Infinite and Intimate

Saw many big smiles on faces. I realize Our time in Genesis 17, which was somewhat prolonged was a stretch for some especially those perhaps Uninitiated with covenant theology and I'm sure we're all excited to continue pressing forward in the narrative of Genesis.

However, we'll continue to see how significant those foundational stones are as we continue to press forward. But this morning we're beginning Genesis 18 and we'll be focusing this morning on verses 1 through 15.

And we'll look at these verses really in three movements the first movement is just the first three verses the Lord appears to Abraham and Sarah and then secondly, we'll see that they provide for the Lord and Then lastly, we'll see that the Lord provides for them.

So those are the movements that we have in our passage the Lord appears To Abraham and Sarah they provide for the Lord and the Lord provides for them beginning in verse 1. Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day.

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 and said my lord If I have now found favor in your sight do not pass on by your servant. So Abraham we find at the door of the tent by the terebinth trees of Mamre.

That's a place that we've become familiar with since chapter 13 in this climate at this time. Which is midday the heat would have been almost unbearable. If you had a tent you'd be in the tent. If you were in the tent.

You were hoping that that tent was under the trees in the shade and that's where we find Abraham. Sitting in the shade of his tent. The tent sitting in the shade of the trees the last indication we had of Abraham's age in chapter 17.

He's 99 years old. Sarah is a decade younger. We cannot imagine exactly the age dynamics at this time as we've seen ever since the flood in Genesis 7 8 9 all the way to where we are in chapter 18 the dynamics of human age and ability are beginning to dwindle.

We're slowly pitching toward the the lower end of three digits even with Abraham. So when we say he's 99 we can't imagine for us that that's a 99 year old. Today, we'll see that when he's running back and forth preparing this feast.

So we have to picture the fierce heat and even though he's not a 99 year old by today's standard. He's still very old. He himself says well advanced in age well past the years of childbearing. He's elderly and he's sitting in his tent monitoring the land the cattle his servants.

Perhaps he's doing what elderly folks tend to do dozing in and out of naps. There was a great viral video Some years ago and you should you should look it up and watch it. It's really great and it it features a interview on a local news show with a woman named Flossie Dickey.

I mean what a name. Flossie Dickey and it was her 110th birthday on that day and so they sent a an Anchor woman to go interview her as the family and the nursing home was preparing a birthday party. And so there they are and they're trying to get Flossie who now because of her birthday party cannot have her normal nap.

Which she does ten times throughout the day. So she's sitting there with a completely grumpy face waiting for the news team to leave. They're going so Flossie. Are you excited about your party today? And she's just staring at the camera not one bit.

What do you want to do. I'm tired. Okay, Flossie, so they're there, you know realizing they're really putting it on to this lady now. Abraham is not that tired. But I can picture him in his elderly age in this midday heat sort of dozing out.

Lifting his eyes occasionally looking around. He's certainly not gonna be moving around. He's not gonna be doing any sort of work. He's got servants. He's got Ishmael. He's got all that under control and then we read in verse 1 the Lord appeared to him now.

This is.

Theophanic language when the Lord appears and so we're already being hinted to at the very first verse that the presence of God is drawn near to Abraham and The Lord's appearance is mysterious. Of course, we've seen many appearances of the Lord and and all of them are mysterious after their own kind.

We've seen God speak directly to Abraham and chapters 12 and 13 Assuring him of his will and his promise in the land. We've seen whether it was a a prophet of the Lord Most High or a Manifestation of the Lord Most High.

We've seen Melchizedek pronounce blessing upon Abraham. We've seen the fire and the smoke and the vision of the great covenant of chapter 15 and even Last chapter in chapter 17. We saw the glory of this covenant revealed by the Lord.

So we've seen the Lord make himself manifest. Already but here we have something entirely unique we find the Lord appearing to Abraham and Simultaneously, we read of three men in what follows. They are reported and treated as three men.

The meal is made with three measures of fine flour. So the three is not some apparition. It's real. There are three travelers by the human eye standing in front of Abraham at the opening of the tent. But Abraham realizes all is not as it seems.

We read in verses 2 and 3 when he saw them He ran from the door to meet them bowed himself to the ground and said my lord. If I have now found favor in your sight do not pass on by your servant. Now we're not told in this instance that Abraham recognizes the divine identity of these visitors.

