God Promises Abraham a Son

Genesis 18:1–15
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This situation is similar to what happened at Abraham’s house in this passage. In the heat of the day, Abraham was sitting in the doorway of his tent enjoying the breeze when he saw three men approaching (vv. 1-8). When he saw them he ran to meet them. These three were not just ordinary men - - one was the Lord (v. 13), and the other two were angels. After greeting them, Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah to quickly take three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes on the fire. Abraham ran and butchered a calf so they could have steak.

Who could have imagined the Lord, the creator of the universe, and two of His angels, actually sitting down with an ordinary person like you and me to enjoy a meal of homemade bread and T-bone steak (vv. 9-10). It is amazing how careful the Lord was to set Abraham completely at ease. When the Lord was ready to specify the fulfillment of the covenant promise, He came in person and ate in Abraham’s tent. Nothing could more significantly communicate their close relationship. Then after the meal was over and the dishes were carried away the Lord asked, “Where is Sarah thy wife?” He did this just like He didn’t know she had her ears glued to the tent flap. Then he said, “Sarah, thy wife, shall have a son within a year.”

Sarah was inside the tent listening and laughed when she heard this (vv. 11-15). When Abraham laughed in the preceding chapter, it was the laughter of faith, but Sarah’s laughter was of total disbelief. The Lord knew she had laughed and rebuked her saying, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Sarah was embarrassed so she lied and said she hadn’t laughed. Of course, this only made her conduct more reprehensible. Perhaps she thought, “I’ve been married for over seventy years, I’m old enough to be a grandmother, and now someone is telling Abraham I’m going to have a baby. To Sarah this was all too funny for words. Is a child from a woman past child bearing too marvelous for the One who called all things into existence? It is no laughing matter. He can do it. Nothing is incredible for those in fellowship with the Lord because nothing is too difficult for Him. Abraham was truly a privileged man to stand in the direct line to the coming into the world the very Son of God Himself.

Application

Basically, this account is a call to believe that God can do the impossible. God knows that I may stumble over what He says He can do. I simply must remember that nothing is too hard for God.