Gênesis 18
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 18
Cole: Jeremiah the prophet was a godly man who faithfully spoke God’s word to a disobedient people who rejected both him and his message. For years he warned them of coming judgment if they did not repent, but they didn’t want to hear it. They mocked him, threw him in a muddy pit, and listened to the false prophets who told them what they wanted to hear, that God wouldn’t judge them for their sin. Finally, just as Jeremiah had warned, the powerful Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar came and besieged Jerusalem. Jeremiah was thrown into prison by the wicked Jewish king Zedekiah because he was predicting a Babylonian victory. In that bleak situation, a strange word came to him from God. The Lord told him to buy a field from his cousin because he was the closest relative with a right of redemption. This would be like telling someone to buy a house in Sarajevo when it was under siege. It was obvious that the country was about to fall to a foreign king, who would confiscate all property. So you would be throwing away your money. But God told Jeremiah to buy it as a testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promise to restore His people to the land. So Jeremiah obeyed God and handed over the precious little money he had to purchase this field. In that context Jeremiah prayed, “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17). The Lord confirmed Jeremiah’s prayer by answering, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jer. 32:27). Difficult (wonderful) (06381) pala is a verb which means to be difficult, to be hard, to be extraordinary or to be amazing, to be surpassing or to cause a wonderful thing to happen. To be beyond one’s power to do. To do something wonderful, extraordinary or difficult = Wonders, Marvels, Marvelous works. Pala is used in OT mainly to refer to acts of God, either cosmic wonders or historical achievements on behalf of Israel. Note its usage in Ex 15:11; Ps. 77:14; 78:12; 88:10; 119:129; 139:6; and Isa. 9:6; 25:1; 29:14; Dan. 12:6. Pala refers to acts that are performed by Jehovah expressing actions that are beyond the bounds of human powers or expectations, especially His deliverances of Israel (Ex 3:20, Ps 106:22, 136:4). He has done things beyond the limits of human powers or expectation. God showed His people miracles when they came out of bondage in Egypt and as they were going into the freedom of the promised land - "Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” (Josh 3:5) See WONDERFUL THINGS. QUESTION -Why does God ask Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)? ANSWER - Abraham was visited by three men one day; the men turned out to be unusual guests, to say the least, and the visit was life-changing for Abraham and Sarah. Genesis 18:1–2 says, “The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.” Abraham showed immediate hospitality to the three men, inviting them to rest under a tree and preparing a big meal for them (verses 3–8). When the Lord announced to Abraham, “By this time next year, Sarah will give birth to a son,” Sarah overheard and laughed in unbelief (Genesis 18:10–12). The news was so astonishing to the 89-year-old Sarah that she doubted God’s word and His promise. Then God asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son” (Genesis 18:13–14, NLT). God countered Sarah’s rhetorical question (“Can an old woman like me have a baby?”) with one of His own: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” In other words, God answered Sarah’s unbelief with His assurance: “Nothing is too hard for me!” When Sarah doubted the Lord, she was questioning both His truthfulness and His ability. Sarah is not unlike us. We sometimes doubt that God will keep His promises. We disbelieve the Lord’s power to do what He says He will do in His Word. And God, through Genesis 18:14, asks us the same question, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” God framed the question rhetorically, but the Bible answers categorically, “No, nothing is too hard for the Lord!” The prophet Jeremiah observed, “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17). Again God acknowledged, “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted,” testifies Job 42:2. God’s Word never fails but accomplishes everything God intends for it to do (Isaiah 55:10–11; Joshua 21:45; Luke 1:37). His words are truth (2 Samuel 7:28). When God makes a promise, we can be sure He has the power to fulfill it (Ephesians 3:20–21; 2 Corinthians 1:20). “For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does,” affirms Psalm 33:4 (NLT). Jesus told His disciples that, humanly speaking, salvation is impossible, “but with God everything is possible” (Matthew 19:26, NLT). Sarah was looking at God’s ability, fidelity, and truthfulness through a human lens. The Bible suggests numerous ways in which people fail or fall short (Psalm 14:3, John 20:27; Romans 1:25; Galatians 1:6; Revelation 2:4) yet emphasizes that God never lets His people down. Faithfulness and truth are fundamental aspects of God’s character (Revelation 3:14; 19:11). Even “if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is” (2 Timothy 2:13, NLT). Eventually, Sarah repented of her doubt and believed God. Isaac, the promised son, was born a year later: “The LORD kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would” (Genesis 21:1–2, NLT). God has given us ample evidence of His power, faithfulness, and truthfulness. By a simple act of His will, He created the universe and everything in it out of nothing (Genesis 1—2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). God keeps the planets in orbit and “stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing” (Job 26:7, NLT). He holds all things together and supplies the needs of every living creature (Colossians 1:17; Psalm 145:14–21). Surely the God who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:2), who gives life and breath to every creature and human being (Job 12:10), can make an old woman conceive and give birth to a child. God’s question to Sarah ought to encourage us to examine our own hearts. Are there any obstacles of unbelief standing between me and God? Do I harbor doubts that cause me to laugh at the Lord’s promises? If we truly believe with hearts of faith that God is who He says He is, nothing will shake our confidence in Him. When God asks, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” our answer will be a resounding, “No! God can do anything!”GotQuestions.org QUESTION - How long did Abraham and Sarah have to wait for Isaac? ANSWER - Genesis 12 begins the story of Abraham (then called Abram) and his barren wife Sarah. Verses 1 through 4 record God’s first words to him about a homeland for his offspring. Even though the gift of a son is not directly mentioned in this first communication, God hinted at His plan for Abram. Abraham was 75 years old when he first received the promise, and Genesis 21:5 tells us he was 100 years old when Isaac was born. Sarah was 90. So Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the fulfillment of God’s promise. In that 25 years between the time that Abram was promised a son and the birth of Isaac, Abram and Sarah had certain ideas of how they might facilitate the keeping of the promise. One was that Abraham’s steward, Eliezer, would become the heir of Abraham’s household (Genesis 15:2–3). Another idea was that Abraham could have an heir through a son conceived by Sarah’s slave, Hagar (Genesis 16:1–2). In both cases, God rejected those men as Abraham’s heirs, pointing Abraham and Sarah to a literal, miraculous fulfillment of the promise. Abraham is called the father of faith (Romans 4:11–12) because of his response to God both in leaving his homeland and receiving a son in his old age. Genesis 15:4–5 again describes God’s promise to Abraham that his offspring would be as “the sands of the sea.” Even though Abraham was old and had no sons, he never doubted that God would do