It seems to dawn on him over time and some have even argued that. Really anyone that came to visit an ancient Middle Easterner would have received this kind of lavish Welcome this kind of hospitality.

It was appropriate and still is for instance in the Bedouin culture to bestow great Hospitality and honor upon a guest within your domain. However, there are several details in the narrative here that show us Abraham has some hint some glimpse that indeed There is a divine manifestation here.

And if he doesn't understand it by verse 3 He certainly understands it in the verses that follow. What we have here is without a doubt a theophany meaning a manifestation or appearance of God and then better yet or more accurately a Christophany so when God appears he appears in the likeness of his son.

So this is a a pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God. The first thing to notice is in verse 3 where Abraham says my lord now. He's addressing only one within this trio and By the end of this chapter we find only one of this trio.

Conversing with him the other two have gone on to Sodom and Gomorrah and in the beginning of chapter 19 They're revealed to be two angels. So already if we're following the narrative We have one that Abraham is dress is addressing as my lord.

Two that are not being addressed and two that later on will travel apart from we would say the Lord In order to go towards Sodom and Gomorrah and there they are revealed as angels. Now the Hebrew in verse 3 for Lord is Adonai.

It is one of the ways to address God. But it also can be used to speak reverently of a of a master of a ruler of a highly honored guest. And so that's true. Not only in ancient Hebrew. That's true in many cultures air in German dominus in Latin kurios in Greek the word that we use to address the Lord can also be the Lord of the house or the Lord of the estate or or A Lord someone who's revered and honored.

So Adonai is not a whole lot of help, but when we get to verse 13 and we read The Lord said to Abraham there. We do not have Adonai there. We have the divine name Yahweh and No human being is ever referred to as Yahweh.

Until we get to the Lord Jesus Christ Who is Yahweh incarnate? So once you see that the Lord of verse 13 is the Lord of verse 3 You realize that Abraham is not just bowing down to strangers out of reverence or cultural politeness.

But in fact, he's worshiping one that he's beginning to recognize as a divine manifestation of his God. It could well be that we have here what John refers to in John 8 56 as as the vision the glimpse of the Lord.

Jesus says Abraham saw my day and he was glad. Now there's very few commentators. Therefore that find this visitation to be anything less than the Lord the pre-incarnate Son of God. And two angels that are accompanying him which go on to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

When we go back to the earliest views of the ancient church, this is still the understanding not much has shifted. We find this view with Justin Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian Clement of Alexandria origin all names that perhaps are not so familiar to us, but they ought to be.

However when.

The Trinity became a matter of dispute and all sorts of Trinitarian heresies began to blossom in the early church. Some church fathers began to look at these three men these three visitors and say here we have the Trinity.

It was never as straightforward as that even among the church fathers. It was a rare view, but they they saw in the context. There is some sort of glimpse at the trinity of God. There's three visitors and yet only one reference to the Lord.

And so the church fathers who again saw there's a pre-incarnate Son and two angels. Even they by this time would say nonetheless. There is some mysterious display some glimpse that God is in fact three and one that he is triune.

So in a certain homily, for example origin writes the fact that Abraham rushes to welcome three. But only worships one communicate something greater. Everything that is reported in this account is mystical.

What is suggested here is of course the mystery of God as Trinity and then by the end of this homily. Where origin is writing? He says seek the mystery of the Trinity through the revelation of Christ.

Which is very insightful from our ancient brother because indeed we can only Seek the mystery of the Trinity through what Christ reveals about his father and the Spirit. To give another example of this.

Just because it's so significant and I'm sure many of you looking at chapter 18. We're like three men. Is this the Trinity this father-son Holy Spirit when we see three that's where we jump. And so yeah, some people would say amen if you were living in the fourth or fifth century.

But since then we're gonna be a little more careful than that and say no Caesarius of Arles he's writing in the 6th century. He takes more of an allegorical approach very common at the time and listen to how allegorical it becomes.

The noonday stands for the fullness of divine radiance. The threefold appearance indicates Abraham's superior state. The tent is the abode of the soul which receives God. The mystery of the Trinity is indicated by the three cakes which are hidden.

