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VAYEIRA (And He Appeared)

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VAYEIRA (And He Appeared) VAYEIRA (And He Appeared) GENESIS (B’RESHIYT 18:1 – 22:24) INTRODUCTION: 1. Traditionally, this portion begins on the third day after Abraham and his household was circumcised. a. The point is that, even enduring the pain of circumcision, Abraham is a congenial host. b. It is interesting that this “appearance” by the LORD is on Third Day after this event. 2. Abraham exhibits those traits that the seed of Abraham are to emulate; he cares for strangers. “Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” – Deuteronomy 10:19 3. During the meal, Abraham stands ready to attend to their needs not partaking himself. a. Demonstrates that to be considered a leader you must first be a servant. 4. After washing the feet of His disciples, Y’shua says: “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” – John 13:13-16 5. Abraham serves as a great example of what Y’shua was calling for His disciples to emulate. a. Have the heart of a servant and your Master will be motivated to hearken to you. 6. In sharp contrast to that example is the terrible example set by S’dom and the cities of plain. a. Not only engaging in debauchery and activities that birthed the word “sodomy.” b. Even greater sin is their neglect of strangers and those in need. c. Desired to maintain their own prosperity accepting only those who were prosperous. 7. Consider that as wicked as Egypt was, Egyptian cities still stood. a. As wicked as Canaanites were, they were permitted to be in land with Abraham. b. S’dom and cities of plain were completely overturned and region is still uninhabitable. 8. It is taught that the perversity of S’dom was the byproduct of their disdain for the stranger. a. In short, greed and self-indulgence fostered the behavior associated with S’dom. CHAPTER 18: VISIT OF THE ANGELS 1. Verse 1: “And the LORD appeared to him…as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.” a. Vayeira; The LORD appeared to Abraham on a couple of occasions in the Land. 2. Verse 2: “Three men stood over against him” – in the guise of angels. a. He runs to meet them and invite them to a meal. 3. Verse 3: “My Lord, if I have found favor…” – the Hebrew term is adonai not adoni. 1 4. The Midrash teaches that this meeting occurred on what would become Passover; consider: One who has assimilated into corrupt culture and corrupted by it will be delivered from it. Abraham washes their feet and invites them to recline. Bread made very quickly (unleavened) is made for them – three cakes and three matzot. When they appear to Lot he makes them “unleavened bread” (Gen. 19:3). The promise of a son who will propagate the covenant is made. 5. Verse 7: Abraham takes a calf from the herd and gives it to “the servant” (lit. “the youth”). a. Tradition interprets this as being Ishmael. 6. Verse 8: “And he took curd, and milk and the calf … and set it before them.” a. Judaism teaches that he first gave them the dairy to slake their thirst. b. Following this, he gave them the actual meal of meat and bread. c. Judaism concludes Abraham was faithful to dietary laws concerning meat and dairy. d. This is a matter of opinion and mine is, meat and dairy are not forbidden by Torah. 7. This is the only place in Torah where supernatural beings are described as partaking of food. a. Y’shua, after resurrection, prepares food for disciples and presumably eats. (Jn. 21). 8. Verse 10: “I will certainly return to you this time next year and Sarah shall have a son.” a. Sarah, listening at door of the tent, laughed – vay’titzchak (verse 12). b. The LORD asks, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (verse 14). c. Literally, “Is anything too wonderful (Heb. root palah) for the LORD?” d. This is said in regard to Isaac who is the “promised seed.” 9. Important to recognize Sarah’s hesitancy is she believes it will require a miracle equivalent to resurrection from the dead – this is only way for the Promised Seed to fulfill God’s purposes. 10. Verse 17: “Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing” – considers His servant. a. Because he is to become a mighty nation. b. Because he is to be a blessing to all nations. 11. Verse 19: “He will command his children and household to keep the way of the LORD.” a. The greatest gift a father can give is to teach his children to do what is upright. b. Because “I have known” and that he will do this is why he will be a great nation. c. “Known” refers to knowledge and can be translated as “love.” 12. God knows he will teach his household “righteousness and justice.” a. Therefore, God concludes He will not keep this from Abraham; he has a part in plan. 13. Verse 20: “The cry of S’dom and ‘Amorah is great and their sin is grievous.” a. Either the wicked are articulating these things or the cries of those they oppress. “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: she and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.” – Ezekiel 16:49-50 14. From here to end of chapter, Abraham begins to intercede for these cities. a. In this we see Abraham’s compassion and God’s willingness to hearken to His servant. b. He does not take glee in the pending destruction of the wicked. c. This is not God’s heart either. 2 “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, ‘Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?’ But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them.’” – Luke 9:51-56 15. Abraham is one who does not hold contempt for evildoers; he wants them to repent. a. His apparent logic was if there were a group of righteous, they might affect the wicked. b. In our day it would be easy to harbor contempt and derision for the wicked people. c. Yet, like Abraham, we should despise the actions without hating the person. d. God is always ready to pardon sin. “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways!’” – Ezekiel 33:11 16. Also see Abraham’s emphasis on justice – “will you destroy righteous with wicked?” a. Perhaps it is that Abraham is mainly concerned for Lot. b. Lot is the only one deserving of deliverance. c. It could be argued that, even then, his deliverance is due to Abraham not himself. 17. Verse 25: “Far be it from you to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked…shall not the Judge of all the earth, do justly?” a. Justice is the basis of all virtue; anything considered loftier must be based on justice. b. Abraham acknowledged that he was quite forward to take this up with God. c. During entire dialogue, God knew there were not ten righteous in the entire city. 18. Footnote: Had everyone left with Lot there would have been at least 8. Lot and wife. Two unmarried daughters. At least two married daughters with sons-in-law. 19. Even if all had left, they would not be considered righteous necessarily. a. Noah is called righteous but his sons and family were not called that. b. They, seemingly, were spared because of Noah’s righteousness. c. Likewise, Lot’s family and Lot himself seemed to be spared because of Abraham’s. d. The firstborn is saved because of father’s obedience. 20. Perhaps this entire conversation is to bring to surface what was in Abraham’s heart. a. Consequently, the narrative serves to show what we are to strive for. b. If we are to be “sons of Abraham” we must do the “works of Abraham” (Jn. 8:39). 21. As soon as Abraham stops speaking, the LORD leaves to do investigate the cities. CHAPTER 19: DESTRUCTION OF S’DOM AND DELIVERANCE OF LOT “Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered 3 righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds.” – 2 Peter 2:8 1.
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