Too old to Rock and Roll? Apparently not!

Following on from my previous pictorial musings, I find Genesis 18 one of the most interesting passages of Scripture. To paraphrase….

Abraham is sitting in his tent – it is the middle of the day and hot. He spots three visitors walking towards his tent – God and two mates. The rules – still observed to this day by the nomadic groups in the Middle East – are that every visitor receives hospitality. It would be fair to assume that Abraham and Sarah did not receive many visitors and, apart from the fact that God was one of the visitors, this would be a special occasion. Abraham had met God physically before on at least three occasions over a period of 25 years (Gen 12:1, 12:4, 12:7, 13:14, 15:1 – a vision and 17:1) – so it would be fair to assume that he recognised God.

He said, "If I have found favour in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."[1]

Abraham sends Sarah off to cook bread while he shoots off to select the fattest calf from the flock.

Random thought……In my job I regularly travel to a regional centre in Queensland that prides itself on being the ‘beef capital’ of Australia. I think it is important to state for the record – if beef is good enough for God, the beef industry should be capitalising on this in their marketing…..

One of them said, "I'm coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son." Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man. Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, "An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?"

God said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh saying, 'Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?' Is anything too hard for God? I'll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby." [2]

The writer to the Hebrews restates the situation thus…Abraham was “as good as dead” [3] The original Ethiopian translation rendered it thus… "the bodies of both were like a dead carcass." [4]

Sarah got the giggles – I like to think this is because Abraham was too old to Rock and Roll – but this is purely speculative! (Maybe Pfizer could use Abraham in advertising for their little blue pills [5])

I used to think that Sarah was particularly rude to laugh at God…until I discovered that only a chapter before Abraham had done the same thing…in fact, Abraham found it so amusing he fell over and took some time to recover! [6]

The thing that amazes me is the relationship that God had with Abraham – A relationship that could tolerate being laughed at. Maybe the stereotyped / pidgeon-holed / Sunday school picture of God many of us have is really flawed. Perhaps when you meet Him face to face [7], God is actually really funny!

Application?

1. God almost certainly has a sense of humour
2. God has had intimate relationships with humans
3. God still desires intimate relationships with us
4. Sex and old people is funny (it’s in the Bible)



[1] Genesis 18:3-5 – New International Version
[2] Genesis 18:11-14 – The Message
[3] Hebrews 11:12 – New International Version
[4] The New John Gill’s Exposition of the entire Bible
[5] http://www.pfizer.com.au/ProfessionalsProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=1d246053-0ee7-412b-b9f1-b2ea7f6a301f
[6] See Genesis 17:17-18…….read verses 23-27 for a giggle as well
[7] Matthew 5:8