Taught by
Stephen ArmstrongGenesis
Genesis 2011 - Lesson 18A
Chapter 18:1-15
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Abraham and Sarah are now within a year of receiving their first child together
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This son, Isaac, will become the first of an uncountable number of descendants because of God’s promise to Abraham
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From Isaac, an entire nation will form
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And out of that nation, God will bring His word, His tabernacle on Earth, and His Son
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So obviously, it’s very important to God how this nation develops over time…
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What it’s taught, how it is trained up
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And what it understands about the God Who formed it
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So today in Chapter 18 the Lord makes His sixth and most curious appearance to Abraham to prepare him better for his role as patriarch
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And this appearance is but a few days after the previous one
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Gen. 18:1 Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.
Gen. 18:2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth,
Gen. 18:3 and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by.
Gen. 18:4 “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree;
Gen. 18:5 and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.”
Gen. 18:6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.”
Gen. 18:7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.
Gen. 18:8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.
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Abraham is staying near the oaks of Mamre, which is in the wilderness south of Jerusalem
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The time is the heat of the day, which corresponds to early afternoon
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This is also the traditional time for the main meal of the day
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Abraham is resting in the tent doorway, out of the sun and probably waiting for the midday meal to be ready
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In v.1 Moses tells us that the Lord visited Abraham
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Then immediately in the next verse we hear of three “men” visiting Abraham
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The point of v.1 was to inform the reader of what was truly happening in this moment
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The Lord was visiting Abraham
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But in v.2 and later, Moses tells us the story from Abraham’s viewpoint
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So we can understand the events from his perspective
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In v.2 three men approach Abraham
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I like to imagine him looking up to see three standing figures walking toward him
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Their appearances in shadow as they are silhouetted by the noon-day sun behind them
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Abraham gets up and runs to greet them
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This is a reflection of the importance of hospitality in that day
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In this culture, it was a high honor to host a visitor – much less three visitors
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And obviously, Abraham takes his responsibility seriously
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So he makes haste to welcome them
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As Abraham runs to meet them, He immediately bows down to the ground
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The word for bowed is the Hebrew word for worshipped
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As Abraham approached the men and saw them closely, he recognized that these visitors were not men at all
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Abraham’s greeting in v.3 is “My Lords” in Hebrew
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It’s the plural form of Adonai
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Abraham recognized these visitors as spiritual beings, and he addresses them by the plural Adonai because he suspects one is the Lord
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But perhaps he doesn’t know which one
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But in that same verse, Abraham switches to the singular form of “your” to address only the Lord Himself
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It seems he quickly came to understand which personage was the leader
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Abraham asks to find favor in the Lord’s sight and that they would not pass Abraham by
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The word for favor is chen, the word for grace
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This statement is similar to one in the opening of the story of Noah, where Noah was said to find favor with God
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In fact, there are many parallels between this story and the story of the Flood, which we will examine along the way
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And the reason for the parallels is that both stories are a picture or example of the coming destruction of the world and the return of our Lord
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Abraham offers to give the party water, to wash their feet, to rest under a tree out of the sun, and to provide bread
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Abraham’s invitation is in keeping with the customs of the day
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But Abraham’s actual efforts to care for the visitors goes well beyond even what he offered to do
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The entire scene depicts Abraham moving quickly and with urgency, which is an indication of his desire to please his visitors
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He tells Sarah to use three measures of flour to make the bread cakes, which is much more flour than would be needed to feed three men
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He runs to the herd to select a calf to kill for the meat
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Rather than assign the task to a servant, Abraham picks out the calf himself, making sure it was a choice animal
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And then he instructs the servant to prepare it, but again with haste
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Finally, after he gives them fresh dairy and the calf meat and the bread, he stands by like a servant to attend to his guests
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This is still the style of hosting in the East
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My recent trip to India allowed me to see the same kind of hospitality
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Abraham’s extreme hospitality is the natural result of knowing who he was serving
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Abraham gave the Lord his best, which is only to be expected
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God was visiting Abraham that day, as He had done in the past
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And Abraham understood how special and honoring it was for the Lord to grant Abraham this audience, now for the sixth time
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But in all likelihood, this is the first time the Lord had appeared in the form of a person
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That is not to say that the Lord was actually flesh
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He had not been born into human form yet, so this is a theophany
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An appearance of God that takes physical form to our eyes, yet is not actually made of human flesh
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Nevertheless, Abraham recognizes how special this moment is and that nothing but the best he has to offer would be acceptable
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Abraham actually models two Biblical principles we would do well to remember
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First, he models the Christian call to show hospitality and love to strangers
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The writer of Hebrews makes a passing reference to this moment at the opening of his thirteenth chapter
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Heb. 13:1 Let love of the brethren continue.
