The Lord called Abram from Ur of the Chaldees just after He scattered the nations from Babel. Abram was Yahweh’s answer to Babel. How did this work?

Yahweh explains: “For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him” (Genesis 18:19).

At Babel, the nations banded together in rebellion against God. Yahweh chose Abraham so that, in at least one family on the planet, men and women would worship God and do justice. Israel existed to do justice and righteousness. Through Jesus, we are children of Abraham, and we also exist to do justice and righteousness.

That’s how Yahweh brings about what He’s spoken about Abram. It’s the way Yahweh makes Abram’s name great, how He gives Him a land and descendants like the stars of heaven, how He spreads His blessing to the nations: All He’s spoken of Abram comes to pass because Abram commands his children so they learn to keep Yahweh’s way of justice.

Abraham is a man of faith, the father of those who are of the faith of Abraham. He’s accounted righteous because of his faith. He also does righteousness. He’s a man of justice. One of the chief expressions of justice is his generous hospitality.

Abraham is sitting at his tent door when three men pass by. He runs to them, throws himself to the ground, and begs them to stop. He washes their feet, invites them to rest in the shade of the oaks, and hurries to tell Sarah to prepare bread and a servant to prepare curds and a calf.

Lot is cut from the same cloth (Gen 19). He separates from Abram and he lives in Sodom, but he imitates Abram’s hospitality. When two angels visit Sodom, Lot gives them the full Abraham treatment: He bows, invites them into his house, washes their feet, and prepares a feast of unleavened bread.

That’s how ancient people acted, we might think. It was customary. Only it’s not, at all. All around Abraham and Lot are descendants of Babel who do the opposite.

When Abram is in Egypt, Pharaoh seizes Sarai. Instead of welcoming and feeding strangers, the men of Sodom try to rape them. 

When Abraham sojourns Gerar, the king, Abimelech, acts like Pharaoh and kidnaps Sarah to add her to his harem. Every time Abram leaves the land, he’s beset by inhospitable brutes.

In a world full of Pharaohs, Sodomites, and Abimelechs, God is forming one household in all the known world that practices just hospitality.

Blessings,
Pastor Leithart