Now what was "three measures of meal" here? There's a law—a principle of Bible study—that says (it's called the law of first mention), "the first time a thing is mentioned in the Bible influences how it should be interpreted throughout." What we have here is the first time "three measures of meal" is used. It's used in the context of a fellowship meal—giving hospitality, and to God—so it has a spiritual connotation.
We need to learn a little bit about Israelite dry measures. The smallest unit of measure is an omer. Three omers equal one about one seah. This seah is what is translated "measure" in Matthew 13:33, except it is in Greek saton. There is also the ephah, which is ten omers. Three seahs made up of about three omers equal one ephah. These verses show that the smallest meal offering that could be given was one seah, one-third of an ephah. It had to be of fine flour. Abraham gave three seahs, three measures. He went above and beyond what was required for the meal offering.
Let's just review those verses and look at what it says. First of all, the Lord appeared and Abraham saw Him with his eyes and what did He look like? He looked like a man. But it was the Lord because Abraham bowed down and worshipped Him and He didn't reject the worship.
In verse 4, Abraham said, "Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet." God has feet. "And I will bring a morsel of bread." We find that God took the bread and the meat and the three of them ate. He spoke, so He had a voice and He conversed with them. That's pretty clear.
Today many people have come to believe that there is something inherently wrong with milk. Some would have you believe that it is for children only and adults should not be drinking it at all. There is nothing wrong with it, except what men have done to it. There is the problem. In Genesis 18:8 Abraham served it to God, and butter besides—two 'no-nos.' Well, it was not bad. He served Him milk and butter and a calf, and he knew full well whom He was serving it to, and you know very well that he wanted to impress them with the very best things he had.
I think he recognized immediately who it was.
This meal might have been the very first fast food meal in the history of the world, but fast food by our standards it was not. It is also unusual that Abraham did not even eat with them.
One of the things of course that we can learn from this and add to our fund of knowledge of the way food and eating is used in the Bible is that it is the focal point of Abraham and Sarah—the father and the mother of our faith—as their means of hospitality. It is not unimportant.
