Gen 18:12 | KingComments | STEP | The LORD and the angels ask for Sarah. There is interest not only in Abraham, but also in Sarah. For she will be the mother of the promised son and heir. She is not far away, she is in the tent. It points to the woman’s usual place in the family. This does not mean that the woman should not be allowed to work outside the home. At the announcement of Samson’s birth his mother is on the field and receives a visit from the LORD there ( ). It is about the motif, what is the reason why the woman works outside the home. Although Sarah is not present during the conversation, she is a listener. Through the question asked about her where she is and Abraham’s answer, she knows that the others know that she can hear them. Her stay is behind the LORD. She has, as it were, no face-to-face contact with Him, as Abraham does. While they eat, the LORD announces that the promised son and heir will soon be born. If with us there is fellowship with God, He will also make known His thoughts about His Son and the coming of His Son to us, for “the secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant” ( ). What is already known in a general sense, is now regarded as an event that is near. We may also know from Scripture that the Lord Jesus comes, even that He will come soon, but it is something else to hear this from His mouth because there is fellowship with Him. Sarah hears the announcement too, but does not believe it. She does not live in that close fellowship with God as her husband does. She judges the circumstances and measures them against what is possible or impossible to people (cf. ). Her perceptions are correct, but her conclusion is not, because she does not take God’s omnipotence into account. At the same time, she calls her husband “my lord”. This is to her credit, and in it she is set as an example for all believing women ( ). Peter does not cite this example to make it clear that a woman must address her husband with ‘lord’. It is about Sarah not thinking it a shame to call her husband ‘lord’. The intention is to show that the woman must show due respect to her husband ( ). The fact that she obeys him does not mean that she is his slave. The subjection or obedience of the woman does not mean that a husband does not have to listen to his wife. Wives have been given their husbands to help to keep them from foolishness. We also have an example of this from the life of Abraham. Sarah later tells him to do something. If he does not want to listen to her, God tells him to listen to her ( ). This example is an illustration of the relationships in the marriage of the Christian and here in particular about the attitude of the Christian woman. When believing wife takes the attitude toward their husband that Sarah takes toward Abraham, they look like Sarah spiritually and can therefore be called “her children”. They then show her nature and attitude. Wives who follow Sarah in this, will also show that by doing good. For whoever does good and does the Lord’s will in it, may be protected by God. It is important that a woman herself also lives in close fellowship with the Lord. Sometimes it is women who have a deeper fellowship with the Lord than men. Mary of Bethany ( ) and Mary Magdalene ( ) are telling examples of this. The LORD, to Whom nothing and no one is hidden, knows what Sarah thinks to herself. He rebukes her for her unbelieving reasoning. Sarah denies that she laughed. At the same time we read that she is afraid. She fears. Therein we indirectly she her faith ( ), for the fear of the LORD is the principle of knowledge and wisdom ( ; ). The LORD rises in His grace far above Sarah’s behavior by answering with the splendid, always encouraging word: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?” We hear the answer to this question from the mouth of Jeremiah: “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” ( ). The LORD repeats the promise that Sarah will have a son in a year.

‏ Genesis 18:12

Announcement of Isaac’s Birth

The LORD and the angels ask for Sarah. There is interest not only in Abraham, but also in Sarah. For she will be the mother of the promised son and heir. She is not far away, she is in the tent. It points to the woman’s usual place in the family. This does not mean that the woman should not be allowed to work outside the home. At the announcement of Samson’s birth his mother is on the field and receives a visit from the LORD there (Jdg 13:9). It is about the motif, what is the reason why the woman works outside the home.

Although Sarah is not present during the conversation, she is a listener. Through the question asked about her where she is and Abraham’s answer, she knows that the others know that she can hear them. Her stay is behind the LORD. She has, as it were, no face-to-face contact with Him, as Abraham does.

While they eat, the LORD announces that the promised son and heir will soon be born. If with us there is fellowship with God, He will also make known His thoughts about His Son and the coming of His Son to us, for “the secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant” (Psa 25:14).

What is already known in a general sense, is now regarded as an event that is near. We may also know from Scripture that the Lord Jesus comes, even that He will come soon, but it is something else to hear this from His mouth because there is fellowship with Him.

Sarah hears the announcement too, but does not believe it. She does not live in that close fellowship with God as her husband does. She judges the circumstances and measures them against what is possible or impossible to people (cf. Lk 1:18). Her perceptions are correct, but her conclusion is not, because she does not take God’s omnipotence into account.

At the same time, she calls her husband “my lord”. This is to her credit, and in it she is set as an example for all believing women (1Pet 3:6). Peter does not cite this example to make it clear that a woman must address her husband with ‘lord’. It is about Sarah not thinking it a shame to call her husband ‘lord’. The intention is to show that the woman must show due respect to her husband (Eph 5:33).

The fact that she obeys him does not mean that she is his slave. The subjection or obedience of the woman does not mean that a husband does not have to listen to his wife. Wives have been given their husbands to help to keep them from foolishness. We also have an example of this from the life of Abraham. Sarah later tells him to do something. If he does not want to listen to her, God tells him to listen to her (Gen 21:12).

This example is an illustration of the relationships in the marriage of the Christian and here in particular about the attitude of the Christian woman. When believing wife takes the attitude toward their husband that Sarah takes toward Abraham, they look like Sarah spiritually and can therefore be called “her children”. They then show her nature and attitude. Wives who follow Sarah in this, will also show that by doing good. For whoever does good and does the Lord’s will in it, may be protected by God.

It is important that a woman herself also lives in close fellowship with the Lord. Sometimes it is women who have a deeper fellowship with the Lord than men. Mary of Bethany (Lk 10:39) and Mary Magdalene (Jn 20:16) are telling examples of this.

The LORD, to Whom nothing and no one is hidden, knows what Sarah thinks to herself. He rebukes her for her unbelieving reasoning. Sarah denies that she laughed. At the same time we read that she is afraid. She fears. Therein we indirectly she her faith (Heb 11:11), for the fear of the LORD is the principle of knowledge and wisdom (Pro 1:7 ; Pro 9:10; Psa 111:10).

The LORD rises in His grace far above Sarah’s behavior by answering with the splendid, always encouraging word: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?” We hear the answer to this question from the mouth of Jeremiah: “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jer 32:17). The LORD repeats the promise that Sarah will have a son in a year.