Free The Skeptics Annotated Bible by Steve Wells Page B

tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
    7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
    8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
    (18.8) “He took butter, and milk, and the calf … and they did eat.” Not a very kosher meal for God and Abraham to eat! (See Ex 23.19)
    9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
    (18.9) “Where is Sarah thy wife?”
18 Does God know and see everything?
    10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
    11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
    12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
    (18.12) “Therefore Sarah laughed.” Sarah, who is about 90 years old and has gone through menopause, laughs at God when he tells her that she will have a son. She asks God if she will “have pleasure” with her “lord” [Abraham], when both are so very old. God assures her that he will return and impregnate her at the appointed time.
58 Did Sarah have faith that she would conceive?
    13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
    14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
    (18.14) “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?”
59 Can God do anything?
    15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
    16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
    17 And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
    (18.17) “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” God, who is planning another mass murder, is worried that Abraham might try to stop him. So he asks himself if he should hide his intentions from Abraham.
18 Does God know everything?
    18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
    19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
    20 And the LORD said , Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
    21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
    (18.20-21) “And the Lord said … I will go down now, and see.”
18 Does God know everything?
    22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
    23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
    24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
    25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
    (18.25) “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Abraham begs God not to kill everyone in Sodom and Gomorrah. [Which is odd, since later (22.2-10) Abraham doesn’t even question God’s request that he kill his own son.] He asks God two good questions: “Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?” and “Shall not the