Nothing is Too Hard for the LORD Genesis 18:1-33

Abraham lives near the Oak of Mamre, which is in southern Israel. The Lord came to visit him as he was resting during the heat of the day around noon. Customs of the day was that of if a stranger came by your house as visiting traveler the host was to offer food and comfort from their weary journey.

What’s interesting is that Abraham did not know these men, but they knew who he was and they knew who Sarah was. They ask for her by name. One of the guests said that he would return in about a year, and by that time Sarah would have a son. Sarah, eves dropping on the conversation, laughed to herself at the statement because she was old and barren and Abraham was quite old as well. Genesis has repeatedly called both Abraham and Sarah old, but that only makes God that much more magnificent when He fulfills His promise.

God responds to Sarah’s scoff by asking “Is anything too hard for me?” Sarah denies her doubt, God calls her out but moves on with His work, and before long Sarah’s doubt turns into faith (no doubt as she became pregnant with Isaac).

God came with two tasks: Remind Abraham of my covenant, and destroy Sodom.

God has built a bond with Abraham. He chose Abraham to establish a covenant that is everlasting, He chose him to bring a nation into existence that will last for as long as men walk on this planet, and has become Abraham’s close friend. Because of this, God decided to let Abraham in on what He is about to do in Sodom. Knowing that Lot is in Sodom, Abraham reasons with God to spare the city if he can find a mere handful of righteous man in the bunch, but as we know the iconic story Abraham could find very few. None outside of his own family.

What is interesting is that Abraham was able to go before God and reason with Him not just once, but three times. That’s crazy to think about. What is even more crazy is that Abraham asked to spare the city if only 45 men were found to be righteous. Not necessarily Christians, but good men. Abraham lowered the number to 30, then to 20, then all the way down to 10 people. Do you know what happened next? God went His way, and it was not long before God made His decision to obliterate the city. He set out to completely decimate the place. Not even two handfuls in what was estimated to be 500,000 people. The size of 10 Little Rocks, and not even 10 righteous people.

God keeps His promises, and His people have nothing to fear. Nothing besides His scolding that is. But God keeps His promises. Even to those who do not believe in Him. He has promised two things: Eternal life, and eternal death. Those who have placed their trust in His Son can rest assured that come what may they will enjoy eternal life in their Christ Jesus. But those who reject Him should find absolute fear in the fact that because God keeps His promises, all those who deny Christ will find themselves in eternal death.

God has made a covenant through Christ with the world. John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Whichever side of the covenant you find yourself on determines how we likely live our lives. What dictates our focus. If you are saved you can remember this, no matter what happens on this earth we have far more to look forward to, and sadly those who deny God have nothing but whats in front of them to enjoy.

Think about that the next time the world tries to get you down. They have nothing but ruin in store, so who is the real loser? They have lost before the battle even begun.