It doesn't come across in the English translation. But Sarah hides in Hebrew hides the cakes under the hot ash. And so three are being hidden and so early church fathers are going. Oh, this is a hidden mystery of the triune revelation.

And of course Abraham sees three but worships only one. I think we can grant there may be a divine hint at the true identity of the Lord. But we have to agree with John Gill. It's always safe to agree with John Gill.

The truth of the matter seems to be this one of them was the Son of God in human form. Chiefly conversing with Abraham and the other two were angels. Who in that form accompanied him in that expedition?

So that's that's safe ground.

For us.

Now notice the response of Abraham. He's rushed out to meet these three men. He bows down before the Lord In an act of worship and he pleased with him. Stay. Let me give you some refreshment. We see this in verses 4 through 8.

Abraham and Sarah and many other servants and their employee are providing for the Lord. Please let a little water be brought. Wash your feet rest yourselves under the tree. I will bring a morsel of bread that you may refresh your hearts and After that you may pass by in as much as you've come to your servant.

And they said do as you have said. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said quickly Make three measures of fine meal knead it and make cakes. And Abraham ran to the herd took a tender and good calf.

Gave it to a young man and hastened to prepare it and 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. This is lavish Hospitality, this is not a morsel of bread and some water and you'll be on your way.

This is not a sleeve of saltines and a few Poland Springs. This is a very lab lavish elaborate form of honoring these three guests. It runs even longer in the Hebrew text our translation at several verses long here.

It's even longer in the Hebrew text what we'll touch on that momentarily the significance of that. The reader can see how appropriate. This is we are already tracking maybe what hadn't quite yet dawned on Abraham that this is indeed the Lord.

And so whether it's cultural politeness at this point or not we really recognize Abraham is doing everything the right way and this seems to be where the New Testament is drawing this whole idea of Entertaining angels unaware of being hospitable to strangers.

Hebrews 13 2 of course is the point in reference. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for by this some have entertained angels unaware. Perhaps this is drawing on Abraham in this very passage.

The writer is saying it was a good thing That Abraham wasn't cold. Wasn't rude. Didn't shove an empty bucket and say if you want some water go fetch. It was good that he was a very gracious hospitable host to these strangers in the same way Jesus teaches us that We're to have an eye toward the stranger the one in need and when we do so we are in fact having an eye Toward him at Matthew 25.

I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you invited me. So Jesus himself is teaching his people to have this Abrahamic sight for those that are passing by.

In a real sense we can say Abraham was providing for the Lord in a real sense. In Acts 13 verse 2 we read the same thing about Paul and Barnabas and others in the church at Antioch. They were serving the Lord.

Literally ministering to the Lord in Antioch. It's an interesting way to think about the dynamics of the Christian life, isn't it? It's not as though God is lacking anything in his Perfections as though he needs provisions as though he goes from state to state as we do and needs things External to himself to to continue being he is pure being he is of himself therefore he requires nothing and Yet he invites his people as it were to minister to him.

Very interesting, isn't it? The Lord requires no ministry no service no provision and yet he delights To allow his people to minister to him as we read in Acts 13 verse 2. He's willing as we see in Genesis 18 for Abraham to show hospitality to him.

Willing to have Abraham and Sarah serve him he delights To find his people eager and willing to fellowship with him to commune with him. And eager is all over verses 6 through 8, right? Just just look at these words.

Abraham hurried he rushed into the tent. You can picture out the decorum. Please. Please do not pass by. Let me get you a morsel of bread. Grab the flower grab the flower. He's rushing all over his property.

What are you talking about? What are you talking about how much flower you can picture the chaos behind the scenes. Meanwhile, these three men are under the terebinth trees and then Abraham runs to the herd.

Goes to a young man. Take that tender and good calf take the fatted calf prepare it and then he took butter and milk and the calf which he had Prepared remember there's no refrigeration in the ancient world.

And so it's not like you just have milk and butter on hand this this would have been All things that were being done in the course of the day and now it's times a thousand. We need more butter. We need more milk.

We've got guests to feed. We've got a feast to produce get to churning get to milking fill those buckets. Then he finally at the end of verse 8 is standing by them under the tree as they eat probably huffing puffing sweating as They sit there and eat this lavish feast.

