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Genesis 18 is the start of the one-year Torah cycle reading וַיֵּרָא Vayera, meaning “and he appeared.” It describes a spectacular occurrence where Heaven comes to earth, an important part of Avraham’s physical and spiritual journey from Ur to Canaan. Overcoming the ways of the world apart from the Creator is a lifelong process, not an overnight achievement, as seen in the messages to the congregations in Revelation 2-3.
Avraham’s faith and the expectation of justice
The study then focuses on Avraham’s faith and the expectation of justice. The LORD commands Avraham to teach his descendants to walk in the way of the LORD, full of justice and righteousness (Genesis 18:19).
God testified that He knew that Abraham not only walked a path of justice and righteousness himself but that he taught his descendants to be just and righteous.
Abraham had high expectations for God just as God had high expectations for him. This is clear in what Abraham said to God as recorded Gen. 18:23, 25.
“Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23 NAS95)
“Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”(Genesis 18:25 NAS95)
In this conversation between God and Abraham, we see that God is not an absentee landlord. Abraham literally ate lunch with God.
Unfortunately, by the time of the prophets, the majority of the people were not following God and even worse, the priests and teachers were not even attempting to teach the people who God was and what He expected of them.
Avraham’s expectation of the Lord’s justice is emphasized, contrasting with the message in Isaiah 33–34, where the Lord foretells the people’s departure from His festivals and their hollow worship (Isaiah 33:6, 34:1-17).
The Shekinah and the LORD’s Presence
The concept of the שְׁכִינָה Shekinah/Shekhinah, a term meaning “dwelling” or “presence.” It became a later rabbinical circumlocution for explaining Scripture’s plain description of the LORD’s physical appearance. Regardless of whether one thinks the LORD Himself showed up or rather His Shekhinah did, it’s in contrast with the common skeptic assertion that the Creator is an absentee landlord.
What we see on Scripture is the LORD’s active involvement in human affairs is highlighted, such as observing the building of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5-7) and the bargaining for and then destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18-19).
This is the Creator we serve. We don’t serve a God who believes that ignorance is bliss, who is careless towards those He created. He came down to earth to observe what was going on at the Tower of Babel and here, as recorded in Genesis 18, God came down to see what was going on in Sodom, too.
Avraham’s vigorously proactive hospitality
Is our God too small? Do we put Him in a box and tell Him what He can do and what He can’t do? Do we decide that that there are certain things that we should go ourselves as though it would be an inconvenience to Him to help us?
“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.” (Genesis 18:1 NAS95)
For Abraham, hospitality was a duty that came from the heart outward not because of cultural expectation but it was something he loved to do. It was something that he practiced regularly. How do we treat our family, friends, coworker and neighbors, even those who drive us crazy?
The Scriptures show us the contrast in hospitality between Avraham and Lot, noting Avraham’s extraordinary effort to meet the visitors despite his age and infirmity. The Hebrew vav consecutive verb form, seen throughout Genesis 18:1-15, indicates that the actions described are happening sequentially.
From his vantage point near Hebron, Abraham had a clear view of the Dead Sea Valley, where Sodom once thrived. In his time, this region was nothing like the barren desert we see today—it was lush, fertile, and often compared to the Garden of Eden.
But when destruction fell upon Sodom, the towering columns of smoke would have been impossible to miss. This wasn’t a small fire—it was a catastrophic blaze. Living in California, we’ve seen firsthand how massive wildfires can consume acres of land in an instant, their smoke visible from miles away. Abraham and those in the hill country of Hebron would have witnessed something just as overwhelming, a haunting sign of Sodom’s fiery end.
Fear vs. ‘fear of the LORD’
The Hebrew spelling of יָרֵא yarei (“fear”) identically to יָרֵא yarei (“he appeared”) is behind a link commentators have found between the LORD ability to see what is happening (especially inside of a person’s heart) and our reverence for the LORD’s instructions. The “fear of the LORD” is described as the beginning of knowledge, wisdom and understanding (Psalm 110:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33).
“Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”” (Genesis 18:15 NAS95)
The fear of the Lord is the foundation of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Nothing escapes His sight—He knows exactly what we do and why we do it. While He could observe whether the priests were offering the right sacrifices at the right time in the Temple, His vision goes far deeper. He doesn’t just see outward actions; He sees the heart, the intentions, and the true motivations behind every deed.
Sarah was scared because God, through this subtle exchange, was telling her not only what she was saying publicly but what she was thinking in her inner thoughts.
Avraham’s bargain for the righteous
The bargain Avraham makes with the LORD, asking for mercy for the righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, reveals more about why the LORD picked him to establish the דֶּרֶךְ derekh/derech of Heaven in righteousness and justice. The Lord’s willingness to save the cities if even a few righteous people are found is highlighted, and the significance of the number 10 righteous people is discussed (Genesis 18:16-33).
“The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” (Genesis 18:17-19 NAS95)
God chose Abraham because He knew from day one that Abraham would command his children and his household to keep His ways. God did not want to keep His friend in the dark about what He was doing. God wanted a witness to His justice and that the destruction of Sodom was not undertaken on a whim or done out of spite but as an act of justice.
