Genesis 18:1-15 “The LORD and Sarah”

“The LORD said, ‘I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him.”
Genesis 18:10 (ESV)

Sometimes we need reassurance. Often my wife will ask me how she looks before she goes out. I tell her that she looks beautiful. Then ten minutes later she will ask me again. I tell her that she still looks beautiful!

When God makes a promise to us, once should be enough. After all, it is impossible for Him to lie, and He always keeps His word. But we need reassurance. Probably our faith is too weak. We need to be reminded that what God has promised He will surely perform.

The LORD had already told Abraham just a few months earlier that he would give him a son by Sarah and to call his name Isaac (laughter). Indeed the mere thought of this was humorous, for Abraham was 99 years old, and Sarah was 89. But the LORD came back with two angels to tell Sarah directly. Did Abraham tell her what God had told him? Probably, but Sarah may have thought that Abraham had spent too much time in the hot desert sun! Whatever the reason, the LORD appeared again and repeated the promise within Sarah’s earshot.

“So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?’”
Genesis 18:12 (ESV)

May I suggest that the LORD was just as interested in Sarah’s faith as He was Abraham’s? If Abraham would be the father of everyone who is justified by faith, then Sarah would be the mother (Hebrews 11:11; 1 Peter 3:6). Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is the one thing Jesus requires of us (Matthew 9:28).

When Sarah laughed, it was the laugh of disbelief. Therefore, the LORD couldn’t let it go.

“The LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ 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.’ But Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh, for she was afraid.’ He said, ‘No, but you did laugh.’”
Genesis 18:13–15 (ESV)

The LORD exposed Sarah’s unbelief because it was the one thing that could rob her of receiving the blessings of God. Likewise, we should not be surprised if God uses circumstances to expose our unbelief. He will put us into uncomfortable situations and allow our faith to be tested. He will tell us impossible things, to reveal what is in our hearts. God can’t let it go, because unbelief is the greatest hindrance to our walk with Him. There is so much more that God wants to give us and do through us. But He cannot do it where He finds unbelief. Do you really believe that nothing is impossible for God?