Tuesday, June 2, 2009

something new for me

Genesis 18:1-15

The Three Visitors

1 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, 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 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.

9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him.
"There, in the tent," he said.

10 Then the LORD 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 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."


Some things I never realized about this passage until today: there were three men standing there, yet it says that the LORD came to see Abraham. Abraham bowed before all three and addressed them as one, yet he knew there were three men standing before him because he prepared three loaves of bread. Could this be the second appearance of our three-in-one God? (the first being in the first few verses of Chap. 1). Also, Abraham seemed to understand that all three men were God, all three were his LORD. How did he know this? Did God sit him down and explain triune theology and it just didn't get recorded? We're only in chapter 18 of the Bible and yet Abraham seems to know things he really shouldn't know. How is this possible? Am I reading it wrong? Please, someone smarter than me give some insight.

3 comments:

Adam Pastor said...

Greetings Shanna

After GOD revealed Himself to Abraham, Abraham was a strictly monotheistic
(ONE-GOD) believer.

Now no man has seen GOD at any time!
[John 1.18, 1 John 4.12]
Thus GOD would therefore in OT times, speak to the patriarchs through His messengers, namely angels.

So GOD sent three angels to Abraham.
One of them would speak as the agent/messenger of GOD.

Because an angel speaks as an agent/ambassador/representative of GOD, such an angel would be addressed as Adonai

So in Gen 18.22 two of the angels went toward Sodom;
whilst the one representing GOD continued his discourse with Abraham.

Neither Abraham, Isaac, Jacob nor Jesus believed in a three-in-one, triune GOD.

Rather, Jesus identified the Father as the only true GOD.
[John 17.3]


The early church concurred:
(1 Cor 8:4) ... that there is none other God but one.
(1 Cor 8:6) But to us there is but one God, the Father, ...

Therefore, Shanna,
I recommend this video:
The Human Jesus


Take a couple of hours to watch it; and prayerfully it will aid you in your quest for truth.

Yours In Messiah
Adam Pastor

shanna said...

Um, after taking a look at your blog, I'm pretty sure that you and I are on two very different theological pages here. I am a firm believer in the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 3 in 1. Yes, Jesus was fully human, but He was also fully God. A couple of verses taken out of context and a video cannot change that. I thank you for your input, it was certainly interesting, but I cannot agree with it.

Brian said...

Words of Jesus: "I and the Father are one" (the Greek word means "in essence or nature", not "in agreement").

"If you've seen me, you've seen the Father."

Disciple: "Show us the Father and that will be enough"
Jesus: "How long have I been with you and you still do not know me?"

Thomas to a resurrected Christ: "My Lord and my God"

He is called "Emmanuel"= "God with us"

Jesus: "I will send the Spirit"
Couple of verses later: "I will come to you"
Couple of verses later: "WE will come to you"
(Equating Jesus with the Spirit)

John 5- They were wanting to kill Jesus because he was claiming God to be his Father, thus making himself equal with God

Matthew 28- The baptismal formula gives equal attribution to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

I'd write more, but really...am I going to convince you, Adam? Nor you me...

Shalom!