Part 3: When the Lord Shows Up - Abraham

There is one reaction that happens quite often when God chooses to appear in person to a chosen one in the Bible – he falls on his face. Genesis 17 says exactly that happened when the Lord appears to Abraham:

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[a] walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face.”

Falling on his face is an act of abject humility. God knows He can use a man like that.

Then the Lord proceeds to tell Abraham how He plans to use Him and how his family will keep the covenant with the Lord throughout the generations. He promises Abraham generations of offspring to come, even though Abraham and Sarah have not been able to produce one child. And Abraham accepts God’s word.

But that is not the last time God will appear to Abraham. In Genesis 18, while Abraham and Sarah are encamped by the oaks of Mamre, three mysterious men appear to Abraham in the heat of the day. Once again, we see Abraham collapse in deference and humility:

“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 …”

This response seems to be the appropriate response when confronted with our Holy God.

Then, as God did with Isaiah and Samuel, He begins to speak intimately with Abraham. He gives Abraham a glimpse of the leadership He expects from him and shares a message for his people. Part of that leadership will require Abraham to circumcise his family and everyone else with them, including the servants. That could not have been a popular decision.

One of the reasons the Lord has come down to speak to Abraham is that He is about to give Sodom and Gomorrah extreme consequences for all the wickedness going on in these towns. The other two visitors leave and the one-on-one conversation with Abraham about the situation goes like this:

“22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it?’”

 Abraham does not use this opportunity selfishly. He does not get caught up in the honor of being one of the rare men chosen to talk to God in real time. Instead, he begins to intercede for the undeserving people in those towns.

God knew He had chosen the right man to stand between His sinful and rebellious people and His wrath. Between Abraham’s complete humility, his unselfish intercession for others, and his obedience, God knew Abraham could be entrusted to lead his people and become the Father of a beloved nation that would  one day produce the Messiah.

We all want God to speak to us more directly. We desire to experience His presence. We know He desires that kind of intimate relationship with us also. Today, let’s examine our hearts in the three areas that led God to Abraham. Do you have the abject humility and reverence for the Lord as Abraham did? Are your prayers more adoration and intercession for others than selfish petitions? Have you brought selfish desires under obedience to the Lord?

We don’t have to be perfect in these areas to pray, but ask God to make you grow and be more pleasing in these areas.