LastCall: Nothing is Too Hard for God -Bob Caldwell

Nothing is Too Hard for God  18:14-15 “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!” The time is drawing near for the promise God gave to Abraham 25 years earlier to now be fulfilled. God has His “appointed time” (v. 14) for the outworking of His promises. An appointed time that often brings us to the end of ourselves. A place where what is impossible for us is shown to be quite possible for God. God had been developing Abraham’s faith to believe for the impossible. There was no natural possibility that he and Sarah would have a child. Paul the Apostle gives us a wonderful description of how Abraham’s faith actually operated when he wrote in Romans 4:17-21: “in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” There is in this account an encouraging note for those who waver in their faith. We find Sarah not as full of faith as her husband, Abraham. But the Lord did not condemn, He simply forced her to face her unbelief, to be honest about it. When we see the folly of unbelief in the presence of a God who can do anything, faith will rise up to conquer the unbelief that seeks to rob us of God’s glorious promises.
Genesis 18:1-15  The Son of Promise 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. 2 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, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 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. 9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.”
God’s Promise Reaffirmed (Verses 1-15) v. 1 The Lord Appeared – Before the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God appeared in various ways (Heb. 1:1). Sometimes He appeared in human form as in this passage, (Gen.3:8; 5:24) or in some other form (Ez. 1:1-28; Is. 6:1-13; Ex. 3:3; Joshua 5:13; Judges 2:1-5). v. 2 Bowed – To convey humility and hospitality. v. 3 Your Servant – Abraham accepted his rightful place before God as a servant. Even though he was a man who by this time had many servants under his authority, he still realized that his life was to be an expression of the Lord’s will, not his own, as a servant of God. v. 4 Let a Little Water – Abraham seeks a way to personally serve. To wash a guest’s feet was a common sign of respect. This served a practical purpose in that a person’s feet would become very dirty as they walked in sandals. It also would soothe the feet, which would be tired and sore from walking long distances. v. 5 Refresh – There were no restaurants or hotels so a person who was traveling was dependent upon the hospitality of strangers. v. 7 A Calf – This young meat would be the best. v. 8 He Stood By Them – In this culture, as in many Asian cultures today, honor is shown to a special guest by standing nearby to serve the meal, pour the sauces, attending to every need of the guest. The host would not eat until the guest’s were finished.
10 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.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
v. 10 I Will Certainly Return – The Lord reaffirms His promise to Abraham (Gen.17:15-16). God makes His promise a sure promise. This means nothing will hinder the fulfillment. v. 11 Manner of Women (KJV) – Sarah was physically incapable of conceiving a child. v. 12 Pleasure – Though this may refer to the physical aspect of sexuality, it most likely also refers to the pleasure of having the honor of bearing this promised child who will be a blessing to many nations. v. 13 Why Did Sarah Laugh – The Lord exposes Sarah’s unbelief. He also reveals His omniscience, that He knows everything. Even though she “laughed within herself” the Lord knew the secrets of her heart. Anything Too Hard For the Lord – A question that Sarah and Abraham were struggling to be able to honestly answer. v. 15 I Did Not Laugh – Sarah reveals her lack of understanding about God in this statement. First that a person could ever lie to God and get away with it. Second that her unbelief was rooted in her lack of understanding of what an almighty God can do.

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