Genesis - Part 33 | Pastor Paul McGee

Amen. Stand with me tonight and let's

turn to the book of Genesis. I'm going to read the first 8

verses here this evening of Genesis chapter 18 and let's see

Genesis 18 · chapter mention

what the Lord says through His Word the Bible says.

And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of memory, and he

sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

He lifted up his eyes and looked.

And lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to

meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the

ground, and said, My Lord, if now I have found faith, pass not

away, I pray thee, from thy servant Let a little water, I

pray you be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves

under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of

bread and comfort ye your hearts.

After that shall after that ye shall pass on, for therefore are

ye come to your hand. Hastened into the tent unto

Sarah, and said, Make ready on the hearth.

And Abraham ran and to the herd, and fetched A calf tender and

good, and gave it to a young man, and he hasted to dress it.

And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he addressed, set

it before them, and he stood by them under the tree, and they

did eat. Amen.

For a little while tonight I want to teach this.

Angels at the door, promises in the tent.

Angels at the door, promises in the tent.

Father, I thank you, Lord, today, God, for your spirit,

God, that's been with us all day long.

I pray now, Lord, that you'd open up our hearts and our minds

that there be a spirit of revelation upon us, Lord, as we

read, study, Lord, it's been with us all day long.

I pray now, Lord, that you'd open up our hearts tonight, God.

Lord, let us give attention, Jesus to it, Lord.

And even those with yet another appearance of the Lord Abraham,

and this one tells us where it takes place in the plains of

Mainre. And this is not the first time

that the plains of Mainre has been mentioned here in the

Scripture. It's at this location in Hebron

that we go back to chapter 13, that this is a place that early

on that Abraham built an altar and he dwelt.

As a matter of fact, the plains of Mainre, although Abraham is

predominantly nomadic, moving from place to place, the plains

of Mamre almost seem like one of those places that he circles

back to and frequents quite often.

The Bible said in Genesis 13 and verse #18 Then Abram, right?

This was still back before his name was changed, removed his

tent and came to out the plain of Mamre, which is Hebron, and

built there an altar unto the Lord.

And so here is the Lord visiting him again at this place.

And there's maybe some other times that he visited him there.

It may not tell us specifically that this is a place that he

often frequented. It is a place as we looked at

previously built in all of God visiting this man of faith,

especially a man that builds altars.

And so we know from the very beginning, sure in verse number

one that this the Scripture, the narrator of the Scripture tells

us that this is the Lord capital Lord, right?

And this is always indicating y'all.

So the narrator is telling this, this, but it's not necessarily

that Abraham understands this, right?

So we, there's a lot of times scripture does that we get

insight from the narration of scripture that maybe the person

that's involved in the scripture doesn't know anything about.

Like for instance, Joe, right? There's a lot of things Joe

didn't know that we know as readers.

And so it's kind of a similar thing right here in the

beginning of Genesis 18. We know this is the Lord, but

Abraham necessarily doesn't know that right here at the very,

very beginning, but he will realize it.

And in my estimation, the way that I read Scripture here, he

will realize it pretty soon that this is the Lord.

And so notably, again, the writer uses that capital Lord

that that Yahweh, the covenant name of God, right as as as he

would all time appear. We read of even in the book of

Exodus, whenever, when I read scripture here, he will realize

it different things happened since then other layers of that

covenant come into existence concerning the details of the

promise. Also, I think it's important to

note tonight, just for our little timeline of events,

things that this appearance in chapter #18 must not have

happened too long from what happened in chapter 17, because

you'll remember in years will explicitly be told that he will

return into them according to the time of life and that she

will have a son. And so that time of life, of

course, is talking about the gestation cycle for a human

being to be formed in a womb, which is approximately Lord, you

know, nine months, but nonetheless that they'll be

back. And the Bible tells us then if

you Fast forward to chapter #21 and verse #5 it tells us then

that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

So if he was 99 in chapter 17 and he's 100 whenever Isaac is

born, this must be very close on the heels of the last visitation

in order for the Angel to say, according to the time of life,

I'm going to return and, and there will be a son.

So I think, I think it's just important to keep that in mind

that this appearance follows very closely the previous

appearance. And So what we have here, this

is in the heat of the day, this is a time when a lot of people,

the Near Eastern culture would would take their rest or siesta

if we want to get, you know, Spanish on them.