Heb. 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.
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In v.1 the writer says the love of the church must continue (or in Greek: endure)
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But in v.2 he adds that our hospitality cannot be limited to the church or just to people we know
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The word for “entertain” in Greek is more nuanced than in English
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It means to receive a surprise guest, to be caught off guard by an imposition and yet to respond with grace and gladness
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In such moment, the writer says we should remember how Abraham found himself in a similar situation
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When Abraham arose and ran to greet these visitors, he didn’t know he was receiving angels
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Yet he responded with grace and hospitality nonetheless, receiving them joyfully
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Likewise, as God’s people, we are expected to reflect the love of Christ in the way we show grace to the person who calls upon us for hospitality
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It’s not merely that we’re willing to serve someone a meal or engage in fellowship
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It’s what we’re communicating by our willingness
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Look at all that Abraham communicated by his actions
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He dropped everything, did everything he could to make them comfortable, made sacrifices and served his guests
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He communicated love through sacrifice and service
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In a sense, that’s the Gospel in action; the love of Christ working in us
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This a part of our calling as Christians
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Today, the practice of entertaining guests and opening our homes for others is a dying custom
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So as Christians, we have the opportunity to stand out in the world as salt and light by showing hospitality to our neighbors
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Invite to dinner a neighbor you’ve only waved at a few times
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Bake bread and bring it to a widow
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I knew a family who allowed a single mom and her son to move into their basement for over a year to help her get on her feet
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And through those interactions, you can witness to the gospel in both words and actions – a powerful combination
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The second Biblical principle Abraham demonstrates for us is how we are to serve the Lord
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When the Lord came for this visit, Abraham had but a few things to offer, but he gave the Lord his best
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All he could offer was refreshment, rest, shade, and his personal service
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So he gave them generous portions: the ideal place to rest under the only tree, slaughtered the best of his herd and then he personally waited on them
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Not even his servants were good enough
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He insisted on becoming a slave of the Lord
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In short, Abraham gave the Lord his best
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Paul taught that in all we do, we should approach it with an attitude that we are serving the Lord directly
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Eph. 6:5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ;
Eph. 6:6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.
Eph. 6:7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men,
Eph. 6:8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.
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Abraham had the benefit of seeing the Lord sitting before him
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So as he went about his preparations, he acted with urgency, with personal investment and with a desire to give his best
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Nothing was held back, nothing was too valuable to sacrifice
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He engaged his entire household, including his family
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Everyone became focused on the work of serving the Lord
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And he did it joyfully and gladly
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What did Abraham expect to receive?
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Nothing but the Lord’s pleasure
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Notice that Paul says, don’t serve as men-pleasers giving eye service
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Doing something kind merely to gain a reputation before me
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But when those men aren’t watching, we stop our work
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It’s a form of hypocrisy
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Instead, do all our work knowing the Lord is watching us
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We may not see the Lord visit us in person, as Abraham did, but the Lord is no less watching us
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Work your best for Him and Paul says you will receive your reward from the Lord
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After Abraham served the Lord and the two angels, a conversation ensues
Gen. 18:9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.”
Gen. 18:10 He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him.
Gen. 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing.
Gen. 18:12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
Gen. 18:13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’
Gen. 18:14 “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Gen. 18:15 Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”
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After the meal, the group inquires about Sarah
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The pronoun is plural as reflected in the English translation, indicating they all asked this question
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And they knew Sarah’s name though there is no indication her name had yet been spoken by Abraham
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So in knowing her name, the Lord makes clear to Abraham his supernatural identity
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Jesus did a similar thing when he was collecting His disciples as recorded in John’s Gospel
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John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
John 1:48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
John 1:49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”
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By revealing His knowledge of secret things, Jesus demonstrated His divinity and Nathanael accepted it as evidence Jesus was Messiah
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Likewise here, Abraham and Sarah have received evidence to confirm their suspicions concerning their visitor: He is the Lord
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Abraham answers that Sarah is in the tent, but of course if they knew her name, then they also knew where she was already
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So the point of the question was to confirm the Lord’s identity while drawing attention to Sarah and the promise
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The Lord repeats the news that Sarah would give birth in a year
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In the previous encounter with God Abraham had been told that the child would arrive in the same season in the next year
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That means it was likely a little longer than a year, but now it is exactly a year away
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During this time, Sarah was listening at the tent door
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It’s hard to know how much Sarah has heard from Abraham’s previous conversations, but it’s likely she has heard nothing from the Lord
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She probably knows only what Abraham has chosen to share with her
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She knows her name has been changed and the men were circumcised
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But does she know the full extent of the promise?
