Is Anything Too Hard for the LORD?

Bible with you this morning, please open it up to Genesis chapter 18. Genesis chapter 18.

Genesis 18 · chapter mention Genesis 18 · chapter mention

We're continuing on through the story of Abraham, and there's been a lot of that journey. I'm not

going to sum it all up again, but essentially God has made some amazing promises to Abraham

and Abraham has trusted God, but he's also had difficulty and struggle all along the way.

Two Sundays ago, we saw how the Lord renewed the covenant or not renewed, but confirmed the

covenant that he had made with Abraham and gave him the very specific promise that Abraham was

probably waiting for. About this time next year, you will have a son by Sarah. Finally, a date to circle

on the calendar by which God would do what he had promised to do or begin to bring all of this

to pass. And it's not long after this that we come to our story for this morning, which is in Genesis 18.

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. He said,

if I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be

brought and, 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.

Very well, they answered, do as you say. So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah quick. He said,

get three seeds of the finest flour and need it and bake some bread. Then he ran to the herd and

selected a choice tender calf and gave it to a servant who hurried to prepare it. He then brought

some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before them. While they ate,

he stood near them under a tree. Where is your wife, Sarah? They asked him. They're in the tent,

he said. Then one of them said, I will surely return to you about this time next year and Sarah,

your wife will have a son. Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

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?

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 he said, yes, you did laugh.

So here we have another appearance from the Lord, not long after his most recent one. And it's quite

the story. It begins with Moses telling us that the Lord appeared to Abraham. And as soon as we hear

that, we're kind of, we're ready to know more about this encounter with God. What was this like?

But the first thing that he tells us is that Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby.

This is different than some of the other ways that God has appeared in the past through visions,

through just speaking to him with a, with a voice. God, the Lord Yahweh appears to Abraham in human

form or in human form or in human appearance. And we get confirmation of that further down in the

passage. In verse 10, we find out that one of them says the very same promise that the Lord had said in

the previous chapter. And then in verse 13, then the Lord said to Abraham, this conversation just kind of

continues on. And it's, it's, it's, it's kind of partway through that we realized that one of these men

is the Lord himself. If we continue to read through the story for the rest of the chapter and into the

beginning of 19, we discover there that the two other men were angels. And this is, this is a, a, a very

strange kind of thing. I mean, can you imagine what Abraham might have been thinking in all of this?

We're kind of left to wonder at what point did he realize that this was the Lord? Was it right at the

beginning? Did he recognize him right away? Or was it kind of partway through? And there's kind of back

and forth over this. And at the end of the day, I'm not sure we can really confidently say this is the

moment where it clicked, where it dawned. But at the end of the, all of this, what an amazing thing

to have happen. I mean, imagine this, there you are standing at the door of your house,

looking out and you see three men on the driveway. And one of them is the Lord himself,

God himself, God himself, the one who we have, we know from before this spoke the universe into being

in his righteousness and justice. He flooded the whole world. He's the, he's the one who confused the

languages of the people, the builders at Babel. This God, Yahweh, the Lord was standing there

in human appearance. He came stooped down in a sense to pay a visit to Abraham face to face

and confirm. Yes, I am going to keep my promise to you.

Can you imagine what Abraham must've been thinking in that moment? Like quick, we got to get the best

we have of everything. Like this is, this is not just a once in a lifetime thing for some people.

They'd never get this opportunity to meet with the Lord like this, to have a visit like this quick.

Let's get the finest flour, bake, bake some bread, get the best calf that we have, kill it, make a feast

and set it before the guests.

Well, this visit was not without purpose. The Lord came with a very specific purpose in mind

and very quickly the Lord turns and the angels with him. They turn the conversation to Sarah.

Verse nine, where is your wife, Sarah? They asked him. Oh, they're in the tent, he said.

Then one of them said, I will surely return to you about this time next year and Sarah, your wife,

will have a son.

We get this detail. Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

You've probably seen that moment in the movies. I love that moment where someone important comes to the house

to meet with someone and they go into the room to privately have their conversation and then the whole rest

of the family goes up against the door and they're all listening. You know, this is kind of the picture

we get of Sarah. She's, she's out of sight. She's in the tent, but she's, she's, she's listening in to this

conversation. And then she hears the wildest thing.

The Lord says about this time next year, Sarah will have a son and it rises up within her. She, she laughs.

