When God Shows Up- Part 1 — Founded on the Bible

Genesis 18:1-3 ESV

And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 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 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.”

Our current series, “When God Shows Up” is based on Genesis 18.

Part 1, “Make A Run For It”, is about God stopping by Abraham’s tent and Abraham respectfully offering God hospitality in his home. The question we will ask today is, “What should we do when God visits us?”

God Appears

God, in human form, appeared to Abraham shortly after He spoke to him in Genesis 17 after the men were circumcised and before Sarah became pregnant.

The Oaks of Mamre

In Genesis 13 and 14, Abraham is recorded living by the oaks of Mamre. Oak trees are symbolic of strength and a grove of oak trees symbolize a strong, established community. The name of the oak, Mamre, is defined as “fatness or prosperity, strength” (1). Just as the name indicated, Abraham and his people were a strong and prosperous community.

The Heat of the Day

Obviously, there wasn’t any air conditioning at the time. During the hottest time of the day, it would be more bearable to sit in the open air than to remain inside a stuffy tent. Customarily, the people of the ancient world would be napping and not expecting visitors. Remember when, in the Garden of Eden, God came to visit Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening?

Let’s compare and contrast these two visits.

Shielding His eyes from the desert sun by gazing downward at the sand, Abraham must have sensed a presence and jerked his head up. Three men were standing not very far from where he sat. For sure, he would have noticed them traveling towards his camp riding camels strapped with supplies. But this was not the case. These men didn’t have camels or supplies and appeared out of nowhere.

What was Abraham’s reaction?

Abraham RAN to God

Abraham spent a lot of time with God and he knew His presence. Even though he had made some really bad mistakes, he repented. Abraham and God were on very good terms. Instantly, he recognized that these men were from heaven and that God, Himself stood before him. Ecstatically, Abraham ran to meet them.

On the other hand, when God visited Adam and Eve, they hid from God. Guilt caused unbearable shame and they avoided God because they sinned.

Abraham REVERENCED God

Immediately acknowledging the men’s superiority, Abraham bowed low in reverence. He humbly recognized himself as “God’s servant”. Bowing signaled to them that they were worthy of his respect and honor.

Adam and Eve’s sin was desiring superiority over God. They believed that eating the forbidden fruit would make that happen.

Abraham desired God’s FAVOR

Abraham asked God “if” he found favor in His eyes. God’s approval and high regard meant the world to Abraham.

Adam and Eve aligned themselves with the serpent hoping to gain his favor.

Abraham WELCOMED God

Abraham asked God not to pass him by. He wanted God to remain with him as long as He wished. He wanted to demonstrate to God how much he loved and honored Him.

Adam and Eve dreaded the hour God would walk the garden with them. They didn’t want to expose themselves, admit their disobedience, and suffer the consequences. Even though they spent a lot of time with God, they listened to the enemy and believed his lies about God’s character. Pride prevented them from running to God when He showed up, asking His forgiveness and restoring their relationship.

That’s Why We Need to Live a Blameless Life!

As Christians, God is always with us (Hebrews 13:5). However, there are times He shows up in extraordinary ways. Blameless doesn’t mean we don’t miss it. It means that we humble ourselves so we are quick to repent. Unless we have already spent time with God and be honest and transparent with Him, we won’t know when He shows up! We will believe lies about His character just like Adam and Eve did.

God wants us to RUN to Him. He wants us to REVERENCE and acknowledge His presence and His great love for us. He is thrilled when we ask for His FAVOR. He wants to be WELCOMED into every part of our everyday lives. We should desire for God to show up anytime He pleases.

Let’s pray:

Father,

It is my deepest desire to know You better and better. Thank You for the grace to recognize Your presence. I can and will always run to You no matter what the circumstances. You are worthy of my reverence and I greatly desire Your favor and approval. You are warmly welcome in every area of my life. In Jesus Name, Amen.

References:

1) https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H4471&t=KJV