f] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge [g] of all the earth do right?"
26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"
"If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."
29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?"
He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."
30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"
He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?"
He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."
32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"
He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home." Genesis 18:16-33 NIV
Pasted from
L = It was maybe a full's day walk to Sodom & Gomorrah, but Mamre was up high on a plateau and they could possibly see 'down' to the Dead Sea (even its southern tip);
-why did Jesus talk out loud with Himself, determining if He should tell Abraham His Plans? (It's a pattern of God; probably more for our benefit.)
-why did He decide to go ahead and tell Abraham? Abraham is key to God's future plans, and he can pass this lesson on.
-why was He down there anyways? To look directly in on Sodom's sins.
-was is OK for Abraham to 'question/challenge' God? Yes, if his heart was sincere and humble.
-did Abraham 'change' God's mind? No, God just let Abraham be a part of the conversation and situation.
-God knows the number of hairs on our head (Mat 10:30); so He would easily know the righteousness of individuals
M = Sin MUST be dealt with; the Righteous will temporarily save the Bad (which is why there is still evil today; God is protecting us and waiting for a few more of the bad to repent, 2 Peter 3:9, Methuselah, etc).
A = What sins are you doing right now that God is watching and displeased with? What righteous acts are you doing that God is noticing? (Do NOT try to 'balance' the two out!)
P = The End Times Judgment
Summary
· Treat God as the 'best guest' in your life; give Him the best of who you are!
· Don't doubt God's promises of blessings; He will know if you do!
· Always remember that sin must be punished and righteousness rewarded! (And Christ took your sin for you, so you better be thankful!)
Today's Topics:
· Treating God right
· Consequences to every action
Important Points:
LITERAL (L)
MESSAGE (M)
PERSONAL APPLICATION (A)
PROPHETIC (P)
Lecture Topic:
· Don't Give Just the Minimum to GOD
"The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, [a] do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant."
"Very well," they answered, "do as you say."
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs [b] of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."
7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree." Genesis 18:1-8 NIV
Pasted from
L = Mamre is south of Jerusalem, about half way down the Dead Sea (Sodom & Gomorrah are thought to be at the s. tip)
-the sheik/chieften would often sit at his tent entrance in shade (probably right near the trees) in the heat of the day, being able to watch any approaching people; visitors of that culture would wait until they were invited to join a host;
-'hurrying' and 'bowing low to the ground' were not how sophisticated people acted, and yet we know Abraham was of some wealth; this insinuates that he was eager to please these 3 apparently majestic individuals;
-'lord' signified 'master'; Abraham, already rich and powerful at this point was highly impressed by these 3 visitors;
-refresh and rest, then eat; this shows accuracy/trustworthiness of the text, as one would not eat immediately after exertion (such as traveling); the washing of feet is still practiced today (due to sandals in dusty terrain; for example, Algeria); arm around the waist, tap on the shoulder to show welcome;
-one 'omer' was considered sufficient for one man for one day (Ex 16:16); an omer was 1/10 of a 'seah'; so 3 seah's was enough to feed 30 men (some guess 56lbs of food); this was a sumptuous feast!
-ME bread is sometimes made by mixing the flour and water and then heating it in a skillet, flipping it over and back until it is ready; the tenderest of calf meat (rare to offer meat!); and they literally ate (they had physical, real bodies).
-Abraham 'hurried in preparations' as they got refreshed and rested; he then 'stood' while they sat and dined well
-SO WHO WERE THESE 3 VISITORS?
M = so what is the Message here? Abraham recognized God and jumped at the chance (when it was the hottest, most uncomfortable part of the day), with eagerness and humility, to serve God; and he did not do the bare minimum, he went above and beyond!
A = so what can you learn from this? Do you jump at the chance to serve God, and do so eagerly and humbly, even when it's an inconvenient time and costly? How can you show such hospitality to God today?
P = Jesus towards His disciples at the Last Supper? Jesus towards us at the Great Feast?
· Don't Disbelieve GOD's Promises / He knows your thoughts!
"9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him.
"There, in the tent," he said.
10 Then the LORD [c] said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son."
Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master [d] is old, will I now have this pleasure?"
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh."
But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."" Genesis 18:9-15 NIV
Pasted from
L = -after the meal, business begins; the wife stayed in the tents, not to be involved with the men;
-Jesus uses Sarah's name to get her attention; Jesus makes a difficult promise;
-Sarah hears it and laughs 'within', quietly; Sarah was 90 (lit, her womanness had left her) and Abraham was 99;
-Jesus knows though anyways; Sarah comes out to deny it; Jesus corrects her.
M = If God makes a promise, however unlikely, we should not question it.
A = What is one of the promises of God that you personally don't believe? Do you realize that God knows you don't believe Him?
P = another unlikely birth, the virgin birth of Mary
· Don't Underestimate GOD's Hatred of Sin / He knows your righteous deeds!
"16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. [e] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [f] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge [g] of all the earth do right?"
26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"
"If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."
29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?"
He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."
30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"
He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."
31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?"
He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."
32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"
He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."
33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home." Genesis 18:16-33 NIV
Pasted from
L = It was maybe a full's day walk to Sodom & Gomorrah, but Mamre was up high on a plateau and they could possibly see 'down' to the Dead Sea (even its southern tip);
-why did Jesus talk out loud with Himself, determining if He should tell Abraham His Plans? (It's a pattern of God; probably more for our benefit.)
-why did He decide to go ahead and tell Abraham? Abraham is key to God's future plans, and he can pass this lesson on.
-why was He down there anyways? To look directly in on Sodom's sins.
-was is OK for Abraham to 'question/challenge' God? Yes, if his heart was sincere and humble.
-did Abraham 'change' God's mind? No, God just let Abraham be a part of the conversation and situation.
-God knows the number of hairs on our head (Mat 10:30); so He would easily know the righteousness of individuals
M = Sin MUST be dealt with; the Righteous will temporarily save the Bad (which is why there is still evil today; God is protecting us and waiting for a few more of the bad to repent, 2 Peter 3:9, Methuselah, etc).
A = What sins are you doing right now that God is watching and displeased with? What righteous acts are you doing that God is noticing? (Do NOT try to 'balance' the two out!)
P = The End Times Judgment
Summary
· Treat God as the 'best guest' in your life; give Him the best of who you are!
· Don't doubt God's promises of blessings; He will know if you do!
· Always remember that sin must be punished and righteousness rewarded! (And Christ took your sin for you, so you better be thankful!)
