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welcome back to Sunday school we are going to begin we’re continuing to move forward in our Patriarchs of the promise series know we missed last Sunday or rather was postponed due to the weather so we’re going to jump back in and I’ll do a little bit of review for you so we’re all up to speed last time we saw how God formerly entered into a unilateral Covenant with Abram though Abram’s simple belief was a counted to Abram as righteousness we read that in Genesis 15 God also strengthened Abram’s Faith by a covenant ceremony God Alone walked through the cut pieces of animals indicating that God Alone would be responsible for bringing the terms of the Covenant to pass even the amazing promises regarding Abram’s seed these blessings would not be determined by Abram’s obedience ritual observance or effort we also saw however uh via VIA Mark how Abram and Sarai compromis in order to try and bring about God’s promise in a supreme irony just when God affirmed that he himself would bring about his word Abram and Sarah convinced themselves that they needed to help God help God Along by transgressing God’s marriage design and giving Hagar to Abram as a the second wife though what they did was wrong and only resulted in household Strife God dealt patiently and compassionately with Abram Sarah and Hagar and God is similarly patient with each of us though we ought to learn from the example of the scriptures even from Abram and we must learn that we we should not sin in order to bring about God’s promise God’s promises will be fulfilled we just afflict ourselves enough others when we try and sin to make that happen now today we’re going to see God’s promise of a chosen seed finally come to pass today’s lesson is about the birth of Isaac now why is this section of scripture significant well first we will see God vindicate his faithfulness and wisdom by gloriously providing the son of promise at the perfect time second however we will also see the truth of the Covenant ceremony of gen Genesis 15 reemphasized God’s blessings are according to gracious promise not according to works or ritual or even physical inheritance here’s our outline for today’s lesson we’ll start by looking at how God changes Abram’s name and gives Abram the sign of circumcision in Genesis 17 we’ll then look at the birth of Isaac and the dismissal of Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21 and we’ll consider application from each of these passages is for ourselves that’s our plan let’s ask the Lord’s blessing on this time lord your word is very great you are great God and this is an accurate record this is a perfect God breathed record Lord of what happened what you did and what you want us to know so God I pray that you would open our understanding to it and I pray God that as we understand it it would have a transformative effect on us just as you have designed your word to do and to be in Jesus name amen amen all right please take your Bibles and turn to Genesis 17 that’s where we’re going to begin today Genesis 17 we were in Genesis 16 last time as Abram has just obtained a child from his own body through Hagar the son is named Ishmael God hears that’s what Ishmael means now with this son Ishmael being born is this God’s promise from Genesis fulfilled note intriguingly God does not rebuke Abram for his helping action or at least it’s not recorded in the Bible in fact the Bible reports no appearance or word from God from Abram or from word from God to Abram for the next 13 years so were Abram and Sarai thinking for all that time that ishma really was the child of Promise they figured it out what God really wanted them to do now they have the promised son perhaps so and you can imagine we can imagine how Abram and Sarai were then planning their future around Ishmael being the heir 13 years have gone by but now in Genesis 17 God Appears again to Abram and Abram is going to learn some extremely surprising news and also receive a very surprising command as a sign let’s now read Genesis 17 and we’re going to read it in small sections and make observ ations as we go remember our inductive Bible study method is observe what do I see interpret what does it mean and apply how does it work so let’s first just read 11 I’m sorry Genesis 17: 1-8 oops I didn’t turn there myself Genesis [Music] 17 1 to8 now when Abram was 99 years old the Lord that is Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him I am God Almighty walk before me and be blameless I will establish my Covenant between me and you and I will multiply you exceedingly Abram fell in his face and God talked with him saying as for me behold my Covenant is with you and you will be the father of a multitude of Nations no longer shall your name be called Abram but your name shall be Abraham for I have made you the father of a multitude of Nations I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you and Kings will come forth from you I will establish my Covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an Everlasting Covenant to be God to you and to your descendants after you I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land of your sojournings all the land of Canaan for an everlasting in possession and I will be their God now as we go through each of these sections there’s