as He promised. He did not understand how such a thing could be possible, but he humbly accepted God’s word as truth. Mary had the same response when the angel Gabriel told her she would be the mother of the Messiah (Luke 1:26–38). She did not understand how such a thing could be possible since she was a virgin. But she never doubted that God would do as He said. That response is the kind of faith that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). Genesis 15:6 lays out the truth that salvation is by faith, apart from works: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3–5 and Galatians 3:5–7 elaborate on this truth. Just as Abraham was counted as righteous before he did anything worthy of praise, so we are counted as righteous by simply believing that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is sufficient payment for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). However, that faith produces actions that validate it. James 2:14–18 helps us understand the kind of faith Abraham had. It was a faith that acted. He moved because God said to move. He trusted because God said to trust. He prepared to welcome a son because God promised him a son. By acting on his faith, Abraham proved that he trusted God, and that trust was credited to his account. His faith in the promises of God saw him through years of waiting. He never doubted God’s goodness or His word, and, for that, God considered him righteous.GotQuestions.org NO LAUGHING MATTER "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Genesis 18:14 The Lord is able to meet all our needs, whatever they may be. Nothing is too difficult for Him. Sarah needed to learn this truth. God's promise to give Abraham a son named Isaac is recorded in Genesis 17:21. In the next chapter that assurance was repeated to the patriarch as he talked outside his tent with three men sent from God. This time Sarah overheard the conversation. To her, having a child at her advanced age was an impossibility, so she "laughed within herself" (v. 12). The Lord then said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, `Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (vv. 13-14). God was asking Abraham a rhetorical question to which the obvious answer was no. As Christians, we have the same assurance. Abraham's God is our God, and He is omnipotent. He's the Creator of the universe. Nothing exceeds His power. No problem intimidates Him. No obstacle is too big for Him. Everything is possible with Him. Our heavenly Father is in control of every situation. What comfort we can find in this truth! What confidence it gives us! We do not prove the resources of God until we trust Him for the impossible. Never Too Old Is anything too hard for the Lord? —Genesis 18:14 The women of Brown Manor had raised their families and retired from their careers. Now they could no longer live on their own, so they came to Brown Manor as a sort of “last stop before heaven.” They enjoyed each other’s company but often struggled with feelings of uselessness. Sometimes they even questioned why God was so slow in taking them to heaven. One of the women, who had spent years as a pianist, often played hymns on the Manor’s piano. Other women joined her, and together they lifted their voices in praise to God. One day, a government auditor was conducting a routine inspection during one of their spontaneous worship services. When he heard them sing “What Will You Do With Jesus?” the Spirit of God moved his heart. He recalled the song from his childhood and knew that he had chosen to leave Jesus behind. That day, God spoke to him again and gave him another chance to answer the question differently. And he did. The longer we live, the more that we know, Old age is the time for wisdom to show; Who knows how much good some word we might say Could do for that one who’s wandered away? —Bosch God can use you at any age—if you are willing. God’s Call to the Impossible J. Ray Klingensmith Texts: “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Lk. 1:37). “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14). The call of God to believing people seems to be something totally impossible to the unbeliever. Our belief in God who created us, and all things that exist seems preposterous to unbelievers who do not know God. They would rather ascribe all life and existence to what they call “mother nature,” or more vaguely, hundreds of millions, or billions of years. They pretend that it is impossible for them to say “God”. But the believer stands in awe at the vastness and complexities of all things and humbly bows before the God who created them. Thus, what to the believer is totally obvious and acceptable is just impossible to the unbeliever. And there is a reason for this, which we will discuss later. Again, another “impossible” for the unbeliever that is fully accepted by the believer is the One called Jesus Christ. The unbeliever respects His wisdom and His moral and social works, but to believe that he is the Son of God, that His great death and resurrection were accomplished in behalf of every sinner, is just out of the question for the unbeliever. Thus, what is impossible to plain human reason is wholly acceptable through the gift and experience of faith, which every believer knows. So the natural human mind seeks what to him is reasonable, acceptable, provable; but faith, the gospel, the Bible, go far beyond the mere human reason. As the Bible says: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Cor. 2:9–10). Now consider all of the “impossible” things God gives to the believer with which to witness to an unbelieving world. Everything in the Christian’s arsenal of faith is just impossible to the “natural man,” as the apostle Paul would say. Yet consider also how powerful and effective these “impossibles” have been to claim millions of believers for Christ. Only God knows how many hundreds of millions have given their lives to him, to serve, to believe, to go into the ministry, to become martyrs, or whatever their witness became. And there are now hundreds of millions believing and praying and working for Him regardless of how impossible it seems to those who do not have faith. The Christians proclaim a Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. The unbeliever says “impossible”. The unbeliever proclaims that such things never happen, in fact can’t happen. But God tells us to proclaim it! And hundreds of millions celebrate what they call the Christmas story which proclaims God’s entrance into the human family “made of a woman” (Gal. 4:4). And to make the story even more impossible this one born was called the Son of God! And he was born to an unmarried girl! And still worse, born in a barn! Now what a message to proclaim to a lost world! This One the Saviour of mankind? But it is this to which we witness. And it confounds the wisdom of the wise. And it is so unique and so out of the ordinary that only God could have brought it to pass. Thus its power. The story continues with this One growing up as a laborer, a carpenter whose own relatives at one time thought him “mad”. The religious people were always challenging and contradicting Him and trying to make Him an enemy of their religion. They could not deny His miracles and great wisdom and His divine power; but they could not give up their own reasoning to accept by faith what God had given them. So they finally proved their own carnality by having Him murdered. So He was crucified between two thieves as an outlaw, a blasphemer, and enemy of God and the Jewish religion. And God gives us such a story to tell to a lost world! Impossible! So the Cross has become the symbol of victory, not of failure; of life, not of death. So the cross now decorates the churches and cathedrals and missions and is even worn as jewelry. Doesn’t it seem that God would have given us a great success story to proclaim? He gave us the worst possible message to proclaim: a baby born to an unmarried couple, in a barn, in controversy with his own people, murdered