Based on Genesis 18:16ff. we can read about a spiritual movement that is connected with the appearance of God. Here Abraham saw the LORD in the facet of three men, when Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent at the hottest part of the day and lifting up his eyes. As he raised his eyes, he saw three men coming towards him (cf. Genesis 18:1-5).
Genesis 18:1-5:
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.
5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way – now that you have come to your servant.’ ‘Very well,’ they answered, ‘do as you say.’
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3 He said, ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.
5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way – now that you have come to your servant.’ ‘Very well,’ they answered, ‘do as you say.’
The Significance of Prophetic Expectation
Especially in a time when we are being tested in the Spirit which is represented by ‘the day at its hottest’, we should position ourselves with a prophetic expectancy in the spirit in the Redeemer (Note: sitting at the door of the tent; cf. John 10:9) and look for God to meet us and speak to us about our promise and the future.
Here it is important that when we perceive the presence of God, we draw near to it, as James 4:8a reveals this principle to us.
James 4:8a:
8a Come near to God and he will come near to you. …
8a Come near to God and he will come near to you. …
Abraham had decided to draw near to this presence and show hospitality to the three men by providing water for them to wash their feet and giving them food.
After Abraham had hosted the LORD in the form of the three men and the promise of the future had been communicated to him and his wife Sarah, it says in Genesis 18:16 that the men rose from their place and looked towards Sodom. Abraham intended to accompany them to say goodbye.
Genesis 18:16:
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down towards Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down towards Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.
Wickedness in our Surroundings and God’s Righteous Nature
Sometimes it happens that the Lord allows an evil circumstance near our surroundings to reveal His righteous nature and heart, because it is said that the men looked against Sodom.
A conversation then took place on the part of the LORD – YAHWEH involving the plan of establishing the righteousness of God for Sodom and Gomorrah, whereby Abraham went into the spirit realm, and came before God to negotiate with Him (cf. Genesis 18:20-23).
Genesis 18:20-23:
20 Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.’
22 The men turned away and went towards Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
20 Then the Lord said, ‘The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.’
22 The men turned away and went towards Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
The Division of the Movement of God
It can be said that of the three men who had previously appeared together to Abraham, two men set out for Sodom, while the third man, i.e. the LORD – YAHWEH in the facet of the Father, was in conversation with Abraham.
We know that the Trinity of God comprises the facet of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Abraham was in the spiritual realm before the throne of God, even when he was in the natural realm, because God is Spirit (cf. Genesis 18:22b-23a i.c.w. John 4:24a).
Genesis 18:22b-23a:
… 22b but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
23a Then Abraham approached him and said: …
… 22b but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.
23a Then Abraham approached him and said: …
John 4:24a:
24a God is spirit, …
24a God is spirit, …
Sometimes it seems as if the LORD is separating Himself from a spiritual movement instructed by Him, which is not the case, but rather He is concerned that we learn how to react to, cooperate with and respond to the particular presence. This can be, for example, fire, water, wind, … which all have their different tasks.
While Abraham stood before God – YAHWEH, he began to negotiate with God to avert the judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah. Herein the heart of God and His mercy is shown, that He listens to the prayer of His people and responds to it.
Abraham’s Negotiation and the Measure of the ‘Tzadikim – the Righteous Ones’
Abraham negotiated with God in the area of the ‘Tzadikim – the righteous ones’ about the required number of righteous ones in the respective region. He negotiated with God six times, counting down from 50 righteous to 10 righteous in the following order:
- the measure of 50 righteous
- the measure of 45 righteous
- the measure of 40 righteous
- the measure of 30 righteous
- the measure of 20 righteous
- the measure of 10 righteous.
So Abraham counted down by tens at the measure of 40 righteous people, having previously negotiated before God in increments of five (cf. Genesis 18:23-32).
Genesis 18:23-32:
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’
26 The Lord said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,
28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?’ ‘If I find forty-five there,’ he said, ‘I will not destroy it.’
29 Once again he spoke to him, ‘What if only forty are found there?’ He said, ‘For the sake of forty, I will not do it.’
30 Then he said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?’ He answered, ‘I will not do it if I find thirty there.’