But notice what it says in the story. It says she laughs to herself. Like we've probably all had a moment

like that too, where we just at a moment found something really funny, but it maybe wasn't

appropriate to laugh out loud. And so we're kind of just trying to like stifle it and keep it in.

This is, this is Sarah in this moment. The thought of having a child at 89 years old.

You've got to be kidding me. Like this is, she laughs to herself, literally laughs within herself silently.

Nobody heard a thing. And then the craziest thing ever from Sarah's perspective happens.

The Lord says to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh and say, and then he basically just repeats the very

words that she was thinking in her head silently in that moment.

Can you imagine how Sarah must've felt in that moment? Like, Whoa,

she kind of comes out and I didn't laugh.

Yes, you did laugh.

It's understandable in a sense that she's afraid. It says she lied because she was afraid. I mean,

how, when does this happen to you that, that someone else repeats your very thoughts

in front of you? It's in a sense, we, we, we, we have to expect that she's going to try to cover up

the reality that the Lord knew what happened in that moment in her heart.

It's right about here that we start to wonder, well, why did she laugh? Just what was so funny

about this? And in the story, we're given a few different reasons. The first comes to us.

Verse 11. The narrator reminds us Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Abraham was 99 years old.

Sarah was 89 years old. So don't just picture a woman hiding behind the tent flap. That's young.

Picture an elderly woman.

The second reason.

And verse 11, Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

The Hebrew euphemism there makes it quite clear that she got her membership to the menopause club a long time ago.

And for those of us men who maybe don't really think about that a lot, let me translate that for you.

When it comes to reproducing, Sarah was no longer producing her half of the equation that's required

for there to be offspring, a child conceived.

Biologically, physiologically, it's impossible for her.

That's the second reason she laughs. I mean, this doesn't happen.

It got me thinking, you know, what is the

kind of the oldest age at which you could

become pregnant? And I just did a little bit of googling.

I was curious.

And I was shocked. Apparently, the oldest one we have on record,

aside from this one, which is not included in that for some reason,

is a person in 1881.

This is like last century.

At the age of 62, she conceived naturally.

And that is like a once in a century kind of thing.

Like this is extremely rare.

And so here Sarah is 89 years old.

It's impossible.

This doesn't happen.

I mean, she's barren.

She hasn't had children yet.

She's already been through the range of emotions over and over and over again.

I imagine a woman in that place would be very quick to search out

and look for those stories of women who have conceived later in life.

But it's not that it was unlikely for her.

Like it was over.

She had long moved on from that idea of having it happen the natural way.

Like, what are you talking about?

There's a hint of cynicism in her voice.

Skepticism.

She asks this question.

She says, or she thinks,

After I am worn out and my Lord is old,

will I now have this pleasure?

Like, yeah, right.

It's not even possible.

And the Lord kind of confirms that this was her attitude

in the way that he phrases the question.

Why did Sarah laugh and say,

Will I really have a child now that I am old?

Like, really?

Like, yes, really.

The Lord said it and he meant it.

And she's questioning whether it's really true,

whether it's truly going to happen.

The Lord himself says,

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

And it's a good translation,

but kind of bound up in the sense of that question,

too hard is the idea.

Is anything too wonderful,

too miraculous,

too marvelous,

that the Lord can't do it?

The reason the Lord asks that question

is because Sarah thinks it is.

This is impossible.

This is just not going to happen.

And yet the Lord affirms again.

He says it again.

I will return to you at the appointed time next year

and Sarah will have a son.

Notice the way that the Lord

phrases his question to Abraham.

Sarah is kind of back in the tent at this moment,

still in verse 13.

He says,

Why did Sarah laugh and say,

Will I really have a child now that I am old?

Of course, the Lord knows the answer to that question.

It's a rhetorical question.

What's the statement beneath that?

I think the statement is simple.

The Lord expects

that his people

will take him at his word.

He said that he would do it.

And this is not the first time Sarah's heard it either.

He said that he would do it.

And he expects that we,

that she would take him at his word.

At the same time,

I think we,

you know,

we understand Sarah.

We understand the laughter.

We understand,

like,

this is impossible.

Notice the Lord's claim in verse 14.

This is,

these are my favorite words in the whole story.

Will I really have a child now that I am old?

Why did she say that?

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

What a thing to say.

Her getting pregnant at 89,

restarting that stuff in her body

and enabling her to conceive,

that's nothing.

Of course I can do that.

There's,

that's easy.

That's not too hard for me.

That's not too wonderful

or miraculous for me.