But nonetheless that they would take their rest, that they have

had a meal and that they would repose in the heat of the day

that as Abraham is is is laying here, he notices the Bible says

when he opens his eyes and he lifts up his eyes, he notices

three men that are standing nearby.

And upon seeing them, upon seeing them, Abraham springs

into action. As a matter of fact, the Bible,

I think is very purposeful in the verbs and some of the

adverbs that it uses here, because in everything of the

verbs and adverbs that are used, there is a sense of urgency.

There's a sense of, of making haste.

As a matter of fact, if you allow me just to run through

some of the verbs and adverbs that I see in the beginning

opening phrases of this chapter, here are some of them.

It speaks of Abraham that he ran and that he fetched.

As a matter of fact, that words used more than once that he

maybe fetched the calf and then he fetched this and and he

hastened. The Bible says that he made

ready quickly, right? That he ran again.

It says it fetch. It says that he had this man

that had the cap that he hasted to dress it.

All of that are words of haste. All of that is words of urgency,

right? It's not like he meandered over

to where the herd was and picked out a cap.

Then he was quick about this. He was very purposeful about

this. And there was some that will

say, well, well, this is just typical of Near East hospitable

behavior, someone showing hospitality, which is of course

very essential to their culture and even to the nation of

Israel, to their culture. They for sure undergirded this

whole aspect of being hospitable to people.

Again, you know, not having like in the five star hotels and all

of the restaurants in towns and cities as we do today.

They were dependent upon the, the good fortune of people

toward them for housing and for food and for care.

And so hospitality was very, very important.

But in, in, in Abraham here there's such a swiftness, not I

even say as we look at the Scripture, there is such a

excessiveness even in what was prepared for these three men

that seems to go beyond just the norm of what would be a usual,

usual or typical hospitality shown in that culture and time.

And so the Bible tells us that the Lord had spoken to, we

understand in Scripture, had spoken to or appeared before

Abraham at different times prior to this moment.

We we've seen, and I've looked at this already many times.

Matter of fact, most of the record we have in Scripture is

when the Lord has either showed up to talk to Abraham or showed

up to appear actually to him. But along the journey, we are

not told wherever the spoke that the Lord appeared to Abraham.

We're not told how he appeared. We're not given what what

manifestation that he appeared unto Abraham or how he chose to

present himself to Abraham and all of these prior episodes.

And so again, since it's not been long since the last time

that the Lord had appeared to him, even if it was in a

different form, Abraham, I believe is starting to

understand with the different encounters with the Lord.

And I think you you can even attest to that or absolute

appearance that Abraham starts to get a feel or a sense of what

it feels like to be in the presence of the Lord.

I think you all can attest to the fact that that once you

start on this journey of growth in the Lord, that even in

services you, you can tell. And since whenever he's just

it's like in a prominent, undeniable way entered the room

Sunday night. Yes is a very good indication if

you know like the old preacher, if you couldn't feel that your

woods wet right you you knew whenever there was just a

ushering in of the presence of God.

And so with that in mind, I asked myself the question.

He's here in the heat of the day.

He's laying at the tent door and the Bible says in verse 2 and he

lifted up his eyes and lo looked and lo, three men stood by him.

I asked myself, what was it that caused Abraham during his siesta

rest time at noon, which was typical for their culture and

his people? What caused him to lift up his

eyes and look? Did he hear the the the footfall

of men on the sands? Was that what it was?

Or Bishop? Did he sense something?

Did he sense something? It states that three men stood

by him, and yet the Bible describes evidently they were by

him, yet far enough off that he ran to meet them.

Now I'm convinced from the beginning that Abraham sensed

when those three men were there as they're described.

Right now, I'm convinced that Abraham sensed the same presence

that he had encountered several times before this particular

moment and not even that long ago.

So he rushes out, hence the urgency.

He rushes out to meet them and the Bible says that he bows to

the ground number one for an elderly man in his culture.

And I would call, I would call 99 elderly even in the even in

the demographic or where they are removed from the flood.

I would call that getting elderly in their culture, an

elderly man, especially a man of any means of wealth.

