#DailyDevotion What A Friend We Have In Jesus

Genesis 18: 17The LORD said: “Should I hide from Abraham what I’m going to do, 18seeing that Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation and in him all the nations on earth will be blessed? 19I have known him as a friend, so that he may order his children and his family after him to keep the LORD’s ways and do what is right and fair, so that the LORD may do for Abraham what He promised him.”

Now the other two persons had left. Some believe they are the other two persons of the Trinity. Some believe they are just angels. But that would be something if just angels were hanging with the LORD. But the LORD is certainly hanging back to talk with Abraham. While he remains he discusses in himself whether or not to reveal to Abraham what he is about to do. Now I find this to be terribly interesting that the LORD, the Creator of all is having this discussion in himself and we get a glimpse into the mind of the LORD.

The first line of thought is he shouldn’t hide it from Abraham because Abraham is going to be a great and mighty nation and in him all nations of the earth will be blessed. Well I guess that is really two things. Now I have to confess the first one I cannot see why that would really matter. But I think it probably has to do with the next two reasons to follow. The first one of the two is in Abraham all nations of the earth will be blessed. Well how is that? It is revealed later that through Abraham’s seed (singular) all nations are to be blessed. That seed would be the LORD himself talking with Abraham when he, the LORD, joins himself with the seed of Mary, the Woman, a descendent of Abraham. If the LORD himself is joining himself with Abraham’s flesh, becoming a descendent of Abraham while being Abraham’s LORD well that places Abraham within a unique relationship with the LORD. Jesus is the LORD here who joins himself to Abraham’s seed in Mary and who has joined himself to Abraham through the covenant he made with him.

Thirdly, the LORD says, “I have known him as a friend.” You share things with your friends. We’re not talking about Facebook friends and mere acquaintances. We’re talking about someone who sticks closer to you than to a brother. Such was Jonathan to David. The LORD and Abraham are friends, good and close friends. They share everything. Abraham can be open and honest with the LORD and the LORD with him. The LORD had friended Abraham so that his children and descendents after him would walk in his ways and do what is fair and just. Well, unfortunately, Abraham’s descendents would not fulfill that. The LORD however is faithful. He will complete his promises to Abraham. The nations would be blessed through Abraham as the LORD becomes Abraham’s descendent who is Jesus, the one who has taken away the sin of the world.

As the LORD has taken on human flesh in the person of Jesus, he makes new friends who are also descendents of Abraham. Jesus says, Joh 15:14-15 “You are my friends if you do what I command you.  (15)  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” Jesus has revealed these things to the disciples and now through them he has revealed them to us. Just as Jesus called the apostles’ friends, he calls you his friend when you believe what he has said and what he has done for you. As Jesus revealed to Abraham what he was going to do, Jesus has revealed to us what he has done and what he is going to do as well. He has won you life by his death and his resurrection is your resurrection. What a friend we have in Jesus!

Gracious God and Merciful Father, through your Son Jesus Christ you have revealed yourself to us, for us and what is to come and have known us as friends. Give faith to always cherish your friendship and your Holy Spirit that we may do what is fair and right. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.