FRIDAY 23 July “Promises kept” Genesis 21:1-21

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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

When you make a promise to someone, can they be confident you’ll keep your word and fulfill your promise? Have you experienced the pain of broken or forgotten promises? We’re traveling with Abraham these days and both he and Sarah have waited a very long time for God to keep His promise to them. How do you handle it when long suffering and patience is needed when promises are made but not quickly met? Are you waiting on God for something you feel God has promised you?

Join me today in Genesis 21 and let’s watch God keep His promise! The record says: “Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name ISAAC to the son Sarah bore to him. When his son Isaac was 8 days old, Abraham circumcised him as God commanded him. Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born.” (Gen. 21:1-5) Do you see the evidence that God clearly knew He had made a preposterous promise to old Abraham and Sarah, and with each passing day that promise of a son in their old age became more unreasonable? Do you also notice God was working on HIS timetable, not Abraham & Sarah’s? The miracle of their pregnancy became more of a miracle as they aged!

But God’s timing was about more than their age. I see at least two other important reasons for God’s delay, His waiting… first is God’s patience with us. Remember 2 Peter 3:9 says: “The LORD is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God was very patient with Lot and the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. Could it be the desire to live near Sodom and then in Sodom was permitted by God so Lot might have a significant positive influence in that place? He’d grown up with Abraham as his mentor and guardian. He’d been with Abraham and his grandfather Terah for years and on the long pilgrimage from Ur to Haran to Canaan. Lot had every opportunity to spiritually grow to know God as Abraham was learning to know God, but it appears Lot didn’t. So when he moved into Sodom, rather than Lot making a positive difference, it appears Lot became like those among whom he lived! So finally God’s patience ran out on Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah and the wickedness was destroyed... so Isaac could be born into a place absent the wicked influence of his uncle Lot and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah! Now think about that… is God being patient with your town because YOU live there and God is being merciful so you have more time to bring the hope and truth of Jesus into your town?

I see a second reason for God’s patience. In the verses which follow in Genesis 21, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away from Abraham’s tents, as Ishmael mocked Isaac. Division, discord, envy, jealousy had arisen in Abraham’s blended family! God had provided the miracle boy Isaac as promised, but now it would be important Abraham and Sarah raise that son to know God, respect God, and live his life to honor God. That would not happen with a divided family in discord and a mocking step-brother.

The record says: “The child (Isaac) grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast.” May I point out that “weaned” in these times and cultures did not mean what it means today. Babies were nursed as long as possible, for mother’s milk was the best nutrition in a world where water was often unsafe, and food was spicy. It also gave time for mothers to build a very strong love relationship with their children, especially their sons, and teach them. Once ‘weaned’ children often started helping around the house or out in the fields with the animals. They were on a fast track to learn and mature, for they were needed as helpers in the family. No TV, no video games, no daycare. So Isaac was likely 4 yrs old, maybe even older, by the time he was weaned.

The record continues… “But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, so she said to Abraham, ‘get rid of that slave woman and her son’… The matter distressed Abraham greatly, because it concerned his [firstborn] son. But God said to him, ‘Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant…it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make Ishmael into a nation also, because he is your offspring. 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.” (Genesis 21:8-14)

Does this sound cruel, almost inhumane, my friends? Does it seem inconsistent with what you know about God and His love, His compassion, His tender care? May I point out a few important things for us to take note of here? God had been working His promised plan, which He had first made known to Abraham 25 years before! Abraham and Sarah had grown impatient with God on several occasions. First, they’d left the land to which God had led them and fled to Egypt when a famine came to Canaan. (Gen. 12:10). They had not inquired of God to see what HE would lead them to do. Then as they approached Egypt, Abraham had lied about his wife Sarah, thinking it would protect him. Then while in Egypt Abraham had acquired Egyptian servants, who of course brought with them their idols and worship of false gods.

Finally, you’ll recall Sarah and Abraham had grown so impatient with God they devised a plan to use Hagar as a servant / surrogate mother for Sarah. Abraham and Hagar had a son, Abraham’s first born child, and that caused great discord in the family and brought great tension into God’s plan. Of course God could have stopped them anywhere along the line, but have you noticed God rarely prevents us from sinning or making stupid, selfish choices? God has given us minds to think , hearts to feel great emotion, and a free will to reason and choose. God’s desires that we would seek HIM and HIS guidance, but alas most all of us prefer to pursue our own agenda, make our own plans, and leave God out. Have you yet learned the fallacy, the danger of pushing God out of your life journey?

Why was it important Ishmael, now perhaps an 18 years old young man, and his mother leave the Abraham compound and go make a life for themselves? I see three things in these verses…

First the phrase “Hagar the Egyptian”. That tells me Hagar was still holding tightly to her heritage and culture and likely included idols from Egypt. Later in vs. 21 the record says “…his mother [Hagar] got a wife for him from Egypt.” Hagar’s heart was deeply committed to her Egyptian ways, and she was determined her son would follow that path and not the path of Abraham and his God!

I also see Ishmael was mocking Isaac, and that type of discord between the two brothers could only mean long term trouble for everyone in the family. Finally, did you notice Abraham’s initial response to Sarah’s request that he send Hagar and Ishmael away to build their own family? “The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.” Ishmael was Abraham’s firstborn. Abraham was 86 years old when Ishmael had been born. He’d waited a very long time to have a son. Can you imagine his love relationship with that boy? His heart would be divided between Hagar/Ishmael and Sarah/Isaac. Do you remember this powerful verse my friends: “Teach me Your ways O LORD and I will walk in Your truth. Give me an UNDIVIDED heart that I may fear Your name.” (Ps. 86:11) Abraham could not continue his spiritual maturing journey with God and have a divided heart! Hagar and Ishmael had to go, leaving Abraham, Sarah and Isaac many years to grow as a miracle family with God.

Notice please, God also made a great promise to Hagar and Ishmael as they left Abraham’s tents that day… “…the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘Do not be afraid Hagar… lift the boy up and take him by the hand for I will make him into a great nation… God was with the boy as he grew up.” (Gen. 21:17-20) Oh my friends, do you see the loving kindness and sovereign majesty of God at work in guiding and providing for Hagar & Ishmael, as well as God healing Abraham’s hurting heart, as he sent them away, and finally God’s work to prepare an environment for Abraham, Sarah & Isaac to grow in their relationship with God, as a miracle family, engaging with God in fulfilling His purposes, His plans and His promises? Now, can you hold tightly to that today as you consider where you are in your life journey? And I have found a song to help us consider this. . .

Today’s Scripture is Genesis 21:1-21.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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