And Abraham had we understood the parting of Abraham and Lot

because of the goods of wealth, right and and substantial things

that they had any social status. It was not dignified for an

elderly man to run, but Abraham is casting off any dignity of

social status and position because of what's before him.

And he is running. As a matter of fact, elders of

his society were more known to to to carry themselves with

dignity. And especially if they had any

type of wealth or status, they would intentionally walk slowly

and deliberately. That was that was the custom for

them. But not Abraham in this moment,

because I believe Abraham sent something about these three,

that these are just more than just three men.

Amen. He says as he approaches them,

he says, My Lord, which is Adonai, often spoken in the

place of Yahweh. And it's in the plural.

It's in the plural, and most scholars, many will state that

this is a plural of majesty, and we talked about this before.

And often when an individual uses the plural of majesty, it's

frequently used to denote the greatness of the one that is

being spoken to. The greatness are the

multifaceted aspects of the one that is being spoken, spoken to.

And so Abraham is perceiving that this visit is just no

ordinary occurrence, no ordinary people.

And we know one in Scripture here later we'll find out one is

indeed the Lord. We look into the next chapter

that the other two are angels. So this is absolutely a heavenly

visitation that has taken place here.

And look what he's telling them in verse #3 he's imploring them

to stay. He's imploring them to allow him

to take care of them. He, he's seeking their favor.

This is the way the Scripture describes it.

He's seeking their favor and he doesn't want them to go anywhere

else to get their needs of whatever they may be in their

travels to be met. He wants them to stay just right

here. And so as a result of this,

Abraham starts pulling all of the bunnies out of the hat, so

to speak. He starts showing all of these

acts of hospitality. He's getting water for their

feet. They've been on a long journey

so they could refresh themselves with washing their feet.

He's given them a place to rest, He's going to provide food for

them, etcetera, etcetera. And all of his movements

described, it's with haste, it's fetching, it's running.

Picture in your mind. 99 year old man here.

Please picture this 99 year old man running and fetching and

then hastening. And you understand Brother

Trout? 99 years old, huh?

Some people at 70 can't hasten. You understand what I'm talking

about right now. So he's, he's been very diligent

concerning all these things, his moves.

And I like what verse 5, This is what Abraham Amen says.

He says for therefore are you come to your servant?

Look at verse #5 He talks about fetching a more so a bread.

He said, comfort your hearts, He said, and then you can pass on.

He says, for therefore are ye come to your servant.

That is a powerful phrase to me, a powerful phrase to me because

what I sense Abraham is saying here, here these are these are

some people that that are on a mission.

They're going somewhere, right. We understand that they are on a

trip to Sodom to really investigate if the outcry that's

happened there is true. If the wickedness that is being

spoken of is true, they're on a mission, yes, with Abraham and

Sarah as well, but that seems to be like a side stop on their way

to Sodom. And we're going to soon find out

as after they investigate Sodom and they're going to destroy

Sodom with all of this, they stop by Abrahams of all places.

They stop by Abrahams. And so there is a sense that

Abraham is relaying to them, hey, let me do all this stuff

for you. Let me do all this stuff.

Let me be hospitable towards you because you came here knowing

that I would care for you. He says for or because therefore

ye are come to your servant. You know that if you came here,

I would offer a morsel bread. You knew if you came here that I

would take good care of you. That's the reason why you

stopped by here because you knew I would take care of you and

tend to you. So it's it's not something just

way out there and in La La land, some type of marvelous thought

that God would come and choose to visit Abraham.

No. He visited Abraham because he

knew Abraham would be attentive to him.

And I think that is vitally important, he says.

You came here because you knew what I would do if you showed

up. I want to be able to express to

the Lord God. I knew you would show up on

Wednesday night. I knew you would show up on

Sunday. I knew you would show up.

Why, why? Why would he, of all places want

to stop by at 1121 Cedar St. Because I think we need to

generate, if you will, an atmosphere that you know, if you

show up here, we're going to pay attention.

If you show up here, we're going to be attentive.

If you show up here, right? We're there for you.

You came here because you knew that this would happen.

God, I want First Apostolic Church to be a place that God

says if I'm going to stop by anywhere, I'll go out of my way

to stop right there because I know they'll be attempted to me.

Amen. And he doesn't come.

Look, the Lord doesn't come announcing who's coming.