God is revealing His heart to Abraham and God knows that Abraham will teach not only His family but also the nations about how God is and how God operates. Abraham will be an anchor for all the nations. Abraham is being trained as an ambassador.
As Abraham questions God and struggles with God’s upcoming judgement of Sodom, Abraham is learning how God is always looking for an excuse to exercise mercy.
Abraham instilled in his descendants the principles of righteousness and justice, but by the time of the Prophets, they had strayed from their calling to be a light to the nations. Instead of influencing Tyre, Israel and Judah became its customers, allowing Tyre’s culture to shape them more than they shaped it. Rather than leading by example, they were failing in their Great Commission, losing sight of their duty to proclaim and uphold righteousness and justice in the world.
Parable of the Sower and the Shema
The passage then transitions to the parable of the sower and its connection to the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). The different types of soil in the parable are explained, representing various ways people hear and understand the Word of God (Luke 8:4-15). The importance of the heart in understanding and obeying the Word of God is emphasized, with references to the Shema.
4 types of people who hear God’s words
- Roadside = One who “hears” the word, but doesn’t “understand” (Matt. 13:19)
- Rocks, rocky soil = “No root in themselves” leads to temporary yet joyful trust in God, susceptible to withering when that faith is challenged by force (persecution) or makes life inconvenient (trouble).
- Thorns = One who hears the word of God but don’t trust it over daily problems, distractions and desires for material success and entertainment.
- Good soil = One who hears and understands with a “beautiful and good heart” then guards against losing the word from his heart will diligently make the word of God get bigger in his heart and others’.
The Parable of the Sower warns us that we can harden ourselves against God’s words but we can also learn to harden our hearts and our minds against the thoughts and ideas of the Adversary, while being soft and pliable to God’s teaching. When we know God’s boundaries, and know His ways, we can discipline ourselves to follow His ways and to ignore the influences that will deter us from overcoming the world.
Role of wealth and the ‘love of money’
The third key love command of the Shema is “with all your מְאֹד me’od.” Sages have seen the “strength, might” meaning of me’od to refer to resources, i.e., material wealth. The question is whether wealth is a tool or a snare for the fool. One’s relationship with wealth is seen in passages like Ecclesiastes 4:8; 5:10; 1Timothy 6:10; and Luke 16:1-13, the parable of the unrighteous manager. The latter emphases the importance of being faithful with wealth.
“There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task.” (Ecclesiastes 4:8 NAS95)
A few years ago, a TikTok trend emerged where self-proclaimed DINKs (Double Income, No Kids) boasted about the freedom and material luxuries they enjoyed without the responsibilities of raising children. However, the trend quickly faded as many criticized these influencers for their arrogance and self-centered perspective. After all, how wise is it to flaunt on social media the choice to forgo leaving a lasting legacy in the world?
This parable in Luke 16 is a long passage and many people focus on the punchline that one can’t serve both money and God, and that is valid. But there’s also a lesson in the difference between wealth that is set aside for holy purposes vs. wealth that is set aside for selfish purposes. There’s a difference between pursuing wealth for the sake of accumulating wealth and pursuing wealth because you want to use it as a tool for doing good in the world.
If we are to be the good soil, our entire life’s mission should be oriented towards the Kingdom and as God provides us with wealth and financial security, we should use it for the sake of the Kingdom. As Abraham became wealthy, he bought some land and even raised up an army but he did not hoard his wealth for himself but used his means to help others. We should love God with all our emotional and analytical mind, our safety and wealth.
Touching the Untouchable: The Lord’s Commission and Power to Heal
Yeshua’s healing of the woman with the issue of blood and His raising of Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:40-56) points to the LORD’s compassion, power, and the significance of these events as testimonies to the people and the leadership.
When Yeshua took the young girl’s hand to raise her from the dead, He willingly risked ritual impurity to restore her life. When He publicly acknowledged the woman who had touched Him in faith, He recognized that, according to the law, He had become impure due to her bleeding. Yet, in a powerful reversal, He not only healed the woman but also brought the girl back to life—restoring both of them not just physically, but also to a state of ritual purity. After their time of purification, they were fully welcomed back into the Jewish community, transformed by His touch.
Hebrew terms in this study
1. Vayera (וַיֵּרָא) – “and he appeared” or “and he was seen”
2. Shekinah (שְׁכִינָה) – “dwelling” or “presence”
3. Vav consecutive (וַ) – a Hebrew verb form indicating sequential action
4. Yera (יָרֵא): “fear”
5. Yera (יָרֵא): “he appeared”
6. Shema (שְׁמַע): “hear” or “listen”
7. Nefesh (נֶפֶשׁ): “soul” or “life”
8. Me’od (מְאֹד): “might” or “strength”
9. Tzadakim (צַדִּיקִים): “righteous ones”
10. Derech (דֶּרֶךְ): “way” or “path”
Summary: Tammy
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