A Theophany
Genesis 18:1–8 (NASB95)
1Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 3and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by. 4“Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; 5and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.
What is a theophany? Simply put, it is a physical manifestation of the Lord Himself. What is interesting is that throughout scripture, we see the Lord manifest Himself in various ways. In the last chapter, we saw a manifestation as “the Angel of the Lord.” In Exodus, the Lord manifests Himself on Mount Sinai with fire, dark clouds, thunder, and lightning. In Genesis 18, we have another example of the Lord physically manifesting Himself to Abraham.
But here is a question I want to ask you: Who exactly appeared to Abraham in Genesis chapter 18? You might think this question has a simple answer, but the truth is more complex than it first appears. For example, scripture tells us that at no time has anyone seen God the Father. In Exodus, Moses comes closest to seeing God, and it nearly kills him. So, who specifically is present in this theophany? Unfortunately, I have some bad news: you'll need to wait a week before we explore the answer. This question will be the focus of our Church Bible study next week. Once we understand who Abraham is encountering here, it will greatly influence how we read scripture.
In the meantime, what might we learn from these opening verses? Abraham is known for hospitality. When the three strangers appear, Abraham does not immediately recognize them. But Abraham shows the proper attitude of helping, hosting, and hospitality to them anyway. It is a good pattern for us to welcome others with open hearts, reflecting the character of our Lord.