And all of this bustle is calculated. The pressure that Abraham puts upon himself and then puts on his whole household Is a calculated way of demonstrating how much desire he has for these guests to stay.

How it's his heart for them to be honored and privileged. This is a calculated form of bustle. It's not that Abraham is is so out of control. He just has to run around like a maniac trying to find some way to scrounge up a meal that it's meant to show something.

I so revere you I so honor you that I'm going to run to my servants run to my wife. I'm gonna run as fast as I can to make sure you have everything you could possibly need. This is how much I want your fellowship how much I want you to be honored if you go to a restaurant.

And you have a waitress that's constantly bending over backwards. They sure don't need a refill on that. Let me clear this for you. Are you sure you're not? Is that okay? Do you want some ketchup for that?

You feel very honored. What an attentive waitress. If you go to a restaurant where? You know your your food comes out cold your drinks been empty for half an hour. You're waiting for the check. It's been you know an hour.

You don't even she's on break somewhere. You don't feel very honored. Can we please have our check? It's been three hours. Oh, yeah. Sorry about that. Moseying up you wouldn't feel very honored would you it's the same dynamic here?

Abraham's effort shows how much he desired their fellowship. It shows him that he He's doing everything he can. Please don't leave. I'm trying to get everything in order. I want this to be great. Please don't leave.

It's like the prodigal father. When he runs out to meet the son, please don't turn back. Please don't leave. He's running. He's rushing. I have to ask us brothers and sisters does our effort to welcome the Lord.

Show something of our desire for him not to leave. Does our our bustle to commune with the Lord show something of our hunger to fellowship with him of Our heart to honor him. What would it look like if you could translate this scene into morning devotions?

I get that coffee going gotta get the Bible open Lord. Please don't leave. I Want to fellowship with you? I'm hungry for you to stay and draw near. I Want to serve you Lord so that you might bless me.

I want to refresh you Lord so that you might refresh me. What kind of hospitality in other words do we show to the Lord? Do we show Abraham's hospitality to the Lord? Hastening lavish filled with a selfless attention to him.

Or is it lazy?

Is it haphazard? Is it so consumed on self need and self-focus that? The one thing you could not describe it as is a ministering unto the Lord. Paul says in Romans 12 do not be lagging in diligence. But be fervent in spirit serving the Lord.

God's looking for that same Abrahamic fervency in the way that we serve him and of course we automatically think of serving and even in the context of Romans 12 Right showing hospitality and kindness to those around us, you know having self-control over our spirit.

We we think of all these things, but I'm saying there's even something more basic than that. That we in our own devotional life in our own way of communing with God. We ought to have this vision of hospitality unto the Lord.

How can I situate myself? How can I establish my time in my presence Lord so that it's hospitable for you to commune with me? How can I make myself available? How can I make myself? Consistent, how can I show by my sheer effort Lord that my desire is for you to be honored and for you to stay?

This is not to pass by Lord. I'm not just gonna give you a little morsel of my attention in the morning. No Lord. I want a feast. And the Lord has always been this way. Do you remember what he says to Simon the Pharisee?

Do you see this woman he says this notoriously sinful woman this woman that you've been saying in derision in your heart. She's unclean and he must not be a prophet. He doesn't know what manner of woman this is.

And what is what does Jesus say? You gave me no water for my feet. But she's washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. Simon in that culture. He would have done all of the checklists of hospitality.

I'm having this revered one one that are saying is the great prophet the one we've been waiting for even I'm having him in my Home tonight, I'm gonna make sure that everything is checked. Servants. Make sure that he has all the wine all the food prepared everything he needs make sure everything is in order.

You know Simon too would have been calculating everything so that Jesus felt honored and when Jesus walks in he's saying You haven't even begun to honor me like this woman. You never showed me the kind of Love and affection and dependence that she has.

This is the kind of devoted care that honors the Lord. Back in Genesis 18 Abraham is running around thinking of anything and everything. He can pull together for a feast. He runs to the fatted calf the ancient world.

You don't eat meat all that all that often. And it was quite a process as I'm sure our brother can tell us to butcher a whole animal and prepare it for a Feast. This wasn't gonna be a quick meal. It was gonna take some time.

And Abraham is preparing this feast for the Lord and for these angels and For Abraham this greatest act of honor that he can muster with what he has. Nothing is spared. Everything is available. Everything must be given over.

