Genesis 18 – Laughing in the face of God

It’s interesting that God presents himself before Abraham as three men.  It’s even more interesting that Abraham instantly recognized the presence as someone of importance and asks if he can prepare a place to rest and a meal for God.  There are some similarities between Abraham’s reaction to the presence of God and Peter’s reaction at the transfiguration in the New Testament.

My favorite character in this chapter is Sarah.  She overhears God foretell that she will have a child and she laughs.  I am never too hard on Sarah for laughing; she’s been without a child for almost a hundred years.  I think it was a result of her having given up any hope of it ever happening.  I have reacted very similarly at different times; and I’m sure you have too.  The best part of the story is that God call her out for laughing.  God asks, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?”  Of course not, so Sarah does what I think any of us would do; whe denies that she laughed.  Then I can see God looking at her with a wry smile gently shaking his and saying, “No, you laughed.”

How many times have I laughed at God.  God says he will do something and it doesn’t happen in the timeframe I expect.  Soon I give up on it and let go of my expectations and then out of the blue God says, no really it’s going to happen.  There is no reaction but to laugh.  I need to remember that God is going to do what God says he will do.  I should never give up hope.

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