All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn back to Genesis chapter 18. Genesis 18. Tonight, I'd like for us to consider
a meeting that took place between the Lord, two angels, and Abraham. It was a meeting that we would
all admit was marvelous. Can you imagine? The Lord, two
angels, and a sinner saved by the grace
of God. I'd like for us to see this blessed
meeting and look at it because it records the wonder of God's
condescension to cross the path, to actually
physically cross the path of a sinner. But as wonderful as this record
of this meeting is, and that's a marvelous thing, we just read
it just a few minutes ago, as wonderful as that meeting
is, If it's merely a note of history, then what profit is it spiritually
to us tonight? And where's the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ? Where would be the hope for sinners? This meeting that took place
thousands of years ago is relevant tonight. But if this meeting is more than
history, and it reveals the glorious gospel of God's free and sovereign
grace in the Lord Jesus, which it does, there is where a needy
sinner has something that he can spiritually, by faith, grasp
hold of. Something that will feed his
soul. Now, I want to set down this truth. We all know that
this recording concerning this man, Abraham. Abraham is a believer. Abraham believed God. And the
scripture says it was counted unto him for righteousness. So
we know that we're talking about a believer, but knowing that
Abraham is a believer, This passage sets forth how God is pleased
to call out his people initially. And it sets forth the response
of those that have been affectionately called out of the darkness of
sin and unbelief. But it's a message also concerning
our daily walk, our walk of faith. So as we look at these eight
verses, the first eight verses in Genesis 18, remember that. I know that Abraham is a believer,
but he's a picture of how God initially saves a believer, the
response when God saves a believer, and our walk daily. Now let's look at these verses.
Let's consider first the crossing of the path of the vessel of
God's mercy. Verse 1 says, and the Lord appeared
unto him. That's the first thing. The Lord
appeared unto him. Notice that it was the Lord's
meeting with Abraham. Every blessed visitation of an
undeserving sinner, it's initiated by the Lord. Notice that capital
L, capital O, capital R. This is Jehovah. Jehovah. in the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the image, the express image of the Godhead
bodily. Now this is the Lord before He
was coming to this world, made flesh, born of a virgin, before
that. He has taken on the form of one
that Abraham can see. He can see Him. He comes before
Him as a man. But this is Jehovah. Jehovah. If a sinner is left to himself,
left to his will, left to his work, he will never seek the
Lord. Here's the Lord seeking Abraham.
Abraham appeared to Him. Romans 3, 10-12, as it is written, There's none righteous. No, not one. There's none that
understandeth. There's none that seeketh after
God. They're all gone out of the way.
They're together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good. No, not one. We're all as an unclean thing. We don't seek God on our own. Man is born spiritually dead. When it comes to the things of
God, man is dead in righteousness. He's dead in spiritual understanding. He's dead concerning his knowledge
of God. He's dead concerning his knowledge
of himself, his sin. He's dead concerning the way
of salvation. He's dead. He's dead. No man
understands. That's what the Scripture says.
There's none that understandeth. You can talk to a spiritually
dead sinner and read from the Scriptures and let him hear with
these ears what he is by nature before God. He can hear you with
an ear like this. And he doesn't understand. He
doesn't get it. He does not seek after God. He's dead. He possesses no heart
to seek after God. He doesn't love the Lord. He
doesn't. Therefore, God, to show mercy
to a sinner, is going to have to come to him. And by faith
wrought in us from above, That continual fellowship with the
Lord has got to be initiated by the Lord every time. If you
have a heart right now, by faith, to think upon Him, love Him,
to come to Him in heart, that's how men come. He comes in heart.
Come to the Lord. How does He come? I've said before,
the only difference in the back of this building and right here
is about Thirty feet? Thirty-five feet? Ain't no difference. Coming down this aisle? That's
not coming to the Lord. It's in the heart. And if a man
or woman comes to Christ, it's because the Lord came to him
first. So the Scripture says, and the Lord appeared unto him.
