The Eternal God

I would consider myself a decent waiter. I mean by that “good at waiting,” not someone who serves food at a restaurant. I’d make a lousy waiter, but I’m a world-class waiter.

I’ve spent hours waiting in the doctor’s office; days, even weeks, in the waiting room with family and friends and church family. It doesn’t really bother me to wait. I don’t even need anything to pass the time. I don’t need a book or magazine or anything to watch on the waiting room TV.

I spent hours waiting before we had smartphones and the only game on the old cell phones was called ‘Snake’.

In general, I don’t mind waiting. But when waiting for a while turns into waiting for years, that’s when it gets difficult. It’s one thing to wait for weeks; quite another to wait for years or decades.

In our text this morning—Genesis 21—we are going to read about something that happened 25 years after it was promised. 25 years is a significant amount of time.

25 years ago, the search engine ‘Google’ was founded.

25 years ago, the movie Titanic swept the Oscars, and the last episode of Seinfeld aired on television.

25 years ago, I was a freshman in high school and John Hough was only 114-years-old.

A LOT can happen in 25 years. Can you imagine having to wait that long for something that had been promised to you?

The LORD promised Abram (now Abraham ): “I will make you into a great nation.”

“We’re waiting, LORD. Anytime now.”

Abraham and Sarah, like any of us would, started to doubt the LORD’s promise.

Abraham remarked to the LORD at different times: “I remain childless…you have given me no children. Will a son be born to a man one hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

Sarah said to her husband, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my servant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

When the LORD told them, after 24 years of waiting, “About this time next year, Sarah your wife will have a son,” Sarah laughed to herself.

My pastor and friend, Ty Cross, shared this with me from a book entitled: Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent by Ben Patterson.

In the book Patterson quotes another man, Richard Hendrix who writes: "Second only to suffering, waiting may be the greatest teacher and trainer in godliness, maturity, and genuine spirituality most of us ever encounter."

Then from Patterson: "I write this book out of one central conviction: that at least as important as the things we wait for is the work God wants to do in us as we wait."

I agree completely. Waiting is a great teacher. God does something in us as we wait; He’s working in us as we wait.

God was teaching Abraham and Sarah an untold number of lessons during this 25-year stretch of time. The LORD God was doing a work in them as they awaited what He promised.

The LORD would, as they waited, reveal His faithfulness, provision, and care. And the LORD would show them, even in their waiting, how worthy He is worship.

25 years after the promise was made, we make our way to Genesis 21. Follow along with me as I read:

Genesis 21:1–7 NIV

1 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. 3 Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

The LORD is Faithful

One of the lessons Abraham and Sarah were bound to learn, over time, as they were waiting, was that the LORD was faithful. Surely, if they learned anything, they’d learn this.

When they foolishly lied about their relationship to one another, when they took matters into their own hands and decided Abraham should father a child through Hagar, when they laughed at God’s promise to them, when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed but the LORD spared Lot and his daughters—all of this should have driven home the truth that the LORD is faithful.

But this…this. The fulfillment of the promise. The birth of the child they’d been longing for, the child who would be the beginning of a great nation—this proved to them, tangibly, the faithfulness of God.

He is faithful to His promise. Every word of it.

Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah is how verse 1 reads in the NIV. Other translations say The LORD took note of Sarah or The LORD visited Sarah.

The LORD is gracious to Sarah, the LORD comes to Sarah, and visits Sarah as He had said, as He had spoken, as He had promised.

The birth of a son was foretold twice (Gen 17 and Gen 18) and here the fulfilment of those promises in mentioned twice in verse 1.

Again in verse 2, the promise God made is reiterated.

Just a year before this, the LORD and His angels appeared to Abraham and Sarah, came to their tent, ate some lunch, and there the LORD said,

Gen 18:10 “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”

And, Gen 18:14 “Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.””

This was that appointed time. This was the very time God had promised. The LORD is faithful to fulfill His promise. That’s who He is and how He operates.

Abraham and Sarah are obedient to what the LORD had said to them:

Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.

