Genesis 18:1-14 New King James Version (NKJV) The Son of Promise 18 Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre,[a] as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” 10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.[b] 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” God Appoints Times for Specific Events Laughter is an extraordinarily flexible act of communication. It often indicates joy, happiness, or humor; but depending on the culture, circumstances, and individual, it might also signal embarrassment, grief, or even despair. A laugh can be crazy, sarcastic, skeptical, or relieved. It might convey surprise, scorn, agreement, or pleasure. It all depends. In today’s narrative, Sarah’s laughter signified doubt or faithlessness (v. 12). It might also have been bitter, cynical, or just sad. She had overheard one of the visiting strangers tell her husband that “about this time next year” she would have a son (v. 10). Given that Sarah was past the age of childbearing—or in plain language, she had already been through menopause—and that she had been barren her whole life thus far, she laughed for obvious reasons. Yet the stranger condemned her doubt and insisted on his prediction (v. 14), which Abraham received as a promise from the Lord Himself. Both he and his wife would have remembered God’s recent similar promise (Gen. 17:21). The issue was whether they would respond in faith—Abraham did, but Sarah did not. Later, though, she would laugh in faith and joy because God kept His promise and gave her a son (Gen. 21:6–7). This narrative teaches that God can appoint times for specific events, such as the birth of a baby. This doesn’t mean that God chooses to script all events in this way, but it does mean that He is able to do so if He wills it. We don’t know the details of how He works, but we can still affirm this truth. Abraham and Sarah were told that Isaac would be born at a certain time, and he was (Gen. 21:2). Isaac’s birth was completely impossible from a human perspective, but God’s plans and timing don’t depend on human wisdom or limitations. Apply the Word Hospitality is also a Christian virtue, though in our busyness we too often neglect it. Two books that might be helpful in learning more about this topic are Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition, by Christine D. Pohl, and Table Grace: The Role of Hospitality in the Christian Life, by Douglas Webster.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:33:07 +0000
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