Note that part of that first statement right there. It was
the Lord that came to Abraham in particular. And the Lord appeared
unto him. God has a sheep. God has a people
in this world that he's everlastingly loved and chosen in Christ from
before the foundation of the world, and they're all born in
this world lost, dead. Dead to themselves, dead to God,
dead to anything that's right and good. And they must hear
the message of Christ and Him crucified. They must hear the
gospel, the message of God's will and God's purpose to show
mercy to a people of His choosing. And how God can be just in dealing
with sin, the sin of His people, in His Son, putting away their
guilt, that's the message they must hear. So the Lord comes
to Abraham. He must come to Abraham. He must
come to his people. The scripture says in John 4,
4, relating such a visit, this visit that is imperative. Does
God have to come to his people? Does he have to come to his people?
Yes, because it's purpose, it's his will. He said concerning
a woman that was gonna be found at a well, I must needs go through Samaria. What a sheep
I have, John 10, 16. They're not of this fold. And
them I must bring. Why? It's the will of the Father.
That was the Father's will. That was the Father's work that
He gave Him to do as the surety, as the shepherd, as the Lamb
of God. So concerning the will of the
Father, the work of the Father, must the Lord Jesus Christ come
to His people? Absolutely! He must come. So here He's coming to Abraham. He appeared to Abraham just like
He must appear to that woman at the well. That revelation
of the glorious purpose and will of Almighty God to come to His
people initially, He comes to them. But He comes to them, and
comes to them, and they come to Him. And they love Him because
He loved them. We come to Him because He loved
us and loved us first. We love Him because He first
loved us. So here He's coming and He comes to His people. And I want you to notice where
the Lord crossed Abraham's path. Now you know I said that this
whole revelation is a picture, it's a type of the Lord coming
to His people and where does He find us? Where does He find
us? So look at this. And the Lord appeared unto him
in the plains of Mamre, and he sat in the tent door in the heat
of the day. Now, the significance of where
the Lord met him is of great, great revelation to us. The significance of where God
came to him, he was in the plains of Mamre. Now, just looking at
those words and finding out what those words meant. Plains. The plains. Actually, that word
plains, you know, and I think of, you know, Plains. I've seen cowboy movies. You
know, what are you looking at? I'm looking at the plains. This
word right here, it means oak. Oak. Or a strong tree. And plains, the word plains is
from a root word that means strength or strong. So the plains that
he's talking about, it actually seems to be a grove of oaks. A grove of oaks. Strong. You know, it stood there like
a mighty oak tree. It's strong. That's what it means. Plains. And the word memory. That word actually means Lusty,
L-U-S-T-Y, lusty, vigor, powerful. And that word, memory, that root,
it comes from a root word that means to rebel, to be filthy,
or to lift up self. So now, let me ask you this,
considering where he came to Abraham, where he was, Does not
that set forth beautifully? Where the Lord finds his people
spiritually. Here we see in picture and type
where God finds every object of his mercy initially. Where does he find him? He finds
him in a place where he thinks himself to be strong, like a
mighty oak tree. But actually what he is, he's
strong alright, but he's strong in rebellion, he's strong in
self-power, self-vigor, strong in spiritual filth, and content. Content. Abraham was found in
the plains of memory and he sat. He said, you know when a man
sits down, he's done. I'm done. You always hear this, there was never
a chair found in the temple, in the wilderness. Why? Because
the work was never done. After the Lord Jesus Christ came,
he finished the work. And what does the scripture say
about him? He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on
high. Here's Abraham again now, understanding
he's a believer, but a picture of one that God is going to show
mercy and comes to in grace and compassion. Where does he find
him? He finds him sitting, sufficient. sitting in the door of his tent,
in the heat of the day, in the plains of memory. And this is
where we're all found, just like that. But, not only are we all
found like that, there's an old man that's still within every
believer with that attitude. Same man. He was found in the
plains of memory, in that plains where he thought himself strong,
where he thought himself able, thought himself able to accomplish. And to just show you, turn to
Luke, you can see this or I'll turn to you, it's Luke 22. That old man, that old nature
is still with us thinking, I can. I'm strong. Don't tell me I can't
do it. Luke 22. You remember when the
Lord was talking to Peter and he told Peter, verse 31 to 34. Now listen to the Lord's words. The Lord said unto Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may shift you
as wheat. sift you as wheat. But I prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren. And listen to the words of Peter. Now here's a man sufficient in
self. Now here's a picture of that
old man, still with us. And he said unto him, Lord, Let me ask you something before
I read the scripture. Who just told him? Who just told
him Satan has desired to have you sift your wheat, but I prayed
for you that your faith fail not. Lord, I'm ready to go with thee both
into prison and to death. And the Lord said, I tell thee,
Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before thou shalt thrice
deny that thou knowest me." Peter, no uncertain terms told him,
said, that'll never happen. I'll die before that happens.