No, he doesn't come announcing who's coming, but he got close

enough to Abraham that Abraham could sense who was there.

Folks, do you realize the difference in someone having to

announce their presence and you just picking up on that they're

there without it having to be announced?

I mean, I love it and I love to identify.

I'd love to acknowledge the Lord.

I love sometimes to stay in the pool and sound and you hear me

say it. I acknowledge the Lord.

I acknowledge that he's here. That's great.

But I love the times when no one says anything and everybody's

like, don't say anything, but they're in their mind and in

their actions. They're like, he's here.

No one's announced him. No one said, hey, I want to give

all your attention to the King of glory that just walked in.

No, no, no, it's just this is what is it.

It's the hasting, it's the fetching, it's the running.

It's the activity that is matching what is in their

presence. That's powerful to me.

So I want God to visit FACI want him to stop by here because he

knows we will pay attention and entertain him.

So the Scripture says Abraham. Abraham says that he'll offer a

morsel of bread. Abraham's morsel of bread is

abundance. It's abundance.

As a matter of fact, it's it's characteristic even through

Scripture. If you were to look at it, it's

characteristic through Scripture that biblically generous people

will only mention only part of what they ultimately plan on

doing. Yeah, you, you, you even

remember you Later you'll remember the story of whenever

Abraham's servant is seeking out that wife for Isaac and he does

that prayer to the Lord and says the Lord if, if she'll offer me

to drink. But if in addition to that, she

says I'll water your camels also, and he meets her at the

well and the Bible tells us clearly that she does offer him

a drink. But then she says, I'll take

care of your camels also. And he had 10 camels with him

that can drink anywhere to 1020 really to 30 gallons of water a

piece. That's not revealing everything

that you plan to do, but you're going to do it.

It it it's almost similar even to New Testament somewhat.

Whenever you read of the story of the Samaritan, you know, the,

the priest and the Levi, you know, there's the going by the

passing, by the stopping, the considering.

But then the Samaritan comes to the one who who fell among

thieves and he's wounded and the Bible says that he bandages him

up. He puts the wine and the oil

almost like an antiseptic upon him, places him on his own

donkey and then takes him to the end.

And we're like, done, no. And he says, and whenever I come

back, whatever more has been spent, put it on my tab.

It's the spirit of generosity in Scripture.

And so we see this played out with vapor.

He says a morsel bread and his spread equals a morsel bread.

I'd hate to see what it was if it was the whole loaf.

You know what I'm saying? Abraham had Sarah prepare cakes.

This is in your Bible verse #6 from three measures or Sia's as

it's in, as we read the measurement of that time, Sia's

a fine meal or flour. That's about ladies.

That's about 6 gallons of flour. Someone say that's a lot of

cakes for three people. I didn't do the math.

I let chat GTP GPT do the math for me and do all the

conversions. And the final estimate was this,

that with that according to the nominal size of a cake of that

day, that that could equal to around 120 to 150 small cakes

depending on the size for three people.

Come on now, sister. I mean, if that's 120, that's

like 40 cakes apiece, right? Am I wrong?

Huh. It's like 40 cakes apiece.

Amen. And.

And in addition to that, Sarah, do that quickly.

Is it your Bibles? You want to?

If there's ever a picture of the woman having flour on the

forehead and on her elbows and arms, it's Sarah.

Not only that, this has taken some time.

Listen to me, this is taking some time.

What better way though to enjoy the presence of the three then

to do something that will take time.

This is not fast food. This is not the greasy spoon.

This is not the microwave. Back to you, Jesus.

No, this is this is going to take some time, Lord.

So you guys stay around here because what we're preparing is

just not anything that's that, that that that's weak or, or, or

just not special. No, no, no.

It's going to take some time, so you gonna have to stay.

And so, yeah, do it quickly, but I don't know how quick you can

make 120 cakes. I just don't know.

And then he goes out and selects this cat from the herd and has

it dressed. And in that, a calf seems a

little excessive for three people.

As a matter of fact, in a lot of scenarios, you see either a lamb

or a goat that is chosen for such an occasion.

But here is a calf and it's denoted a tender calf.

It's selected this. A tender calf is an item of

luxury. It's an item for a very

luxurious, if you will, time a feasting that's usually reserved

for banquets. But he says that's what I want

for the guest here. I I want this tender cat.

