1 “And the Lord appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, 2 as 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 over against him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth.” 16 “And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that 18 which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be 19 blessed in him? For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; to the end 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 20 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 from thence, and went toward Sodom; but 21 Abraham stood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt Thou consume the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou consume and not spare the place for the fifty 25 righteous that are therein? That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from Thee; shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within 27 the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes; 28 peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And He said, I 29 will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. And he spake unto Him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And He said, I will not do it 30 for the forty’s sake. And he said, O 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 31 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 32 the twenty’s sake. And he said, O 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 33 the ten’s sake. And the Lord went His way, as soon as He had left communing with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.”
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) Who appeared to Abraham in the plains of Mamre? At what time of the day? Where was he? V. 1. (2) Who were with the Lord? Vs. 2, 22. See, also, Gen. 19:1. Read verses 3-15, noting Abraham’s example of courtesy and hospitality, and the more explicit renewal of the promise, with the question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” See Jer. 32:17. (3) Towards what place did the Son of God and the two angels look to go? Who went with them, apparently as guide? Gen. 18:16. (4) What question did the Lord ask? V. 17. (5) What, through the everlasting covenant, is spoken of as a settled fact? V. 18. (6) What on Abraham’s part made that covenant promise sure? V. 19. Gen. 26:5. (7) What relation must all parents who share the blessings of that covenant sustain toward their children? (8) Why did the Lord say He would go down to Sodom and Gomorrah? Gen. 18:20, 21. (9) Towards what place did the two angels now go? Where did Abraham realize that he now stood? V. 22. (10) What holy boldness, however, did he manifest? V. 23. (11) What questions did he ask? With what attributes of God’s character does Abraham here show himself to be familiar? Vs. 23, 25. (12) What reply did God make? V. 26. (13) What did Abraham realize concerning himself in the presence of the Lord? V. 27. (14) How often and to what extent did he present his petition? Did the Lord grant all his requests? Vs. 28-32. (15) What examples of punctuality and promptness are given in verse 33? (16) For whose sake are the lives of the wicked preserved? Vs. 23-33. (17) Think over the texts thus far cited which refer to the character and power of God in creation and redemption.
Suggestive Readings.—“Patriarchs and Prophets,” pp. 138-144; “Mount of Blessing,” pp. 55-66.
NOTE.
Peradventure there be fifty righteous.—The salvation which comes to this world through grace is by that faith which works through the love of God, and is manifested in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, through the angels, in those who are represented in the sermon on the mount as being “the salt of the earth,” “the light of the world.” All the power is of God. Christ said, “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” God blessed faithful Abraham, as He does every child of faith, that he might be a13blessing to others. This can be accomplished only by the vitalizing power and influence of the Holy Spirit, represented by the golden oil flowing through the golden tubes, into the golden bowl—by the grace, love, and righteousness of Christ brought to others by the personal contact and association of the Christian with them. For the sake of the righteous, the Lord preserves the world; and as soon as they are taken out of it, the world will be destroyed. “Were it not for the few righteous who inhabit the earth, the wrath of God would not be delayed a moment from punishing the wicked.”
ADDITIONAL STUDY.
1. The chronology used in the Bible is known as that of Usher. (a) Show, according to this chronology, that Noah came out of the ark A.M. 1656. Gen. 7:11; 8:14. (b) Show that Arphaxad was born A.M. 1659. Gen. 11:10. (c) Show that Terah was born A.M. 1879. Vs. 12-24. (d) Show that Abraham was born A.M. 2009. Gen. 11:32; 12:4; Acts 7:4. (e) Show that Abraham left Haran to go into Canaan A.M. 2084. Ib. (f) Note that the four hundred years of Gen. 15:13-16 must date thirty years after the call of Abraham out of “Ur of the Chaldees.” (g) Note the precision with which the genealogy and chronology of the ancestors of the promised Seed are given. This is the only line so preserved; could any other than a divine hand have kept it? For a more extended study of this subject see “Sacred Chronology,” pp. 45-68.
2. Note Abraham’s anxiety for the salvation of those wicked cities. The more nearly one approaches the perfection of Christ, the greater will his love be toward the sinner.
4. Abraham’s talking with God is an illustration of what He asks all to do. He says, “Come, let us reason together.”
5. Why did the Lord make such wonderful revelations to Abraham? to His prophets? Amos 3:7. Abraham was not only a friend of God, but a prophet. Gen. 20:7.
