Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. And... All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2023

The LORD is near - Monday, December 9, 2013
by Jacob Redekop, Brian Reynolds, John van Dijk, Eugene P. Vedder Jr

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Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. And...

Jehovah appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre. And he sat at the tent-door in the heat of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men standing near him.
(Genesis 18:1)

The spiritual elevation of Abraham in Genesis 18 and 19 is something very peculiar. He seems to apprehend the divine Stranger and His angelic companions at once, needing no introduction, or revelation as Joshua, Gideon, and others in like circumstances, did. �He was accustomed to the divine presence,� as one has said. The Lord does not come to regulate him in any way, either to rebuke or instruct him morally, Abraham is before Him in the place and character and attitude of one who was fully prepared for His presence.
Accordingly, the Lord makes His ways and thoughts known to Abraham, as a man would to his friend. He reveals secrets to him which do not concern himself-had they done so, in a sense Abraham would have been entitled to hear them. But he has no personal concern in the matters communicated. They are the Lord�s purposes touching a city, Sodom, and a people with whom Abraham had no dealings whatever. They were strangers to him and he to them; so that the Lord now deals with Abraham as a friend, not as a disciple, much less as a sinner, but as a friend. And so, if the Lord invites us, we should go; if He draws nigh to us, we should draw nigh to Him. The angels, seizing on the mind of their Lord, retire; and Abraham draws near, and there intercedes for this city. He has nothing to ask for himself. He had no confession to make or requests for himself, but as the Lord had spoken to him about Sodom, he now speaks to the Lord about it. He intercedes, as one near to God, as one who was at ease concerning himself, and thus at leisure to attend to others. Every feature in this picture is full of grace and dignity � all is strength and spiritual elevation.
J.G Bellett

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