Genesis 18:14, commentary and pictures

The promise was that Sarah herself would bear a son at the appointed time despite the old age of her and Abraham, and it was fulfilled in Isaac through whom the covenant promise would continue. It declares that no human weakness, age, or circumstance limits God, for nothing is too hard or impossible for the Lord to do. Abraham and Sarah believed the word as spoken yet distrusted that it could come through aged Sarah, and that failure of firm reliance on God's unlimited power was reproved and then led them to seek the child through Hagar, bringing pride, jealousy, and strife. God works in and through weak people who rely wholly on His strength, breaking stubbornness, sanctifying and shaping them for His service as vessels of honor. Therefore heralds of the gospel must never give up on any sinner as beyond grace, since even the most selfish and hardened heart may surrender to Christ, and every needy soul may trust the Lord present to help and to heal soul and body.

Promise to Abraham and Sarah

The visit in Genesis 18:1-15 is an instance of holy angels ministering to God's people by bringing God's promises of blessing to Abraham. The promise given there was that Sarah would have a son at the appointed time, according to the time of life, despite the old age of Abraham and Sarah. That promise came true in Isaac, through whom the promise to Abraham would be fulfilled. It was to be fulfilled as God had spoken, not through human devising to bring it about through Hagar.

Abraham and Sarah believed God would fulfill His promise as spoken, yet they could not believe that Sarah herself in her old age would bear a son. That distrust did not meet the test of firm faith and reliance on God's unlimited power, which is not limited by human weakness or circumstances. For that distrust Sarah was reproved. The call of the promise was to wait in confiding faith and perfect trust in God's unlimited power.

That unbelief led Sarah to suggest, and Abraham to accept, taking Hagar as wife to fulfill the promise in place of God's appointed way. This brought much unhappiness upon Abraham and Sarah through pride, jealousy, and strife between Sarah and Hagar. The promise remembered afterward was that Sarah's son would be born as God had promised.

That same promise was remembered when Abraham later faced the command to offer Isaac, and it strengthened his confidence that God's word would stand even when events seemed impossible. The fulfilled case of a son given to aged parents was to be called to mind when God later promised a son to Zacharias in his old age. Zacharias should have remembered Abraham and Sarah's experience and trusted from it that old age could not prevent God and that nothing was impossible for Him. Forgetting it left astonishment and unbelief because he was an old man and his wife was well stricken in years.

Nothing Too Hard for God

Is anything too hard for the Lord expresses that divine power is unlimited and is not bounded by human weakness, old age, or circumstances, so that nothing is impossible for Him to do. The son promised to Sarah would be born at the appointed time exactly as promised, despite the old age of Abraham and Sarah, and not through the human device of bringing the promise about through Hagar. Sarah was reproved for distrusting that power. That fulfilled birth to aged parents was to be kept in mind when a son was later promised to aged parents, for old age could not prevent God from fulfilling His word. Zacharias should have remembered the experience of Abraham and Sarah and trusted from it, and forgetting it left astonishment and unbelief because he and his wife were old.

Human weakness is no barrier when people rely wholly on His strength rather than their own, for God can do what human weakness cannot. He can work in hearts inclined toward Him, break stubbornness, sanctify those who trust Him, shape them for His service, and prepare them to serve as vessels of honor.

Heralds of the gospel must never become discouraged in the work and must never regard any sinner as beyond the reach of grace. Even the most selfish, sin-hardened soul, however hopeless he appears, may accept the truth in the love of it, surrender to Christ, and become the salt of the earth. This is possible because God turns the hearts of men as rivers of water are turned and can bring the most sin-hardened soul to surrender to Christ. His word shall not return void but shall accomplish what He pleases and prosper in the thing where He sends it.

Applied to personal need, the Lord is able to heal both soul and body, understands each person's needs, and is present to help in every time of need, so people are urged to trust Him in faith and bring their needs to Him. As part of the message of Genesis 18-19, the question calls hearers to seek the Lord most earnestly, to take a more decided stand for the Lord, and to move beyond merely professional belief in the truth to obedience to all of God's requirements. When that message is spoken with earnest prayer, God makes it effectual to touch hearts, bring heartfelt confession, and soften and subdue hearts by His Spirit.