6. Cite examples of how other holy men felt in the presence of God or of angels. In whose presence are we always? Give proof.
7. What in this communion with God shows Abraham’s (a) faith, (b) courage, (c) importunity, (d) humility, (e) power with God, (f) love for God, (g) love for sinners.
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By Alonzo T. Jones. Bible Students’ Library, No. 76. Pacific Press Pub. Co., Oakland, Cal. 16 pp.; 2 cents.
1 “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and to them that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come! 2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines; be they better than these kingdoms? or is their border greater 3 than your border? Ye that put far away the evil day, and 4 cause the seat of violence to come near; that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst 5 of the stall; that sing idle songs to the sound of the viol; that devise for themselves instruments of music, like David; 6 that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but they are not grieved for the affliction of 7 Joseph. Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away. 8 The Lord God hath sworn by Himself, saith the Lord, the God of hosts: I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.”
Golden Text: “They also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way.” Isa. 28:7.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What is revealed concerning the author of the book of Amos? Note 1. (2) Upon whom did he pronounce “wo”? V. 1. Note 2. (3) To what places was the attention of the people called? How were these compared with Judah and Israel? V. 2. Note 3. (4) What did they do concerning the evil day? Then what did they cause to come near? V. 3. Note 4. (5) How are their luxurious indulgences described? V. 4. (6) What is said of their amusements? V. 5. Note 5. (7) What is said of their appetite for strong drink? Of their desire for perfumeries? How were they affected toward threatened calamities? V. 6. Notes 6 and 7. (8) What was to be the consequence of their profligacy? V. 7. Note 8. (9) By whom had the Lord sworn? What did He say? V. 8. Note 9.
NOTES.
1. The prophet.—Amos was a native of Tekoa, six miles south of Bethlehem. He was a herdsman by occupation before being called to the ministry. The principal scene of his labors was Bethel, a royal as well as a religious center, twelve miles north of Jerusalem. His name means “burden,” agreeing with the message of calamity to Israel which he bore, and which was a burden of soul to him. He prophesied in the time of Jeroboam II., king of Israel, and Uzziah, king of Judah. He came after Jonah, and lapped onto the time of Hosea. The approaching dismemberment of the kingdom of Israel and the captivity of the people were brought vividly before his mind.
2. At “ease,” etc.—Signifying insensibility to coming danger. Both Jerusalem and Samaria were carelessly enjoying their temporal prosperity. The rulers and prominent men of these conspicuous nations were indulging feelings of security in their apostate condition.
3. Verse 2 is a comparison of the prominent position of Israel and Judah with that of surrounding nations.
4. “Put far away the evil day.”—They refused to believe that any calamity was near, just as the people of Noah’s time did, and just as the Lord said of the people in the last days, just prior to His coming. See Matt. 24:37–39; James 5:1–8.
5. “Chanting to the sound of the viol” implies the singing of idle or dissolute songs, just as is the common entertainment of to-day.
6. “Drink wine in bowls.”—That is, excessive drinking; using larger drinking vessels than had been customary for wine would imply a much larger consumption of intoxicating drinks. Another parallel with our time, for notwithstanding the restraining influences of temperance effort in many lines, the drink and tobacco evils are increasing in a marked manner. This is not a reflection upon temperance work, but from the good influence of such work we may take courage in the contemplation of what the condition would be without such effort.
7. “They grieve not for the affliction of Joseph.”—Men given to sinful indulgence can not be expected to grieve over the results before they are realized, for the reason that they are willingly blind to the consequences of their recklessness in the gratification of appetite and other carnal desires. Ephraim was the son of Joseph, and his tribe was the leading tribe of the kingdom of Israel after the division. Samaria, the capital, was in the land of Ephraim, and Ephraim is sometimes used to denote the kingdom, as Joseph is in this instance.
8. “Now shall they go captive.”—Every other means had failed to reform that people. Nothing was left but to dissolve the kingdom and send the people into captivity. By this means all would be brought to reflect upon their foolish excesses, and some might be saved. The people of Israel were carried away as captives by the Assyrians about thirty years after this prophecy was uttered.
9. “Therefore will I deliver up the city.”—The Assyrians would have been powerless against Israel had not God willed the chastisement of the apostates. Israel had chosen idolatry in spite of all entreaty, therefore they should have it to the full—even to being captives to an idolatrous nation. Therefore God has given us this reminder, by the pen of an apostle: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Gal. 6:7, 8.
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