Faith, Promises, and Divine Intervention: A Journey with Abraham

Genesis Genesis 20:1–21:34—Sister Act II

“The world will never have lasting peace so long as men reserve for war the finest human qualities. Peace, no less than war, requires idealism and self-sacrifice and a righteous and dynamic faith.”

John Foster Dulles

Introduction: Heaven Is Just a Call Away

Illustration: The story of the golden telephone to heaven, contrasting the costliness in human terms with the ease of access to God through faith.

10,000/minute in Las Angelos

10,000/minute in Las Vegas.

15,000/minute in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

.25 cents/minute in Texas.

Texas is a local call.

Main Idea: Like the humorous anecdote of the golden telephone, our passage today reminds us that for believers, heaven is always a local call, accessible through faith in God.

Genesis I. Introduction: Heaven Is a Local Call

As Brother Lawrence once observed, “You need not cry very loud; He is nearer to us than we think.”

I. Abraham’s Deception (Genesis 20:1–7)

Genesis 20:1–7 ESV

1 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? 5 Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

So this passage is almost surprising that Abraham is traveling right now as God has just promised that he is going to have son period of course we have the mess of genesis 18 in 19 with lot but the last place we left Abraham was receiving a promise that he would have a son and yet he travels again and he uses deception to protect his wife.

It's interesting that God has a conversation with abimelech and he uses words like integrity. It's altogether likely that this man was just as violent and simple as many other kings in the area and God still holds him accountable for his actions.

Romans 1:18–20 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God makes his nature clear and hold humanity accountable

Abraham rationalizes his actions

Genesis 20:8–10 ESV

8 So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, “What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.” 10 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you did this thing?”

Abimelech takes this to us very seriously and asks Abraham why he did what he did.

Genesis 20:11–13 ESV

11 Abraham said, “I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. 13 And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, “He is my brother.” ’ ”

How crazy are abraham's excuses? He basically says I was afraid, I only told 1/2 truth, and Sarah and I do this often because God has us traveling.

But Abraham reveals a lot in that first verse. He says I did it because there is No Fear of God at all in this place. How often do we live as Christians in places where there is No Fear of God.? And yet God calls us to live with a fear of God.

Remember fearing God means reverence and trust commitment and obedience.

I've ever like had no idea who God was but Abraham feared what abimelech said because he knew exactly who God was.

Genesis 20:14–18 ESV

14 Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. 15 And Abimelech said, “Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.” 16 To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.” 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. 18 For the Lord had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

It's incredible instead of Abraham getting judged for his sin he's blessed. He plunders abimelech. God's grace covered everything that Abraham had done. This chapter doesn't make sense unless you see it through the grace of God. 4 by grace Abraham was saved.

Do you live with a reverent fear of God? Or does your fear of your immediate surroundings drive you to the choices you make?

What do your financial fears drive you to do? What do your relational fears tempt you to do? You say we need to live with a reverent fear of and trust in God so much so that we don't fear things around us.

II. Divine Promises Fulfilled (Genesis 21:1–7)

Genesis 21:1–5 ESV

1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

A. The Birth of Isaac: The miraculous birth of Isaac to Sarah and Abraham, fulfilling God's promise and showcasing His faithfulness.

The child that God had promised finally appeared.

You know it's fascinating both the mothers of Isaac and the mother of Jesus were conceived miraculously. Both of them fulfilled God's covenant with Abraham to bring blessing to all the nations.

Of course no angels appeared with isaac's birth but there was no less miraculous.

Genesis 21:1 ESV

1 The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised.

God did as He had promised.

Abraham and Sarah simply needed to wait.

B. Laughter of Joy: Sarah's laughter transforms from doubt to joy, symbolizing the joy of seeing God's promises come to fruition.

Genesis 21:6–7 ESV

6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

Who would have guessed that God would actually make good on his promise Sarah laughed once about what happened. You see the work that God does and the promises he keeps is sometimes miraculous and unbelievable even for the greatest of Saints. The greatest and strongest and most faithful Christians

C. Faith's Reward: Abraham's faith, despite its imperfections, is honored by God, demonstrating that divine promises are not dependent on human perfection but on God's faithfulness.

Romans 4:18–22 ESV

18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

III. Expanding the Family: Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 21:8–21)

Genesis 21:8–13 ESV

8 And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” 11 And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. 13 And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.”

From a legal perspective in that time Sarah really had nothing to worry about. Ishmael was abraham's son but when Isaac was born his rights would legally take precedence over that of Ishmael.

So what did it look like for Ishmael to laugh at Isaac? Can you imagine what it would have Ben to be the son of the patriarch for 14 years? Abraham was a rich and powerful nomad. He had hundreds of people in his household and a vast wealth. And for 14 years the center of the camp was the boy Ishmael.

We don't know what Ishmael did but we can understand some of his actions.

God doesn't abandon Ishmael at the end as you'll notice in verse 13 God promises he will also make a nation of the slave woman. Ishmael is the father of all Arabs.

Of course Paul talks at length about this situation in galatians chapter 4 comparing Hagar and Sarah to the old and new covenants. You're welcome to read that another time.

Genesis 21:14–18 ESV

14 So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

Abraham rises and sends Hagar and his first born son into the wilderness.

This is the first recorded encounter of a single mother in history. Now sometimes people read verse 15 and think wait a second this is a teenager why is she putting a teenager under the bushes. But if you think about it, she was a slave born in Egypt used to a hard life. Her son was born in the wealthy comfortable tense of Abraham. She could last longer. She wanted to protect her son.

And God responds right. He says fear not and God promises to make him into a great nation.

Genesis 21:19–21 ESV

19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

So Whenever we think about the conflict between the Israelis and the Arab nations we should think about this passage. When we think of israel's current war with the Arabs in the West Bank we should think of this passage. God promised a great future for the Arabs and for the Israelis. God was faithful.

God was close to hear their prayers.

IV. Covenant Relationships and Divine Promises (Genesis 21:22–34)

Genesis 21:22–34 ESV

22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.” 25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized, 26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 28 Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. 29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, “What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?” 30 He said, “These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well.” 31 Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. 32 So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. 34 And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.

A. Treaty at Beersheba: Abraham's interaction with Abimelech, leading to a treaty and the establishment of Beersheba as a place of peace and promise.

B. The Well of Oath: The significance of the well and the oath as symbols of God's provision and the importance of trust and integrity in our relationships with others.

C. Planting a Tamarisk Tree: Abraham's act of planting a tree as an expression of faith in God's everlasting promises and care for future generations.

Conclusion: Faith Is More Than Feeling

A. Beyond the Mystical: Our relationship with God, while deeply personal and spiritual, transcends feelings and is rooted in faith and trust in His promises.

B. The Restless Heart: Like Abraham, we are on a journey of faith, marked by moments of doubt, joy, and divine intervention, constantly reminded that "God is with you in everything you do."

C. Living the Promise: Encouragement to live in harmony, to pray for others, and to trust in God's promises, knowing that our faith journey is a testament to God's faithfulness and grace.