This, of course, because the LORD Yahweh had told Abraham what he was to name his son. Gen 17:19 “…your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac...” and so it was.

When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.

This, of course, was obedience to the LORD and a recognition of the covenant the LORD had cut with Abraham. The LORD had told Abraham Gen 17:12 “For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised…” and so Abraham circumcised Isaac.

Obedience to the LORD is our proper response to the faithfulness of the LORD.

Every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD is true. Every ounce of His Word is perfect, true, accurate. It will come to pass, every letter of it.

Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed at the thought of a child being born to them at their old age. Abraham laughs (Gen 17) and Sarah laughs (Gen 18), and now they’re laughing at the fact they ever laughed at the LORD to begin with.

They had laughed at what the LORD said, doubting it would ever become reality.

Now, Sarah, holding her newborn son, Isaac, whose name means “he laughs”, rejoices and says, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”

Think about it: Every time they called Isaac in for dinner, every time they told their friends about their son, every time his name came up in conversation, it was a twofold reminder, that 1) they had laughed at the Faithful God and, 2) that God is faithful to His promise, even when His people find it impossible.

Just wait, friends. The LORD is faithful. Of that, you can be certain. Whatever the LORD has promised in His Word, He is faithful to fulfill. He will come through. Whatever promise you’re waiting on, just keep waiting. Waiting and trusting. Waiting and worshipping. Waiting and obeying.

Just keep waiting. Patiently waiting. Waiting for the LORD is never wasted time. Wait for Him and obey Him in the waiting.

The story continues:

Genesis 21:8–21 NIV

8 The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. 9 But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, 10 and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” 11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.” 14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. 21 While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

This is a sad turn of events, but it’s not unsurprising.

Anytime we take matters into our own hands—as Sarah and Abraham did when they decided Abraham should sleep with Hagar and speed up the promise—anytime we take matters into our own hands there are consequences and ripple-effects for generations.

The little textual detail in verse 8 gives us some idea how old Isaac and Ishmael are at this turn in the story.

Most children would have been weaned by the age of 3. We know from the end of Gen 16 that Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born, and from Gen 21 that Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born.

So here, we have toddler Isaac and teenage Ishmael, ages 3 and 17 respectively (or thereabouts).

What’s unsurprising is Sarah’s anger toward Hagar and her son (notice Ishmael’s name doesn’t show up in this account).

Sarah, like any mom, doesn’t take kindly to someone, ANYone mocking their child. Mess with with the kids and you’re gonna end up face-to-face with momma.

Sarah wants Hagar and Ishmael gone (again), the whole situation bothers Abraham, but God directs Abraham to do what Sarah says because it is through Isaac [not Ishmael] that [Abraham’s] offspring would be reckoned.

Isaac’s line was God’s chosen instrument because Isaac was the child of the promise. Isaac was God’s choice. But God doesn’t leave Ishmael or Hagar to fend for themselves.

Even in this sad turn of events we see

The LORD Provides and Cares

One of the themes of Genesis is the care of provision of God. It might well be one of the themes of the entire Bible.

God has taken care of Hagar before, when Sarah sent her away the first time.

Now, the LORD saves her son’s life when they run out of water (saves Hagar’s life, too).

It was no easy experience for the unsupported, discarded mother, who had used up all her resources and thought the end had come.

It was, however, in her despair that God revealed Himself to her again and assured her that He still knew all about her suffering and that He cared for her.

God heard the boy crying and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven.

That right there is something—God heard Ishmael’s crying, God knew Hagar’s plight. And He cared for her, for him, for them.

Beyond the care, God once again promises that Ishmael would himself become a great nation.

The LORD opens Hagar’s eyes to see a well of water. The well was likely there all the time, but Hagar, in her distress and turmoil, apparently didn’t see it. God provided and continued to provide.

He gives daily bread, and in this case (and the verses to come) provides something as simple as water.

We don’t realize all the ways in which God provides for us; we probably take for granted most of His provision. Paul told a group of men at Mars Hill: In Him we live and move and have our being.

