How Did Abraham Know He Was Talking to God?
I often hear from people who have eaten peyote buttons or magic mushrooms that they believe they spoke with God, but when asked for the meaning of life, God simply responded, #8220;love.#8221; While simple, this answer is profound but often misunderstood.
I believe that Abraham had a very close relationship with God, a relationship that went beyond mere awareness. He understood the personal nature of their interaction. As God said to Jeremiah: God knew him from the womb, suggesting a predestined and personal relationship long before Abraham#8217;s life began.
Predestination and the Prophetic Fulfillment
Abraham embodied a divine intention, a prophetic fulfillment. Words themselves carry creative power; thus, God chose to rename him from Abram to Abraham. Similarly, Jesus was not only called Christ, which means a€?anointed one,a€ but also Messiah. Paul, the great apostle, was once known as Saul, a name which God later changed.
Direct Perception and Knowledge
The only way to know anything begins with direct perception. As humans, we build upon this perception to create our knowledge. Abraham used his direct perception and accumulated knowledge to deduce that he was visited by God on several occasions.
Abraham's Knowledge and Perception
Abraham was well acquainted with the LORD and would have instantly recognized Him, given the Lord had spoken and/or appeared to him many times before. The following are some of the occasions when God engaged directly with Abraham:
When God first called him in Genesis 12:1–3 When Abraham parted ways with Lot (Genesis 13:14–17) Possibly when he met Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18–20) When God made a covenant with him (Genesis 15) When God restated His covenant (Genesis 17)On one particular occasion, Abraham perceived that the visitors were in the form of God:
When 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, Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. Hasty from the entrance of his tent to meet them, he bowed low to the ground. Abraham showed immediate hospitality to the three men, inviting them to rest under a tree and preparing a big meal for them (verses 3–8).
Abraham’s response to the appearance of the three men also suggests his instinctive recognition of their divine nature. A typical response to visitors in that culture was to rise and wait for them to approach. But Abraham ran to meet them and bowed low to the ground. This prostrate posture was reserved for royalty or deity, the ultimate sign that Abraham recognized their divine status.
Who Were the Three Men?
These three men who visited Abraham in Genesis 18 were believed to be God and two angels. The first appeared to Abraham as a man, while the other two were angels (Genesis 18:16).
Abraham's direct perception and recognition of God went beyond the mere appearance. It was a combination of his deep knowledge and the direct experience of divine presence. His actions and words reflect a life spent in close communion with the divine, a life that was both a blessings and a calling.