So, did the Lord appear to Abraham twice? I'm not sure. The Lord repeats his promise to Abraham later, that he was going to have a son by Sarah. It may be an instants like the beginning of Genesis where a general story is told then a more detailed one is told. The first time the story was told, the focus was on circumcision and the new covenant with God and Abraham, while the second time focuses on the son Abraham would have. I could be wrong, but it seems probable that this is what is going on here.
Genesis 18:1 Then the Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting in the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. 2 He looked up, and he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed to the ground. 3 Then he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your sight, please do not go on past your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 I will bring a bit of bread so that you may strengthen yourselves. This is why you have passed your servant’s way. Later, you can continue on.”
“Yes,” they replied, “do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, “Quick! Knead three measures of fine flour and make bread.” 7 Meanwhile, Abraham ran to the herd and got a tender, choice calf. He gave it to a young man, who hurried to prepare it. 8 Then Abraham took curds and milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and set them before the men. He served them as they ate under the tree.
In this passage, three men come and visit Abraham, but we see it is the Lord who visits him. Abraham, when seeing his visitors, bid them to say, eat and rest. He had Sarah make bread from the best flour and chose the best calf from his herd to prepare for his guest. Abraham served his guest and was hospitable. Likewise, when we receive guests, whether planned or not, we too should be hospitable. When reading these verses, I was reminded of the following verses:
Matthew 25:35 For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’
40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
Jesus commanded us to give food and drink to those who hunger and thirst, just as Abraham gave food and drink to his traveling visitors.
Genesis 18:9 “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him.
“There, in the tent,” he answered.
10 The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him.
11 Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?”
13 But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ 14 Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.”
15 Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid.
But He replied, “No, you did laugh.”
Sarah was passed child bearing years, so in her mind, it was impossible for her to get pregnant. She laughed when she heard what was going to happen.
I love the Lord's response to Sarah's laughter: Is anything impossible for the Lord? No, of course not! He can do anything and everything!
When the Lord asked Sarah why she laughed, she said she did not. She lied because she was afraid. She should have known not to lie to the Lord. She laughed at the impossibility when she should have rejoiced over the promise. Do we often look at things we think are impossible and laugh only to see later it was not impossible, we just did not know how it was to happen or how to do it?
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