Hard Questions
Genesis 18:10b & 12 & 14a
And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. … So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham … ”Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
While Sarah’s response to God’s promise here in Genesis 18:13 mirrors Abraham’s response back in Genesis 17:17, I think Sarah’s laughter is more of a roll-the-eyes, ‘not a chance!’ type reply than an ‘are You serious?!’ one. But regardless, notice that Sarah seems to be hearing this news for the first time. Didn’t Abraham tell her about God’s visit in Genesis 17? Maybe not. Maybe he was afraid of Sarah’s mockery, or maybe he thought another ‘promise’ at her advanced age would only reopen old wounds. Whatever the case, God comes to speak the words that Abraham can’t muster, because He remains faithful in our faithlessness and His voice resounds even in our silence.
Nothing’s too hard for the Lord today, friend. Not even the most difficult work of incarnating into our flesh and blood, of lowering Himself to our weakened level to raise us up to His. And therein lies the wonder of divine empathy. What’s easy for divinity is excruciating for humanity, and God knows both from experience.