Genesis 18:9

7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it.

8 So ^ahe took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.

9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, ^ain the tent.”

10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you ^aaccording to the time of life, and behold, ^bSarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.)

11 Now ^aAbraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and¹ Sarah ^bhad passed the age of childbearing.

12 Therefore Sarah ^alaughed within herself, saying, ^b“After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my ^clord being old also?”

13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’

14 ^aIs anything too hard for the Lord? ^bAt the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

16 Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them ^ato send them on the way.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Genesis 18:9 Mean?

Genesis 18:1-9

The Lord appeared, and Abraham saw Him coming. What did He look like? He looked like a man. But it was the Lord because Abraham bowed down and worshipped Him, and the Lord did not reject his worship.

In verse 4, Abraham says, "Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet." God has feet. Then he says in verse 5, "And I will bring a morsel of bread." We find that God took the bread and the meat, and the three of them ate. He spoke, so He had a voice, and He conversed with Abraham and Sarah.

God shows other qualities here that are interesting to think about. How long did it take Abraham to run, order a calf killed, have someone slaughter it, bleed it, skin it, butcher it, roast the meat, and then serve it to Him? It must have taken a few hours at least. In the meantime, God is sitting under a tree, and He is at the same time running the whole universe. He must have been handling all of the other things that go on in the universe from that chair or pillow He was sitting on.

Do we ever feel rushed because we have too many things to do? Yet, here is the busiest Being in all of creation, and He had enough time to sit down, wash His feet, and wait patiently while they made Him a meal. Do we ever become impatient? In this example, we see patience exemplified.

So, we see God exhibits qualities other than form and shape, even though they may not be mentioned directly.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Image and Likeness of God (Part Two)

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Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

What Does Genesis 18:9 Mean?

A Verse and a Thought,Every Morning

A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning