Genesis Chapter 18 Part 1

Shalom and welcome to via hafte yes Ryan a Hebrew phrase which means you shall love Israel we hope you'll stay with us for the next 30 minutes as our teacher dr. Baruch shares his expose Ettore teaching from the Bible dr. Baruch is the senior lecturer at the Zahra Avraham Institute based in Israel although all courses are taught in Hebrew at the Institute dr. Baruch is pleased to share this weekly address in English to find out more about our work in Israel please visit us on the web at love Israel you are G that's one word love Israel dot o RG now here's Baruch with today's lesson frequently I am asked a question do I believe in the Trinity and the answer I always give is a resounding yes I do now the reason for that is even though the word Trinity doesn't appear in the Bible when we look at the Scriptures we find that that doctrine God being God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is a truth that the Word of God reveals so someone will say do you believe in three gods no I do not God is one but he has managed has himself distinctly uniquely in three persons each one being God in and of himself not less not in some way lacking something but each one being God so is the Bible speaking of three gods no just one so you mean three equals one and one equals three that's right now can we put our minds around that no we cannot but there's many things especially when we deal with the very essence the being the nature of God that is very hard for us even in this redemptive state even with the Holy Spirit filling and dwelling within us it's still difficult for us to comprehend that but our lack of being able to explore and comprehend it in the fullest and the clearest way does not mean that that is not truth well we're going to look at a very very well-known passage from the book of Genesis it is especially significant in Judaism this account so to get your Bible and look with me to the book of Genesis and chapter 18 now let me simply say that I listen to a lot of rabbinical lectures and I'm always amazed how they can tank a small reference a hint a very what I would call maybe distant clue in the texts and from that arrive at a conclusion and for the most part I don't believe that is a good or proper way of doing biblical exegesis that is interpreting the scripture but but I like consistency and therefore we're going to be looking at in my opinion a very strong reference to God revealing himself through three persons and the outcome of that is a reference to the Trinity but the rabbinical world does not see that whatsoever but if you look back to the ancient sages they do see God manifesting himself here in this passage in these three individuals that appear so with that said look with me to verse 1 the book of Genesis chapter 18 and verse 1 and the Lord appeared to him and that word for Lord is the word you David Haye Hashem it's the most sacred way of responding to God we usually think of this term as the Lord the Lord Almighty that Jehovah annunciation of these four letters UTA bhave so the Lord appeared to him and the him here according to the context is obviously Avraham Vinu our father abraham and once more we need to remember that so much of the foundation of our faith what we ought to believe it derives it is derived from the life the words the actions of Abraham and no one knew that better better than the Apostle Paul and his use of Abraham for example in the book of Romans and also in the book of Galatians so in this passage we are going to look learned some foundational principles in regard to our faith our belief verse one once more and the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre and this location it is also known and we'll see this later on in the book of Genesis it is another name of referring to the the city of Chevron and heav Rome has great biblical significance so what's taking place here the fact that it's at have roamed the plains of Mamre this tells us that this event has great significance for you and me for the reader and we read further on and he is setting at the doorway of the tent now two things here first of all notice that word he is setting now the word is yo Chev in Hebrew but we know it's yo chef because of the points the vowel pointings that the Masoretic text puts into the text originally when we look at the Hebrew text it had no vowels so what we have here is three letters and we could translate it yo chef instead of yo chef because we only have the consonants but here's the point I want us to realize whenever there is a present tense rather than past or future perfect or imperfect the pending upon how you learned Hebrew grammar whenever we have a present tense always according to the sages we're referring to something that has great meaning great significance biblical implications that we need to grasp onto so in this fact that the Masoretic s' they put the vowels in to make this a present tense verb that has great consequences for us so we're at Chevron God has appeared to Avraham at this time ah from does not know this he's sitting at the doorway of his tent and it's he's not the normal word for door delat but it's the word here petah which has to do with the opening or the entrance of his tent now we're gonna see that that location is going to be referred back to in several verses in this passage and when something is mentioned over and over it is because it has significance and when you think of the doorway what should come into your mind well once again according to the sages of old that location what should come into our mind is what's called the mezuzah the mezuzah is this container that we place in it the passage known as the Shema and it speaks about loving the Lord our God with all of our heart with all of our soul with all of our might and the commandments doing so this location the door of the tent or the door of a home today it speaks about it's a reference to the commandments not just learning them but rather applying them implementing them into your behavior and this is what's going to be demonstrated by Abraham in this passage that he was someone who not only believed in God but that faith his belief in God caused him to manifest it by his actions and what actions by obeying the commandments of God now you say well the commandments of God have not been given yet we don't find them until the book of Exodus and we are just in the first part of Genesis that's correct but when one demonstrates faith what he believes in God when he enters into a covenant 'el relationship with God you know what that faith is going to produce a character change and that character change is going to cause that person to naturally carry out the purpose the will the word or here the commandments of God now there's another thing that needs to be stated before we move on and that is context now we're in a new chapter but here again those numbers of chapters like chapter 18 and those verses they don't appear in the original texts no numbers of verses no numbers of chapters is just the Word of God written down continuing and so the last thing that we have read about before coming into chapter 18 is the fact that Avraham was circumcised and what do we learn about circumcision in our previous study circumcision if we can summarize that with one sentence circumcision speaks to the death of the flesh and when our flesh dies what's the outcome of that well we're going to be walking according to the spirit first a scripture that I frequently go and and state is Romans 8 and verse 4 where it says those who do not walk in the flesh but walk in the spirit fulfilled the righteousness of the law that is being exemplified demonstrated shared with us through the life of Avraham and how is that well keep reading the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre and he is sitting at the entrance to his tent literally to a tent his tent and it says at the heat of the day now Avraham he is an old man 99 years of old we learned last week he has just been circumcised painful experience for a man and it's at the heat of the day the time when you want to rest of course in Spanish they had that wonderful term siesta so it's at an inter in opportune time but notice how he responds see what may be an inopportune time from us according to our culture according to our mindset according to how we see things it might be the most opportune time according to what God is up to and God's moving here you only have to go back to the first three words of verse 1 where it says and the Lord appeared unto him God's appearing has potential it has purpose it has great significance so notice his response in verse 2 and he lifted up his eyes now there's two ways that we can understand that phrase he lifted up his eyes one is he was sitting there at the doorway of the tent and he saw three men passing by that's what we're going to see so this lifting up his eyes as simply he looked but normally especially in this section of Genesis and especially in regard to Avraham when it says that one lifted up his eyes more often than not it is an idiom for prayer not always but frequently and it could be saying that Avraham at the time that this was going on what was he doing he was praying and it's in the midst of prayer that revelation came he lifted up his eyes he was praying and keep reading and he saw and behold and that word behold always foreshadows something that's coming as well that has great meaning to the texts and behold three men standing over him now this phrase standing over him well there in front of him they're passing by they are out in the field Avraham is sitting at the doorway of his tent and they're passing by it'll be clearly told to us that's what's happening so the expression that these three men and here again remember the context Avraham he sees or it says and God appeared to him and what Avraham saw was three men and the fact that it says and the the word is unique it says it's a vein Aleph which has to do with standing over him now many of the rabbinical commentaries they see significance and I would strongly agree with them that they are standing over meaning that they are greater and in the context we would see that God appeared to Abraham the Lord and how did he do so what did Abraham see he sees three men passing by but it says they were over him so God is manifesting himself and there's no disagreement among the sages the Lord manifested himself to offer him and how did he do it through these three men or what they would say three angels well keep reading our from Saul now here's something that's also very significant in the texts I've mentioned to you when words appear it is for a reason we don't need that phrase and he saw we already been told that he saw he lifted up his eyes and he saw three men walking or passing over him and notice what the Texas again he saw and he ran to meet them now the fact that the word and he saw appears again in almost redundancy here again it's never a redundancy in the scripture as we think of redundancy it is to teach us something the first time he perceived something in the sense of Revelation the second time he saw that physically displayed to him so God is communicating and that's why he did something he's 99 years old it's the heat of the day he just was circumcised the last thing that we would expect Avraham to do in this condition at that time and at his age is to run when people run in the Bible it is always of great information it's trying to reveal something it is rare when one runs in the scripture so Ofra Ham he sees and he runs to meet them at from the doorway of the tent now here again that's the second time that this phrase says here petah ha oh hell from the the preposition from is attached to that word for for doorway so he runs to meet them from the the doorway of the tent now we've spoken of this location the doorway of the tent having to do with a mezuzah that speaks to faith in God and obedience to the Word of God and what I always like to say that when I teach this passage is the imagery that we're receiving is that Avraham he is displaying himself as a living mezuzah he is putting into action what the the mezuzah basically reveals teaches what that ritual it's a biblical ritual it's a commandment to a fix this this box with with the commandments of God in it we find that in the scripture commanded to us and now Avraham he probably doesn't have because that law has been given he doesn't have a mezuzah on his tent but he is displaying what a mezuzah is supposed to to reveal and what is that well if you look sometime to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6 or Deuteronomy chapter 11 we have revealed to us what the mezuzah is about we put it upon our doorposts or we put it upon the gates of our property and one of the reasons for that is according to tradition is that those who pass by those who come to our house they find that there is someone who is god-fearing someone who displays the living Torah in their life and what is that well to be a blessing so hospitality is a major aspect of the the commandments of God being very hospitable to others and what is offer I'm doing well these three men were going to see it says initially they are standing over him but later on and I've mentioned this they're passing by Avraham could have done nothing maybe just said hi to them god be with you but he didn't do that even though he was recovering from his circumcision even though he's an old man even though it's the heat of the day what did he do he thought not of himself but he thought of these three travellers that it would be nice for them to rest it's the heat of the day and notice how he responds to them verse verse two again he's standing or sitting at the doorway of his tent he sees them he runs and noticed the end of verse two waha who art so he he boughs to the ground and it's a unique construction I don't want to go into that right now but simply say that the fact that he did that and how it's revealed in the Hebrew shows let's simply say a market nests and markedness is as well for significance now what would I conclude from that well that Avraham he is placing all of himself in a posture of worship so whether he knows instinctively this is a manifestation of God or whether he is just and this is how some of the commentaries related that Avraham he treats a stranger these three men passing by as he would if God were passing by and and he would what course want to show hospitality show a kindness and invite this this this passerby if he knew it was God he certainly would invite God into his house and serve him and this is how Abraham is doing to these three strangers verse three and he said and this is another clue from the text it's not I don't need I don't need would simply be a term for sir literally my sir my master my lord not in a a religious sense but if you go to England for example they have that title Lord and it's a term of great respect and honor it shows submissiveness to that person that you respect but it's not the word I donate now in the original we would know if it was a Tony or I don't know but when we look at how the ancient sages the Mazarin s-- how they put the vowel pointings in they put it in not I don't need but I don't know and that is sistren to strengthen that this is God manifesting himself to Avraham in three persons once more verse three and he said aramis speaking I don't know please if I have found grace in your sight so a very frequent term throughout the scripture for respect and saying if I found grace or that word ten can be favored if I find favor with you in your sight do something for me and what does he s he says do not pass from above your servant meaning you know don't just continue on and it's an idiom for ignoring me I don't want you to ignore me and what does offer I'm do well it's a term in respectfulness but also a strong beseech II he says don't pass from your servant but let there be a little water taken so he's going to bring them water that they might wash he says wash your feet so this is a term of respect to wash someone's feet or allow them to do that at your place providing the means for it it is a act of hospitality it's the act of respect it's an act of of comfort because they're walking and so it's just refreshing that their feet would be washed and that's not all it says and and lean under the tree and the aspect is lean against the tree and be under its shade and refresh yourself first verse for verse five excuse me and he took potluck um some some bread they saw do live him this is an expression to to assist yourself just a word for heart meaning strengthen now it can also be an idiom because that same word for strengthen can also be a reference to eating the word for restaurant Masada comes also from the same root so he's saying rest you know wash your feet it's relaxing sit under the tree takes some shade in be relaxing because he wants to do something else and what is that he says and after you can pass by for therefore you have passed over your servant meaning this you know you've come into my domain my region and therefore because you have saw fit for whatever reason to come by my estate I want to show you hospitality you've come into my jurisdiction we could say and therefore Aram says let me show you some kindness let me be hospitable to you and afterwards you can pass now what he's saying is don't deny me the opportunity to be a blessing don't pass by without extending allowing me to extend to you hospitality and notice what else he says in the verse five they're actually speaking and they say thus as you have said thus you shall do just as you have said and verse six Avraham he sees this as an opportunity there are refreshing themselves resting in the heat of day and then they're going to continue on but as they're resting notice how offer him even does more or than that verse six and quickly now this words as well going to be repeated in the text it is to