Genesis 18-19

God Shows Up in the Ordinary

Genesis 18 opens in the middle of an ordinary, hot day. Abraham is sitting at the entrance of his tent when the Lord appears to him near the great trees of Mamre. At first, Abraham doesn’t fully understand who is standing before him. He addresses the visitors as Adonai—a title of respect, not yet a confession of divine recognition. There’s uncertainty, almost invisible question marks in the text.

What stands out immediately is Abraham’s posture. He runs. He bows. He serves. He offers water, rest, and food, and then goes far beyond what would be reasonable. The amount of flour Sarah uses is massive—tens of pounds, enough bread to feed far more than three people. Abraham’s hospitality is extravagant, urgent, and costly. Whether he’s feeding his whole household or simply honoring these guests with the very best, the message is clear: Abraham treats strangers as worthy of abundance.

As the story unfolds, we realize this is no ordinary visit. God speaks Sarah’s name. God reiterates the promise. Within a year, Sarah will have a son. The God of covenant shows up in the middle of an ordinary day and reminds Abraham and Sarah that His promises have not expired.

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

Sarah hears the promise from behind the tent flap. She laughs—not out loud, but internally. It’s the laugh of exhaustion, disappointment, and long-held grief. She has lived too long with unmet hopes to let herself believe easily.

What’s striking is that God responds not just to what Sarah says, but to what she thinks. He hears her internal dialogue. He asks Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh?” and then poses one of the most important questions in all of Scripture: Is anything too hard for the Lord?

This moment reminds us that God is not distant or unaware. He is the God who sees—not only our actions, but our thoughts, our disappointments, and the places we’ve stopped hoping. Sarah denies laughing, perhaps out of fear or shame, but God gently and firmly tells the truth: “Yes, you did laugh.”

There’s grace even in the awkwardness. God doesn’t withdraw the promise. He doesn’t rebuke Sarah into silence. He simply restates what He will do. The promise stands, not because of Sarah’s faithfulness, but because of God’s.

Abraham’s Bold Intercession and God’s Justice

As Genesis 18 continues, God reveals His plan concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. Because of covenant and relationship, Abraham is invited into the conversation. What follows is one of the most remarkable prayers in Scripture.

Abraham pleads boldly—some might say audaciously. With humility but incredible courage, he asks if God would spare the city for the sake of the righteous: fifty, forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, even ten. Each time, God agrees.

This is not irreverence; it’s intimacy. Abraham’s willingness to wrestle with God shows the depth of their relationship. It teaches us that honest prayer—raw, persistent, even uncomfortable prayer—is welcomed by God. The Lord is just, but His justice is always tempered by mercy. He listens. He invites participation. He allows Abraham to stand in the gap.

Here we learn something essential: God’s people are called to intercede, not isolate. Abraham knows there is wickedness in Sodom, but he also knows people live there—family members, image-bearers, souls. His prayer reflects God’s own heart, a heart that does not delight in destruction.

Sodom, Judgment, and the Call to Look Forward

Genesis 19 brings us into Sodom, and the contrast with Abraham’s hospitality is devastating. Where Abraham ran to serve strangers, the men of Sodom surround Lot’s house with violence and exploitation in their hearts. Their sin is sexual, yes—but it is also rooted in arrogance, abuse, and utter disregard for human dignity. Ezekiel later makes it clear: Sodom was overfed, unconcerned, and unwilling to help the poor and needy.

Lot, though offering hospitality, is deeply compromised by the city. His horrifying offer of his daughters shows how living near wickedness slowly distorts moral judgment. Influence matters. Where we position ourselves matters.

Judgment comes swiftly, but not without mercy. God rescues Lot and his daughters because of His covenant with Abraham. Yet even in rescue, obedience matters. Lot’s wife looks back—and she becomes a pillar of salt. Whether it was longing, hesitation, or divided loyalty, the message is clear: salvation requires leaving some things behind.

The story ends darkly, with further brokenness in Lot’s family, showing how sin’s consequences ripple outward for generations. And yet—even here—God’s grace is not absent. From this broken line eventually comes Ruth, a Moabite, whom God redeems and weaves into the lineage of King David and ultimately Jesus Himself.

Genesis 18 and 19 confront us with hard truths: the depth of human depravity, the certainty of God’s justice, and the incredible reach of His grace. We are reminded to practice radical hospitality, to pray boldly, to flee what destroys us, and to keep our eyes forward. God is always inviting us out of destruction and into redemption—if we’re willing to trust Him and not look back.