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Abraham, Part 14 - Please Don't Pass Me By

Genesis 18v1-8

11th December 2010

Recently, God had visited Abraham in his old age, and re-stated His covenant and His promise that Abraham would have many descendants. We read on:

Genesis 18:1-5
The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, "If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way - now that you have come to your servant."
"Very well," they answered, "do as you say."

These three men are mysterious. Some think that they represent the Father, the Son and the Hole Spirit but it seems to me that they are God and two angels. Chapter 19 seems to confirm this. Anyway, I want to focus this week on Abraham's greeting, "If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by". When an average Christian is in an average meeting in an average church on an average Sunday, is this not the cry of his or her heart, "please don't pass me by". We read great stories in the Bible, or in other Christian books, of God visiting people and healing or helping them. And sometimes we wonder why they don't happen to us.

For many Christians, this is a failure of memory; God has met many of us dramatically in the past, but we ignore that because we're focused on what we need NOW. Sometimes, we see God touching other people, we hear prophecies for other people, we hear testimonies from other people, and we say "please don't pass me by". At least in England, we tend not to say it out loud. But our hearts ache for a touch from God.

God agreed to stay with Abraham for lunch:

Genesis 18:6-8
So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread." Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

Apparantly, three sears is about 22 litres. I hope Abraham's visitors weren't hungry when they arrived, because they had to wait while all this food was prepared: a calf was killed and prepared, bread from 22 litres of fine flour was baked and curds (or yoghurt) and milk were served. It must have taken hours.

And while they ate, Abraham - 99 years old - stood and waited on them.

Abraham was giving God the best welcome he could provide. When we're in an average meeting in an average church on an average Sunday, are we careful to do the same?

We desperately want God to intervene in our lives again. We love Him, and want to glorify His holy name. And yet we can behave towards him in a way that seems indifferent, mumbling our songs of worship, resenting the time giving over to His praise, losing concentration when His word is preached, living lives that compromise His standards.

And sometimes we're even afraid to pray, because we think we won't be able to cope if God doesn't give us the answer we want.

But our hearts know that God is good, and that He loves us, and that He can do anything.

Dear Christian brother or sister, if our faith is not in God, what is it in? Will we not welcome Him?

We can trust Him, even when we have to wait for His promises, even when the answer He gives is not the answer we would have chosen.

If He is truly God - and He is - then He knows best. And He loves you.

Welcome Him with the best welcome you can give.