Holy Devotion
Bible Devotional
Genesis 18:1-3 - At home with God

Scripture:

Genesis 18:1-3
1 Now the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.
2 When 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,
3 and said, "My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by."
NASU


Thoughts:

God appears in a bodily form to Abraham.  One of the 3 visitors is the Lord, and the other 2 are angels:

Genesis 18:33-19:1
33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.

19 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
NASU

This is an example of what Bible teachers call a Theophany, a unique occurrence before Christ came to Earth in which God presents Himself in a physical form for the purpose of communication.  God is spirit, and so He is merely taking this form, it is not His true essence, as Jesus taught us:

John 4:24
24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
NASU

How envious I am of Abraham!  Imagine having God come to your house in this way -- to talk to Him so directly!  And yet, we are actually more blessed than he in this regard.  His interactions with God were discrete events like this one.  Born again believers today however, are indwelt by the Spirit of God.  He does not need to visit our home for He has made His home inside of us.  Amazing!  As Jesus told us:

John 14:16-17
16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;  17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
NASU


Prayer:

Thank You, Father!  How intimate is our relationship!  Who am I that Your Spirit should live in me?

Amen

 
Links
Welcome
How to Know God, Personally
About the Author
Special Thanks
Contact Us

Online Devotionals
Search Devotionals
Old Testament
Genesis
1 Kings
Ecclesiastes
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Micah
Zephaniah
 
New Testament
Mark
Luke
Acts
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 John
2 John
3 John