a lot that we can observe but we’re going to just have to observe the main things here’s some of the main things from what we just read notice how old is Abram now 99 years old we see that in verse one so this is 13 years after ishmael’s birth notice we see God affirming his Covenant promises again to Abram we’ve heard many similar promises to these already in Genesis but there are some new elements here notice God says in Verses 4 and 5 that Abram will be a father of a multitude of Nations or a multitude of peoples remember Nation people those words basically mean the same thing in the scriptures also in verse six God says that Kings will come forth from Abram that’s new and because of these facts God decides that Abram should undergo a name change he’s going to no longer be called called Abram or arah in Hebrew exalted father but now Abraham Abraham father of a multitude you can see it right he gives the promise about you’re going to be a multitude of Nations so now let’s have a name that signifies that father of a multitude but God has some other changes in mind in accordance with God’s covenant with Abram let’s read on Genesis 17: 9-14 God said fur to Abraham now as for you you shall keep my Covenant you and your descendants after you throughout their Generations this is my Covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you every male among you shall be circumcised and you shall be circumcised In the Flesh of your foreskin and it shall be the sign of the Covenant between me and you and every male among you who is 8 days old shall be circumcised throughout your Generations a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any Foreigner who is not of your descendants a servant who is born in your house or who is bought with money bought with your money shall surely be circumcised this shall thus shall my Covenant be in your flesh for an Everlasting Covenant but an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised In the Flesh of his foreskin that person shall be cut off from his people he has broken my Covenant okay let’s pause again here God calls on Abra Abram Abraham now to adopt circumcision that is the cutting away of the Flesh of the foreskin of all males this is part of how Abraham will keep Covenant with God but notice that God also identifies the purpose of circumcision what is the purpose according to verse 11 Glenda you mention separation from other people that will be an effect we’ll come back to that but that’s not what’s stated here I think I heard Mike you said it is a sign it’s explicitly stated by God this shall be the sign of the Covenant God’s already established his Covenant with Abraham but this shall be the sign of the Covenant this physical marking of the Flesh and notice the penalty of neglecting this sign is severe what is the penalty according to verse 14 you shall be cut off from your people now there’s some debate among interpreters as to what that mean does that mean you’re just exiled ostracized or does it mean death I’m persuaded from the scriptures especially different context where this phrase appears that it means death if you will not be circumcised and you’re among the people of Israel you are to be put to death I’m actually reminded of Moses experience later on in Exodus where he doesn’t circumcise his son and you remember the angel of the Lord actually comes near to put him to death but he saved at the last minute by his wife so this is serious this is a serious Covenant with a serious sign so Abram’s name has changed and he has this new physical sign of God’s covenant which Abram is to keep in obedience but wait there’s more let’s now read verses 15- 22 then God said to Abraham as for Sarah your wife you shall not call her name Sarah but Sarah shall be her name I will bless her and indeed I will give you a son by her then I will bless her and she shall be a mother of Nations Kings of peoples will come from her then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart will a child be born to a man 100 years old and will Sarah who is 90 years old bear a child and Abraham said to God oh that Ishmael might live before you 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 as for Ishmael I have heard you behold I will bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly he shall become the father of 12 princes and I will make him a great nation but my Covenant I will establish with Isaac whom Sarah will bear to you in this season next year when he had finished talking with him God went up from Abraham now notice here that God changes Sarah’s name as well now saying that she used to be called Sarah now the difference between these two names is very subtle Sarai means my princess well Sarah just means princess or women of rank the hey which is like the H in our language it just is like a feminine marker at the end of a word or a name often in Hebrew so you might ask wait isn’t that kind of like a downgrade didn’t her name just become more generic she’s no longer my princess she’s just princess why would God make that change isn’t that a downgrade I would say no and this is the way to explain it uh I I read one source that explains the name difference in this way Sarai is no longer just her father’s princess when he named her you know my little daughter my princess you know you can understand a father