Abraham and three strangers � Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7 (NLT)

The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.

�My lord,� he said, �if it pleases you, stop here for a while. Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. And since you�ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.� �All right,� they said. �Do as you have said.�

So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, �Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.� Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it. When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
�Where is Sarah, your wife?� the visitors asked.
�She�s inside the tent,� Abraham replied.
Then one of them said, �I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!�

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. So she laughed silently to herself and said, �How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master�my husband�is also so old?�

Then the Lord said to Abraham, �Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, �Can an old woman like me have a baby?� Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.� Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, �I didn�t laugh.� But the Lord said, �No, you did laugh.�

The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. And Abraham named their son Isaac. Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

And Sarah declared, �God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!