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Abraham’s Hospitality to Strangers — Genesis 18 Daily Word
Discover how Abraham’s remarkable hospitality to three strangers at Mamre reveals his spiritual maturity and deep reverence for God, demonstrating the transformative power of genuine kindness.
Genesis 18:1-8 Daily Word — Abraham meets three strangers under the oaks of Mamre. He immediately runs out to greet them, washes their feet with water, and prepares a meal for them. This act of hospitality toward strangers reveals his spiritual maturity and reverence for God.
The Three Strangers at the Oaks of Mamre
1. [Scripture]
[1] And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. [2] He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth [3] and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. [4] Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, [5] while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” [6] And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” [7] And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. [8] Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (Gen 18:1-8, ESV)
2. [Daily Word]
# Abraham is gradually becoming a more mature believer.
Abraham was still dwelling among the oaks of Mamre. One day, during the hottest part of the day, while Abram was sitting at the entrance of his tent resting, he looked up and saw three men standing right in front of him. Among the nomadic peoples of that time, there was a strong cultural custom of showing hospitality to guests.
Strangers who came to them were to be given a place to rest, recover, and share a meal. When Abraham saw the three men, verse 2 records that he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth. While welcoming guests was certainly the custom, why did he go to such extraordinary lengths to honor them?
Verse 2 uses the expression “he lifted up his eyes.” This does not mean he was standing still and gazing into the distance — it literally means he had his head bowed and then raised his eyes to look up. In other words, Abraham had been dozing in the heat, and when he lifted his eyes, he suddenly saw three men coming straight toward him. The surprise of it caused him to run out immediately the moment he spotted them. And even though the guests had come so close without him noticing, he appears to be overcompensating out of a sense of remorse for not having seen them sooner.
Through Abraham, we learn a lesson about how we ought to love our neighbors. Loving our neighbor as ourselves means stepping into the other person’s shoes and thinking from their perspective. And so Abraham said, “O my lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.” He was essentially saying, “If you can forgive me for not seeing you sooner, please rest here with me.” Regarding this, [2] Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Heb 13:2, ESV) reminds us not to neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Abraham did not yet know that these travelers were angels. He was simply doing good without making any distinction between people.
# In this picture, we discover the likeness of Jesus.
Jesus went throughout all of Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. What is remarkable is that He made no distinctions whatsoever. The reason there was no discrimination is found in [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, (Rom 3:23-24, ESV) — God showed mercy to all who come to Him, justifying them freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
In that sense, Abraham is freely sharing with his neighbors the blessing that was freely given to him. Through this, God is now revealing His plan to bless those connected to Abraham by means of Abraham himself.
Abraham continues, saying, “Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on.” He then hurried into the tent to Sarah and told her to quickly take three seahs (22 liters) of fine flour and knead it and make bread.
Here, three seahs of fine flour was far more than enough for three men to eat. Abraham also brought curds and milk and the calf that his servant had prepared, set it all before them, and let them eat. He stood beside them, ready to attend to their every need. God uses those who are prepared. He is the One who responds to those who are spiritually ready. In particular, the Lord comes like a thief in the night. Therefore, we must always be awake and watchful. We must remain awake and prepared, possessing the spirituality that the Lord desires.
When we become children who are prepared, we trust that God will govern and blessedly use every moment of our lives going forward. May we pray together, with the hope that today — and every day — we would live not in our own image, but in the image of the Lord.
Abraham’s faith, welcoming strangers, the blessing of hospitality, humble service, the presence of God
Originally published in Korean at bible2u.com