And so here's Abraham. He gathers some some some butter

and some milk and he has the calf and he has all these things

and he presents it to his desk. Abraham has gone above and

beyond a Marshall bread of just being a good host, so he's

visited by these three. I'm persuaded he has an

inclination that there's something special about these

three beyond being three men, as the Scripture says.

But they do come though under the auspice of being strangers,

don't announce himself being strangers, and they remain

unannounced. What we find out through

strangers and visitation and remaining unannounced off times

in Scripture is that when strangers come in and how you

treat the strangers then becomes a test really to the moral state

of the people that are being visited.

What are you saying that? Because really, how do you treat

them becomes a very telling sign with the Lord.

The same group we know for sure the two angels in the next

chapter, and I know we're going forward a little bit, they're

going to visit Lot too, and they're going to visit the city

of Sodom too. And whenever they visit Lot

again, he does have this, this, this family relationship to, to,

to Abraham. And we understand that Lot being

in the city of Sodom that it vexed him daily, right?

It had influence on him. But nonetheless, we even see

when they come to Lot in Sodom and become guests, that Lot

likewise treats them pretty well.

You look ahead at Genesis chapter 19 and just run your

Genesis 19 · chapter mention

eyes through there. I'm just going to point out a

few things. The Bible mentions that he rises

to meet them, that he bows to greet them.

He invites them to stay, more particularly to stay in his

house. He provides water for their

feet. Amen.

They say no, don't worry about it, we'll stay in the street all

night. He says, Oh no.

He urges them come in to my house.

He prepares A feast for them. The Bible says in chapter 19,

which included some unleavened bread.

And in this whole scenario, he even attempts to protect them.

But when we talk about how Sodom accepted these strangers, they

don't treat them as warmly. As a matter of fact, when they

learned that they are in Lot's house, they're knocking on the

door and they are seeking that those men would be sent out so

that they can sexually abuse them.

Matter of fact, the Bible describes in one place that they

almost broke open the door and trying to get to them and do

them harm. But when you see how each of

these different ones, how they, how they treat, how they respond

to the strangers, it seems to almost grant certain things in

return. It was a telltale sign, if you

will, of their moral state. So Abraham is very lavishing

with these things and he's going to get more details about his

promised child. We see Lot seems to do pretty

well and he and his household going to be drugged by angels

outside of that city in order to save them.

But Sodom destruction, the Bible says, and this whole episode,

along with some others, may have inspired the writer of Hebrews,

and perhaps your mind has already went there.

In Hebrews chapter #13 and verse one, it says Let brotherly love

continue and be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby

some of entertained angels unawares.

That's what's happened in Genesis 18.

That's what's happened in Genesis 19.

And both of these accounts in Genesis and what we read in

Hebrews, can I remind you, is also illustrated in the book in

the Gospel of Matthew chapter 25.

Matthew 25 · chapter mention

Two, the Bible describes that Jesus is in a setting and he's

separating the sheep from the goats, putting the sheep on his

right hand, I believe it is, and the goats on his left hand.

And the sheep are those that are described as those that cared

for the Lord in some way, whether they gave him food, gave

food when they were hungry, or drink when they were thirsty, or

visited them when they were sick, or visited them in prison,

or clothed them. And here's what the 35th verse

says Jesus says. He says to them, I was a

stranger and you took me in hospitality.

Amen. Someone say Amen.

Let's continue with verse #9 Well, let's just continue verse

#9 Thank you, Jesus. And they said unto him, So these

are are the men, the company that that Abraham is hosting.

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife?

And he said, Behold, in the tent.

And he said, I will certainly return unto thee, according to

the time of life. And lo, Sarah, thy wife shall

have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent

door which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were owed,

and if owed wasn't a good enough description, they are well

stricken in age and it sees to be with Sarah after the manner

of women. It's just speaking about the

condition of where they were in this visitation.

Therefore, Sarah laughed again within herself.

Remember, Abraham had a similar response of laughing within

himself. She's saying, after I am waxed,

Oh, shall I have pleasure, my Lord, being owed also, the Lord

said to Abraham, wherefore did Sarah laugh?

We'll look at this in weeks to come.