as an outlaw! What a story! And yet millions bow before it! It is told and retold and sung about and written about and painted and preached more than any other event or life known to mankind. And by it we are redeemed. And is there still more to this impossible story? Yes! The worst yet: He arose from the dead! God raised Him up! He broke open the way for all of us to go to God! Impossible! But that is the Gospel! And that we proclaim. And that becomes the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Would it not seem that God would have given us some great success story to proclaim? Could it not have been verified by great intellectuals and powerful leaders? But no, they rejected it. And who witnessed and perceived and grasped all of this? Not the “wise”. Not the powerful politicians. Not the great religious leaders. Just people! “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom …?” (James 2:5). And they tell us that more than 500 people saw Him after He had arisen from the dead, and they don’t even give us the names of very many of them. And who were some of the witnesses who proclaimed it first? Mary Magdalene? The one out of whom he had cast seven devils? And the other Mary? And Peter who denied Him? And a couple people going down the Emmaus road who didn’t know Him when He appeared unto them? Surely it would seem that some great scientist or some great historian or some great religious teacher should have been there to verify it. But no. God didn’t need that. The event in itself would carry ample power with it to touch the human soul. So now God has armed us with the story of a Virgin Birth, a carpenter, a controversial life, a person murdered as an outlaw, a cross, and a resurrection from the dead—which becomes a victory over death and a salvation and redemption for a lost world! And it has changed the lives of millions upon millions in every nation, language and tongue. And it is still doing so. But to carry the story of God’s call to the impossible a bit further let us consider the people God used to get the message into writing and to what we now call the New Testament. The great religious leaders and intellectuals were offended that they were not called upon to be His disciples or to proclaim His Word. Neither were they needed to write it. For who were they who gave it to us? Matthew the publican. Mark, who had quit outright on his first attempt at a missionary venture. There was Simon Peter who had denied that he knew him. There was the original Saul of Tarsus who hated Him before his conversion. And there was James. Now surely we should have had some great University professor or some famous historian or some widely known philosopher publish this great story. But no. Our writers didn’t even have a college education, except Paul. They had no experience in writing. In fact they didn’t even have a publisher! Now how can this story get off the ground without a great public relations promoter? This is impossible! But we have their story in more homes and hearts than any other ever written. It is published in more languages, dialects, parts and parcels than any document ever written. Impossible! But this is how God works. This is the God and the Gospel that the unbelievers won’t accept, while the evidence of it is so abundant that it practically smothers them. So here we are with the simplest people carrying the most profound truth while God makes foolish the wisdom of the wisest of men (1 Cor. 1:26–31). So you have heard of some “impossible” Christian? And you know some impossible church? And you know some impossible life that God can’t use? Well, that’s quite normal. All believers feel as if we are the most impossible of all; but God has called us and is using us, and we love it. It was ever so that the great gift of faith supercedes all of the impossibles. Have you heard of Noah and an ark? Just impossible, but it saved the human race. Have you heard of Moses who was pitted against an Egyptian government and all of its power to rescue a nation of slaves who had been in captivity for over four centuries? Have you heard of a Daniel in a lion’s den or the Hebrew children in a furnace of fire? Have you heard of a David and a Goliath? Did you know about an Isaiah or a Jeremiah, or Amos, or Elijah? All were called to what the world would say was impossible. Have you read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews lately? This is the faith. This is the power. This is where God always did and still does work. Where is your church working? Or where are you working? Still in the possibles? Why not get into Faith for a change? We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). The possibles are for those who live and work only by their own poor human reason. The impossibles are for those who have faith in the God of the impossibles. Be it done unto you according to your FAITH—not your worth, nor your merit, nor your virtue. God is still calling thousands of young people into this “impossible” but greatest of all lives. Can you by faith join them, or help them? But even greater yet, can you and your church get out of the possibles into the great impossibles where God is always at work? Streams in the Desert p 320 - “Is there anything too hard for Jehovah?” (Gen. 18:14.) The only thing too hard for Jehovah is deliberate, continued disbelief in His love and power, and our final rejection of His plans for us. HERE is God’s loving challenge to you and to me today. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, worthiest desire and longing of our hearts, something which perhaps was our desire for ourselves or for someone is dear to us, yet which has been so long unfulfilled that we have looked upon it as only a lost desire, that which might have been but now cannot be, and so have given up hope of seeing it fulfilled in this life. That thing, if it is in line with what we know to be His expressed will (as a son to Abraham and Sarah was), God intends to do for us, even if we know that it is of such utter impossibility that we only laugh at the absurdity of anyone’s supposing it could ever now come to pass. That thing God intends to do for us, if we will let Him. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Not when we believe in Him enough to go forward and do His will, and let Him do the impossible for us. Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God’s plan if they had continued to disbelieve. The only thing too hard for Jehovah is deliberate, continued disbelief in His love and power, and our final rejection of His plans for us. Nothing is too hard for Jehovah to do for them that trust Him.—Messages for the Morning Watch. F B
Gênesis 18
Cole: Have you ever thought about how embarrassing it would be if your thoughts were uncontrollably linked to your vocal cords, so that whatever you were thinking was broadcast for everyone to hear? Instead of, “I’m pleased to meet you,” you would blurt out, “Oh, no! I’m going to miss the kickoff if I talk to him now!” Instead of, “Great sermon, pastor,” as you go out the door, you would hear yourself saying, “I thought it never would end!” Laughed (06711)(tsachaq) means to laugh, toy with, make sport (Ge 39:14,17). To laugh outright in merriment or scorn, mockery or derision (Ge 21:9). Tsacaq conveys the idea of laughter, whether in joy or incredulity. The stronger Piel stem connotes positively, play and sport, or negatively, mockery and derision. Tsachaq expresses an attitude toward something promised (a son in their old age) that seemed impossible - Abraham laughed in faith (Ge 17:17), but Sarah laughed in unbelier (Ge 18:12, 13, 17). In Ex 32:6 tsachaq may have sexual or immoral overtones (cf Ge 26:8). There is an interesting play on the Hebrew word laughed (tsachaq) in Genesis 17-19 for it is used of 3 different individuals and gives rise to the name of a fourth individual - first of Abraham laughing (I think in joy) (Ge 17:17), next of Sarah laughing in disbelief (Ge 18:12, 13, 15) and finally of Lot's potential Sodomite