But after Peter had denied the Lord three times, the scripture
sets forth in verse 61. And he denied him. And that third
time he denied him, the cock crew, in verse 60, and the Lord
turned and he looked unto Peter, upon Peter, and Peter remembered
the word of the Lord which he had said unto him before the
cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and
wept bitterly. The apostle Paul, in chapter
7 of Romans, After he was talking about the
things that I would, I don't do, I see in me, I see in my
flesh, there dwells no good thing. He says in verse 24, Oh wretched
man that I am. That I am, not that I was. Oh,
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? The Lord found Abraham, a believer,
but a picture of those rescued out of the darkness of sin and
unbelief, sitting. What man or woman that knows
God would say, I used to have that attitude, but I don't anymore?
You know better than that. This is our daily walk. We struggle. We war. We see that old man in us and
we war and hate him. Job said, I loathe myself. But
then I want you to consider the response of one that has been
given eyes to see the Lord. You can see him and hear the
cry of one that's been given a heart to, by faith, behold
his need of Christ. Look at verses two and three.
He lift up his eyes and looked and lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran
to meet them from the tent door and bowed himself before the
ground and said, my Lord, if now I have found favor in thy
sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. Here
the scripture reveals that Abraham lift up his eyes and looked. Now that's the same word that's
found in Numbers 21.8 when the Lord instructed Moses to take
up a fiery serpent of brass and set it on a pole and everyone
when he looketh thereon. I looked it up. Same word. Same
word. When he looketh, when he sees,
beholds, and considers. shall live. Abraham lift up his
eyes and look. He looked. Now here we see the
picture of all who, by faith, look and continue to look, looking
unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, that look
of faith given from above. Unless the Lord gives eyes to
see, again, we don't understand. We don't see. We don't perceive
spiritually. that which God has been pleased
to do to a sinner until the Lord gives us, you know, new eyes,
new ears. Isaiah 45, 22, look unto me and
be you saved. How many people do you think
in the time of the Lord Jesus Christ actually physically looked
at Him? They looked at Him. Pharisees
looked at Him. A lot of people looked at Him, but didn't see
Him, didn't consider Him. Look unto me. and be you saved,
all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there's none else."
Once a man is given eyes to see, once he's been given eyes to
see, and he looks, and he sees by faith, does that vessel of
mercy ever stop needing to look afresh? We need to look again. Hebrews
12.2. Looking, looking unto Jesus. In fact, I looked that up just
to see exactly what it was saying. Looking, that is, away from other
things and unto Jesus, is what it's saying. Looking away from
other and to him, the author and finisher of our faith. 2
Peter, 2 Peter chapter three and verse 12 says this. Looking
for. and hastening unto the coming
of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall
be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat."
