Hebrews 13:2 (NLT)
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
Commentaries cross-reference this verse with Genesis 18:1-15
Genesis 18:1-15 (NLT)
A Son Is Promised to Sarah
1 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
Examine the Scriptures
Genesis 18:1-15 (NLT)
A Son Is Promised to Sarah
1 The Lord appeared again to Abraham
The Lord and two angels. (This will be clear shortly.)
- The Lord and two angles appeared to Abraham and Sarah in human form.
God came to Abraham.
Various roles of angels in the Scriptures:
Communicate information
Luke 2:8-14 (NLT)
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
John 20:11-12 (NLT)
11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.
Matthew 28:6 (NLT)
6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.
Accompany Jesus
Matthew 16:27 (NLT)
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 (NLT)
And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels,
Protection/Care
Matthew 4:11 (NLT)
Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Luke 4:10 (NLT)
For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you.
Hebrews 1:14 (NLT)
Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
Psalm 91:11 (NLT)
For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
Matthew 18:10 (NLT)
“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.
Matthew 26:53 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
Worship/Praise God
Luke 2:13-14 (NLT)
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Revelation 5:11 (NLT)
Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders.
Luke 15:10 (NLT)
In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”
Gather the chosen
Matthew 24:31 (NLT)
And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.
- Angels are real and play many different roles throughout the scriptures.
near the oak grove belonging to Mamre.
This is where Abraham moved to after he and Lot split up.
Genesis 13:18 (NLT)
So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord.
One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby.
In previous encounters, the Lord simply “appeared”.
When he saw them, he ran to meet them
1 Peter 4:9 (NLT)
Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
Hebrews 13:2 (NLT)
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!
He ran – In the Middle East an elderly socially prominent man normally would not run
- Abraham did not hesitate to show hospitality to his three visitors.
and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
3 “My lord,” he said,
A common way of speaking to special guests.
- Abraham treated his guests with respect.
Refer to the use of “Lord” later in the chapter.
Initially, Abraham may or may not have known this was Yahweh but he certainly knew before too long.
Genesis 18:22 (NLT)
The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham.
Genesis 18:30-31 (NLT)
30 “Please don’t be angry, my Lord,” Abraham pleaded. “Let me speak—suppose only thirty righteous people are found?”
And the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it if I find thirty.”
31 Then Abraham said, “Since I have dared to speak to the Lord, let me continue—suppose there are only twenty?”
“if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.
Typical greeting.
5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
In reality, what happened here was that the Lord came to Abraham.
Revelation 3:20 (NLT)
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
Share a meal as friends – more intimate
- Jesus makes it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with Him.
Jesus comes to us.
How do we respond?
Do we even recognize Jesus?
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it.
- Abraham was generous with his guests.
A period of time to “visit”.
8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
A significant amount of food.
Abraham had servants, but here he did the serving.
- Abraham displayed a servant’s heart.
The reason for the visit.
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
A repetition, with more details, of the promise made in 17:16.
God was making his message crystal clear.
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children.
Long past the age of having children.
12 So she laughed silently to herself and said,
Genesis 17:17 (NLT)
Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”
“How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
Sarah was still not receptive to God’s plan for her life.
There is a lesson here for us.
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’
14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Repetition of the promise.
- Nothing is too hard for the Lord.
15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
Repentance vs. denial
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
- It doesn’t make sense to lie to God. He knows our hearts.
