Genesis 18

January 8, 2024

“Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25 ESV). When Abraham’s visitors left towards Sodom, the one

January 7, 2024

“Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son” (Genesis 18:14 ESV). The three men that visited Abraham were from the “LORD” (All caps means God’s covenant name “Yahweh” is being translated). The two silent ones turned

January 7, 2020

NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR THE LORD The three men that visited Abraham were from the “LORD” (All caps means God’s covenant name “Yahweh” is being translated). The two silent ones were angels (Gen. 19:1), and the third was a physical manifestation of the LORD, possibly the preincarnate Christ, or what is called a Christophany.

January 7, 2017

The three men that visited Abraham were from the “LORD” (All caps means the name “Yahweh” is being translated). The two silent ones were angels (Gen. 19:1), and the third was a physical manifestation of the LORD, possibly the preincarnate Christ. Abraham invited them to stay for a meal and they accepted. While they were eating, the One who spoke as the LORD asked where Abraham’s wife Sarah was. Abraham replied that she was in the tent. He then told Abraham that He would return “according to the time of life” (i.e. “nine months”), and “behold,” Sarah would have a son. Sarah, who was listening (i.e. “eavesdropping”) within the tent, laughed to herself and doubted that an old woman like her could ever conceive. The LORD, who hears even when we laugh to ourselves, heard Sarah and asked Abraham why she laughed and doubted Him. He asked, “Is anything to hard for the LORD?”

The question is obviously rhetorical. Nothing is too hard for our God! But this story, with the personal visitation, the shared meal, the announcement of a coming son, and the questioning of Sarah’s lack of faith… this intimate and relational story teaches us that nothing is too small for our God either!

Lift everything up to the LORD today. The hard things and the small things too. He cares for you.

January 7, 2016

The Lord’s visitation to make a birth announcement concerning Abraham’s wife, Sarah, began a pattern of such divine announcements in the lineage of Christ. Isaac, the child of laughter and of promise, was clearly a miraculous birth. God opened the womb of a woman “advanced in years,” one in whom the “way of women had ceased to be.” This birth announcement was a foreshadowing of the announcement Gabriel made to Joseph and Mary. For in a similar fashion, God chose the young virgin Mary, and caused her to be with child, also visiting Joseph to call him to accept her and to name the boy child, “Jesus,” adopting him as his own. The birth of Isaac points to the birth of Jesus. In fact, the whole Old Testament points to Christ’s coming.

January 8, 2015

When two of the three “men” who visited with Abram left towards Sodom, the third one turned aside to reveal their destination and purpose. When Abram heard that they intended to see whether the “outcry” of Sodom’s sin was as great as it sounded, Abram began to appeal to God’s justice for the sake of the righteous. As the story unfolds, we see that the two men visiting Sodom are in fact, angels. And we see that the One remaining to speak to Abram is revealed to be the Lord. In Abram’s prayer we hear him appeal to God’s sense of justice. We are learning about God’s character here and also Abram’s. In a crazy kind of prayer/negotiation, God agrees not to destroy Sodom if there are but 10 righteous there. I think Abram must’ve known the wickedness of Sodom, but he didn’t want his nephew, Lot, to fall under judgment. We learn from Abram’s prayer how we should passionately and reverently pray for the salvation for our family, neighbors and friends. We also learn how God heard Abram’s prayer and preserved Lot, even though there were no righteous found in Sodom and it fell under God’s judgment.

January 8, 2011

God chose Abraham. Has God chosen you to “direct” your family back to Him?