son-in-laws "laughing" in mockery (Ge 19:14). And in light of all this laughing we see the name Isaac (Yitschaq - "he laughs") derives from (tsachaq) (Ge 17:19)! Gilbrant -A primary root, the verb tsāchaq, which means "to laugh," is used thirteen times in the Qal or Piel stems. All uses are in Genesis and Exodus, except for one use in Judges. An alternate form with similar meanings, sāchaq, occurs thirty-six times in later portions of Scripture. The Qal stem of tsāchaq denotes the action of laughter, and all six occurrences are in the account of events surrounding the birth of Isaac. When God announced to Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son, the ninety-nine-year-old fell to his face and laughed, thinking that it was impossible (Gen. 17:17). Sarah had the same reaction some weeks later when she overheard the Lord (in human form) announcing the same incredible promise (Gen. 18:12). Her laugh, like her husband's, was one of disbelief, and God pointed out her lack of faith (Gen. 18:13ff). A year later, however, the promised son was born, and Sarah's incredulous laugh turned to a laugh of joy (Gen. 21:6). Even the name of her newborn son Isaac meant "laughter." In the Piel stem, tsāchaq can mean "to play," "to make sport," "to mock." The word often has a negative connotation. When Lot tried to warn his sons-in-law of the impending destruction of Sodom, they refused to take him seriously, assuming that he was simply jesting with them (Gen. 19:14). On the day Isaac was weaned, Ishmael was observed mocking him—an offense which ultimately led to the expulsion of him and his mother from Abraham's household (Gen. 21:9). The same spirit of mockery can be seen in the episode where the blind Samson was brought to the Philistine festival so that he could entertain and amuse the crowd, giving them an opportunity to taunt their old enemy (Judg. 16:25). The Piel usage sometimes has strong sexual overtones. By claiming Joseph tried to seduce her, Potiphar's wife accused him of toying with the whole household and with her (Gen. 39:14, 17). When Isaac had claimed that Rebekah was merely his sister, the deception was uncovered when the Philistine king observed him "sporting" with her, obviously in the manner of a marriage relationship (Gen. 26:8). This gives a broad hint at the activities of Israel in the account of the golden calf, where Exo. 32:6 says that the people "rose up to play." (Complete Biblical Library) Tsachaq - 13x/12v - caressing(1), entertained*(1), jesting(1), laugh(4), laughed(2), make sport(2), mocking(1), play(1). Gen. 17:17; Gen. 18:12; Gen. 18:13; Gen. 18:15; Gen. 19:14; Gen. 21:6; Gen. 21:9; Gen. 26:8; Gen. 39:14; Gen. 39:17; Exod. 32:6; Jdg. 16:25 Pleasure (05734)(ednah ? from eden = a luxury, dainty, delight) means delight. Gilbrant - The noun ʿedhnāh is derived from ʿādhan), "to live in luxury," and means "pleasure," but there is the strong connotation that the pleasure is sexual or related to the whole process of sexual reproduction, including intercourse, pregnancy and birth. The word is used only to describe Sarah, the wife of Abraham, when she laughed at the prophecy concerning her future son Isaac (Gen. 18:12). She doubted that such pleasure could be hers at her advanced age, but, of course, nothing is impossible for God (Gen. 18:14). E R Pigeon - ednah - A feminine noun indicating sexual delight, ecstasy. It refers to the enjoyment of intimate love with one’s spouse which in context implies the ability to become pregnant (Gen. 18:12: pleasure) (AMG's Comprehensive Dictionary of OT Words) Here is a note from an interesting resource by Yigal Tzadka entitled "Choice Words from the Story of Abraham and the Angels" -"(ednah) pleasure (Ge 18:12) The word עֶדְנָה (ednah) has two possible sources that bear on its meaning. The first is the word עִידָן (idan), which means era. Sarah is asking, “Can it be that after I have reached old age, I will return to the era of my youth?” In this context, there are those who understand the word עֶדְנָה as a woman’s menstrual cycle. The interpreters explain that a woman’s menstruation is regulated by time and comes at set times. Another explanation is that it comes from the word עָדִין (adin) which expresses gentleness, freshness and symbolizes youth. It also expresses pleasure and this is the translation that is found in most of the English translations. עֶדְנָה in its meaning as עָדִין, can also mean smooth and silky skin, which is contrary to how Sarah first described herself. Incidentally, in the Aramaic translations of the text, this word is translated as pregnancy. J J Knap - With Loins Girded - A Laughing Sarah Gen. 18:12 Abraham and Sarah had already awaited for a long time the fulfilment of the Lord’s promise that they would receive a seed as numerous as the stars of heaven. That promise was confirmed at different occasions to them. Now that it was at the point of being fulfilled and Sarah, who stood listening behind the curtain of the tent, received the assurance that within a year she would bear a son, she began, partly from unbelief, partly from confusion and surprise, to laugh. The promise was so great and rich that she could hardly believe it. However, when the Lord rebuked her mildly, she quietly and believingly bent her head and she received by that faith her promised son. The laughing Sarah be our shame. We also have to do with a God that provides us with such marvellous promises, that we also hear them often with a laugh of timidity. Complete remission of sin for free! Undeserved salvation! A mercy that is greater and higher than our sin! A paradise that Jesus Christ opened for those known of the Lord! An eternal happiness kept for us! In connection with the Lord’s promises there is more than one kind of laughing. There is a laughing in decided unbelief from which God keep us. The world laughs like this when it reads of God’s promises of blessing and peace, of reconciliation and salvation. It also rudely laughs about God’s threats, that speak of damnation and eternal woe, of judgment and condemnation. However, it be said with holy stress: who enters laughing in such a way, arrives at a place where there will be never any more laughing, but only wailing, a place where, according to Jesus’ word, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. There is also a laughing like that of Sarah, a laughing of half-belief and little faith, of hesitation and reservation. A sinner laughs like that who knows his own insignificance and who all of a sudden is placed before the rich promises of the gospel. All these great things for him! That heavenly salvation for him! That great Christ and that great God for him! It is too much, too overwhelming to accept immediately. He would turn aside with a timid heart if the Lord would not embolden him by asking him, like Sarah, “Wherefore did you laugh?” In this way of putting to shame, he finally teaches the laughing of faith, laughing in holy rapture, because the unbelievable has taken place; the laughing of the redeemed, the laughing in inspired jubilation: “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Walter Kaiser - Ge 17:17; 18:12–15 Discriminatory Treatment of Abraham and Sarah? Hard Sayings of the Bible It is clear that both Abraham and Sarah laughed at the news that they would have a son so late in life. The question, then, is this: Why was Sarah the only one who was rebuked? Is this a case where male chauvinism shines through the text of the older testament? Some have tried to explain the difference between the two laughters as arising from two different states of mind: Abraham’s from a state of surprise and ecstasy; Sarah’s from a state of unbelief. But the text will not let Abraham off that easily. There is no reason to connect Abraham’s laughter with that of Psalm 126:2 (when the Lord brought back the captives from Babylon, “our mouths were filled with laughter”) or even that of Job 8:21 (“he will yet fill your mouth with laughter”). Both the Jerusalem Targum and Calvin were too hasty in getting