When the sun was the hottest—around noontime every day—Abraham could be found sitting under the great terebinth trees of Mamre. The leafy branches hung over his head and often a gentle breeze cooled his face. As usual on this day Abraham wasn’t thinking about anything in particular. He was just gazing out at the beautiful land God had given him. He could see the shepherds herding his sheep, goats, and cattle. He could see the women preparing the midday meal. He could see Ishmael running between the legs of Hagar and the other servants, laughing loudly. He could see Sarah, her bracelets gleaming, hanging up clothes to dry in the sun.
And then Abraham saw an unfamiliar sight. In the blink of an eye, standing a few feet away, were three men. Abraham had never met them before, and yet….
As fast as his legs would carry him, Abraham hurried to his visitors, dropping to the ground before them. Who were these men? the servants watching their master wondered. Even Sarah stopped what she was doing, her mouth open in surprise.
“O my Lord,” Abraham cried, still facedown on the ground, “if I please You, do not just pass by. Please stay and wash Your feet and rest under the trees. Then You may go on Your way, after seeing me, Your servant.”
Together the three men answered Abraham. “Very well, Abraham. Do as you say.”
Quickly Abraham got up and rushed to Sarah. “Tell the servants to bring water and wash my visitors’ feet. And Sarah, would you mind baking some bread for them to eat? Right now?”
Abraham didn’t give Sarah time to respond. He had other business to attend to. Running down to one of his herds of cattle, he selected a calf and then gave another order. “Prepare this for my visitors to eat,” he said to a servant.
Later, their feet washed and their stomachs full, the three honored visitors relaxed under the great trees of Mamre. Abraham did not sit with them. Rather, he stood nearby watching them. If they needed anything, he wanted to be ready.
Suddenly, they looked up at Abraham. “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked.
“She’s in the tent,” Abraham answered. What Abraham knew but didn’t say was that Sarah had been listening to every word since the visitors arrived. She, too, was curious about these three visitors. They had come for a reason…maybe now they would say something really interesting! visitors. They had come for a reason…maybe now they would say something really interesting!
The man Abraham had called “Lord” then spoke. “I will return to you next year, Abraham. And when I do, Sarah will have a son.”
In the tent Sarah had to clamp her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Who was this visitor to say such a thing? Just imagine, Sarah thought to herself, me, an old woman, with a tiny baby!
At that moment, the same visitor said, “Why did Sarah just laugh? And why did she say, ‘Just imagine, me, an old woman, with a tiny baby’?”
Stepping out of the tent, Sarah did not look like laughing anymore. She looked scared. Again, she thought, Who is this visitor, and how did He know what I was thinking when I didn’t speak out loud? Finding her voice, Sarah said slowly, “I did not laugh.”
But the visitor only shook his head. “Yes, you did laugh.”
Embarrassed, Sarah walked away.
After a while the three men stood to leave. As their host, Abraham walked with them, wanting to see them on their way. Two of the men then took the road leading to Sodom, the city where Lot lived, and the other stayed behind to talk with Abraham.
This was the man Abraham had called “Lord.” Abraham had known who his guest was from the moment he saw Him. God Himself, along with two of His angels—the other two visitors—had come to Hebron just to see Abraham! Only God could have known that Sarah would have a son in one year’s time. Only God could have read Sarah’s thoughts in the tent.
“Abraham, from you will come a powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through you,” God said. “I have chosen you, and I will bring about what I have promised you. But now there is something I must tell you—about Sodom.”
A chill went up Abraham’s spine. Would Lot be in danger again?
“Sodom and Gomorrah are two very wicked cities, Abraham. I have sent my angels to see if these cities should be destroyed.”
Abraham came closer to God. He had an idea. “What if there are fifty good people in Sodom? Will you then destroy the city?” Abraham was thinking, of course, of his nephew and his family.
God said, “No, if there are fifty good people in Sodom, Abraham, I will not destroy the city.”
Abraham thought for a moment. He had heard about the evil in Sodom. Maybe God’s angels
Again God said He would not destroy Sodom. And again, Abraham asked God another question, and then another, each time receiving God’s promise to spare Lot’s home. Finally, Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten good people can be found in all of Sodom? Then what?”
God answered, “For the sake of ten good people, I will not destroy Sodom.” Then God left Abraham and Abraham returned to his tent.
That night Abraham could not sleep. Staring at the stars from just inside his tent, he wondered. What would the two angels find in Sodom? Would they find ten good people—or only one, as he feared? This time Abraham could not gather together an army to save Lot. This time Abraham could only pray.
When the two angels reached Sodom, they found Lot sitting by the gateway, at the entrance to the city. Only important businessmen spent their days by the city gate, a sign of Lot’s position in Sodom. Upon seeing the two visitors, Lot came up to them and, like Abraham, fell facedown on the ground. Unlike Abraham, though, Lot was only being polite. He didn’t know that the visitors had been sent by God—at least, not yet.
“Please come and stay at my house,” Lot said eagerly. “You have had a long journey. Come, wash your feet at my house and spend the night. Then early in the morning you can leave Sodom.”
As the angels followed Lot home, they looked from side to side, from shop to shop and from person to person, for signs of goodness in Sodom. They saw nothing but hate and cruelty and thievery and witchery. Nowhere did they see goodness.
Finally, in the house of Lot, they were able to smile. At last they had found one good home. After having servants wash their feet, Lot happily served them bread baked without yeast (bread that didn’t rise).
The angels had not found ten good people. There was only Lot, his wife, and his two daughters. As the candles flickered around the room, Lot stood and looked about, as if he heard a strange wouldn’t find fifty good people. Maybe there would be fewer than that. “Since I have been so bold to speak to You, O Lord, may I ask another question? What if there are only forty-five good people in Sodom?” noise. Then there was no mistaking the sounds. Outside an angry crowd was gathering, and the house shook at the sound of stomping feet and then banging fists on the wooden door.
“Lot, you must go and speak to them,” his wife said in a scared whisper. “We won’t be able to rest until they go away.”
Night had fallen over Sodom but there would be no time for sleep.
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