The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Genesis 18:3-8,
“He [Abraham] said, ‘If I have found favor 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.’ 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.”
I chose the theme for this text, “Our Lord eats meat!” to take a good-natured jab at my Seventh Day Adventist friends. One of their elders confidently told me that those who have arrived at a certain spiritual maturity adopt the vegetarian diet Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden. After all, it was what God originally intended, right? We shared a vegetarian meal together in his home.
While I have my fun here, there is something far more fascinating to me than just the fact that the Lord and two of his angels ate meat Abraham had prepared for them. The account doesn’t really indicate Abraham realized at first it was the Lord and two angels who showed at his tent. It simply says Abraham looked up and saw three men. Apparently the Lord took the form of a man that might have been indistinguishable from any man. The angels likewise. Certainly before the visit was over it was clear to Abraham just who it was that paid him a visit.
According to the hospitable customs of the day Abraham offers to his visitors rest, refreshment and water to clean up with. While Abraham may have offered any visitor, no matter how road-weary, the comforts of visiting his home, I can’t help but wonder, did their feet need washing? Did they actually arrive on foot? Were they hungry? Were they in need of rest? Or was it all some sort of charade?
As the Lord remained with Abraham we read the two angels turned and went toward Sodom and didn’t arrive until evening. Genesis 19:1. Did they walk the whole way? Lot offered them hospitality, a place to stay for the night, and water to wash their feet again. While the hospitable act of providing for foot washing in a culture where walking was the method for getting places was the norm, I still wonder if the angels didn’t look to be road-weary again to Lot. After all, I can’t image someone offering water for foot washing to another who hadn’t been on foot.
The observations and reflections that catch my thoughts this morning lead me to question whether I have a proper perspective of our Lord relative to his earthly visits, what he might have experienced while taking the form of a man, walking about, eating and attending to personal hygiene (at least foot washing). I find this passage full of fascinating things to ponder.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
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