Abraham off the hook here by equating his laughter with joyous amazement. The fact that Abraham immediately posed the issue of Ishmael and how he would fit into the promised seed if another son were born shows that he too spoke out of unbelief, just as much as did Sarah. The issue was not just Ishmael’s person, but his posterity as well. The promise of another son, Abraham feared, would destroy all hope that he had placed in the one already given. So Abraham was equally guilty of unbelief. So why the rebuke on Sarah? It is true that Sarah only laughed to herself; but so did Abraham. Nevertheless, the Lord saw what transpired in her inner being and openly spoke of his displeasure of the same. And since the principle from which both of their inward laughing sprang was the same (that is, unbelief, and not that one was a laugh of admiration and joy whereas the other was a laugh of disbelief and distrust), the unbelief of both of them was the main basis for the rebuke. The question “Why did Sarah laugh?” was not addressed to her, but to Abraham. But Sarah felt the sting of inquiry most pointedly, for she felt that she had been trapped in her unbelief. Thus it was that she blurted out, “I did not laugh.” This foolish and untruthful reaction was also rebuked when the Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.” Does this mean that Abraham’s unbelief was without blame, but Sarah’s was? No, for the condemnation of one was equally a condemnation of the other. The text focuses on Sarah’s unbelief because she went on to deny it (thereby making the issue memorable and newsworthy) and because when the whole matter was ended, it also became the basis for the naming of Isaac, which is associated with the word “he laughs” or “laughter” (Gen 21:3, 6). Allen Ross - Romans 4:18 “Against all hope” The promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would be the ancestors of a multitude of nations provides Paul with a good illustration of faith. He says, “against all hope, Abraham believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘so shall your descendants be’ [as numerous as the stars of the heavens].” Paul explains this for people who may not know the story very well. Abraham faced the fact that his body was as good as dead, and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. In Genesis 18:12, when Sarah laughed at the prospect, she said, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Sarah was far past the age of having children, even for the longevity of the patriarchal age--she eventually had Isaac when she was 90, and Abraham was 100. But Paul says this is a good illustration of the kind of faith that Abraham had, a faith that works against all odds, or as Paul says it, against all hope. That is why his kind of faith was rewarded with righteousness. It was genuine, working faith. He and Sarah had to believe God’s word that they would have a child, not just sometime, but according to the promise of Genesis 18, the next spring. And so this old couple, who apparently had long since abandoned that kind of pleasure, had to try to have a child. Now, if a young couple gets married today and they believe that God will give them children, no one is surprised when they have a child. This does not take away from their faith and commitment to the Lord--but their belief that God will give them children is not “against all hope.” When they have a child they may marvel in amazement at the “miracle” of birth, but it is not what the “miraculous” normally describes. A miracle goes against the laws of nature, the laws of average, the normal expectation of the situation. When Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham, it was truly a miracle. Paul is saying that saving faith is faith against all hope. Sarah’s womb was dead. Abraham’s body was dead. Unless God supernaturally enabled them to have a child, they would not have one. And, as we know from the Bible, this was precisely the way God wanted to work--He wanted to produce the seed, the nation of Israel, supernaturally, so that they owed their existence to Him. Likewise, in the New Testament membership in the Kingdom of God is by a miracle of birth--the new birth we call it, in which people who were dead in sin are made alive in Christ. So saving faith is still faith against all hope. Paul has argued in the Book of Romans that we are all sinners and have not a hope of salvation by our own efforts. But God by His grace has made righteousness available. And while it all may seem impossible, or it may seem in some sense unreasonable, it is the promise of God. And if people will believe His word, then they too will be credited with righteousness. And from that point on, like Abraham, they will see confirmation after confirmation that God is at work in their lives Genesis 18:13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ Why did Sarah laugh: Joh 2:25 Genesis 18 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: John 2:25+ (JESUS' OMNISCIENCE) and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man. SARAH'S LAUGH OF UNBELIEF And the LORD (Jehovah = Yahweh; Lxx = kurios) said to Abraham - Now there is no doubt of the identity of one of the three men. It is Jehovah, the preincarnate Jesus Christ. Wenstrom The Lord addresses Abraham rather than Sarah since he is the authority in the marriage (see Eph. 5:23) and was responsible for informing Sarah of His promise to him in Genesis 15:4 but it appears he didn’t inform her. “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ - The LORD demonstrates His omniscience having discerned Sarah laughing to herself and questioning whether conception was possible at her age. One of the three men is now clearly identified as Yahweh. Even though Sarah laughed in disbelief, the writer of Hebrews records her in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11 writing "By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised." (Heb 11:11+). Sarah laughed that the visitor said she would have a child. God rebuked her. When Abraham laughed God didn't rebuke him (Ge 17:17). They were different types of laughter. NET NOTE - Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God’s promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the LORD fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the LORD of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham’s offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself. Rod Mattoon - The Knowledge of God in Genesis The Lord knew the thoughts of Sarah just as He knows ours. The book of Genesis reveals examples of what God knows. ⬧ Crime—God knew the earth was filled with violence. 6:13 ⬧ Chuckles—The Lord knew Sarah laughed in her heart. 18:15 ⬧ Character—God knew the character of Abraham. 18:19 ⬧ Corruption—The Lord knew of the sin of Sodom. 19:13 ⬧ Consecration—God knew Abraham feared Him. 22:12 ⬧ Curt & Coarse treatment—God knew Leah was hated. 29:33 ⬧ Crookedness—God knew of Laban’s unfair treatment of Jacob. 