Breath in our lungs, family and friends, food from the field, high quality H2O, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens.

God provides all of that and more. What we really need, is God Himself. The psalmist writes:

Psalm 63:1 NIV

1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

The LORD provides and He cares.

Genesis 21:20 spells this out: God was with the boy as he grew up. The LORD met the immediate crisis and went on upholding Ishmael over the long haul.

Ishmael grew up, became an archer, got married. Why? How? Because even though Ishmael wasn’t Isaac, the LORD cared for him.

This is sometimes called “common grace.” Just because folks are not part of the covenant people doesn’t mean that God does not do them good.

Their lives are sustained by God. Jesus told us our Father “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5:45).”

The LORD provides and cares. We continue to see this as the chapter concludes:

Genesis 21:22–32 NIV

22 At that time Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces said to Abraham, “God is with you in everything you do. 23 Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.” 24 Abraham said, “I swear it.” 25 Then Abraham complained to Abimelek about a well of water that Abimelek’s servants had seized. 26 But Abimelek said, “I don’t know who has done this. You did not tell me, and I heard about it only today.” 27 So Abraham brought sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelek, and the two men made a treaty. 28 Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from the flock, 29 and Abimelek asked Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs you have set apart by themselves?” 30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.” 31 So that place was called Beersheba, because the two men swore an oath there. 32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines.

This is an odd inclusion in the Biblical narrative, if you ask me.

It’s really nothing more than a border dispute between Abraham and his old pal, Abimelek.

Abimelek notices God is with Abraham and says so, and asks Abraham to be kind to them as he previously was to Abraham. Abraham agrees, but brings up a complaint about a water well.

I’m not sure why we need to hear anything about this agreement between Abraham and Abimelek regarding land and water rights. It’s fine and all, don’t get me wrong, but I think this is all just giving some context to what Abraham does next.

Genesis 21:32–34 NIV

32 After the treaty had been made at Beersheba, Abimelek and Phicol the commander of his forces returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. 34 And Abraham stayed in the land of the Philistines for a long time.

In addition to the well he dug, Abraham plants a tamarisk tree in this place. The planting of this small tree serves as a landmark of God’s grace to him. And there he called on the name of the LORD, the Eternal God, because

The LORD is Worthy of Worship

We don’t know how often Abraham took time to worship the LORD, but there are a few times in the course of his story where it’s stated explicitly for us. This is one of them.

Gen 21:33 “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God.”

There’s something about that phrase I find really moving—the Eternal God, the Everlasting God.

It’s the only time in the book of Genesis that title is used: The Eternal God.

That phrase is like reaching as far back in the past as one can imagine and/or to the farthest reaches of the future and realizing that the LORD Yahweh is the One who holds all things together. He’s the Eternal God.

Psalm 90:1–2 NIV

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

So, here, Abraham plants this tree and worships the LORD, the Eternal God.

Abraham worships the LORD, because the LORD is worthy. Abraham worships the LORD, no doubt, because the LORD has been good to Him. Abraham worships the LORD for His provision, for His care for his entire family, for His faithfulness in keeping all His promises.

A 25-year-long wait is nothing in the scheme of eternity. To the Eternal God, it’s but a blip. What seems like a long time to us is merely a moment to the LORD.

The Eternal God is worthy of worship, simply for who He is.

And then, each of us individually, ought to thank Him for everything He’s done for us.

You see, the Eternal God, planned at just the right time the birth of another child—the Child of Promise. From the line of Abraham was born Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.

All the waiting, all the longing, all the years between the promise and the fulfillment…at just the right time, the Eternal God did as He had promised.

Romans 5:6 NIV

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

The Eternal God sent His Son to crush the head of the serpent, to ransom sinners from death, and make us right again with God.

What are you waiting for?

Come to Jesus! Turn from your sin and give your life to Him.

He is faithful. He cares for you. He provides you everything you need.

What are you waiting for?

Come to Jesus and worship Him!