In Jude, book of Jude, Jude 1, verse 21, listen to this, talking
about our looking. Keep yourselves in the love of
God. looking for the mercy of our
Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. So here's the point. Here's the walk of a believer
that's struggling within, warring within, warring without. Here
was Abraham, he came up, he lifted up his eyes, he looked. And the
scripture says a believer is looking. They look. There is
that initial looking. But we never stop looking. Continually looking unto him.
So Abraham looked, the scripture says, and lo three men. There
were two angels according to Chapter 19 verse 1, there came
two angels to Sodom. So I know the two that were with
him were angels, but the other was the Lord God himself. The
scripture bears that out in verse 1 of chapter 18, Jehovah appears. So we know who was there. And
the scripture says in verse 2 of chapter 18, lift up his eyes,
he looked, and lo, three men stood by him, and when he saw.
Now that word saw right there is the same word as looked. But
in being the same word, there's
many words of definition to that. But I looked again at that, and
he looked and he saw, and that blessed definition of that word,
it was discern, make to enjoy, to regard, to have respect. He looked and he knew. He knew who he saw. He truly
saw. It's the Lord. I think about,
remember John, when there were all the disciples, Peter said,
I go fishing. I'm going back to my old way
of doing things. And the others said, we go with
you. And they were out there, and he toiled all night. And
you know this story. And here they come the next morning. They've been out, and they're
coming in. And the Lord's on the beach. And he's standing
there. And the way the scriptures read
in my understanding is nobody recognized him but John. And
there they were. They're out there in the water
and John looks. And he told Peter, he said, it's the Lord. He saw
him. He discerned him. He recognized
him. Abraham lift up his eyes. He
looked. And lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them,
them is in italics. He saw them, but he saw. That's
what he said. He saw them. He discerned them. He regarded them. He had respect. And the scripture says he did
something. Now here's the heart. Here's
the reaction of a believer. He lifted up his eyes and when
he saw the Lord, he ran from the tent and bowed himself toward
the ground. He ran. Ninety-nine years old. Ninety-nine
years old. And he ran. Isn't that a beautiful
picture of all that see the Lord, what they do in heart? You hear the preaching of a gospel,
you hear the glory of Christ, and the Spirit of God bears witness
to your heart, this is the truth. And in your heart, what do you
do? You run. You run to Him. Where man before
left to himself, what did Adam do when he ate of the fruit?
He hid himself. And now here's one regenerated
by grace, a picture of one regenerated by grace. And he runs to the
Lord. He's now coming to the one who
has come for him. And that action is an action
of the heart, a coming by faith. Abraham had come, there's no
doubt about it. Like I said, he's a believer.
But there's a picture of one first regenerated and a continual
action of his heart. What does he do? He keeps coming. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me and him that cometh, cometh, cometh. I will in no wise cast him out.
And coming to the Lord of mercy, he cries out, he says, my Lord,
if now I have found favor, if now I found grace, if now I found
acceptance in thy sight, Lord, if you've looked on this needy
sinner in grace, this needy sinner in free grace, Irresistible grace,
sovereign grace. Pass not away, I pray thee, from
my servant. Don't cross over is what it means.
Don't alienate yourself from this bond slave. Or don't leave
me. David said, Lord, take not thy
spirit from me. Or don't be silent to me. That's
the cry of a heart. Don't pass away, like in Mark
6. When the disciples were in the
boat and the Lord came walking out on the water, they thought
He was a spirit. And He would, like He was going
to pass them by. They called out to Him. That's what God's people do. There's a continual cry for His
presence, for one in light. You can't be without Him. You can't be without Him. You
want His presence. You want to know He's there.
It's like Song of Solomon, Shulamite. Over in Song 3, I'll read this
for you. This is the desire of God's people. By night on my bed I sought Him
whom my soul loveth. I brought this up before. You've
done that. You that know Him. You know what
I'm talking about. There's times that you just, during the night,
in those night seasons, upon my bed, At night on my bed, I sought
him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him
not. What was her reaction? She said,
I will rise now. I'll go to the city in the streets,
in the broadways. I'll seek him whom my soul loveth.