31:12 The Knowledge of God in the Scriptures ⬧ Sinners—(all men) John 2:24 ⬧ Substance—(all things) John 16:30 ⬧ Sentiments—(hearts of all men) Acts 1:24 ⬧ Shatterings—(hell and destruction) Job 26:6 ⬧ Steps of Men—Job 31:4 ⬧ Sin—(iniquity) Jeremiah 2:22 ⬧ Schemes—(The thoughts of our mind) Ezekiel 11:5 ⬧ Secret places—Jeremiah 23:24 ⬧ Secrets—Daniel 2:28 ⬧ Second Coming of Christ—Matthew 24:36 Steven Cole: God brings us to the end of our strength so that we will trust in His ability to do the impossible. . . It was humanly impossible for her to bear a son. She was already through menopause. In her natural strength, she was barren. That’s where the Lord wants us in our relationship with Him, to recognize our weakness so that we will trust His strength. Many people mistakenly think that the reason they struggle in their Christian lives is that they’re too weak. That isn’t so. The reason we struggle in our Christian walk is that we do not recognize our own weakness for what it is, and so we trust in ourselves rather than in the Lord. When we see our weakness and cast ourselves on the Lord’s strength, then we’re strong. God doesn’t help those who help themselves. God helps those who are helpless. When they helped themselves, Abraham and Sarah came up with Hagar and Ishmael. When they were helpless, God gave them Isaac. Hudson Taylor used to say that when God wanted to open inland China to the gospel, He looked around until He found a man weak enough for the task. But our problem is that even after we’ve trusted in Christ for salvation, we mistakenly think that we’re competent to live the Christian life with just a little help from the Lord. And so the Lord has to bring us again and again to the point of helplessness, where we acknowledge our own insufficiency and depend His all-sufficiency. This is illustrated many times in the Bible. Take Hannah (1 Samuel 1), for instance. She was another barren woman who desperately wanted to have a son. The Lord wanted her to have a son, too. So do you know what He did? He closed her womb! That’s a strange way to give a woman a son! Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, who was not a godly woman, had many children. How frustrating for Hannah, crying out to the Lord for a son, to see Peninnah, who didn’t seek the Lord, with many children! But that’s how God works with His people. He wants us to see that without Him, we can do nothing. If Hannah could have had children on her own, like Peninnah, she wouldn’t have needed the Lord. And the Lord wasn’t getting any glory from Peninnah and her brood. She could get along quite nicely by herself. But when Hannah finally had Samuel because the Lord gave him to her, she sang a song of praise and gave Samuel back to the Lord to serve Him. God wants each of us to see that our situation is humanly impossible without Him. That way, we’ll look to Him for His power, praise Him when He delivers us, and He will be glorified through our lives. But sometimes, instead of trusting Him with our impossible situations, like Sarah, we doubt Him..... Perhaps you’re facing an overwhelming problem right now. Maybe it’s the salvation of a loved one, and you’ve thought, “There’s no way this person is going to come to faith in Christ. He’s just too far gone in sin. He’s been addicted to drugs for years. He’s been drinking and lying and living for self, with no possibility that he’s going to change.” No human possibility! But is anything too difficult for the Lord? With God, all things, including the salvation of the chief of sinners, is possible! Factoring God into any situation suddenly changes the equation! As I said, we tend to shrug off our unbelief as if it’s no big deal. But God doesn’t do that. There’s a theologically staggering verse in Mark 6:5, which states that Jesus could do no miracle in His home town of Nazareth, except for healing a few sick people. The next verse adds that “He wondered at their unbelief.” Even though God is sovereign in His almighty power, He has chosen to limit His working through our faith. So He views unbelief as a serious sin, and He confronts it in His people, just as He confronted it in Sarah The Lord’s confrontation got Sarah to face her sin and to look at things from His perspective. Isn’t it interesting that the Lord first confronted Abraham about Sarah’s sin (18:13)? The Lord viewed Abraham as spiritually responsible for his family (18:19), so He asked him, “Why did Sarah laugh?” Again, how ironic that the Lord who in His omniscience knew that Sarah, behind Him inside the tent, laughed (the text says she did it silently, “within”), asks, “Why did Sarah laugh?” He wanted Abraham and Sarah to think about that question. The answer was, “Sarah laughed because she didn’t believe the Lord.” As I said, unbelief is sin because in effect it calls God a liar and me the truthful one. It says, “I know better than the omniscient, all-powerful God, what He can do or not do!” It implies either that God doesn’t know what He’s talking about or He isn’t able to do it. So the Lord asks a second question, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” Is there anything you can think of which would make the Lord exclaim, “I’m not sure I can pull it off!”? Unbelief is also serious because invariably it leads to other sins. Sarah denied that she did what the Lord says she did: “I didn’t laugh.” The text adds that she was afraid. But how foolish to think that we can hide our sin from the Lord who knows every thought in our heads! The Lord didn’t let Sarah off the hook. He confronted her with the truth: “No, but you did laugh” (18:15). He got her to face her sin of unbelief and to think about things from His perspective with the rhetorical question, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” The most loving thing the Lord can do is to make us face our sin of unbelief: “No, you did doubt Me. Admit the truth yourself, because I know your heart.” Then He lovingly gets us to consider things from His almighty perspective: “I could never be in any situation which would be too difficult for the Lord to work.” Think about it: Is there any problem you’re facing that is too hard for God? Is there a family problem that just got so bad that the Lord would have to say, “Now it’s too tough for Me to handle”? Are any of your circumstances outside of His control? Do you suppose He’s in heaven, wringing His hands, and saying, “Oh no! I didn’t expect that to happen! I can’t deal with it now!”? Can you dare to think that there is some sin which you have committed or some awful habit to which you are enslaved which the Lord is not able to forgive and deliver you from? Is anything in your life too difficult for the Lord? A woman once came up to the famous Bible teacher, G. Campbell Morgan, and asked, “Dr. Morgan, should we pray about the little things in our lives, or only the big things?” In his British manner, Dr. Morgan drew up and said, “Madam, can you think of anything in your life that is big to God?” The Lord’s rebuke brought Sarah to faith. Hebrews 11:11 states, “By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.” In fact Sarah received more than faith. Her reward was faith, laughter, and the Lord’s commendation (as James Boice, Genesis [Zondervan], 2:156–157, points out). When we trust God to do the humanly impossible, He rewards us. Because she faced her sin of unbelief and thought about things from God’s perspective, Sarah received the faith to conceive Isaac. Faith is a gift God is ready to give us the moment we will turn from our unbelief and see Him for who He is: the God for whom nothing is too difficult. Also, Sarah received laughter. Her laughter of doubt (18:12) was replaced with the laughter of joy when Isaac was born (21:6). In fact, Isaac’s name means “he laughs.” Since that was the name God gave the boy, it means that God wanted to give Abraham and Sarah the right laughter of His blessing in place of the wrong laughter of doubt. God has a way of turning our sin, when we repent, into that which brings praise to Him and joy to us. And Sarah received commendation from God. In 1 Peter 3:6 the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to use Sarah as an example of a holy woman who submitted to her husband by calling him “lord.” The only place in the Bible it is recorded that Sarah called Abraham “lord” is in Genesis 18:12, right as she was laughing at God’s promise. The Lord, in His grace, looked beyond Sarah’s doubt and picked out her submission to her husband and held it up as an example. In the same way, the Lord is gracious, ready to forgive us and meet our every need when we turn from our unbelief and trust in His mighty power. He may not give us an instant answer. As with many of those in Hebrews 11, the great chapter on faith, we may die without receiving the fulfillment of His promises this side of heaven (Heb. 11:13, 39). But that doesn’t undermine the faithfulness or power of our great God, the God with whom all things are possible. We may not understand His ways and the reason for His delays. But we dare not doubt His goodness