The Promise of Isaac (Genesis 18)
Reading to Your Kids
Soon after God changed Abram's name, He came to visit him again. This time He brought 2 angels with Him. God brought great joy and heartache to this visit to Abraham. We'll learn about the joyful part today. Let's see what happens.
One day Abraham was sitting outside his tent when he happened to see 3 men standing across from him. When he saw them, he jumped up, ran and bowed to them and said, "Please don't go past your servant! Please stay and have some water, let me wash your feet, rest under this tree and let me serve you bread before you go." The men accepted so Abraham ran back to the tent and said, "Sarah, make some bread!!" and he ran to his herd of cows, picked out the best one and gave it to his servant to prepare it for the men. After everything was ready, he gave all the food to the men and stood beside them as they ate.
As they were eating they asked him, "Where is Sarah?" and he told them that she was in the tent. Then the Lord, one of the 3 men, said to Abraham, "This time next year I will come back to you and Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening through the tent door behind them and laughed to herself because she was so old and didn't believe his words. So God said, "Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the Lord? This time next year I will come back and Sarah will have a son." Sarah argued with God and said, "I didn't laugh" and God said back "Yes you did."
Your Child's Insights......
1. Do you think Abraham knew one of the men was God?
2. When else has God shown up as a person?
3. How old do you think women are when they have babies?
4. Why do you think Sarah laughed?
5. Did Sarah laugh out loud?
6. What did God say when He knew she laughed?
7. What did Sarah say back?
8. What do you think about Sarah arguing with God?
Ideas for Prayer with Your Child.....
- Pray that God would help them to have the faith to do things in life that might look impossible.
- Pray that they would accept your and God's authority without arguing.
Random Thoughts for Your Consideration.....
- This passage always makes laugh. I can just see the swirling thoughts of Abraham as God asks him why Sarah is laughing as she argues with God. Can you imagine what he must be thinking? Here some men show up and Abraham literally jumps up, runs to them and bows, no easy task for a 99 year old! He goes out of his way to serve them and even stands while they are eating. God reveals that the time has come for His promise to be fulfilled through Abraham and his wife laughs! Having a husband, I can imagine he becomes frustrated with Sarah for 2 reasons....1. She laughs to herself saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleaseure, my lord being old also?" She laughs because she can't believe they are going to have sex! According to her words, who knows how long it has been! I bet any man would appreciate that. 2. In addition to that, she laughs to herself. Abraham never even heard her laugh, it sounds like. He has gone completely out of his way and offered his best to these men, one of which is God! and all of a sudden, after God tells him the long awaited promise of an heir is finally going to come true, out of the blue to Abraham God says, "Why did Sarah laugh?" Can you imagine what he was thinking? What??? I didn't even know she laughed! Don't ruin this for me lady!!
- I always shake my head at Sarah when it talks about her arguing with God. Not out of judgment but because I know what's going to happen! Let me explain. When I was a teenager, my mom and I went to the grocery store. It had rained earlier in the day and there were huge puddles in the parking lot. For some reason, she decided to walk right through one. Facing it head on she must not have seen how deep it was, but standing off to the side I knew it was at least 6 inches deep. I'll never forget her walking straight through that puddle, so confidently, as she soaked not only herself but the bags of groceries as well! A head shaking moment. You can just see the future! Anyway, I don't know if Sarah initially knew that this was God she was actually dealing with since the passage says 3 men appeared, but she had to have known when one of them knew she was laughing to herself and what she was thinking. I have a feeling she knew simply because she laughed to herself and not out loud. I can imagine someone saying to my grandmother who, if she was alive would be close to 99 right now, "Hi, you're going to have a baby." She'd laugh out loud and tell them they were crazy, at least! Anyway, when God calls her on her laughing doubt, she argues with Him and then He argues back! I don't see God as much of an arguer. Usually what He says pretty much goes and when people question Him He either has a solution or that's just the way it is. Sarah must have needed a pride check or something because He argues back with her and then supposedly that's the end of the conversation. I know God doesn't work this way, but I wonder how bad her morning sickness and back labor were after that!
What do you think of this passage of Scripture?
Previous kids connect - Becoming Abraham
Next kids connect - Sodom and Gomorrah
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