It's as a lavish. It's as honorable as he can possibly muster and for the Lord, it's it's sheer condescension. For him just to sit and eat. The things that he made and does not require RS candlestick brings this out.

This is a singular act of condescension the only Recorded instance of the kind before the incarnation. That's amazing, isn't it? From Genesis 18 until you get to the ministry of Jesus. You'll never read about the Lord sitting down to eat a meal with his people.

Again.

Food is brought out to the Lord in various forms of his manifestation. But that's always turned into a sacrifice and it's devoted in sacrifice and and the the scent ascends into the heavens. But here God.

Here the Lord is sitting in partaking with Abraham like a friend to a friend. Which is why Abraham is uniquely called throughout Scripture a friend of God. This is a meal between friends. And the Lord is condescending to intimately and graciously fellowship with Abraham.

So then it's no surprise when Thousands of years removes we find the Lord truly human. Not in the appearance of man, but as a man looking for that same.

Man to man intimate.

Sharing of a meal with his people. Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus come down. I must stay at your house tonight. Think of how familiar and friendly these meals with his disciples would have been that this was actually something of the heart of our Lord.

Not just in his ministry as though it was something he had to get through but actually it was his delight and when we When we read of him after his resurrection appearing to his disciples, for instance in Luke 24 on the road to Emmaus the disciples recognizing After the fact that they had been with the Lord they they were begging him as is proper in the culture abide with us.

It's evening the day is far spent and he goes in to stay with them. And then we read further in Luke 24 He goes in with all of the Apostles. And he stood in the midst of them. We read and said peace be to you and they were terrified and frightened and supposed that seen a spirit and he said why?

Are you troubled? Why is doubt filled your heart behold my hands and my feet. It's I myself. Handle me see a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have and when he said this he showed them his hands and his feet and they still while they still did not believe for joy and marveled and Then I just I love this.

It's as shocking an act of condescension as we find here in Genesis 18. He says do you have any food here? This is the risen Exalted Lord Jesus and he's standing before these apostles who aren't even sure how to process this and he's going you guys got anything to eat.

I am hungry. Can't tell you what it's what it's like to endure what I've had to endure. Do you have any food here fellas? Friends. And they bring out a piece of broiled fish a piece of honeycomb. And we read he took it and ate it in their presence.

Could say oh, this is this is a gospel writers way of recollecting that which shows he's not just an apparition. He's truly man. No, no, no. He's doing what he loved to do. He's eating with his people.

He's fellowshipping with them as a friend. Jesus delights to share such common.

Intimate.

Hospitality from his people whether it's a lavish feast of the fatted calf or The refrigerated leftovers of fish and honeycomb. And so as God's people we should show this kind of hospitality to the Lord first and foremost.

And our daily desire to commune with him in prayer and in the word. Are we that attentive to that spiritual dynamic that this is not the equivalent of taking a vitamin for the day. Oh, I've got my little scripture fortune cookie for the day off.

I go.

But no rather you are sitting and opening up the time for you to commune with God through the means of grace. That he is present by his spirit and attends to the means and that you are in a way commonly intimately.

Fellowshipping with him when we see all of the ornamented detail of this meal and.

And if you're following the narrative You're forced to do this when you're reading Hebrew narrative. It's very obvious when you enter into disjunctive patterns in the text. There are certain constructions.

We call it a vital structure where the narrative is being carried along and when you get to a disjunctive Verb at the beginning you realize this is the parentheses. This is the text box this is not something that's part of the main narrative and Here we have all of this Ornate detail about the milk and the curds and the the say is a finely ground flour in the churned butter.

And all of these things take up as much if not more space. Then empires that are rising and falling then the Tower of Babel in all of its might then the five against four World war that had broken out in chapter 16.

There's more detail here. Now, what does that say? This is significant. Every detail matters. It says this was so profound so supernatural that we'll never forget What we prepared and what we ate when we were with the Lord.

We'll never forget. Like the disciples will never forget pass it down. It was boiled fish and honeycomb. We'll never forget that. We'll never forget that. And so it zooms in with all of this detail in the whole front half.