31 Abraham said, ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?’ He said, ‘For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.’
32 Then he said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’
23 Then Abraham approached him and said: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?
24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?
25 Far be it from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?’
26 The Lord said, ‘If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.’
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,
28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?’ ‘If I find forty-five there,’ he said, ‘I will not destroy it.’
29 Once again he spoke to him, ‘What if only forty are found there?’ He said, ‘For the sake of forty, I will not do it.’
30 Then he said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?’ He answered, ‘I will not do it if I find thirty there.’
31 Abraham said, ‘Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?’ He said, ‘For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.’
32 Then he said, ‘May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.’
When Abraham had reached the measure of ten righteous, God ended the conversation with Abraham and departed, while Abraham returned to his place (cf. Genesis 18:33).
Genesis 18:33:
33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
Behind the numerical values of the ‘Tzadikim – the righteous ones’ mentioned by Abraham lies a directive from God, which we can learn. The respective number of the righteous ones mentioned by Abraham result in the numerical value ‘195’. This numerical value bears the Hebrew word ‘קָצֶה – qāẓäh’, which means, among other things, ‘edge, end, utmost, boundary, temporal end, corner’ and comes from the Hebrew root word ‘קָצֶה – qāẓāh’, which means ‘to eradicate, to cut off’. (part excerpt from the Elberfelder Study Bible on the Hebrew word ‘קָצֶה – qāẓäh’ with the word key number: 7255*,7256,7257)
The explanation shows that God has a standard of justice that must not be undermined, which is the measure of the ‘10 Tzadikim – the righteous ones’. If this measure is not present in God’s eyes, the result is judgment, as His value system is defined by ‘10’, which was later confirmed by the giving of the ‘10 words – 10 commandments’ to Moses (cf. Exodus 20:1-17).
It is no coincidence that Abraham’s negotiations with God resulted in a six-fold countdown, as the number ‘6’ refers to the ‘eretz/earth realm’, i.e. the realm of man. We know that man was created by God on the sixth day (cf. Genesis 1:27-31).
Genesis 1:27-31:
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’
29 Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.’ And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’
29 Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.’ And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.
The Increments of Ones that lead to the Increments of Ten
In addition, the number ‘10’ in the mathematical composition ‘2 x 5’ and the number ‘20’ in the mathematical formation of ‘2 x 10’ have a special meaning. This is the dimension of ‘Yod’ and ‘Kaf’, which is the level of the ‘hands of God’ in the form of the impartation of power, giving and serving. It is the level of ‘Yod’, which concludes the numerical values of the first ten letters of the Hebrew alphabet in the ‘steps of one’ and leads into the counting of the ‘steps of ten’. And ‘Kaf’ is the first Hebrew letter of the manifestation of the ‘steps of ten’ and thus points to a phase of acceleration in the measure of God’s value.
Furthermore, it is about God’s grace and His two outstretched hands to people, even if they are disobedient, to give them the opportunity to repent and turn back (cf. Isaiah 65:2).
Isaiah 65:2:
2 All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations – …
2 All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations – …
It is like the younger prodigal son who came to his senses in the centre of impurity which is represented by living among and with the pigs, in order to run into the arms of the father. There the younger son received the father’s love and was clothed with new glory and authorized by his father for future tasks (Note: ring).
In addition, the son broke with the old ways of his past by receiving the new shoes from his father and putting them on (cf. Luke 15:13-24).
Luke 15:13-24:
13 ‘Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no-one gave him anything.
17 ‘When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.”
20 So he got up and went to his father. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms round him and kissed him.
21 ‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
22 ‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.
13 ‘Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no-one gave him anything.
17 ‘When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.”
20 So he got up and went to his father. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms round him and kissed him.
21 ‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
22 ‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.
The Call to Walk in the Anointing of the Savior and the Love of God
In order to walk in the ways of the Heavenly Father without being marked or held back by shame from the past, we need to be clothed with the anointing of the Savior and the love of God in Christ Jesus (cf. Galatians 2:20; Galatians 3:27; Philippians 3:13-14).
Galatians 2:20:
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 3:27:
… 27 for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
… 27 for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Philippians 3:13-14:
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
