And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day at hot summer noontide, while he sat resting in his tent door as travelers passed near. They came to all appearance only as men in the garb of wayfarers, weary travelers resting under the oaks at noon, yet they were holy angels with their glorious Commander, Christ himself the Son of God appearing in human form with two angels. They were sent on a mission of mercy to bring him promises of blessing and to give him distinct knowledge of God's will and the great salvation to be accomplished through Christ, just before the destruction of Sodom for its great wickedness. Though full of years and highly honored, Abraham thought them only weary travelers and ran to meet them, bowed to the ground, brought water with his own hands to wash their feet, and stood respectfully beside them under cooling shade while they ate, and in that kindness he ministered to angels and to Christ and was called the friend of God. His courteous welcome is the sample of Christian politeness, courtesy and benevolence, and shows that heaven can be near in the common walks of life, with mighty ministering angels still coming disguised in human form to succor and guard every faithful soul.
Appearance at Mamre
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre at hot summer noontide, in the heat of the day, while he sat resting in the door or entrance of his tent as three travelers passed near. To all appearance they were only human beings, men in the garb and clothing of wayfarers and weary travelers, resting under the oaks at noon as if weary and accepting the hospitality of a human home. They came disguised in human form to bear an active part in work called human, as weary travelers in need of shelter who eat at family boards.
They were in truth holy angels and heavenly messengers with their glorious Commander, for the Lord who appeared was Christ himself, the Son of God, his Creator, Redeemer and King, appearing in human form with two angels, one of the three being the Son of God, who also met Abraham beneath the oaks and communed with people in nature. They were sent to Abraham on a mission of mercy, bringing him promises of blessing, proving that holy angels in all ages have ministered to God's people. Through that appearing Christ communicated God's will, coming also through angels to give Abraham distinct knowledge of the requirements of the moral law and of the great salvation to be accomplished through Christ himself. By it Abraham was appointed to preserve that truth amid prevailing sins and corruptions increasing around him.
The visit came just before the destruction of Sodom for its great wickedness. The encounter in that ordinary setting at hot noonday shows that heaven can be near in the common walks of life, so that people carrying out ordinary occupations may meet and speak with heavenly messengers. Such visits in Abraham's day made the unseen world present amid human life, and heavenly beings still observe human words and deeds.
Hospitality and Angel Ministry
Abraham was a man full of years, of dignity and wealth, highly honored and accustomed to command, yet he did not let strangers who asked nothing pass unrefreshed. He thought them only weary travelers, but when the three travelers passed near he ran to meet them, hastened to provide for their needs, bowed to the ground, and begged them to stay. He brought water with his own hands to wash the dust of travel from their feet, himself selected their food, had it made ready, and stood respectfully beside them while they rested under cooling shade and ate, serving them simply as passing wayfarers who might never come again. His hospitality in welcoming them at his tent in the heat of the day is an example of courtesy.
In that kindness he ministered to angels and to Christ, for his guests were heavenly angels and their glorious Commander, his Creator, Redeemer and King. Hospitality is a duty that brings blessing, and through it the counsels of heaven were opened to him and he was called the friend of God. God was molding and fashioning Abraham's mind as a sample and representative of what men should be in politeness and courtesy and benevolence, kindness and love. His courteous welcome and attentive hospitality is the example of Christian courtesy and considerate conduct toward others, and a heart under the Lord's teaching will be kind and attentive and do just as Abraham did. His Bible courtesy opens hearts to receive the truth and brings glory to God.
Lot learned Abraham's example of hospitality and made it part of his religious practice, and his courteous welcome of strangers reflects that example. Gideon followed the example when the Angel of the Lord came to him, entreating the divine Messenger to remain as his guest and setting a kid and unleavened cakes before him, as part of the past working of the Covenant Angel for Israel who communed with Abraham and tarried with him to share his hospitality and food. The visit shows God working through holy angels for the succor, help and deliverance of His people, with celestial and heavenly beings taking an active part in the affairs of men. It is one instance of mighty guardians guarding every faithful soul in the hour of peril and distress.
The same kind of appearing and conversing still occurs, for heaven's mighty ministering angels come disguised in the form of human beings and bear an active part in work called human. They appear as weary travelers in need of shelter for the night and eat at the humble board of families, and those same angels that appeared to Abraham and to Lot may be in the midst of God's people today though unseen. Since the proclamation of the third angel's message began, when Satan enters complaints against God's servants, angels are sent down to investigate their course, sometimes conversing with men without being recognized and questioning those in error until they tell all that is in their hearts, then bearing back to heaven a report relating things just as they exist. Because of that unseen presence every task in the different departments and branches of work is to be done as unto God and not unto man, with meditation and reflection and earnest prayer, with faith that is as gold and love cultivated in the heart, with character educated and developed from Sabbath to Sabbath to fit believers to be a blessing to those in darkness and to bear the warning message to unreached cities. Not until the providences of God are seen in the light of eternity, when the veil between the visible and the invisible world is drawn aside, will what is owed to such angelic care and interposition be understood.
