Prepare For The Word Of The Lord!

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. So he 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. Genesis 18:6-8

Abraham had a duty as a host, but I don't think that he hurried, ran, and hastened just from a sense of duty. There was something different about these three men who appeared unto Abraham. Old as he and Sarah were by this time, someone quickened Abraham, lit a fire under his old loins if you will. Sarah even laughed, but probably not at my puns.

This was an unusual visitation in that three men, probably angels, appeared unto Abraham. They brought the word of the Lord, but they also had time to stay for a quick meal. This was perhaps the original fast food. We say that because in the story Abraham ran to meet them, ran to the herd, hurried into Sarah, told her to make the cakes quickly, and he hastened to prepare the meal. There is a lot of rushing about going on in there. We are not told what exactly lit Abraham's jets, but there is no indication that the three men or angels are in any rush. Then Abraham stood by while they ate. I wonder if he was puffing and panting. If he was, the angels didn't take offense, for they brought the word.

And the Word of the Lord was... you and that old lady in there are going to have a son. And Sarah laughed to herself. She saw the advanced age of her husband and herself, and she laughed at the word of the Lord. And the men knew it, and they caller her out on it, and Sarah lied...oh, dear. The flesh betrays us at the worst possible time! Caught in the act the flesh will still suggest a lie in denial, making us look foolish as it did with Sarah in that moment. God knows about that flesh though; how even in our old age it is quick to sin. The angels didn't smite Sarah or turn her into a pillar of salt as will happen to her niece-in-law shortly in the next chapter of Genesis. Sarah was caught unprepared for the word of the Lord, and the flesh was quick to get her into trouble.

We can prepare constantly for the word of the Lord, and we will most likely still be caught unprepared. For the Word is just so different from what we are used to, so strange to our worldly flesh that we cannot ever be as ready to receive His Word as we think we are. It's a good thing He gave the Word to us in book form; we can practice receiving the Word even as it does the unexpected within us.

Swift and powerful is His Word!
Bucky