Believing God
Gen 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
The LORD Jehovah appeared to him. This was a place of oak trees. Mamre meant strength. Abraham had God's strength and favor.
Gen 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
He saw three men, one may have been Jesus, the other two were angels. (Gen 19)
Gen 18:3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
Gen 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
Gen 18:5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
Hospitality was the custom and Abraham was a good host. Was it because Abraham himself had been a stranger in a foreign land? (Gen 23:4)
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Heb 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.
Heb 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
No man can look upon God and live, for he is a consuming fire. Jesus came in flesh and blood.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
Gen 18:6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
Three measures and three portions for the three guests. Jesus came as God, before he was born, with two angels and all three would enjoy a meal, a way of fellowship with righteous Abraham. How much Abraham was loved and Abraham was gracious unto them with hospitality.
Gen 18:7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
Gen 18:8 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 did eat.
Hospitality shown to the three.
Gen 18:9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
Gen 18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
I shall return, the voice of God, probably Jesus. The Lord repeats the promise of Sarah bearing a child and it being born a year hence.
Gen 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Gen 18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
At my age, am I to have pleasure in physical intimacy?
Sarah spoke in sarcasm and unbelief which was questioning God's word. To do so is to call God a liar. This is serious, for God cannot lie. One thing Sarah said, God would commend in later scriptures. She called her husband " lord" out of respect.
1 Pet 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
1 Pet 3:5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:
1 Pet 3:6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
1 Pet 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Gen 18:13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
The Lord asked Abraham, for he was the head of the wife, just as Adam was responsible for the actions of Eve. Both were to be protectors of their wives and priests, or spiritual leaders of their homes. This is God ordained. The wife is to be the help meet; (Gen 2:18) even if the wife considers herself to be more "spiritual", she is not to be the head.
Gen 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Is anything too hard for the LORD?
No, the LORD is faithful to do his will. Our problem is we want him to do our will. He is Lord, we are his children. If we obey him and believe, he will do as he promises.
Faith is required
Mat 17:19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mat 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
God works miracles
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
The son would be a miracle for both Abraham and Sarah. God would come to them , both at the time of conception, as with Mary, the mother of Jesus. He would also come at the birth of the son.
Why did you not believe me? Is anything too hard for the LORD? Sarah shall have a son.
Rom 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Rom 3:5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man)
Rom 3:6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?
Gen 18:15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
Don't deny the truth, are you saying God is a liar? You did laugh. Was Sarah counted as a sinner for this unbelief? No, she was counted as a woman of faith, from this time on and was included in the people of faith listing of Hebrews 11.
Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
Heb 11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
Through faith, believing the promises of God, a son would be born to faithful Abraham and Sarah. What is impossible with man is possible with God. The true miracles come by believing God's word, not by our thoughts, but his thoughts. His word is truth and faith releases his power in our lives.
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