toward His chosen ones or His power to fulfill His purpose with them in His time and way. Conclusion Jeremiah the prophet was a godly man who faithfully spoke God’s word to a disobedient people who rejected both him and his message. For years he warned them of coming judgment if they did not repent, but they didn’t want to hear it. They mocked him, threw him in a muddy pit, and listened to the false prophets who told them what they wanted to hear, that God wouldn’t judge them for their sin. Finally, just as Jeremiah had warned, the powerful Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar came and besieged Jerusalem. Jeremiah was thrown into prison by the wicked Jewish king Zedekiah because he was predicting a Babylonian victory. In that bleak situation, a strange word came to him from God. The Lord told him to buy a field from his cousin because he was the closest relative with a right of redemption. This would be like telling someone to buy a house in Sarajevo when it was under siege. It was obvious that the country was about to fall to a foreign king, who would confiscate all property. So you would be throwing away your money. But God told Jeremiah to buy it as a testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promise to restore His people to the land. So Jeremiah obeyed God and handed over the precious little money he had to purchase this field. In that context Jeremiah prayed, “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer. 32:17). The Lord confirmed Jeremiah’s prayer by answering, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jer. 32:27). If God has you in a humanly impossible situation, it is to bring you to the end of your own strength so that you will trust in His ability to do the humanly impossible. You may not ever see the answer in your lifetime. But you can trust in Him and give glory to Him, knowing that His Word of promise will stand, and that He has not forgotten His promise to you. In Genesis 18:10, the Lord says to Abraham and Sarah, “I will surely return to you ....” God’s Word to us is always surely, even when circumstances shout, “No way!” Remember God’s question, “Is anything too difficult for Me?” and trust Him to do what is humanly impossible. May He bless you as you wait on Him! (Nothing Too Difficult For God - Genesis 18:9-15) Genesis 18:14 “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Brenton's translation of the LXX: Shall anything be impossible with the Lord? At this time I will return to thee seasonably, and Sarrha shall have a son. My translation of LXX (Brenton ignores the Greek word "rhema" = spoken word. He also translates adunatei as future but it is actually present tense. He also translates "theo" as Lord but it is actually "God"). Here is my rendition = Is any spoken word [continually] too difficult for God.... Is anything too difficult: Nu 11:23 De 7:21 1Sa 14:6 2Ki 7:1,2 Job 36:5 42:2 Ps 93:1 95:3 Jer 32:17 Mic 7:18 Zec 8:6 Mt 3:9 14:31 19:26 Mk 10:27 Lu 1:13,37 8:50 Eph 3:20 Php 3:21 4:13 Heb 11:19 I will return to you Ge 18:10 17:21 De 30:3 2Ki 4:16 Ps 90:13 Mic 7:18 Lu 1:13,18 Genesis 18 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Numbers 11:23+ The LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.” Job 42:2 “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. Jeremiah 32:17+ ‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, Jeremiah 32:27+ “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” Mark 10:27+ Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” Luke 1:37+ “For nothing will be impossible (adunateo) with God.” (MORE LITERALLY - "No spoken word of God is devoid of power." Lk 1:37ASV) 1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the LORD, Who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant. NOTHING IS TO DIFFICULT FOR YAHWEH Is anything too difficult (pala; Lxx - adunateo - be powerless or impossible) for the LORD (Jehovah = Yahweh; theos) - This is clearly rhetorical and deserving of a resounding "no, nothing is too difficult for Yahweh!" Or as Paul might have said "May it never be!" In short, the LORD'S omniscience (in the previous passage) is matched by His omnipotence described in this passage. Difficult can also translated wonderful or extraordinary (Ps 119:18). It refers to things that are unusual and beyond human capabilities and as such it awakens astonishment (or wonder) in men. Nothing is too big for my God to accomplish, and nothing is too little for Him to use in accomplishing it! God gave Sarah the faith to believe He could accomplish this wonderful miracle of rejuvenating her body, partly by letting her know He could hear her laugh even when she only laughed "within herself" (Ge 18:12). Henry Morris, “He who created all things surely controls all things. He who enacted the laws of nature can change them if He wills” Guzik on difficult notes that this "is the same word for wonderful in Isaiah 9:6: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given … And His name will be called Wonderful. Jesus is our “wonderful” One, and He isn’t to hard or wonderful for God to give unto us." At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son - Jehovah Jesus repeats His promise from Ge 18:10 that had elicited a laugh of disbelief from Sarah. THOUGHT - How can we apply this truth about God? We can cease striving in whatever situation we are trying to overcome in our strength -- personal, work, family, etc. We can ask ourselves -- am I depending on His power in this situation or am I trusting in the strength of my arm? Remember that no purpose of God can be thwarted (Job 42:2). Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God's promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the LORD fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the LORD of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham's offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself. Bob
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Cole - Verse 19 can be translated as either “I have chosen him,” or “I have known him.” H. C. Leupold translates it, “For I acknowledge him to be My intimate friend” (Exposition of Genesis [Baker], 1:544). The Lord shares His secrets with His friends. Jesus told His disciples, “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15). Abraham here is shown to be God’s friend, as the Lord reveals the divine plan to him.(Prevailing With God - Genesis 18:16-33) Parunak: this knowledge is active, not passive. “I have known him in order that something will happen.” This is an example of God’s elective knowledge of people, choosing them for his purposes. . .The purpose of the intimate relationship that God establishes with Abraham is the ordering of his family. This ought to encourage us concerning the first priority of the family. God does not elect Abraham in order to be a great preacher, or in order to subdue uncivilized nations, or in order to generate a prosperous society, but in order to rule his family well. NET NOTE says "The verb יָדַע (yada’) here means “to recognize and treat in a special manner, to choose” (see Amos 3:2). It indicates that Abraham stood in a special covenantal relationship with the LORD." The Lord is revealing that He considers Abraham an intimate friend and that Abraham is a prophet. Amos 3:7 says “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.” Friends do not withhold information from each other and share secrets with one another. Thus, we see that the Lord does not withhold that He is about to judge Sodom because He considers Abraham a trusted friend with whom He can confide in. Wenstrom “Righteousness” refers to conduct that is in conformity to the character and nature of God and which conduct flows from being rightly related to God through faith in Christ and is expressed by obedience to the will of God. “Justice” refers to conduct guided by obedience to the Word of truth and thus in accordance with God’s perfect standards and principles. So that - This expresses one purpose of God's choice of Abraham.
