Genesis 18:17 Daily Devotional & Meaning – Shall I Hide This from Abraham? God’s Heart for Friendship and Revelation
- Benjamin Michael Mcgreevy
- Apr 19
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 20
Daily Verses Everyday! Day 76
“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;”
There are moments in Scripture where God pulls back the veil, not only on His actions but on His thoughts and Genesis 18:17 is one of the most extraordinary examples of this. Here, we are allowed to listen in on the internal deliberation of God Himself. The Lord is essentially thinking out loud: “Shall I hide this from Abraham?” He is not speaking to Abraham yet. He is speaking within Himself. And the very fact that this moment is recorded in Scripture is staggering, because it reveals not just what God does but what He values.
We often forget that God does not owe us anything—not explanations, not revelations, not insights into His plans. He is perfectly perfect, infinitely wise, completely sovereign. He does not need human advice. He does not need human counsel. He does not need human approval. And yet, in this verse, we are shown that the God who created galaxies with a word pauses in divine contemplation about whether He should share His heart with a man made of dust. This is humility beyond our comprehension. This is relational love expressed in terms we can barely grasp. God’s question is not for Himself because He already knows the answer, but for us, so that we might see something about His nature: God wants relationship, not mere rule over us. God desires partnership, not distance. God chooses to reveal Himself, not hide Himself.
The verse begins to take on an even deeper meaning when we consider the contrast between God and human beings. All of us have inner thoughts and private conversations with ourselves that no one else hears. These thoughts often reveal our fears, struggles, insecurities, motives, or hidden desires. And yet God, in His absolute purity, has no confusion, disorder, fear, or indecision. So when Scripture invites us into God’s inner contemplation, it is not because He is conflicted; it is because He is relational. It is because He wants us to see His heart. It is because He wants us to understand that everything He does toward humanity is motivated by love, justice, and mercy.
This single verse shows us that God considers us, even though we are broken, imperfect, sinful, and weak. He chooses to involve Himself in human affairs not out of necessity but out of love. And even more stunning, He chooses to involve us in His affairs. God is about to judge Sodom, a city filled with wickedness. He doesn’t need Abraham’s input. He doesn’t need Abraham’s permission. Yet He wants Abraham to know. Why? Because Abraham is His friend. Because Abraham walks with Him. Because Abraham honors Him. Because Abraham’s heart is aligned with His own. And relationship always leads to revelation.
There is also something profoundly comforting in knowing that God shares His thoughts with those who walk closely with Him. Before God acts, He invites Abraham into His heart. Before He releases judgment, He reveals His plan to someone willing to intercede. This tells me that God’s default posture is not secrecy but transparency toward those who truly seek Him. He is not a God who hides everything; He is a God who reveals to those who are ready to carry His heart. Jesus would echo this truth centuries later in John 15:15 when He told His disciples, “Henceforth I call you not servants… I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known to you.” What God does in Genesis 18:17 is the Old Testament expression of that same New Testament promise. Friendship with God is not a poetic phrase; it is a reality that involves intimacy, revelation, and participation in God’s work on Earth.
This verse also challenges the way we view ourselves. Many of us feel unworthy—too flawed, too sinful, too inconsistent—to imagine God wanting to share anything with us. Yet Abraham wasn’t perfect. He failed, he lied, he doubted—just like we do. And still God said, “Should I hide this from Abraham?” meaning, “No, because I value him.” If God valued imperfect Abraham, He values imperfect you. If God desired closeness with Abraham, He desires closeness with you. If God allowed Abraham into His thoughts, He can reveal His heart to you as well.
Genesis 18:17 is not just a window into God’s thoughts; it is a window into God’s love. It is a God-sized statement that says: “I see you. I consider you. I desire a relationship with you. I choose to reveal myself to those who walk with Me.” It reminds me that the God of the universe cares enough to speak and not because He needs to but because He wants to. And that truth alone is more than enough to draw us closer to Him.
If you would like to explore Genesis in a sustained, verse-by-verse way with space to reflect, journal, and trace how these foundational truths unfold through Scripture the Verse by Verse book expands these reflections into a unified reading experience. The book gathers these meditations into a structured journey through Genesis, designed to help readers linger in the text and engage God’s Word more deeply over time.
Comments