show a great desire of Avraham not to miss out on this opportunity God now here again does he know this well there is debate among the sages whether he does or does not but the important thing is this I like the interpretation that that you know we're going to be seen in a few months when we complete our study of the book of Hebrews it warns us there at chapter thirteen be careful because sometimes one has entertained angels without knowing it so minimally we can say this certainly applies here I think it has more to do than just angels but rather it has to do with the very presence of God God Himself manifesting himself to Omaha and Avraham not knowing this but but wanting to treat everyone like we should what does the New Covenant say Messiah schewe speaks and teaches that what you do for the least of your brethren you do also unto me and Avraham is displaying that in this verse so he says in verse six Avraham quickly he goes towards the tent to Sarah and he says quickly second time that word is mentioned and it's the command form quickly three measures of fine flour needed and make will goat now this is the the modern Hebrew word for cakes or in this sense it could be like ooh yield we would say cookies something to to refresh now they're preparing a meal and so this would be like the first course of the mill it says also verse seven and two the cattle Avraham once again he runs there now everything it's being done in a very quick hurriedly manner not in a careless way but one that shows this is important what's the message for us opportunities when God gives you an opportunity to serve Him when he gives you an opportunity to bless don't allow that opportunity to pass by respond with urgency hurriedly act upon the opportunities to be obedient to the things that God puts in our way be quick servants don't duh say well I need to pray about it I'll get back to you on it No Avraham he responded with haste in a good way so to the cattle Avraham ran middle of verse seven and he took a calf that was rock rock is soft probably in this context tender and good and he gave it to a young man and once again quickly quickly he said prepare it make it so three times we see Avraham speaking the word my hair quickly three measures of flour so there are hints to that number three repeating over and over in the text look now to verse eight and he took some butter and some milk and the calf which he had made and he said it or gave it before them and he stood over them underneath the tree they ate now Avraham he did not eat with them he stood as a servant and that's significant now normally this stands out in a major way in this passage normally when eating is mentioned it is for the purpose of but Avram he's not fellowshiping with them he is serving them and the only explanation and here again some of the sages they see this the fact that he did not eat with his guests is odd and it may hint to at least to the reader that this dichotomy this separation between Avraham being a man and these three ones that pass by referring to who referring to God so there's many clues in the text to emphasize that what's happening here is a manifestation of God and even the sages most all of them see this is a manifestation of God's presence whether it's his literal presence or a hint to his presence that is being revealed in the text verse 9 now they came with a purpose we see this in the second half of the passage that we're going to study to see me because they're going to speak concerning the promise of God and learn the principle God gives promises through a covenant if you are a believer in Messiah sure you have entered into a new covenant a better covenant a covenant with as the scripture says better promises now just because you have entered into that covenant does that mean that all those promises you are going to be a recipient of well if you respond in obedience to that covenant you will and what's being referred to us here is this it is because Avraham didn't say well I'm recovering from from my circumcision I'm sore it's the heat of the day I'm 99 years old and you know a younger man when I was younger I would help these people I would show them hospitality and if they were to come and seek it even today I would give it to them but but because they seem to just be passed maybe they're in a hurry maybe maybe they've eaten someplace else maybe they've rested someplace else yeah that's why they're passing by and do nothing that's not what Abraham thought he saw an opportunity to practice hospitality to put the commandments into action and he did that and what does that do well notice that these angels they are going to speak of when I say angel I mean messengers whether it's the divine presence being displayed in three persons which I believe or if we take a more liberal rabbinical perspective that it's simply three angels that manifest God's presence however you seek to to understand it realize this it was because of Abraham's obedience - let me just say the heart of God being hospitable being a blessing that response from Avraham to these three what do they speak about the promise when we and here's my point when we obey the Word of God it brings a proclamation from God in regard to the fulfillment of his promises to us obedient is a catalyst for the promises of God being spoken into reality into our life why do I say that well look again verse 9 they speak unto Him where is Sarah your wife now we know that Sarah is Avraham's wife Avraham knows that so why do they put it in this term well for two reasons the fact that Sarah is his wife hints to a covenant the second thing that we can say about this is that they knew Sarah by name they that he was very they had perfect knowledge and to me this is a strong message in the text about the divinity who is visiting Avraham that day so they say where's Sarah your wife and and he said behold in the tent and notice verse 10 and he said now there's changes here when when these three speaks sometimes is in