God Talks

Genesis 18 gives a great example of how God appears and talks to people as He chooses.  

Genesis 18:1-3 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."

Verses 1-3 shows how our Lord "appeared to Abraham."  The Bible doesn't say that our Lord "appeared" vaguely, to everyone in general.  It clearly states that "The Lord appeared to Abraham."  This shows how our Lord reveals Himself as He chooses.  If God only "appeared to Abraham," then only Abraham could see or hear or discern/understand what our Lord communicated to Him.

The "three men standing" in Genesis 18:2 was how our Lord appeared to Abraham.  The entire verse says "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."  NIV

Genesis 18:2 demonstrates that Abraham immediately recognized that the three visitors were sent by our Lord to him. That's why it says that "...he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground."

Abraham "hurried" because he knew that it was the Lord appearing to him.  Then, Abraham "bowed low to the ground." This shows that Abraham honors and submits to our Lord, even though our Lord appeared to him as three visitors.

In Genesis 18:3 Abraham says "..."If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by."" This verse illustrates that Abraham knew it was our Lord who appeared before him through the three visitors because he called them "my lord" and Abraham referred to himself as "your servant."

In Genesis 18:4-5, Abraham offers them food and water.  He says "Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.  Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way --- now that you have come to your servant."

The three visitors agree and then in Genesis 18:9 they ask, "Where is your wife Sarah?"

Abraham says "There in the tent"

Genesis 18:10-15 is where our Lord talks to Abraham and Sarah.  It says 

"Then one of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Genesis 18:10 

Our Lord was talking in Genesis 18:10 above.  He was telling Abraham and Sarah that they were going to have a son.  But Sarah doesn't believe it.  Even though Sarah was in the tent, the three visitors asked, "where is your wife Sarah?" at Genesis 18:9.  This means that our Lord intended for Sarah to hear the message.  Even though the three visitors where talking to Abraham, they knew that Sarah would be able to hear through the tent. This is demonstrated by the rest of the verse through the 15th verse of Genesis.

Genesis 10 continues,

"Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him."   so God intended for Sarah to hear the prophecy from the three visitors that she would bear a child.

Genesis 18: 11 -12 says "Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.  So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my Lord is old will I now have this pleasure?"

Right there above, we see that "Sarah laughed to herself as she thought."  Then God responds to Sarah's laugh and her thought!  This shows how God not only knows what we do and say, but he also knows are thoughts.

Genesis 13-15 is a direct conversation with God.  It says,

Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, Will I really have a child, now that I am old?  Is anything too hard for the Lord?  I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh."

But our Lord answered and said, "Yes, you did laugh."

This dialogue between God and Sarah shows how close our Lord is to us for he knows our thoughts.  The next passages will confirm that God does make Himself known to people He chooses.

We'll see this in the next passages after the birth of Abraham and Sarah's child.  Genesis 21:6 says,

"God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."

First off, Sarah's is making light of the fact that she laughed when our Lord told her she would have a child. That's why she says, "God has brought me laughter."  She laughed and now she is laughing about it.  Only her present laugh is more in amazement and not because of unbelief.

Sarah was amazed that she had a child at her old age.  She was like 90 years old.

She even admits that she laughed when she says that everyone who hears that she had a child "...will laugh with me."  

The next verses illustrate how God only made Himself known and heard by Abraham and Sarah.  Sarah says in Genesis 21:7 "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?  Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

Again, Sarah is being a little sardonic because she asks "who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?"  Well, Sarah knows that our Lord told Abraham that she would have children.  Sarah is still amazed at our Lord's keeping His promise that Sarah would have a child.

These passages above is our Lord's way of showing us that nothing is impossible for God.  Sarah was about 90 years old and she and Abraham figured they'd die without ever having children.  But our Lord told her otherwise.  This is our Lord telling us that there is not one thing that is difficult for him.  Our Lord reinforces His authority.  God's will shall be done is what this Book teaches.

Also, God knows our thoughts and His plan is not limited to our understanding of our worldly limitations.  Remember above,in Genesis 18:12 Sarah doubted she would have children but called used the phrase "I now have this pleasure?"  This is indicative of God having heard Sarah's pleas to herself in prayer before that she would bear children because she considered it a pleasure.  A pleasure she never had had.  Thus, God knew that she considered it to be a "pleasure" and He answered Sarah's and Abraham's prayer.  Even if they didn't pray out loud, for God knows our thoughts.  

 God knew what Sarah thought.  Also, above, Sarah says that That's why Sarah is a little sarcastic when she says "who would have told Abraham" that they were having children at their age.  Sarah was amazed.  By that point she knew that our Lord had told her she would have children. It appears that no one else except Sarah and Abraham and the three visitors heard our Lord's prophecy about Sarah having a child.  That's why Sarah asks, amazed, "who would have told Abraham?.." 

Only the Lord's plans are sure and certain and without fail.  I pray that our Lord will give all His brethren discernment to hear our Lord and know Your will Christ over our lives so that Your plan is done, in faith, Amen!