Because this was something that happened within her, but the

Lord heard it right. We have other occurrences of

this Old Testament and New Testament.

You don't have to say something in order for the Lord to know

it. You can just think it.

He says so the Lord says in the Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah

laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child which am

owed? Is anything too hard for the

Lord at the time appointed? I will return into thee

according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

This is more details folks concerned the promise then Sarah

denied saying I laughed not but this is so hilarious to me.

Verse #15I laughed not for she was afraid.

And he said she was namely the Lord.

Nay, but thou didst laugh. I, I love that I just it's like

I didn't laugh. He's like, yes, you did.

But please look at verse 9 again and I I'm going to talk about

the rest of these scriptures, but I'm probably not getting,

I'm probably not getting much further.

And this group of people that they said unto him, where is

Sarah thy wife? And he said, behold, in the

tent, We've seen this already in Genesis, that when God asked a

question, it's not because he needs to know the answer, Adam,

where art thou? God knew where Adam was.

I know it's described to him as though he's, he's in the garden

looking for Adam. And that's just so that we can

relate to that, right? He's bringing that to a level of

humanity to cause a relation for us.

But whenever he asked Adam, where are you?

That wasn't for God's sake. That was for Adam's sake.

You're hiding among the trees. Why are you hiding among the

trees, right? That's for Adam's sake.

Whenever he comes to Cain, then in Genesis chapter #4 and he

says, Cain, where is Abel, thy brother God, God.

God's not needing to know. God knows.

He wants Cain to reflect on where his brother is in.

Cain says, oh, am I? Am I my brother's keeper, you

know, and all this type of stuff.

He wanted to reflect on that. You did some unjustice, you

know, over here in the field and you acted, you know, erratically

and and and you were angry. And he's wanting to bring all

these things. He's wanting the person to know,

and even us as readers for that matter, to wrestle with and

identify the core answer answer because all these questions are

really trying to bring revelation.

And so whenever they are asking where is Sarah thy wife?

When God is asking where is he doesn't, He's not needing the

answer. He's trying to reveal something

and what's interesting we see that Abraham, Abraham's

interaction with these men, you know, his language and

everything that he says seems quite flowery, seems quite

elongated. He he's going to extend to be

very expressive with, with details and stuff about what's

going on. But whenever we get to this

response, it, it's truncated by the Mason.

He doesn't, you know, it's like the difference between me and my

wife. You ask her a question, you'll

get this elongated thing and all that.

And then if you ask me, my kids give me all the time, you know,

text, they text me and it's a thumbs up.

It's like, that's a dad response.

Abraham had moved from this very, very elongated thing and

now it's truncated. And it's just like, behold, in

the tent. What is this?

And someone said, well, mate, maybe they just want to ensure

that Sarah was in earshot about what was getting ready to be

said because they're going to talk about according to the time

of life they're going to return and that she'd have a son.

Perhaps that. But let me let me present to you

that possibly there's something more after all of this mass of

food and cakes and everything has been made.

Abraham comes and Abraham is doing the serving.

Now listen to me. Well, I want you to follow me

here tonight, scholar John H Walton said.

He said there is little evidence that it was not customary for

women to eat with men when there were guests among the Israelites

or in the ancient world. In other words, he says, you

might hear glimpses that, well, she wasn't there because she's a

woman and they had guessed and it wasn't proper.

He says there's little evidence that that's even true that a

woman could be there in ancient Israel.

Furthermore, he said, and listen to me, one of the most common

reasons for a woman to be confined in her house or tent is

when she was menstruating. Just hold on William Robertson

Smith and I I I got sources OK, because I I think we need to

found this. William Robertson Smith noted

that in some pre ISM, like in Arab groups, women were confined

to a tent or Hut during their period.

I got the journal if you want to read it.

Therefore, a woman referred to as being in the tent came to be

known almost as a euphemism for she's having her period.

Saying that she's in her tent could be cryptive, just as

cryptive as in our day. And I grew up, listen, folks, I

grew up with four girls, OK? Just just as cryptive as saying,

well, you know, it's that time of the month.

We knew what that meant. Just the same as culturally,

they would know what it meant. She's in the tent.

Someone say glory and as a as a result, then she's going to keep

distance because of the condition, because that was an

unclean condition unfit to be around people and others.