I sought him, but I found him not. The watchman that go about
the city found me, to whom I said, saw ye him whom my soul loveth. A believer doesn't want to be
without his presence. He's always there. Because he
said, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. But you
remember what I told you about old Maurice Montgomery telling
me that time, years and years and years ago. He said, Marvin,
the Lord knows how to draw you to himself. He said, he's going
to put you out there on a limb and make you think he'll leave
you there. You'll call. You'll call. Abraham called up,
my Lord, if now I found favor in thy sight. Lord, if you've
loved me with an everlasting love, Lord, if you've been pleased
to show mercy to this sinner, Lord, if you've been pleased
to save me by your grace, don't leave me. Don't leave me here.
Don't leave me. And then the scripture says he
did something that was amazing. Scripture says that he's going
to worship is what he's doing. Actually what he's going to do,
he's going to show hospitality. But this is more than hospitality. What we're getting ready to look
at, and I'm gonna wrap this up pretty quickly. These first three
verses was the longest part, and I'm gonna wrap this up. But
then when we look at verses four to eight, I want you to realize
that what's going on here is more than just casual kindness. Abraham is going to exhibit the
spirit and the heart of a believer of worship, true worship. What
is it? What is it to worship God, to
worship Him? Now look at this right here.
I want you to observe that spirit of thankfulness and worship that
Abraham showed to the Lord. Look at verse 4. Let a little
water, I pray you, be fetched. and wash your feet and rest yourselves
under the tree. I pray, I'm gonna admit to you
right now what was just said in verse four. I pray the Spirit of God bless
the feeble effort that I'm sure that I'll make in trying to make
a few comments on what he just said. And if the Lord gives us
understanding to what was just said, believe me, if the Lord
has called you out of darkness, it'll be a blessing to you. I
pray God bless it. I'll see if I can make good on
this. Let a little water. I pray you, be fetched and wash
your feet. The water that he desired from
the Lord to be fetched, to wash the feet of the Lord, does not
the Spirit of God set forth in that desire right there, the
praise and thankfulness unto the Lord? for him who washes
us daily with the water of his word." That's the first thing.
What he was saying was, Lord, that which the Lord did, the
Spirit of God, moved on Abraham to say these words. You think
Abraham, at the time that this took place, The Lord had not
come in human flesh to tabernacle for 33 years, 33 and a half years. He wouldn't do that for years
and years later. But the Spirit of God moved on
Abraham to say, could you take a little water? Somebody said,
well, that's just a custom. That was a custom back then.
They did that custom like that. Oh, my friend, this was more
than just a custom. The Lord who would wash his disciples'
feet and teach them, you're clean, ever wet. But there's a daily
defilement. that we need to have washed.
And as He washed their feet, He washed the dust off of the
feet of His disciples, showed them that defilement. And even
that defilement, He paid the debt of their sin. He put their
guilt away and He shed blood. He was going to. It was coming. It was that work that was finished
from the foundation of the world. He was getting ready to die.
But here, the Lord washed His feet to show them the washing
that takes place. by the Word of God. We're defiled. Washed in His blood, no condemnation,
right. But we need forgiveness and pardon
and cleansing daily. And that's what the Lord would
do. What did Abraham, the Spirit of God moved on Abraham to say,
let me fetch a little water and wash your feet in honor and glory
and praise to what the Lord does for His people. And there's something
else that Abraham said. He invited his heavenly visitors. Now listen to this. And rest
yourselves under the tree. Rest yourselves under the tree. Oh, what rest there is for all
found in Christ as they consider resting under the tree when that
tree refers to the tree of his cross. If there could be one
verse of scripture for what I'm trying to say right here that
we could read, it'd be Galatians 3, 13, if you wanna just look
at it, I'm gonna read it for you. Galatians 3, verse 13. The scripture says Christ, hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written,
cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Now, that verse of
scripture declares that by His one sacrifice for sin, being
made a curse for us, all the people of God, in Him being made
a curse for us, He hath made Him sin. Same truth. Who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. All the people of
God were thereby redeemed from the curse of the law, For the
Lord Himself was made what we are by nature, sin and liable
to the curse. But Christ was made a curse for
us to redeem us from the curse of the law. He made Himself liable,
taking and bearing His people's liability made it to be his very
own, making himself answerable to the law of God truly, not
in theory. He bore our guilt in his own
body. He was made sin. There was a
divine transfer. He became liable. He became sin. He became guilty. He who knew
no sin. person, made sin. And when he was made sin, the
law looked to the surety as answerable. The surety only. Now here's the amazing thing.
