Angels at Mamre and Sodom (Genesis 18 and 19)

Paul informed the Ephesians that the angels learn things about God and his plan by observing the church. The writer to the Hebrews reminded his readers that the angels serve the heirs of salvation, not in the sense of doing what the heirs want, but what the heirs need according to will of God. It is legitimate to assume that the angels were engaged in those activities of learning and helping during the Old Testament period as well as in that of the New Testament. We can ask of this passage if the angels would have learned anything about God’s salvation or if they engaged in serving believers by helping them.

 

This is a remarkable passage because it describes several activities of two angels in the homes of two believers. Some of the activities were similar and others were quite different. In each there was a meal. One visit concludes with Abraham having fellowship with the Lord and a description of divine blessing on his family; the other visit concludes with the isolation of Lot and terrible sin in his family.

 

Angels at Mamre

The account opens by telling us that it was an appearance of the Lord. But it is a different kind of appearance from the divine visit to Abraham in the previous chapter. In that visit, the description is of the Lord being by himself while in chapter 18 he has two companions. Both the Lord and the companions look like men.

 

The three men suddenly appeared near to the tent of Abraham. He did not see them walking from a long distance away, although they had come quite a distance, from heaven. We can see from details in the two chapters that while one of the men was the Lord the other two were angels. This incident is regarded as the one referred to in Hebrews 13 about entertaining angels.

 

Matthew Henry comments about this divine visit: ‘The appearance of God to Abraham seems to have had in it more of freedom and familiarity, and less of grandeur and majesty, than those we have hitherto read of; and therefore more resembles that great visit which, in the fullness of time, the Son of God was to make to the world, when the Word would be flesh, and appear as one of us.’

 

We can see from the passage that this journey was a great privilege for the two angels. This incident for them is unique. I am not aware of another biblical incident when the Lord of angels appeared with two of them on a mission. We do not know in what ways angels have fellowship with God, but here were two of them going with their God on this occasion. But he was like a man in appearance. This must have been a revelation of some kind to those angels. Did they receive a foretaste of the incarnation by this divine action?

 

The question has been posed, How did Abram know that one of them was the Lord? One suggested answer is that some visible evidence was available to Abram such as the possibility that the Lord looked more regal than the two angels. While that is possible, it may not fit with the detail that each looked like men. It is also suggested that the reverent response of the two angels towards their Companion informed Abraham that the One with them was indeed the Lord of all. This suggestion seems more likely.

 

The next detail to mention is the willingness of the three visitors to be treated with human kindness by their host. It is interesting to note that while Abram only spoke to one individual, the Lord, about offering provision, the Lord and the angels all answered him and welcomed his offer. We know that God and the angels don’t need physical refreshment, so that is not the reason for them accepting Abraham’s offer. Yet their response to Abram’s question surely shows that kindness is valued in heaven. As Matthew Henry observed, ‘The Holy Ghost takes particular notice of the very free and affectionate welcome Abraham gave to the strangers.’

 

Writing of this incident, Robert Candlish observed: ‘The three strangers, therefore, whom Abraham entertains, are none other than Jehovah himself, and two attendant angels.’ He further states who he thinks Yahweh is: ‘The Second Person in the Trinity—who bears the double character of God, or the Lord, and of the Messenger of the Covenant, or the Angel of the Lord—condescends on this occasion to be Abraham’s guest, and becomes “known to him in the breaking of bread” (Luke xxiv. 30–31).’ This is a common interpretation, and it gives a fascinating insight into the desire of the Son to participate with his creatures.

 

Candlish went on to say about this meal and the participants: ‘It is a singular instance of condescension—the only recorded instance of the kind before the incarnation. On other occasions, this same illustrious being appeared to the fathers and conversed with them; and meat and drink were brought out to him. But in these cases, he turned the offered banquet into a sacrifice, in the smoke of which he ascended heavenward (Judges 6:18–24; 13:15–21). Here he personally accepts the patriarch’s hospitality, and partakes of his fare—a greater wonder than the other; implying more intimate and gracious friendship—more unreserved familiarity. He sits under his tree, and shares his common meal.’ What did the angels think about this meal? And what did they think much later when, after the incarnation, they saw their Master going to numerous kinds of meals.

 

Warren Wiersbe notes that Abraham served the Lord personally, immediately, speedily, generously, humbly and cooperatively. Although he was a sinner, Abraham behaved like a citizen of heaven, and the angels would have observed that this was the case, and they would have rejoiced.

 

The Lord had come to inform Abraham that within a year the Lord would perform a miracle and Sarah would give birth to a son. She laughed within, but her unbelief did not prevent the Lord from keeping his promise. The angels would have seen the need for grace in God’s people, that they can refuse to believe the amazing promises that he states in his Word, and still their God wants to give them great blessings.

 

God and the two angels then made their way towards Sodom. There is something intriguing in knowing that the Lord in human form, angels and a forgiven sinner walked together listening to the Lord speaking about his purpose. Is this not a foretaste of what will take place in the perfect world?

 

Then the three visitors separated, with the Lord staying to speak with Abraham, and the two angels making their way to Sodom. No doubt we have heard sermons on the interaction between the Lord and Abraham about what was going to happen in Sodom. For some reason, the two angels were not permitted to listen in on Abraham’s intercession for Sodom.

 

Angels in Sodom

It did not take the angels long to get to Sodom. Mamre, which was near Hebron, was about twenty-five miles distant from Sodom, and Sodom seems to have been visible from where Abraham lived. Mamre was on higher ground (three thousand feet above sea level) and Sodom was about twelve hundred feet below sea level, and those differences may have made it easier to see.

 

Perhaps the angels waited until the evening because they did not want to be seen by the inhabitants. In any case, we can see that angels came to a wicked city, and sadly that is the only kind of city that they can come to in this world, whether in ancient or in modern times. Or perhaps they came at that time because they knew that was when Lot would be sitting at the gate. We can be assured that the angels came at the correct time as far as God’s plans were concerned.

 

Initially the angel did not wish to avail themselves of Lot’s hospitality. Their refusal was a test to see if his offer was genuine and whether he would persist with it. After all, the angels are there to see what life was like in the city. Lot did persist with his invitation, and they were willing to accept his kindness. No mention is made of a contribution by his wife, and this is a notable contrast between the description of Abraham’s family and that of Lot’s.

 

Lot does not seem to have any awareness of who the angels are and what should be proper behaviour in their presence, otherwise he would not have made the awful suggestions that he made to the townspeople regarding his daughters. But he would have discovered that they were not ordinary travellers when they struck the citizens with blindness. Yet what would the angels have thought when the man they were sent to rescue made such an awful suggestion in their hearing?

 

The angels then revealed their mission to Lot, that they had come to destroy the city. They advised him to find any relatives in the city and warn them of the imminent judgement. The two men who planned to marry his daughters thought he was joking, although they must have been aware of the limited judgement of blindness that had happened throughout the city. This is a reminder that sinners will not listen even if an angel came from heaven to warn them of coming judgment.

 

On the following morning, the angels who looked like men used their four arms to forcefully take Lot and his wife and daughters out of Sodom. The angels discovered that Lot and his family did not want to go too far away despite the looming judgement. Lot may have been quite old and not physically fit, although archaeology suggests that Zoar was several miles away, and he was fit enough to get there.

 

We can see from the story that a physical rescue by angels did not bring to Lot’s wife and children any thoughts about the salvation of their souls. And we are reminded here that personal rescue by angels did not make his wife and daughters desire to go to heaven. Imagine the strangeness of being led by an angel’s hand and not focussing on where the angel came from.

 

We can also see from the incident how determined the angels were to obey the instructions of their God. They could not do anything as long as Lot and his family were in Sodom. That requirement could only have been given them by the Lord, and they obeyed precisely. It is also possible that they had instant communication with heaven because the angel knew that he could inform Lot that he could flee to Zoar rather than flee to the hills.

 

One matter that we can take from this twenty-four account is that angels can be involved in different activities within a proximity of time. They visited Abraham in the countryside, went to Lot in the city of Sodom, performed acts of judgement and acts of rescue, appeared as men, and took part in meals. This tells us that their range of activities is wide, and that all they do is connected to serving God’s will.