A Meal Fit For A King

For the past several weeks I have been going through the book of beginnings also known as Genesis.  It has been my continual prayer that as we go through this book you would encounter God.  I pray your encounter would help you grow in your walk with God and you would hunger for his Word thus falling more and more in love with him daily.  My purpose and goal for this study is not only to encounter God but also to prayerfully discern how to apply what we learn together into our everyday lives.  The way this happens will be different for each person because we are all in different stages of our lives and in our walks with God.  God is faithful to meet you where you are right now so that ultimately he can lovingly lead you to the place where He is at work and so you may be in His will and walk according to his plan and purpose.     

Genesis 18:1 - 8
In chapter 18 the scene now changes to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre which we are told in 13:18 is where he settled after separating from Lot.  The LORD appears once again to Abraham (Theophany – God appears). This time He is with two other men, probably angels.  These men are considered by Abraham to be important because he responds by running to meet them and falling down before them.  However it is not implied that Abraham knows just yet that this is a divine encounter with God.   

Vs. 2 “He lifted up his eyes” - Abraham may have been sleeping during his mid day nap in front of his tent and awoke to see these men on the horizon.  It is also possible that they may have just appeared out of nowhere.  We are not told.    

Vs 3 - 8:  He pleads for the men to stay with him.  He shows them hospitality by offering them bread, water and a feet washing.  It is clear that Abraham wants to be a hospitable host.  I find it interesting that Abraham offers a snack to the visitors but he prepares a royal meal for them.


Abraham’s offering (whether he knows it or not) is indeed proper and true worship to God.  His actions show that he is giving God his best.  He is holding nothing back.  This meal certainly was costly, the preparation was time consuming and a lot of hard work but completely worth it to Abraham. 
He had Sarah take 3 seahs of fine flour which is about 7 quarts to make cakes..  He picks a calf and slaughters it after he made curds and milk.  Abraham made a feast literally fit for a king and a crowd.


As I read this account it makes me wonder how often I or we do just the opposite with God.  We offer or promise to give our best to Him (proper worship) but ultimately we end up giving him a morsel of bread and a sip of water.  It is clear in the both the Old and New Testament that God does not want just a portion of us; he wants us completely and Abraham displays this perfectly.  God is worthy of our best and so often we give him a portion of our leftovers.  Our days are filled with activities that consume us and if time permits or we actually remember we may carve out a small time to spend with Him.  We may conduct our daily affairs in our own power, completely disregard God in our decisions and daily life but when things go awry we quickly call him to bail us out.  God does not desire to ride in the passenger seat of our lives; He wants to be the one in charge.  May God help me and you to always give to God completely everything and this means everything that we have and let him to be LORD of it all.  


What could that look like for you today?