The Lord who died on that cross cried, it is finished, gave up
the ghost. Here's the amazing thing of what
Abraham was saying. I pray you be fetched, wash your
feet, some water, be fetched, and rest yourselves, rest yourselves, under the tree, the tree. And did not the Lord do that?
Did not he rest himself? It's finished. Sit there with
my right hand until I make all your enemies your footstool.
Rest yourself. Rest yourself. You're worthy. And Abraham in telling these
three, the Lord, two angels, here let me fetch some water
and wash your feet. Picture what the Lord would do
for His people. And rest yourself under the tree. That passage in Galatians 3 was
found, was taken from Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy chapter 21 and verses
22 and 23. I want to read something to you
that was a real blessing to me, Deuteronomy 21. Here's what scripture
says, that passage in Galatians 3.13, taken from this right here. Deuteronomy 21 verse 23. If a man have committed a sin
worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on
a tree, his body shall not remain all night upon the tree but thou
shalt in any wise bury him that day. For he that is hanged is
accursed of God, that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord
thy God giveth thee for an inheritance. Now here's the glory of that
passage of Scripture. And here's the glory of what
Abraham, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, was saying
to the Lord, who was there visiting with him. Just telling him, let
me fetch some water and wash your feet, and you rest yourself
under the tree. It's cordial. There's no doubt
about that. It's cordial. That's hospitable.
You sit down. You relax right here. But these
scriptures were written under inspiration of the Spirit of
God. And they speak of Christ. This is not just hospitality
right here. This is speaking of His glory
as the Savior and the substitute of sinners. You rest yourself.
In Deuteronomy chapter 21, we just read that latter part. talking
about he that is caught criminal, he's hanged on a tree, he cannot,
don't leave him there overnight. That's what it said. He shall
not stay overnight. He's crucified and you take him
down, you bury him. The glory of the Lord in the
redemption of his people in his glorious crucifixion. Now listen,
let me try to say it in closing of what's going on. Rest yourself
under the tree, rest yourself. The glory of his redemption of
his people and his crucifixion was so guarded by God himself
that even guilty, convicted, crucified criminals I'm talking
about common criminals. I'm talking about people that
had done something that was punishable by death. Whatever it was. If they were crucified and they
were to be crucified and they were not to be left hanging overnight. Alright, that's a fact. How do
I know that? I just read it in Deuteronomy 21. They were not
to be left hanging overnight. And here's why. I'm talking about
all the criminals, all of them. You crucify them, but you don't
leave them hanging overnight. You take them down, you bury
them. Here's why. And it was all to the glory,
that glorious picture that was pointing to the crucifixion.
On the day that our Lord was crucified, which was the day
before the Sabbath, the Sabbath that was associated with the
Passover. The Lord was crucified and the Jews were so careful
to not break the law of God, as it was stated in Deuteronomy
21. If one's crucified, you don't leave him overnight. You take him and you bury him.
Well, they were so concerned, Mitch, with not breaking the
law of God. What were they going to do? How were they going to
hurry this thing up? You remember? They were going
to break his legs. They were going to break the
legs of those three, the Lord and the two thieves. So they
decided to not break the law of God, because we can't leave
him here all night. What if he doesn't die? What
if they don't die? Man, we've got Passover coming
up. We've got to break their legs. We've got to get them so
we can bury them. They've got to be able to not
hold themselves up and breathe. So they come and they're going
to break their legs that they might die quickly and be removed. But the Lord Himself had given
up the ghost. The Lord said, I have power.