Look, if you will, for for some other scripture, you know,

pounding together the symbols, so to speak.

Genesis 31 verse 33. And Laban went into Jacob's

Genesis 31:33

tent, into Leah's tent and into the two maidservants tent, but

he found them not he's looking for for a God that had been

taken from from the home or idol as it would seem the Bible says.

Then went he out of Leah's tent and entered to Rachel's tent.

Now Rachel had taken the images and put them in the camel's

furniture and set up on them. So she's really trying to hide

and disguise them. And Laban searched all the tent

but found them not. Now look what she says on verse

35. And she said to her father, let

it not displease my Lord, that I not cannot rise up before thee

for the custom of women, which is another way to to refer to

her period. The custom of women is upon me.

And he searched but found not the images.

Here she is sitting down in her tent.

She's saying the custom of women is upon me.

And so it isn't suspicious to Laban if that taking place her

sitting in her tent as a result of it.

Is everybody doing OK. I realize this may be absurd to

you because the narrator tells us in verse 11 the condition of

of Sarah when these three and these three come, that she's

old, well stricken in years. It seems to be with Sarah after

the manner of women. She is in many regards a post

menopausal woman. She's past the time of child

bearing. But somewhere Mr. Walton also

says, and there's other references, that baking bread

was often a forbidden activity to a menstruating woman.

There's even other Near Easterns, Hittites and such

forbid women from making bread when they are in their menstrual

cycle. Commentary of the Sumerian

proverb says may her bread be as bread made by an unclean woman.

No man eat it all right. And he was suggesting then that

refers to the restriction of bread making during a woman's

period. But Abraham, follow me here.

Abraham has Sarah make bread, but somewhere between the time

of finishing up making bread and it come in time to serve the

meal, there's an onset of something that starts happening

in Sarah that hasn't happened for a long time.

There's an onset of something that's happening in Sarah that

hasn't happened a long time because she's post menopausal

and she's no longer fertile. There's no longer any other

AIDS, right? Because whenever when a female

girl was born, she already has all the eggs she ever going to

have in her lifetime. But somewhere between finishing

making bread, because she was allowed to do that, and the

serving, he says she's in a tent.

What he's acknowledging, Sarah's acknowledging, and the

revelation for the question is brought up.

She's there because of what's happening right now in her body.

There's an onset of a period. And that brings all the more

amusement to Sarah, for as she's standing there and then hearing

the words of God say, according to the time of life, I'm going

to return and she will have a son, Isaac.

Because there was already something happening in that

tent, the shedding, if you will, of the walls of that womb.

That would prepare the way for the preparation of a new egg to

come into that womb for the purpose of fertilization from

the seed of a man. That could not happen to a

postmenopausal woman. Something that happened between

bread making and the time that it was served, that there's

already indication coming this era.

The promise. The promise that we've been

waiting for, The promise that's been told to us something.

So when she hears you're going to have a son, Isaac, you better

believe she's laughing within herself.

You better believe there's some amusement because something's

already taken place that shouldn't be taking place to a

woman of her age to make possible what needs and what's

been promised to take place. All of that just with what God

is saying. She lashed in herself.

Abraham, when he's thrown, he lashed within himself.

But there's a deep sense here because she's in the tent,

because what's happening there is the first step, the first

step in conditioning her with what is necessary for

fertilization to become that promised child in her womb #1 if

she's going through the period of the cycle of the period,

number one, it's telling us then she's not pregnant or there

would not be the shedding of the lining of the womb.

It's telling us that she's not pregnant, but it's resetting the

womb. It's resetting the womb for this

whole reproductive system. Amen of Sarah.

It's getting ready for the possibility of a pregnancy.

Not only that's the sign of a operating reproductive system.

She needs that for the promise. According to verse 14, and I

won't hold you much longer. I know I've already been up here

for a while. I didn't bring my phone up here.

I'm glad you have the clock. The Angel says verse #14 or the

Lord says rather. Is there anything too hard for

the Lord? Right has that little

conversation. Is that Sarah laughing right

Shall I have sure to bear a child when I'm out?

Can I find pleasure? Can this happen?

And he says, and this is important because this is a

little different nuance than just saying according to the

time of life, I will return. He says this is important,

folks. He says at the time appointed, I

will return into the according to the time of life.

