01-62 As He Promised
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Genesis 21:1
Genesis 21:1
Promises are very common in our day. Everyone makes promises. Everyone has broken promises—even when we try our best to keep our word—what is beyond our control are the circumstances that surround the promises we make. In the family, husbands and wives make promises to each other. Fathers and mothers make promises to children. Children make promises to their parents and to other siblings. In the workplace, employers make promises to employees, and employees make the same. In politics, leaders make promises to the people, nations make promises to other nations. One thing all these have in common—promises are made by fallible humans at best—and at worst—those who are liars.
God (Creator) is unlike His creation in this regard:
19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Hebrews 6:18 (NASB95)
it is impossible for God to lie
Gen 21 contains the great cause of happiness and joy for Abraham and Sarah—the fulfillment of God’s promise. That promise was made 25 years prior to the birth of Isaac. As Abraham was setting out from Ur (with pit stop in Haran). On many occasions God reiterated His intent to bless Abraham and to bring forth a great nation from him.
11 years had passed and there was no indication that YHWH had opened Sarah’s womb so she devised a plan that Abraham would father a child thru her maid—Hagar. Their attempt to bring this promise to fulfillment would bring immediate problems into the home.
God continued to show kindness to Abraham and spoke again of His promise to bring forth innumerable descendants thru his own seed. That was repeated again in ch 17—Abraham thought for sure that Ishmael would be the fulfillment but God said:
19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
Abraham was 99 years old at this point. He has trusted in God, expressing saving faith, justifying faith 14 years prior to this occasion and he still does not see God’s promise fulfilled. And for the next 3 chapters, many tragedies will take place: The announcement of Sodom’s impending destruction, Abraham’s ineffective intercession for the city, the deliverance of Lot and his family along with the destruction of Sodom and his own wife, the incest b/t Lot and his daughters, Abraham’s shameful attempt to deceive Abimelech.
While Abraham has asked for evidence that what God promised would come to pass, and God has been very gracious for all these years, there is never an account that Abraham’s faith in the Lord wavered. He continued to trust YHWH.
Then we have a most precious verse in Genesis. I’m going to camp on 21:1-2 this morning and draw out some lessons that help to increase our faith in the Lord. And your faith will increase as we study the Scriptures—that’s the purpose of the Word of God—to reveal the God of the Word. To reveal His character, His love for His own, His desire to show His glory among His creation—this will cause us to deepen our trust in the One who has called us to such a great salvation.
Word Study:
Lord (YHWH) “took note” (trns— NIV “was gracious to” ESV KJV “visited”) The term lit means to make a careful inspection or to look at—but is used many times in OT to speak of the positive action by a superior toward the inferior. This special divine visitation reveals the intervention of God in human affairs. It is the same term used of the Lord visiting Hannah when she conceives Samuel.
“YHWH did for Sarah…promised” (promised is davar—that which is spoken). Moses makes it clear that this is the fulfillment of all that God spoke to Abraham and Sarah. So she conceived and bore a son…at the appointed time.
Take Note:
Isaac is the child of promise. This is important to the Lord—more is said about this child before his birth than any other child with the only exception being the birth of the Messiah—LJC. When God revealed that Abraham would have a child thru Sarah—he laughed, and then she laughed. And when the promise comes to pass—there is once again the laughter of joy for this family (vs 6).
Isaac is the child of miracle. Paul reminds us in Rom 4:19 that Sarah’s womb was dead. She could never conceive a child unless God directly intervened and overruled the natural course—which is what miracles are. Abraham is 100, Sarah is 90 when Isaac is born and we see in this a foreshadowing of a greater birth in that of the LJC.
I’d like to point out 4 lessons that Abraham and Sarah learned from the birth of Isaac:
1. God has His own timetable for bringing about His promises
1. God has His own timetable for bringing about His promises
vs 2 “Sarah bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time...” The only one who appoints anything is the Almighty God. He first mentioned the timing back in 17:21. And again 2x in ch 18 (vs 10, 14). Up to this point God kept promising, reiterating that promise but was silent on the time of fulfillment. Moses wants us to understand that the birth of Isaac (and its true of every person) happened at God’s appointed time.
