Sermon Tone Analysis

Gen 18.1 - 22.24, 2 Kings 4:1-37, Luke 17:28-37

That word ‘appeared’ carries with it a sense of purpose – God does not appear without purpose or expectations.

He appears so that He is seen and it should be obvious to those He appears to that He, that is God, has seen; that He is aware of what’s going on - and will act on it.

appeared:

Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology - become or be visible or manifest

Merriam Webster - to become evident or manifest 〈there appears to be evidence to the contrary〉

My Words- That is: the manifestation has a sense of convincing someone of the truth

God has appeared many times and in many ways:

A burning bush, a pillar of cloud, a pillar of fire, a man, an Angel of the Lord

In a dream, in a vision, In His Word – He can appear through us.

And it is also used indirectly through expressions, like:

“found favor in Your sight”, “God opened her eyes”

The Angels ‘struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness’

The Angels said “Do not look behind you …But Lot’s wife looked back

But we will look now at the Hebrew word used for ‘appeared’: רָאָה râʾâh, raw-aw´; Strong’s 7200

Genesis 18:1–2 (NKJV)

Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground,

Genesis 18:21 (NKJV)

I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”

Genesis 19:28 (NKJV)

Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.

Genesis 20:10–11 (NKJV)

Then Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you have in view, that you have done this thing?”

And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.

Genesis 21:9 (NKJV)

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing.

Genesis 21:16 (NKJV)

Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.”

So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

Genesis 21:19 (NKJV)

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.

And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.

Genesis 22:4 (NKJV)

Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.

Genesis 22:8 (NKJV)

And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”

So the two of them went together.

Genesis 22:13 (NKJV)

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns.

So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.

So you can see that in this portion there is a predominant use of words meaning to look, to see, to understand.

But our text ‘caps off ‘ it’s teaching with Abraham’s naming of the area.

Genesis 22:14 NKJV

“And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."”

Genesis 22:14 AV

“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh : as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

Genesis 22:14 CJB

Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see(to it), Adonai provides]—as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.”

We have a God that will “see to it”

Genesis 22:14 Tanakh Masoretic Text (1917 Jewish Publication Society)

And Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-jireh; as it is said to this day: ‘In the mount where the Lord is seen.’

Genesis 22:14 Tanakh (1985 Jewish Publication Society)

And Abraham named that site Adonai-yireh, whence the present saying, “On the mount of the Lord there is vision.”

The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words:

3070.

יְהוָֹה יִרְאֶה Yehôvâh Yir˒eh, yeh-ho-vaw´ yir-eh´;

from 3068 Jehovah and 7200 will see;

Jehovah will see (to it); Jehovah-Jireh, a symb.

name for Mt.

Moriah:— Jehovah-jireh.

A concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible:

7200.

רָאָה râʾâh, raw-aw´; a prim.

root; to see, lit.

or fig.

(in numerous applications, direct and implied, trans., intrans.

and causat.):—advise

self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see (-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.

The theme and structure of our portion seem to be based on three concepts of our word râʾâh

That is appear, discern and provide, so I will use these as headings in each story of our portion.

APPEAR: God appearing before man or man exhibiting God’ attributes.

DISCERN: Knowing, understanding, the character of God and acting upon it.

PROVIDE: God equipping, blessing, us in our endeavour to represent Him.

ABRAHAM

APPEAR: (Genesis 18:1 NKJV)

“Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.”

DISCERN: (Genesis 18:3-5 NKJV)

"My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.

"Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.

"And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts.

After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant."

They said, "Do as you have said."”

Abraham, who was around 99 years of age, hurried to meet them –

to “fetch a morsel of bread” – he hurried to Sarah with instructions – “take 21 liters of flour”

Hurried to the flock and handpicked a calf, not a lamb, a calf and only then passed the chore to one of his many servants – who hurried then Abraham stood while they ate, ready to fetch what they needed

And remember our opening verse says that it was the “heat of the day”

and if the scripture is chronological and recent to the previous chapter he was just circumcised!!!

PROVIDE: (Genesis 18:10 NKJV)

“And He said, "I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son." (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)”

SODDOM and GoMORRAH

Abraham does what is right and intercedes; sees and discerns, acts on the truth of God’s righteousness

TAKING THE BLESSING AND NOT GIVING THE BLESSING