See, what we have here is something that has started out

very general, lacking details as a promise has become very

definitive in this moment. It has grown.

We have learned more about it. We've learned a great nation.

We've learned there would be nations.

We've learned that that it would be from Abraham's bowels.

We learned, we learned. But now it is through Sarah, and

now it is an appointed time. Can I say it like this, that the

birth of Isaac was now a scheduled event?

This is just not someday God's going to do.

No, we got a scheduled event on the calendar.

Stand with me tonight. So we got angels at the door,

but we got promises in the tent. We just bowed our heads.

Angels at the door but promises in the tent.

So I'm asking someone tonight if you find yourself in a similar

place. I know that ours may not be

identical, of course with Sarah and Abraham.

But if you find yourself in this place, I'm asking you tonight to

just throw open that tent door open up your heart.

Whatever you got to do open your life.

Amen. Don't, don't, don't, don't see

that that the three that are there or, or that the visitation

don't, don't, don't interpret that as a, as a, as a

interruption, if you will, in your life because God may be

closer than you realize. God may be closer than you

think. And I don't want to disqualify

myself. Even a don't disqualify yourself

because of, because of age or delay or disappointment or

whatever it may be. Amen.

Don't disqualify yourself because God still delivered even

for Sarah, even for Sarah. And he did everything that was

necessary and needful in order to bring the past.

What he said would come to pass. So maybe you're at a stage in

life you don't have all the details right now.

It's been general. And maybe along the journey

you've got glimpses or further instruction or further, if you

will, some hues, if you will, that gave further definition.

But perhaps God is on his way as a stranger to you.

Amen, to see if you'll pick up on his presents.

And maybe he wants to relay something of putting an

appointment, if you will, of your promise on the calendar.

God, I want to be able to be mindful of the angels then at

the door, God, and aware, Lord Jesus, of the promises in the

tent. Can we just entertain the Lord

right now? I need you, Jesus, we need you

all across this building. Oh Lord, God, your spirit, your

power, Lord, your revelation. God, touch our hearts and our

minds afresh. Oh God, call to our memory, call

to our memory. God, when we struggle, Lord,

with doubt and with fear and dismay, I pray, Oh Lord, start.

Lord. God do a work Lord in us that we

know unequivocally is the hand of God and it's the start.

It's very unset. It's the it's the tip of the

iceberg to bring about everything God that you said you

would do God, we want to entertain strangers, Lord,

whereby some have entertained the Lord angels unaware.

Help us, Lord, to be hospitable. Help us, Lord, to move with

haste. Help us understand you.

Stop by because you know we will care for you and pay attention

for you. And we have come to know and

sense and feel Your presence without it being announced.

I pray, oh God, today, those are the type of people that we

desire to be God, to walk before the Lord.

I love you Jesus, and I praise you in the lovely name of Jesus

Christ that I pray and the church say Amen, Amen, Amen,

Hallelujah, Amen. Do not forget Friday night, all

right, starting at 7. Sunday summer kicked off.

If you've not signed up for it, see my wife.

If you'll bring a grill for cooking, talk to my wife.

That will be very helpful. Amen.

Next Wednesday will be another Genesis Wednesday, all right?

And then the Wednesday after that will be revival.

So here's what's going to happen then in the month of of of of

June, all right? What's going to happen in the

month of June is you're basically going to get a month

without Genesis, all right? Because we, we have a revival in

Genesis. My family's going to be gone to

general ministry. Huh.

We're going to have revival in in June.

We should be having revival in Genesis.

And we'll say glory, Amen, Hallelujah, Amen.

But we're going to have revival in June.

My wife and I and kids will be gone to GMC in June.

We're also going to take a vacation in June.

All right. And so that only leaves one ever

Wednesday in June. And I'm looking very hard and

I've already put together some stuff and I haven't talked to

him completely, but I gave him heads up.

That'd be one of them. We'll be doing one of our little

interview sessions the second Wednesday in June.

So you'll get Wednesdays in June, GMC, I'm gone revival one

of them. I'm gone on vacation, one of

them interviewed. Those are 4 Wednesdays in June.

You'll get a break from Genesis for the month of June and we'll

come back to you. How about that?

How you like those apples? Amen.

God bless you tonight in Jesus name.