Spurgeon: “We are in a hurry…but the Lord keeps His appointments. He is never before His time; He is never behind.”
One of the greatest challenges for the believer is when we face times when God has delayed His action. We are diligent to pray to God but He delays His answer—then in frustration we try to bring about the answer in our own time and way. this is wrong b/c we are not trusting. We doubt God’s ability to do what He has promised or we doubt that His timing is perfect and good. God has made profound promises to us and our trust in Him must be strengthened as we wait upon Him.
2. God is all-powerful
2. God is all-powerful
We often give lip service to this attribute of God but we don’t always rest in God’s omnipotence. Abraham and Sarah learned in this instance that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. 3x in these vv, the age of Abraham emerges: vs 2 in his old age; vs 5 Abraham was 100 years old; vs 7 I have borne him a son in his old age. One of the reasons God waited as long as He did was to be sure that Abraham and Sarah were as good as dead (Rom 4:17-21) and that Isaac’s birth would indeed be a miracle of God and not one in which they marveled at their own ability.
In contrast to all the heathen idols which can do nothing...
3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
All things are possible with Him and when He purposes an action…He brings it to pass.
10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
We might look at Abraham and Sarah and think that it was good for God to do that for them, but He can’t do these wonderful things for me. I’m too old, its too late for God to work in me and thru me. This too is unbelief. If God is all-powerful then He can do all that He has promised—even in those who are old (you’re never too old to be used by God). Moses was 80 before God tasked him with delivering the nation of Israel. Abraham was 100 when he gave birth to Isaac and he lived to 175 and God brought back his youth to father 6 more children to Keturah once Sarah had died.
3. Faith is tested
3. Faith is tested
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Abraham and Sarah learned how & why the Lord tested their faith. He does this to show the faith that is genuine (that is the purpose of the testing). Faith that cannot endure is not faith at all. Paul explains:
19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,
While their faith was being tested, it would prove also that patience is rewarded. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for their son to be born. Waiting for the Lord resulted in a profound blessing to this couple.
Hebrews 6:12 (NASB95)
be imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
Not only is there a blessing at the end, but there is the blessing while you’re patiently waiting. This is the journey of faith and when God wants to build our patience he gives us promises, sends us trials and tells us to trust Him.
4. God is faithful
4. God is faithful
Be Obedient Chapter Nine: “A Time to Weep, a Time to Laugh” (Genesis 21:1–21)
When God had called Abraham, He promised to make of him a great nation that would bless the whole world (12:1–3). Then He repeatedly promised to give the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants (17:7) and to multiply them greatly (13:15–17). Abraham would be the father of the promised seed (15:4), and Sarah (not Hagar) would be the mother (17:19; 18:9–15). The birth of Isaac reminds us that God keeps His promises, in His own way, and in His own time. In spite of their occasional failures, Abraham and Sarah believed God; and God honored their faith (Heb. 11:8–11).
God makes promises—even to us…
Phil 1:6 (might seem slow)
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
The revelation of God’s justice, judgment on evil/evildoers and the promised coming of LJC
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
It has been calculated that there are 30000 promises in the Bible (no idea how that number is reached). Peter calls the promises of the Lord “precious and magnificent” (2 Pt 1:4).
9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
5 Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
Hosea 11:12 (NASB95)
the Holy One who is faithful.
9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
Unfaithfulness is all around us—in every area of life that we observe. But God is unlike His creation b/c He is perfectly faithful. He faithful to save, to preserve, to sanctify, to glorify.
Prayer:
We thank you Lord for the precious and magnificent promises that you have given to your people. We pray that you would strengthen our faith so like Abraham and Sarah, we can live while trusting you even when your purposes for us are being delayed. We thank you for revealing to us your nature in your word…help us to rest in your great faithfulness. Amen.