YOU ALREADY KNOW

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 18:1-2)

Genesis 18 is a theophany, an incident before Jesus came to Earth, when God appeared through a literal physical form, which seems weird but shouldn’t.  God invented the human body.  He made a body for Eve using on a tissue sample from Adam’s ribcage, and He constructed Adam’s body from the latent chemicals in topsoil.  And, the incarnation of Jesus demonstrates that God can form a biologically human form into which the Divine presence can be grafted.  So, yeah.   Since God can do ANYTHING. God can and did do a theophany in Genesis 18.

So, there was God and two angels, walking past Abraham’s campsite in a Sodom-and-Gomorrahly direction. Somehow, Abraham the patriarch and prophet sensed the Lord’s presence and started singing “Do Not Pass Me By.” 

[Abraham] said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant.” (Genesis 18:3)

So God stopped, ate --- because as Jesus demonstrated after His resurrection, glorified but biologically human bodies can eat (Luke 24:39-43)--- and then God reminded Abraham of the imminent promises of their covenant.  

And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:10)

Now, I don’t know if Abraham told Sarah about the conversation he’d had with God in chapter 17, but clearly she was unprepared for that news because when she heard that she, at 90, was supposed to give birth for the first time, Sarah burst out laughing.  In verses 13-15, God was like, “Abraham, dude, what does your woman think is so funny.”
Sarah was like, “Nothing.  I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord was like, “Uh-huh.  I’m God.  I have excellent hearing.  Bye,” and the visit was over.

Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way.  (Genesis 18:16)

Have you ever been with people who all knew something you didn’t know while they were discussing, right in front of you, whether to tell you what the thing is that they know that you don’t know?  That’s what Abraham experienced --- with God and two angels.  (Genesis 18: 17-19)

 And the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing? 

God decided to tell him.  “Abraham,” God said, “I’m going to Sodom and Gomorrah to conduct a review of their sinfulness.”

Abraham replied, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?”

Soooo, in none of the preceding verses did God say that He planned to destroy Sodom and/ or Gomorrah.  Abraham knows that God is righteous and just, and Abraham knows how deeply messed up Sodom and Gomorrah are,  so Abraham already knew.    They’re doomed.

This story’s got me looking at my life kinda side-eyed.  Among all the different pieces of me which

ones are so clearly, objectively, and historically out of line with God that I “already know God isn’t pleased?   What blessings am I postponing because they seem too wonderfully, ridiculously, laughably great for me?   I already know.  Am I consistently going hard on my other job, or am I sliding by some days, waiting for that next move of God?  I already know.  Am I disciplining my body in submission to my will, or am I submitting to the call of maple-iced donuts and glorious naps?  I already know.

Most of us don’t need a fresh word from the Lord about the state of our lives.  We only need to see where God is looking because when we compare where we are to where we already know God wants us to be, revelation is unnecessary.   We already know.  

So we do what Abraham did. Preemptive negotiations. 

Before the angels could make it to Sodom on foot, Abraham asked God to waive the destruction of the valley if they could locate 10 good people.  God agreed, not because 10 was the appropriate minimum for a judgment-deferment but because God like Abraham.  

For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” (Genesis 18: 19)

There weren’t 10 good guys in Sodom and Gomorrah, but we’ll get into the consequences for that next time. 

I’m encouraged though because God likes you, and despite all reasons to the contrary, He likes me, too.   So I’m going to preemptively negotiate with my Heavenly Father.  I’m going to prayerfully set some clear goals and priorities for the places in the valley of my life where I already know I’m off track.  But, unlike them dudes in Sodom and Gomorrah, I’m going to get right.  I’m going to do my 10 or 20 or 5 or whatever things that I need to do today.  And tomorrow I’m going to repeat the process.  

Because, I already know what God has promised me.  I already know what I'm supposed to accomplish.  I already know that it's crazy, wonderful, and hilariously better.  So, I already know what I have to do.  

So do you.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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