The Lord Appeared to Abram

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly.’

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.’” [1]

The Lord was gracious to appear to Abram. He was gracious to introduce Himself to him, and give him instruction, and a promise to bless him. The Lord’s prophetic word to him was that God would make him a father of many nations. The Lord changed his name from Abram (father of people) to Abraham (father of many people). He promised to be the God of Abraham’s descendants.

“Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.’” [2] Giving birth to a son in their old age was a hard promise for Abraham and Sarah to believe, but the key to this miracle is Messiah. Their son Isaac, and indeed they too, were destined to be in the family tree of Messiah. When it comes to Messiah nothing is impossible with God. Anything can happen!

“And the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.’” [3]

The Lord asked, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?” The answer was no. “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord…” Abraham and God were aware of each other. Abraham kept the way of the Lord. So, the Lord told him that He was going to take a look at the sin that was happening in Sodom and Gomorrah because many cried about it. [4]

Upon hearing this news, Abraham went into intercessory prayer mode. He interceded for the people of these cities, asking God to spare them if He could find at least ten righteous people there. It has been said, “The more you look at God the more become like Him.” Here, we see Jesus Messiah working in and through Abraham to urge God to be merciful and gracious to two very wicked cities of sinners for the sake of a few righteous people who lived there. God agreed to spare these wicked cities from destruction for the sake of ten righteous people. God did not find ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, but He did send two angels to get Lot’s family of four out of there before the fire fell. [5]

[1] Genesis 17:1-8
[2] Genesis 17:15-16
[3] Genesis 18:17-19
[4] Genesis 18:20-21
[5] Genesis 18:22-33; Genesis 19