The Book of Genesis Chapter 18

Genesis 18:1-4 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 1. Who did the Lord 'appear' to and was anyone with Him? 2. In what form do you think God appeared to Abraham? 3. What was Abraham doing when they arrived? 4. About what time of day would it be '...the heat of the day;'? 5. Did Abraham recognize the Lord? 6. What was Abraham's reaction to having God with Him (verse 3)? 7. Do you know what the 'washing' of someone's feet signified? 8. Who do you think the men with the Lord were? Genesis 18:5-8 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. 1. Did God eat with Abraham? 2. What did He eat? 3. What does Abraham say a morsel of bread (or food) will do to your heart? Genesis 18:9-11 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 1. How many times has it been told to Abraham that he will have a child with Sarah? 2. What do you think 'after the manner of women' means in verse 11? Genesis 18:12-15 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. 1. What was Sarah's reaction to the news that she would bear a child? 2. What was the Lord's reaction to Sarah's laughter? 3. Did Sarah lie to God? If so, why? Genesis 18:16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 1. To what place were the angels and the Lord headed? Genesis 18:17-22 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord. 1. Who do you think the Lord was talking to in these verses? 2. Why were all the generations of Abraham blessed? 3. On a separate sheet of paper list the blessings in the order that God gave them. 4. In verses 20 & 21, is God talking about prayers He has heard? 5. The prayers were so 'great' a 'cry' aand the sin so 'grievous' that God is going to do what? 6. The two 'men' depart for where in verse 22? 7. And where has Abraham been during this time? Genesis 18:23-26 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 1. Do you think Abraham is thinking of all the people in these cities or remembering his nephew (Gen. 13:9-10)? 2. What was Abraham's argument against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? 3. What did Abraham call God in verse 25? 4. What was the Lord's Answer? Genesis 18:27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: 1. What is Abraham expressing here? Genesis 18:28-31 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. 1. Abraham keeps saying [but] as he continues down to 40 righteous, and in verse 30 Abraham apologizes again [but], and is getting down to how many? Genesis 18:32-33 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. 1. What was Abraham's final number? 2. How did the Lord respond? 3. On a separate sheet of paper try to write out this conversation in verses 23-32 in today's English.

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