The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 18:1-10, “Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth,
3 and said, ‘My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.
4 ‘Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;
5 and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.’ And they said, ‘So do, as you have said.’
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, ‘Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.’
7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.
8 He took curds and milk and the calf, which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, ‘Where is Sarah your wife?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’
10 He said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing.”

Have you ever had someone you’d never met knock at your front door? What do you do in an situation like that? Politeness says, “Open the door.” Common sense says, “…better find out who it is first.” In Abraham’s case, it was a divine secret, known only to the LORD and those whom He had sent.

Customs in ancient Israel were quite different from what we know today. Notice, too, that as Abraham never noticed them walk up to him. They were “just there,” as if they had been there all the time and simply “materialized!” That seems all the more spooky. Still, Abraham did not seem to be alarmed. He simply saw that they had something to eat.

While they were eating, they announced their purpose in having come. Abraham and Sarah were going to have a son. It was when Sarah heard this, she laughed, and she was reprimanded by her “guests” for having done so. So she denied having laughed.

There’s more –much more!—to all of this than either Sarah or Abraham knew at this point. Still, the LORD had sent His angels to reveal to them a secret –a secret known only in Heaven.

The moral of this account is multiple. We never know what the LORD has in store for us, nor how much. Yet, we need to be holy and prepared. He has surprises for us just as He did for Abraham and Sarah. Just remember to be polite when you open your door to someone you’ve never met. He just may have been sent by the LORD!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom