Under the Terebinth Tree

From my very young days, as far as I can remember the life of the patriarchs has been very close to me. God has taught me through their stories, foreshadowed events (weird isn’t it?) for me and even had prophetic words from the elderly with words of confirmation of how my life was to be lived like that of the patriarchs.  You can read about that in one of my old posts here about the word I had got in Shanghai few years back. Today I reflect again into the life of Abraham, the scene is the Lord has come with his two angels to Abraham as he rested under the terebinth trees of Mamre. Abraham knows the Lord has come to hang out with him; he rushes to his tents and asks Sarah to prepare food and entreats the special guests with food and refreshments. A quick note about the Tents of Abraham, when Jewish people seek an exemplary example of openness and hospitality we learn jus three days after his circumcision, an ailing Abraham rushes from his tent in the heat of the day to welcome three passing by visitors. Abraham’s righteousness shows that his tent was open on all sides so that he would not miss a single passer-by.

This story is so cool and can be read in Genesis 18, during their conversing as Abraham waited upon them as they enjoyed their food the Bible says in verse 9  - Then they said to him “Where is Sarah your wife?” Lets pause here and see the expression “they”. Sometimes I wonder if the angels that were with God were Jesus and the Holy Spirit? Hmm..Maybe not….but again its interesting to note that the translation says “they” were the ones who inquired about his wife and had come to tell Abraham that the Lord was going to visit his barren wife Sarah again next year around this time and that she will bear the promised child.  Sarah overhears this conversation and laughs.  The Lord then asks Abraham as to “Why did Sarah laugh?” Its almost as if the question implies with the connotations of “Why do you doubt God’s promises?” or “Why do you have so little faith?” or maybe even “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”  Isn’t that fascinating…God knows our frailties’ and our natural reasons of our unbelief’s, as a loving God He then rebukes, corrects and still goes on to do miracles on our behalf.

Well that was the first point, the second part of that passage immensely blessed me was verse's 16 and 17  which says “The the men rose up to leave and looked toward Sodom and Abraham went with them to send them away”.  The Lord then remained with Abraham and the Bible says something so beautiful, the Lord is reasoning with Him-self and says “Shall I hide this from Abraham what I am going to do?”

First of all the fact that the Lord remains back with Abraham shows us how the God who created the universe, flung stars with words of His mouth... likes to hang out with his friend Abraham and then He reasons to himself as to He should hide from his friend Abraham as to what He was going to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. I rejoice in these words because those who are close to Him and are called friends of God, the Lord Himself  wants to hang out with them and not only that He also reveals the secrets of His heart and the actions that He is going to do be it in lives of individuals in their sphere, corporate lives or even deciding the fate of nations.

Shallu Shalom may the Lord God of heaven, Yeshua and The Holy Spirit of God commune with you closely and may our tents be tents of righteousness.

Blessings,
Sam Kurien