You know, no man takes my life from me, I lay down my life for
the sheep. And he laid down his life for
the sheep and the scripture says, and he cried with a loud voice
and gave up the ghost. He willed himself to die for
his people. What he did by giving up the
ghost, his legs were not broken. The Scriptures had declared none
of his bones would be broken. The bones set in force his people.
His people. None of them would be broken
spiritually. And all that spiritualness of
his crucifixion. So by him giving up the ghost,
they didn't break his legs. And they took him down and they
buried him and set forth in the beauty of the redemption and
the preservation of his people. Now Abraham says thousands of
years, hundreds of years, for them at least, before he would
come, I want to get some water and I'm going to wash your feet.
And you rest yourself under the tree. Rest yourself under your
tree on what you've done. Then he said in verse 5, I will
fetch a morsel of bread and comfort you, your hearts. After that,
you shall pass on, for therefore are you come to your servant.
And they said, so do as thou hast said. Oh, that morsel of
bread fetched by Abraham that magnified Christ, the bread of
heaven, and is not That truly the comfort of our hearts as
we eat by faith Him whose body was broken for us. Verse 6, and
Abraham hasted to the tent under Sarah and said, make ready quickly
three measures of fine meal. Knead it. Make cakes upon the
hearth. Back in the Old Testament, one
of the sacrifices called the meat, M-E-A-T, the meat offering. It was a bloodless offering.
It sounds like it wouldn't be, but it was. The meat offering. And what it was, it was bread. It was bread. That's what it
was. But it was made with fine meal. Fine flour. Fine ground fine. And here's
Abraham, and he comes to Sarah, and he said, I want you to make
ready quickly three measures of fine meal. Knead it. Make cakes upon the hearth. Oh,
it showed the perfect humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
what the meat offering set forth and portrayed. The purity of
his person, the holiness of his being, his body, And him was
no sin, pure. And he still, the Spirit of God
is moving him to say this, to do this for the Lord, in worship.
That's what he's doing. Worshipping. God moved upon his
heart to get some water, to tell him to rest under the tree, to
take a morsel of bread, tell Sarah, you take some fine meal. Was he not crushed? and the purity
of his body, crushed under the judgment of God, baked in the
hearth of God's judgment, that meat offering. And then seven
and eight, and Abraham ran unto the herd and fetched a calf,
tender and good, and gave it unto the young man. And he hasted
to dress it. And he took butter and milk and
the calf which he had dressed, set it before them, and he stood
by them under the tree. And they did eat. Abraham finally
for this evening ran to the herd and fetched a calf, tender and
good. Had it prepared. Oh, do we not
see the sacrifice here? That picture of that glorious
sacrifice. Had it prepared, took butter
and milk at the savor of him who is God's sacrifice for sin. Abraham honored the Lord with
that which pictured the Lord. That's worship. That's worship.
Worship is obedience. Worship is agreeing with God. Proverbs 3, 9 says, honor the
Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine
increase. And he said it before his guests
and they rested under the tree and did eat. And you know what
we do? We do the same thing. We take
that which the Lord has declared concerning Himself, and we say
back to Him that which He said. He's Almighty God. We say, Lord,
You're God Almighty. He said, I'm the way, the truth,
and the life. You know what we do? We say,
Lord, You're the way, the truth, and the life. He said, no man
cometh unto the Father but by me. And you know what we do?
We say, Lord, nobody comes to the Father but by you. That's
worship. We agree with God. I pray God bless this to our
hearts for his glory and our good. Amen. OK, Gary.