‘And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and fetched a good and tender calf and gave it to a servant, and he quickly dressed it. And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree and they ate.'
That Abraham took charge of the proceedings demonstrates both his hospitality and the importance he placed on the guests. Again there is the contrast with the treatment the two angels would receive in Sodom.
“Three measures of fine meal”, that is, ‘plenty'. ‘Two' would be ‘a little' compare ‘two sticks' - 1 Kings 17:12 - three is plenty. Abraham would not expect to give detailed catering instructions to his experienced wife.
It is Abraham himself who takes charge of the man's side of things, the selecting and butchering of the calf, although the latter is fitly done by a servant. We note that Abraham's humble ‘morsel of bread' has in fact become a feast.
“They ate”. There is no pretence here. It is our inadequacy that makes us seek to ‘defend' God's otherness. God can do whatever He wants. In fact the eating is important. It demonstrates that the arrival of these clearly important men is with peaceful intent, for they accept Abraham's hospitality. Not to have eaten would have indicated otherwise. It is possibly also intended to bring out Abraham's unique relationship with Yahweh (contrast Judges 13:16).