And Baby Makes Three or Four

Genesis 15:1–6 HCSB

After these events, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield; your reward will be very great. But Abram said, “Lord God, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in my house will be my heir.” Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.” Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

The Promise of a Lasting Legacy

This promise that we just read…is huge..it’s a promise of more.. a promise of a lasting legacy, and not just any lasting legacy…a lasting legacy that eventually would bring the world back into a place of right relationship with God. But the promise of a lasting legacy, the acceptance of the promise of a lasting legacy takes a few things.

Takes Listening

The Key is Who You Listen too...

Genesis 15:4 HCSB

Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body will be your heir.”

This is the WORD OF THE LORD… listening to this..accepting this..it’s assured. Paul talks about this very thing...

2 Corinthians 1:20 HCSB

For every one of God’s promises is “Yes” in Him. Therefore, the “Amen” is also spoken through Him by us for God’s glory.

So the promise of a lasting legacy takes listening and who we listen to matters…which is born out just a few verses later...

Genesis 16:1–3 HCSB

Abram’s wife Sarai had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan 10 years.

Here we have the problem that happens when we are leaning into the promise of a lasting legacy. Sometimes we decide to help God out and we begin to listen to other peoples thoughts and feelings, as well as to our own desires. Many times they are well intentioned, sometimes they make sense, but usually it’s because we aren’t seeing the results that we want when we want them and so we take matters into our own hands.

A lot happened because Abram listened to his wife instead of listening to God.

An entire nation was born, a nation that has been promised to number more than could be counted. God made promises to Hagar about her life and legacy and he fulfilled those promises, but this was not the Promised Legacy that was going to bring about the reconciliation of bringing man back to God.

We all have some Ishmael's in our lives. Times when we decide we are going to help God out with the promises he has made to us. The beauty is that God doesn’t hold our Ishmael moments against us. Many times he will allow them sometimes he may even bless them but he will always bring us back to the promise that he made....not the outcome that we manufactured. We will look at what God’s grace does in a moment. But we have to remember that the Promise of a lasting legacy also

Takes Time

Genesis 17:1–7 HCSB

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you greatly.” Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him: “As for Me, My covenant is with you: you will become the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you. I will keep My covenant between Me and you, and your future offspring throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.

Abram was 99 years old and God does something pretty big. God Reminds Abram of the promise he made when he was 75 years old and he goes a step further he changes his name from

Abram: Exalted Father

to

Abraham: Father of Many

But it took time we are not 24 years after the initial promise…24 years and the only offspring that Abraham has is the son from Hagar. We have to remember that God’s timing while usually very frustrating is also perfect.

(waiting for bread)

Takes acceptance

The final thing that the Promise of a lasting Legacy takes is total acceptance even when it seems silly.

Genesis 17:15–21 HCSB

God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name. I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable to You!” But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his future offspring. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will certainly bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will father 12 tribal leaders, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will confirm My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

There are a few things to grab in this set of verses.

Another name Change

Sarai: Contentious Quarrelsome

to

Sarah: Lady, Princess, Nobelwoman

Abraham Laughs remember that for later

and finally Abraham doesn’t see why God can’t just go ahead and have Ishmael be the one that represents the promises fulfillment and here we see God’s grace in what he does for Ishmael.

Fast forward a bit more and we have one more set of laughter and finally accpetance.

Genesis 18:9–15 HCSB

“Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he answered. The Lord said, “I will certainly come back to you in about a year’s time, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. Abraham and Sarah were old and getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. So she laughed to herself: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I have delight?” But the Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Can I really have a baby when I’m old?’ Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son.” Sarah denied it. “I did not laugh,” she said, because she was afraid. But He replied, “No, you did laugh.”

Abraham has accepted the promise and when Sarah is called on her lie…and when she has her named changed she does too.

As with all the promises of God to be active in our lives there is a part we play. We have to accept them to make them a living breathing active part of who we are.

This Week’s Challenge

Actually listen for what God is promising you. Now lean into that promise. Let Him lead you and guide you into it. Read His word, listen for his voice and pray that he will give you road-signs to know when you’re on the right track