All the way from verse 1 to verse 8 is all about Abraham's activity. Abraham's plead. Abraham Abraham Abraham. And then we get to verse 9 and the whole focus switches to Sarah. And they said to him, where is Sarah your wife?

Here in the tent 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. Bad thing to do ladies.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old well advanced in age and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself saying after I've grown old shall I have pleasure my lord being old also.

And the Lord said to Abraham. Why did Sarah laugh? Saying surely I I Shall I surely bear a child since I am old. It's anything too hard for the Lord At the appointed time. I will return to you according to the time of life.

Sarah shall have a son and Sarah denied it. Saying I did not laugh for she was afraid he said no you did. This whole narrative now shifts to Sarah and Abraham is just in the margins. He's the supporting actor if you were gonna put this on a play.

Now the Lord is addressing him and Sarah is for all intensive purposes outside of the meeting place which would have been very common in the ancient world and Yet the Lord has not come for Abraham, it's patently obvious these three men have come for Sarah and They're staying not for the sake of Abraham, but for the sake of Sarah.

With Abraham the promise has already been established. Of course, the promise was given to Abraham. And it was established by degrees first. You're going to have a son from your own body. Okay, how's that son gonna come about?

Maybe through Hagar and then the promise is no it won't be Ishmael. It won't be the seed through Hagar, but from Sarah she'll have a son and now in this visit He gives the time frame this time next year.

I'll return and Sarah will have a son. So it seems that Abraham if we follow what Paul says in Romans 4 Abraham's faith had been wavering. Until God made that covenant in chapter 17 and Abraham's faith wavered no longer.

He himself had laughed but now he was not laughing now. He was trusting but it wasn't so with Sarah and remember that God's covenant is not just with Abraham as though Sarah is expendable as Though Sarah's just means to an end God covenants with Sarah as well.

I Am the Lord he begins the covenant and to you Abraham and then to you Sarah. Sarah Is herself addressed. She is.

Embedded within the Abrahamic Covenant. The Lord.

Has come to strengthen the faith of Sarah. Abraham is not wavering but it seems that Sarah is. Abraham had already been where Sarah is in this very place Laughing in his heart at what seems humanly impossible.

Genesis 17 beginning in verse 16 we read. God said to Abraham as for Sarah your wife. You shall not call her name Sarah I but Sarah shall be her name and I will bless her and Also give you a son by her then I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations.

Kings of peoples shall be from her. Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart shall a child be born to a man who is 100 years old and Shall Sarah who is 99 years old bear a child.

And Abram said to God. Oh that Ishmael might live before you. And God said no. Sarah your wife shall bear you a son and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him.

So notice the parallel. Abraham laughs in his heart at the promise because it is humanly impossible. His faith wavers and he turns to what seems humanly possible. Oh that Ishmael might be the fulfillment of this.

Oh that Ishmael might live before you. I've got the son that I wanted. And God says no. But Sarah your wife will bear you a son. Sarah your wife Abraham. That's who I made the promise to Sarah like many of us has a faith that is caught between The impossibility as it seems to us of God's promise and The apparent reality of her position as an elderly barren woman.

And don't we as believers see this all the time. We have God's promise. That seems impossible given the realities of our human life and our position in life in our Circumstances and yet God's promise could not possibly be more clear and we lose our faith.

We waver at the promise and the purpose of God. Just like Abraham just like Sarah failure in these situations is not the fault of God. But ours and yet at the same time what is true of Abraham and Sarah in their day is true of believers today.

These great promises God loves to fulfill Against the impossible odds so that he might get all of the glory. So that we might recognize and see his mighty hand and give him the worship and praise do him.

God is therefore persistent to give reassurances to his people. That wavering he will not allow. Indefinitely he comes to his people to reassure them of the promise. How many times have we seen God? Reassure the Abrahamic promise from chapter 12 again and again and again and even now where Abraham is solid.

But Sarah is wavering. It's time to go again. It's time to go and speak to Sarah.

God.

Waits until it is humanly impossible. For this child of the covenant to be born so that he can show it won't be by human effort. It won't be by apparent reality. It will be by his strength and his sovereign grace.

Is anything too hard for the Lord is the question, isn't it? Is anything too hard for the Lord? It's a question about God's ability. Is God unable to do anything. In this case the child of promise is going to be born to a barren woman well past menopause.