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Cole - Fathers (the biblical commands for training children are most often directed to fathers, not mothers) are responsible to instill the Lord’s way, which involves righteousness and justice, upon their children. Righteousness refers to conduct which conforms to the ethical or moral standard stemming from God’s character. Justice points to the administration of God’s righteousness in human affairs, such as government and society, through honest and consistent application of the law. In other words, we are to teach our children through both example and instruction how to live so as to please God both as individuals and in society. The context of verse 19, where Abraham pleads with God concerning the impending judgment of Sodom, implies that we are to show our children the importance of prayer, especially prayer for a lost world that faces God’s judgment. One tool I have found useful is Frontier Fellowship’s “Global Prayer Digest” (ED: REPLACED BY JOSHUA PROJECT - DAILY PRAYER FOR HIDDEN PEOPLE GROUPS), which gives a story and prayer need of a different people group for each day of the month. As parents, we should be praying both for and with our children frequently, especially for the lost. A Senator was speaking at a church men’s dinner when the subject of prayer in public schools came up. The Senator asked the men how many of them believed in prayer in the public schools, and almost every man raised his hand. Then he asked, “How many of you pray daily with your children in the home?” Only a few hands were raised! (Prevailing With God - Genesis 18:16-33) Henry
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Cole - (Prevailing With God - Genesis 18:16-33) There are four principles of prevailing prayer in these verses: (1). To prevail with God we must draw near to His presence. Abraham was still standing before the Lord and then he came near (Ge 18:22–23). Only those who are close to God can intercede with Him on behalf of others. Abraham was separate from Sodom; Lot was living in it and caught up in its sinful ways. It was Abraham, not Lot, who interceded for it. There is a distinct contrast between Abraham, living peaceably in his tent, where he entertains the Lord and the angels, and Lot, living in a house (which Abraham never had), in the fast lane of wicked Sodom. Donald Grey Barnhouse observes, “The longer one remains in the presence of God, the more proper perspective he gains on the world and all that is therein” (Genesis [Zondervan], p. 158). How true! You don’t have to wallow in the mud of the world to understand it. The Bible gives us an adequate understanding of sin and its consequences. If we walk in holiness before God and meditate on His Word, we’ll have enough insight on the world and on people, so that we can pray for and counsel them properly. (2) To prevail with God we must appeal to His Person. Abraham appeals to God based on who God is, namely, the just “Judge of all the earth” (Ge 18:25), and that He is merciful. Since He is merciful, Abraham could ask that He spare the whole wicked city on behalf of the few righteous. And yet He is just: He will not ultimately treat the righteous and the wicked in the same manner. When we pray, we must keep both aspects of God’s character in view. In Paul’s words, we must remember both the kindness and severity of God (Rom. 11:22), and pray accordingly. Underlying this is Abraham’s concern for God’s reputation, or glory. He’s concerned that if God wipes out the righteous with the wicked, others will question His justice. Abraham was not quite right, in that sometimes God’s temporal judgment falls on both the righteous and the wicked (Luke 13:1–5). God always does right, no matter how it appears to sinful men. But Abraham’s motive was right, to appeal to the reputation of God and to desire that God look good (= “be glorified”) in the world. When we pray, we should appeal to Him on the basis of His glory and His person, as revealed in His Word, especially the balance between His mercy and His judgment. Sometimes people will ask me to pray for a loved one who is ill. When I ask, “What should I pray?” they’re taken aback. They assume that we should pray that the person be healed. But the illness may be God’s way of bringing the person to repentance and faith. Our prayers should be in line with God’s glory and His merciful and yet holy person. (3) To prevail with God we must maintain a right perspective. Abraham displays a reverent boldness toward the Lord, but never presumption (see Ge 18:27, 30, 31, 32). In Ge 18:27, he uses the word “Adonai,” meaning Lord or Master. He is quick to acknowledge that he is but dust and ashes. Note that the Lord doesn’t correct Abraham by saying, “You need to boost your self-esteem!” John
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Cole - The passage reveals the role of God’s people as the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). Because of Abraham, God would have been willing to spare Sodom if only ten righteous people could have been found in it. Wicked societies tend to despise righteous people, and yet it is because of the righteous that God’s judgment is often withheld. There are times in history when God declares that a wicked nation has filled up the measure of their sins (see Gen. 15:16). When that occurs, even the godly cannot deliver that people from judgment (Ezek. 14:14, 20). But until that point of no return is reached, God’s people are the safeguard of a nation, as they pray and live righteously before God. (Prevailing With God - Genesis 18:16-33) And He said, “I will not destroy (shachath; Lxx = apollumi) it on account of the ten.” - That the number of righteous people necessary to forestall judgment had been reduced from 50 to 10 may have reflected Abraham’s awareness both of the intense wickedness of the cities as well as Lot’s ineffective witness there. Abraham stops at 10 and must sense that there are not even 10 righteous souls in Sodom. Lot and his family would constitute 4 souls and that would be all that were rescued from the wrath of God. Note that if Lot had won only his own family to faith in the Lord, (this would include the two son-in-laws) that would have been 10 righteous and judgment would have been averted! In truth, God didn’t stop at ten, for, as we will see, when He saved Lot and his household from destruction, He stooped all the way down to four. That God is willing to save probably a quarter of a million people (Sodom and Gomorrah) if there are only 10 righteous is amazing. Clearly it shows the that God defaults to mercy, not to judgment. One is reminded of passages in Proverbs Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 28:12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves (LIKE LOT). J Vernon McGee alludes to Jesus' words in this passage as support for a pre-tribulation rapture writing "Do you know that the Great Tribulation Period cannot come as long as the church is in the world? It just cannot come, my friend, because Christ bore our judgment, and the great tribulation is part of the judgment that is coming. This is the reason that the church cannot go through it. This is a glorious picture of that truth. We are going to see that Sodom and Gomorrah are a picture of the world." ESV Study notes (borrow) adds that "The principle has been established that God will not punish the righteous along with the wicked." This too would tend to support the premise that the church of true believers is not present during the Seven Year tribulation. Jack Arnold: God answered Abraham’s prayer but not exactly like Abraham had petitioned. His petition was that the righteous would be spared and the city not destroyed. God destroyed the city and spared all the righteous. Abraham’s desire was answered but not his entire petition. G Campbell