How Does Genesis 18 Show God's Promise and Justice?

Genesis 18 tells how God again said that He would fulfill at the appointed time the promise to give Sarah a son, and how He answered Abraham’s plea for justice over Sodom. Even when a promise seemed difficult from a human point of view, God made His power unmistakably clear. He also responded to Abraham, who asked whether He would destroy the righteous along with the wicked, by lowering the number of righteous people one by one.

Why Did Sarah Laugh When She Heard About a Son?

When the LORD appeared to Abraham, Abraham welcomed three men who were standing opposite him. He provided water and a place to rest, and prepared bread and a calf dish. After they had eaten, they asked Abraham where Sarah was.

Then the word was given that when the appointed time came again, Sarah would have a son. But Abraham and Sarah were already very old. Thinking about her own old age and her husband’s age, Sarah laughed to herself.

Sarah’s laughter came from a situation in which the promise and their present circumstances seemed greatly at odds. The passage tells us not only that Sarah laughed, but also that the LORD knew even that laughter. Sarah said she did not laugh because she was afraid, but the LORD immediately said that she had laughed.

How Did God Reaffirm the Promise?

After pointing out Sarah’s laughter, the LORD asked, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” He then repeated the word that He would return at the appointed time and that Sarah would have a son.

The passage identifies the specific time when the promise would be fulfilled as “the appointed time.” It does not place the basis of the promise in Abraham and Sarah’s age or ability. Instead, it presents together God’s promise to return and His declaration that Sarah would have a son.

Therefore, the center of this scene does not remain on Sarah’s laughter itself. God asked why she laughed, revealed His power, and then reaffirmed the same promise. Even a circumstance that people considered difficult could not cancel what God had spoken.

What Did Abraham Ask Concerning Sodom?

As the three men headed toward Sodom, the LORD said that the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah was great and their sin was very serious. The LORD stated that He would go down to see whether what they had done matched the outcry that had reached Him. Abraham stood before the LORD and drew near.

Abraham asked whether the LORD would sweep away the righteous with the wicked. He appealed that the One who judges the world should act justly. His question began with fifty righteous people and continued to forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, and ten.

The LORD answered each question. He said that if He found fifty righteous people in Sodom, He would spare the whole place, and in the end He said that even if He found ten, He would not destroy it. Rather than focusing on what happened afterward, the passage focuses on Abraham’s repeated plea for justice and the answer God gave each time.

Let’s Read the Two Scenes Together Today

The one action to take today is to read all of Genesis 18. As you read, mark verse 14’s promise and the dialogue from verse 23 through verse 32. Then you can see together on one page both the scene where God declared His power and repeated His promise, and the scene where He answered Abraham’s questions about justice in turn.

Text Basis

• Genesis 18:1-8
• Genesis 18:9-15
• Genesis 18:16-22
• Genesis 18:23-33