But notice that it's not just that,

that he,

that the Lord claims.

He says,

is anything too hard

for the Lord?

Like anything,

that,

that's,

that's,

that's a whole lot more.

Think about that.

Is there anything

that I cannot do?

Says the Lord.

What a thing to say.

It reminds me of my days

back in Bible college

and I don't know

who brought this up,

but this ridiculous question,

if God can do anything,

can he create a rock

that's so heavy

that he can't lift it?

I don't know

if you've ever heard

that question.

Ridiculous question,

you know,

because if he can't create

a rock that's too heavy

for him to lift,

then he can't do everything.

Or if he can create it,

but he can't lift it,

then he can't do everything.

Like,

what a load of hooey.

Listen to what the Lord says.

Is anything too hard

for the Lord?

Answer,

no.

I can do anything.

I can create a rock

of any size

and I can lift it too.

Anything.

This is the Lord's claim

to being all-powerful,

all-mighty.

So the year goes by

and I imagine

there's great expectation

both Abraham and Sarah.

The story continues

in chapter 21,

verse 1.

Now the Lord visited Sarah

as he had said,

and the Lord did for Sarah

what he had promised.

Sarah became pregnant

and bore a son

to Abraham

in his old age

at the very time

God had promised him.

Abraham gave him

the name Isaac,

gave the name Isaac

to the son Sarah bore him.

When his son Isaac

was eight days old,

Abraham circumcised him

as God commanded him.

Abraham was a hundred years old

when his son Isaac

was born to him.

Sarah said,

God has brought me laughter

and everyone who hears

about this

will laugh with me.

And she added,

who would have said

to Abraham

that Sarah would nurse children

yet I have born him

a son

in his old age.

The year goes by,

there's some events

that Sodom and Gomorrah,

some other things,

a journey down

to southern Judah

and then the time comes.

She's pregnant.

This pregnancy

is going forward

and finally

the long-awaited

son of promise

has come.

25 years plus

after the initial promise

that he would be

the father

of a great

numerous offspring.

A long time

in the making,

but what a sweet moment.

it must have been

for this elderly couple.

Notice the emphasis

of the one

telling the story.

Three times

he makes it crystal clear.

The Lord visited Sarah

as he had said.

And the Lord did for Sarah

what he had promised.

She became pregnant

and bore a son

to Abraham

in his old age

at the very time

God had promised him.

God kept

his promise

and he did it

exactly as he said

he would.

Three times

he emphasizes it.

The triple whammy.

Yes,

God did

what he said

he would do.

And we see this

kind of

come full circle

when it comes

to this

laughter.

You remember

how this all started?

Abraham falling

on his face

before the Lord

and laughing

at the thought

of his wife

becoming pregnant

and bearing a son

in her old age.

God goes along

with it graciously.

All right,

we're going to call him

Isaac

which means

he laughed.

Then the laughter

passes on to Sarah.

A little different

kind of laughter.

Cynical,

kind of unbelieving,

skeptical,

doubting laughter.

And finally

it comes full circle.

The child is born

and look at Sarah's words.

God has brought me laughter.

This is the gift of God,

this son.

And not only

do I have him

but I have

the laughter,

I have joy.

And even when it,

you know,

the people around me

they're going to laugh

with me.

I'm going to laugh

with me.

After all those years

of trying

and trying

and trying

and not getting

her heart's desire

and then trying

to do it

through Ishmael

with Hagar,

at last

the son

of promise

is here

and Abraham

and Sarah

are filled

with great joy.

I love the picture

that we get

of God

in this story.

He's the God

who knows

exactly what we're thinking.

He hears

the silent thoughts

of our hearts

just as he did

for Sarah.

I love the picture

that we get

of his,

just how powerful

he is.

Is anything

too hard for me?

I can do anything.

I love the picture

that we get

of his graciousness

graciousness

and mercy

towards Sarah.

She laughs

in the face

of his promise

and then lies

to his face

and yet the Lord

is merciful

and gives her,

blesses her

with what he promised

anyway.

This great God,

the Lord,

Yahweh,

and yet he

stoops down

and comes

to pay

Abraham

a visit

in the most

personal

and intimate

way possible

in human form

right to the

dinner table

of Abraham.

I can't help

but see

in some

of those

things

a picture

of a

pointer

to Christ.

This is not

unlike

how God

would do it

again

thousands

of years

later.

More and more

promises made

throughout the

years,

more and more

years

waiting

patiently

for what

God has

promised

until that

time

when the

ultimate

son of

promise

would be

born

into our

world

in human

form,

the most

personal

and intimate

way possible,

this time

permanent

humanity.

Stooping

down to

our level,

coming to

the table

with us

to affirm

the promises

of the

new

covenant

over a

meal

with his

people.

Just as

the Lord

is patient

and bears

with Abraham

and Sarah,

so Jesus

was patient

and bore

with the

doubt and

unbelief

of his

disciples.

Like,

where are we

going to get

all the,

enough bread

to feed

5,000

people?

And the

same

statement

is made

through

Christ

again and

again.

Is

anything

too

hard

for the

Lord?

As he

heals

the sick,

as he

walks on

the water,

as he

multiplies

the loaves

and the

fish to

feed

multitudes,

as he

speaks to

the storm

and calms

it,

as he

causes the

lame to

walk,

the blind

to see

and the

dead

to be

raised to

life?

Are all

these

parallels

just

coincidence?

Or does

God have a

wonderful way

of pointing

to the

end

from the

beginning?

Where do

we find

ourselves

before

this

God,

this

Lord,

of

Abraham?

I hope

that we

find

ourselves

trembling

in fear

as Sarah

did,

a good

fear,

a right

fear,

at the

realization

that he

knows

us

inside

and out

even

better

than we

thought

possible.

And I

hope that

those words

is anything

too hard

for the

Lord

strike

right to

the

core

of our

hearts.

We have

a God

who can

do

anything,

who can

do

everything.

As you

look at

the

difficulty

of the

situations

that you're

in in

your life,

we have

a God

who is

all

powerful.

God

is

powerful.

But he

doesn't

always do

things the

way that

we expect.

This story

is not

here to

tell us

God is

all

powerful

and so

he will

do

whatever

you need

him to

do

or want

him to

do in

your life.

This story

is here to

tell us

God is

all

powerful

and so

there is

nothing

that can

interfere

with him

keeping his

promises

to his

people.

He did

it for

Abraham

and he

will do

it for

you.

And so

the question

that we're

left with

all of

this at

the end

of all

of this

is what

has the

Lord

promised

to us?

If it's

that certain

that we

will receive

what has

been promised

to us

then shouldn't

we make

it top

priority

to know

just what

the Lord

has promised

to us?

what has

he said?

Sometimes I

wonder if

as Christians

we just

kind of

float

through life

with just

kind of

an empty

wish or

hope that

Jesus will

save us

and nothing

more.

We can

do better

than that.

We can

have confidence

because the

Lord has

made specific

promises

to us

through

Jesus.

What are

those promises?

Do you

know them?

We could

talk of

the promise

of eternal

life.

We could

talk of

the promise

of resurrection

body.

We could

talk of

the promise

of his

return.

We could

talk of

the promise

of his

great heavenly

kingdom which

he will bring

on this

earth someday

and the list

goes on.

We could

talk about

being blameless

and spotless

before the

throne of God

because of

what Christ

has done

and on

and on

and on.

Do you

know those

promises?

We could

talk about

specific

situations

in our

lives for

which God

has given

us promises

in here

for each

and every

one of

those kinds

of situations.

Times when

we're anxious,

times when

we're fearful,

times when

we're sick,

where we're

going through

great difficulty

and struggle,

trials,

relationships

aren't going

the way that

we hoped

that they

would.

there's a

promise for

everything that

we need to

live a godly

life.

This was our

verse for

VBS this

summer.

2 Peter 1

2 Peter 1:3

verse 3

His divine

power has

given us

everything we

need for a

godly life or

for life and

godliness.

How?

Through our

knowledge of

him who

called us by

his own

glory and

goodness.

Through these,

through his

glory and

goodness, he

has given us

his very

great and

precious

promises.

So that

through them

you may

participate in

the divine

nature and

escape the

corruption in

the world

caused by

evil desires.

Do you

know the

promises that

have been

given to

you?

And do

you know

that there

is absolutely

nothing in

heaven and

on earth that

can stop the

Lord from

keeping them

to you?

What an

amazing God

we have.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

we stand in

awe of you.

we stand in

awe of all

you are,

of all you

have done,

of your

great love,

of your

grace,

which you

have freely

offered to

us.

Thank you.

Teach us to

walk by faith,

to take you

seriously,

to take you

at your

word,

just as

Abraham and

Sarah learned.

Lord,

we ask this

in Christ's

name.

Amen.