God Talks To Himself

As we walk through the Garden this week, we continue to tarry in one of our favorite and oldest corners of His creation. In the busy parts of our lives, we often see pictures of plants that are ancient like the giant Sierra Sequoias and pass them by without too much thought. But when we really pause amongst these colossal living Ebenezers to consider the ancient nature and the grand reach of these trees in time and space, we can't help but stand in awe. This Genesis corner of His Horticultural Park has many beautiful flowers and bushes in it, but this week we stood in awe of a tremendous old tree that seemed to reach from where we stood all the way down to the beginning of time. We could only guess how far the roots would go, but it seemed that perhaps this was one of the first trees that He tenderly planted and made to spring up in the very beginning when He set mankind there. So old and majestic this tree is, one must believe that it was in God’s mind's eye from before the beginning. What joy He must have in watching it grow and seeing us recognize His Sovereignty in it. Imagine it growing next to the very tree of life. How wonderful, how marvelous. This is the place that took our breath away this week. We will try to give you an inkling of what we saw, but I encourage you to take a long slow walk through Genesis 18 and see if you can glimpse some of the Grandeur that we were able to rest under.

Genesis 18:1 opens with Abraham as he “sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day.” That ought to grab your attention! It brings back shades of something we have seen in this garden before. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...” Adam and Eve hid from the Lord. As Abraham sits and likely sweats, and the heat of this world envelops him, we yearn for a time when we can just walk in the cool of the day with the Lord. The very thing the sin of our original ancestors and our own sin without Christ prohibits. Perhaps Abraham will not hide this time?

To give you the proper setting, we should look back at what we have just seen. Chapter 17, Abram is 99 and Yehovah (the LORD) appears to him and says “I am El Shaddai (God Almighty) walk before Me and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” Abram falls on his face and God proceeds to layout the covenant over him, changing his name to Abraham and promising many nations and informing Abraham that he and his generations will watch over and guard the covenant, and commanding him to apply the sign of circumcision to all males within the covenant. God changes Sarai’s name to Sarah and promises the child Isaac. The new Abraham scoffs and pleads for what he believes is his hope for the future in Ishmael. God is gracious to Ishmael but confirms His promise is through Isaac in the near future.

Abraham sits in the heat and waits for fulfillment. No wonder as he sees the Lord approaching, he runs to Him and begs Him not to pass over him. He offers a “little water” and a “morsel of bread” then he has about thirty loaves of bread and enough meat for hundreds of people prepared. Sounds like he is serving a king? In short, the promise is repeated. Sarah scoffs and the Lord asks if anything is too hard for Him. From there the “men” looked down on Sodom, and this is the point where we reached to base of this towering oak tree we were overwhelmed by.

In Genesis 18, the three “men” are talking amongst themselves but if you look closely Abraham is right there within earshot. God asks Himself out loud if He should hide from the father of many nations what His plans are. Does God need to talk to Himself audibly? He then explains the plan for Sodom to Abraham. Abraham then goes on what seems to be a ridiculous and almost unending plea for all of wicked Sodom if only there can be found a “few good men”. Abraham's plea goes on for one third of chapter eighteen. As Abraham communes with the very God of the universe in prayer, the sheer length of this audacious bargaining with the Him has to make us take notice that there must be something special going on here. As we rested in the shade of this spreading canopy, it occurred to us that perhaps God talking to Himself is not that unusual. Is this not what His Word truly is? He starts off before the Garden discussing with Himself the plan to make humans in “Our image”. Here He is discussing His thoughts about His plans for the wickedness of men. All through it He lets Abraham eaves drop. Myriad times in the scripture God lets man in on His thoughts. Through direct words like this, through the prophets and in these last days by His Son who is the Word of God enlightening this world.

Notice the effect on Abraham. Knowing God is God he pleads and argues with Him that He might relent. God allows it and agrees, knowing that evil is evil and He will deal with it. Wow! We get to eavesdrop on the very Word of God as He audibly explains His plan to Himself for the cosmos. He does this out loud for our benefit, that we, like Abraham, might plead repeatedly to Him to relent. And while, as He agrees to let the wicked sodomites live if there are some righteous ones, He knows that wickedness will be punished to an extent far beyond our conception. How great are His plans. How loving that we get to listen and plead to the God of the universe and that He does not punish us for our insolent suggestion that He let all the wicked live just because some goodness exists. As the Psalmist writes (92:5) “How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!” and God reminds us through Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are My ways your ways, declares the LORD.” Thank you, LORD, that we can hear you. Thank you, LORD, that we can pour out our weak and sin filled hearts to You and that You do not strike us down for our selfish insolence. Your will be done. To you alone be the Glory.

Rene/Lorraine Milner