the singular sometimes it's in the plural now why is that I would answer because God sometimes manifests himself as the Trinity the three plural sometimes he manifests himself as the one God so here look at what he says in verse 10 and he says I will certainly return unto you at the time of life like that the time of life now once more if we look at some of the sages they would say the time of life is the spring this is when the animals are born and spraying as synonymous with redemption so this child that is going to be referred to here has to do it gives us the concept and Sarah's being mentioned it gives us the concept of redemption the promise of redemption so I will return unto you at the time of life why and behold a son to Sarah your wife so it's a real firming an affirmation of God's promise that Abraham is going to have a son through Sarah his wife through this coven ental relationship look at the middle of verse 10 and Sarah is listening now once again we have and as I said there's a degree of rarity because we've seen many perfect and imperfect verbs in this passage but we see all in regard to Avraham sitting in the present and now Sarah listening in the present and once more this is to emphasize the importance of what's going on here so Sarah is listening where she's listening at the same place that Abraham was at the doorway of the tent which is after him and Avram verse 11 Avraham and Sarah they were elderly kaneen and the days had come what days haddad Leela Sarah hora que machine what a beautiful expression what it says here the days had come when what when cease to be to Sarah the the guests like women it is obviously a term for her menstruation what a beautiful way in a dignified way of saying this so Sarah has passed the age of fertility offer I'm gnosis this is why he struggled in the past when he said if only ishmael can live before you if through this child the promise no god is going to do the miraculous verse 12 here is Sarah's response and Sarah just like Avraham in the previous section it says here and Sarah laughed in term it's not vocally the text its emphatic Sarah laughed inside now it wasn't a visible laughing or giggling she said to herself scoffing after I am worn out and that's what it means there should be to me and the word is Edna now in modern Hebrew the word Edna can be puberty it can mean a regeneration or it could mean something that is just very pleasant to a person so all these things she's saying you know am I gonna have this pleasant experience being a mother am I going to be rejuvenated am I going to become fertile again like a young woman who's passed through puberty that's what she's saying and she does it scoffing at this because she says and I am old or my master meaning offer I'm here Adoni not I don't I but I don't nee my master is old verse 13 and the Lord said interesting just out of you know we have this term you'd a buffet in verse 1 now we're in verse 13 and the Lord is speaking this is strong evidence for the Trinity that God has manifested himself in these 3 so the Lord said to Abraham why what is this that sara has laughed saying indeed I will bear when I am old so it is a statement of doubt that Sarah's making and then look at verse 14 God promises something he says is there anything too marvelous now some of your Bibles may say difficult but it's a word Pele it's the same word in a different form it's in the verb but remember the phrase Pele youit's wonderful counselor that's this word wonderful is there anything too wonderful or marvelous from the Lord it says at the proper time mouid at the moet the proper time I will return unto you at the time of life and to Sara a son verse 15 now Sara she denied saying I did not laugh but I was afraid and he said no for you laughed and the men they got up from there meaning they got up and they left and notice what it says you a fool this is to gaze at its to look at something and I would say intensively now why do I say that because the same word is used the same verb is used and is altered to form what we would say in modern Hebrew for binoculars so to look closely at something from a distance but when to see it and they look towards Sodom and Avraham it says and Avraham went with them to send them away so Avram as they were leaving after twice proclaiming that there is going to be that child that son to Sarah that God's going to fulfill his promise notice what it says that they went now to Sodom and Avraham 1/4 of them he he escorted them to the very end of his property also showing respect now let me just conclude by saying two things first of all why is Sodom mentioned well Sodom when it's in the scripture we should think of that as judgment the second reason is to teach us a principle this has this this passage has Redemption written all over it Sarah is spoken about at the time of life in the spring Passover time Passover being the festival Redemption and what we too are to include and this is the second point that Redemption comes by means of judgment and when we speak of Redemption we're speaking about the outcome of Redemption the kingdom the kingdom won't come until after judgment well we'll close with that until next week when we continue on into chapter 18 and see the significant things that's going to happen as we press on in the book of Genesis well we hope you will benefit from today's message and share it with others please plan to join us each week at this time and on this channel for our broadcast of love Israel org again to find out more about us please visit our website love Israel not bow RG there you will find articles in numerous other lectures by Baruch these teachings are in video form may download them or watch them in streaming video until next week may the Lord bless you in our Messiah Yeshua that is Jesus as you walk with Him Shalom from Israel [Music]

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Length: 44min 47sec (2687 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 26 2018