A Son Is Promised to Sarah
18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”
“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures[a] of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” 7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. 8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
Footnotes:
18:6 Hebrew 3 seahs, about half a bushel or 22 liters.
Oh, yes, she laughed. And wouldn't we all?! Oh my goodness, we've had just two of our Grands for a day at a time, a couple times this week, and last week the other two for a couple of days and once a month we take all four for the weekend. I sit down and put my feet up when they go down for naps or bedtime each visit! I am not as young as I used to be and I'm probably half the age Sarah was when she got the word! Yah. She laughed.
This droopy belly stretching to caress a baby? These knees able to carry those extra 30-40 pounds for nine months? These hips willing to soften and roll, spread and make way for a 7-8-maybe-9 pound baby to squeeze through?? Oh yes, she laughed!
And milk. I don't seem to make the right stuff to keep my nails from peeling and snapping off anymore and they used to be hard as metal and flexible as rubber! My skin gets dried so easy if I don't count the number of glasses of water I drink each day. My hair won't make an ounce of color anymore, allowing for nothing more than pure white strands if it wasn't for my awesome stylist and that magnificent invention we call haircolor! Milk?? You want me to start manufacturing milk again?? I can imagine, all in that split second, Sarah thinking about all these things without even having to think about any of these things.
Oh yes, you can bet she laughed!! And so would I if I were in her tent!
Really good essay.
ReplyDeleteThanks JoAnn.
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