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I wonder if Abraham might have hidden this detail from her not wanting to get her hopes up or cause her concern
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But now the Lord Himself is determined to bring this knowledge to Sarah
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And as she hears it through the tent, she laughs
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The reason for her laughter is given in v.11
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The test says they were both old and she was past childbearing
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In Hebrew, the text literally reads “Sarah had ceased in the way of a woman”
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This is a euphemism for a woman reaching menopause
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So from a human perspective, it was literally impossible for her to bear a child
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Sarah’s laughter was a silent laughter to herself
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She reacted in a way similar to Abraham but different
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In v.12 she asks, now that I’m old, shall I have delight or pleasure; that is shall I have the child I’ve always wanted
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Sarah’s thoughts go something like this:
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I’ve always wanted a child and we’ve been hoping for one all our marriage
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If God wanted to give me a child, He certainly would have done so by now
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If God didn’t see fit to give me a child when the timing would have been best, it’s laughable to think He would do it now that I’m past the age of childbearing
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In other words, her laughter is an indication that she doesn’t yet believe God’s promises
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We have confirmation that she hasn’t believed because of how the Lord responded to her
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He corrects her and accuses her of laughing rather than accepting His word
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How can it be that Sarah hasn’t believed the promises of God up to this point?
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She followed Abraham from Ur
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She has agreed to live as a nomad in the desert though it was not what she was accustomed to
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She has gone into Egypt
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She has heard secondhand about the promises and the covenant and seen her husband obey God’s commands
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Yet she still doesn’t believe?
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The faith of Abraham doesn’t substitute for the faith of Sarah
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She was being blessed by God in the covenant He made with Abraham because of her association with Abraham
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And this was part of the covenant God made
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Those who bless Abraham would themselves be blessed
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How did Sarah bless Abraham?
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By being an obedient, supportive wife
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Even when she was not herself believing in the promises of God, nevertheless she followed Abraham obediently
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Notice in v12 she addresses Abraham as “lord”
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This is a term of respect but it also implies obedience to authority
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Sarah respected her husband so much that she followed his authority even though she herself lacked the faith to follow God in her own heart
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This gives us the full understanding of Peter’s statement in his first letter concerning the purpose of submission
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1Pet. 3:5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;
1Pet. 3:6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
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Sarah’s willingness to call her husband lord led her into a relationship with the Lord
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For had she not been obedient and trusting in following Abraham even as Abraham himself was following the Lord, then Sarah would never have been in this situation
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She would never have had the opportunity to encounter the living God by way of her husband’s relationship
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As the Lord revealed her thoughts back to her in v.12, He asks her if anything is too difficult for the Lord?
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This is similar to the Lord’s comments in Matthew
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Matt. 19:26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
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The point of the Lord’s comment is that Sarah has been focused on the natural rather than trusting in God’s word
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By the power of men and in the realm of the physical, Sarah could never have children
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But by the power of God’s promise and through His faithfulness, He could make anything happen
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He is calling her to believe
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And the Lord delivers His promise to her personally, saying He will “visit” her this time next year
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This statement has double meaning
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Not only will the Lord visit Sarah in the sense of bringing His promise into reality
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But since we know Isaac is a picture of Christ, the Lord is saying that He will come as a child to her
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Not literally, but as a picture
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Sarah, for her part, feels the fear of the Lord and shock of realizing He knew her thoughts
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She initially denies her mistake
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But the Lord persists and says, no you did laugh
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He makes clear she must repent and accept the conviction of her unbelief
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And then by that repentance, she might come to believe in the promise
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Did Sarah ever come to accept and believe? Scripture says she did
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