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day at hot summer noontide, while he sat resting in his tent door as travelers passed near. They came to all appearance only as men in the garb of wayfarers, weary travelers resting under the oaks at noon, yet they were holy angels with their glorious Commander, Christ himself the Son of God appearing in human form with two angels. They were sent on a mission of mercy to bring him promises of blessing and to give him distinct knowledge of God's will and the great salvation to be accomplished through Christ, just before the destruction of Sodom for its great wickedness. Though full of years and highly honored, Abraham thought them only weary travelers and ran to meet them, bowed to the ground, brought water with his own hands to wash their feet, and stood respectfully beside them under cooling shade while they ate, and in that kindness he ministered to angels and to Christ and was called the friend of God. His courteous welcome is the sample of Christian politeness, courtesy and benevolence, and shows that heaven can be near in the common walks of life, with mighty ministering angels still coming disguised in human form to succor and guard every faithful soul.
Appearance at Mamre
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre at hot summer noontide, in the heat of the day, while he sat resting in the door or entrance of his tent as three travelers passed near. To all appearance they were only human beings, men in the garb and clothing of wayfarers and weary travelers, resting under the oaks at noon as if weary and accepting the hospitality of a human home. They came disguised in human form to bear an active part in work called human, as weary travelers in need of shelter who eat at family boards.
They were in truth holy angels and heavenly messengers with their glorious Commander, for the Lord who appeared was Christ himself, the Son of God, his Creator, Redeemer and King, appearing in human form with two angels, one of the three being the Son of God, who also met Abraham beneath the oaks and communed with people in nature. They were sent to Abraham on a mission of mercy, bringing him promises of blessing, proving that holy angels in all ages have ministered to God's people. Through that appearing Christ communicated God's will, coming also through angels to give Abraham distinct knowledge of the requirements of the moral law and of the great salvation to be accomplished through Christ himself. By it Abraham was appointed to preserve that truth amid prevailing sins and corruptions increasing around him.
The visit came just before the destruction of Sodom for its great wickedness. The encounter in that ordinary setting at hot noonday shows that heaven can be near in the common walks of life, so that people carrying out ordinary occupations may meet and speak with heavenly messengers. Such visits in Abraham's day made the unseen world present amid human life, and heavenly beings still observe human words and deeds.
Hospitality and Angel Ministry
Abraham was a man full of years, of dignity and wealth, highly honored and accustomed to command, yet he did not let strangers who asked nothing pass unrefreshed. He thought them only weary travelers, but when the three travelers passed near he ran to meet them, hastened to provide for their needs, bowed to the ground, and begged them to stay. He brought water with his own hands to wash the dust of travel from their feet, himself selected their food, had it made ready, and stood respectfully beside them while they rested under cooling shade and ate, serving them simply as passing wayfarers who might never come again. His hospitality in welcoming them at his tent in the heat of the day is an example of courtesy.
In that kindness he ministered to angels and to Christ, for his guests were heavenly angels and their glorious Commander, his Creator, Redeemer and King. Hospitality is a duty that brings blessing, and through it the counsels of heaven were opened to him and he was called the friend of God. God was molding and fashioning Abraham's mind as a sample and representative of what men should be in politeness and courtesy and benevolence, kindness and love. His courteous welcome and attentive hospitality is the example of Christian courtesy and considerate conduct toward others, and a heart under the Lord's teaching will be kind and attentive and do just as Abraham did. His Bible courtesy opens hearts to receive the truth and brings glory to God.
Lot learned Abraham's example of hospitality and made it part of his religious practice, and his courteous welcome of strangers reflects that example. Gideon followed the example when the Angel of the Lord came to him, entreating the divine Messenger to remain as his guest and setting a kid and unleavened cakes before him, as part of the past working of the Covenant Angel for Israel who communed with Abraham and tarried with him to share his hospitality and food. The visit shows God working through holy angels for the succor, help and deliverance of His people, with celestial and heavenly beings taking an active part in the affairs of men. It is one instance of mighty guardians guarding every faithful soul in the hour of peril and distress.
The same kind of appearing and conversing still occurs, for heaven's mighty ministering angels come disguised in the form of human beings and bear an active part in work called human. They appear as weary travelers in need of shelter for the night and eat at the humble board of families, and those same angels that appeared to Abraham and to Lot may be in the midst of God's people today though unseen. Since the proclamation of the third angel's message began, when Satan enters complaints against God's servants, angels are sent down to investigate their course, sometimes conversing with men without being recognized and questioning those in error until they tell all that is in their hearts, then bearing back to heaven a report relating things just as they exist. Because of that unseen presence every task in the different departments and branches of work is to be done as unto God and not unto man, with meditation and reflection and earnest prayer, with faith that is as gold and love cultivated in the heart, with character educated and developed from Sabbath to Sabbath to fit believers to be a blessing to those in darkness and to bear the warning message to unreached cities. Not until the providences of God are seen in the light of eternity, when the veil between the visible and the invisible world is drawn aside, will what is owed to such angelic care and interposition be understood.