God's Amazing Promise | Genesis 21:1-7
A major theme of this sermon series, Genesis 12-Genesis 21 can be summed up in one single word: Patience.
Patience: The capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset (oxford).
Abraham was 75 years old when he was called by God to go from Ur of the Chaldeans to the promised Land of Canaan in Genesis 12. He is 100 years old when Isaac is born in Genesis 21:1-7—Abraham waited 25 years to see the first step of God’s covenant fulfilled: The Birth of a true son, a seed, from Abraham and Sarah which will lead to the birth of the nation, the people of Israel.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in step with the Spirit.”
--Galatians 5:22-25
“And Yahweh said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your land, And from your kin And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’”
--Genesis 12:1-3
“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things pass away. God is unchangeable. Patience gains everything. He who clings to God wants nothing. God alone is sufficient.
--Theresa of Avila
Each life is made up of mistakes and learning, waiting and growing, practicing patience and being persistent. At the end of life—death—we have completed the process.
- With God’s Will there is Always a Way
“And He said, ‘I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I am worn out, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And Yahweh said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a son, when I am so old?’ Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.’”
--Genesis 18:10-15
Sometimes it is hard to believe in God’s plan. Doubt surrounds us. The broken world surrounds us. Our mistakes surround us. Distractions surround us. Sometimes it is impossible to see God’s plan. Sarah thought it was impossible that she would have a baby at the age of 90 years old—you know what? Sarah isn’t wrong because she was looking through a natural lens, with her human eyes, she forgot that God isn’t natural—He is supernatural.
“Now Yahweh visited Sarah as He had said, and Yahweh did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to Him.”
--Genesis 21:1-2
God is the giver of miracles; He is the giver of life as Sarah conceived through a miracle of God’s doing.
Walking in faith, falling into doubt, even rebelling, taking things into their own hands is all a part of Abraham and Sarah’s journey with God. They recognize this with how they name Isaac.
Isaac’s name in Hebrew means “He laughs/ will laugh,” serving as a reminder to his parents of their faithless reaction to God’s faithfully fulfilled promise (Gen. 17:17, 18:12). This illustrates how God can ‘turn to good account’ anything that sin or doubt has corrupted—Sarah highlighted the newly realized significance of Isaac’s name as a direct testimony to the experience of God’s blessing—everyone who hears will laugh with me (Vs.6)
“And Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’”
--Genesis 21:6
God is the supplier of needs. God will and does provide a way for His people—He provided the miracle for Abraham and Sarah so that God may have glory in fulfilling His covenant. In birthing a called-out people to worship Him, to glorify Him, to be His light. This people will be the Jewish people, the Israelites. Through this lineage of sinners saved by Grace the ultimate saviour will come forth and fulfill the New Covenant to supply our needs, to supply our salvation.
“And my God will fulfill all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
--Philippians 4:19-20
“For You save an afflicted people, but eyes which are lifted up, You bring down. For You light my lamp; Yahweh my God illumines my darkness. For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall.”
--Psalm 18:27-29
This can be seen in and heard in the true statement which Sarah makes in Vs. 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.’”
--Genesis 21:7
“And behold, your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, the slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
--Luke 1:36-38
“I hoped earnestly for Yahweh; And He inclined to me and heard my cry for help
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a high rock, He established my steps. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in Yahweh.”
--Psalm 40:1-3
Mary stood upright before God. She agreed with her favour from God and proclaimed to be a bondservant of Christ. Sarah does the same as she realizes that God’s amazing promise was real, it became a reality, God fulfilled His promise and now she can see how God works—it has empowered her faith.
- God’s Way is Hope, Mercy, Forgiveness and Salvation.
“And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.”
--Genesis 21:3-5
Remember the context. God is setting His people aside from the unrighteous, from the faithless, from the wicked world. We have seen God’s wrath work in Sodom and Gomorrah and now we see God’s love, mercy in the birth of Isaac. The great-great-great-great-great KEEP GOING grandfather of Jesus Christ—the saviour of the world.
“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our peace fell upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
--Isaiah 53:4-6
There was approximately 2,061 years between the birth of Isaac and the birth of Jesus—approx. 18-20 centuries. This is what it means when we say, “God works in His own timing.” Be patient. Stand upright. He is guiding your steps, He has brought you out of the miry clay, He has placed you on the rock of Christ, follow Him, obey Him, understand He is your Lord. You have His mercy, His forgiveness, His righteousness—this should encourage you and give you boldness in your ministry.
“If you really are a child of God, be careful, be wary. Because you belong to the body of which He is the head, He will cleanse, He will perfect you, He will have you to become that which He has destined for you.”
--Martin Lloyd Jones
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.”
--Matthew 24:35-37
“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; in every way afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
--2 Corinthians 4:6-11