wanting to call his daughter that he’s no longer she’s no longer just her father’s princess or even Abraham’s princess she is now the princess indeed the princess of the world because notice how this fits in with What God Says around this name change especially in verse 16 God explains that she now has a Regal position notice Sarah herself is Promised a son but not just any son one through whom Nations and Kings will come now verse 17 reveals a curious reaction from Abraham at the thought of Sarah bearing children what does Abraham do he laughs and he asks can this really be doesn’t directly ask that of God he says it in his heart then Abraham makes the suggestion to God and notice the suggestion he says oh that ishma might live before you that is May Ishmael be the son of promise and blessing you say well how do you know that’s what he means because look about look at how God responds we know this is the the sense of Abraham’s statement because God responds with no this isn’t like oh let Ishmael be alive and God’s like no he’s going to die no he’s saying I want Ishmael to be the blessed one The Heir God says no God does promise to bless Ishmael and make a great nation of him even 12 princes for Abraham’s sake wow what an honor and we do see this fulfilled in Genesis 25 but God makes clear that ishma will not be the son of promise or the inheritor of the Covenant instead God promises that in one year Abraham will have a child through Sarah and they to call the child’s name Isaac and what does Isaac mean he laughs he laughs furthermore God declares that Isaac not Ishmael would inherit Abraham’s Covenant with God we’re not going to read the rest of the passage but in verses 23 to 27 we he described how Abraham obeys God and has himself and all the males of his household circumcised including ishma all right with these observations let’s consider some interpretation now why does Abraham laugh is it from trusting joy in God or from mocking disbelief what do you think I think Glenda you have disbelief you say disbelief okay give me give me some support from the text for your answer because he’s questioning um he’s questioning him can a man which is a 100 years old and serious 90 years old can we really come together and have a child so I guess it’s right there he’s questioning God this is impossible cuz she’s past the age of having children not him but she so I believe that’s a little bit unbelief for me okay yeah so he asked the question which seems s to suggest that this is impossible okay other thoughts yeah pretty much the same with Glenda it’s just it’s been a long time Abraham’s gonna even though he’s almost half his life but yeah they’ve been through a lot hav’t born children in 99 years so yeah sorry I think it’s the other one because God doesn’t change and when um I’m trying to think of his name in the New Testament when Elizabeth was gonna yeah Zacharias um laughed and questioned God he made the angel made him silent um so I think there’s um God is going to correct uh a wrong attitude and I think Abraham was laughing injy Joyful Joyful disbelief and with god um also because of the the kind of conversation he had him with him before when he was going to destroy Sodom so they had that kind of um relationship actually that conversation comes afterwards so we’ve we’ve gone backwards in the text but you guys have pointed to important details of the text actually I’m going to I’m going to move on now um but I think the reason I wanted to hear from some of you is that this actually is a hard question to answer because the details do go both ways they do Point both ways on the one hand even as Leela pointed out God does not rebuke Abraham for what Abraham says in his heart which we might have expected If Abraham was really dishonoring god with doubt especially because in the New Testament Zacharias in a very similar situation is rebuked even to the point of being made mute and uh something I’ll say in just a second furthermore Abraham falls on his face when he laughs which is an expression of humble worship why would he do this if he did not believe on the other hand Abraham’s thoughts sound very similar to Sarah’s in the next chapter when the angel of Yahweh visits Abraham with two angels this is right before what happens with Sodom and repeats that oneyear promise of a child in Genesis 18:12 we learn Sarah laughed to herself saying after I have become old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also it’s almost the same thing that Abraham is saying to himself here and listen to how the angel of Yahweh responds in Genesis 18:13 and 14 and Yahweh said to Abraham why did Sarah laugh saying shall I indeed bear a child 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 Sarah was rebuked for her laughter but she thought almost the same thing as Abraham so doesn’t he deserve a rebuke as well also if Abraham really believe God’s promise why does he immediately suggest that ishma be the heir instead so understandably Bible interpreters commentators they go in both directions as to what Abraham’s laughter means I am inclined to think that Abraham’s laughter is one of disbelief like his wife’s I wouldn’t be too dogmatic on that perhaps the reason that Sarah is rebuked and Abraham isn’t is because when Sarah laughs she already knows about God’s promise of a son via Abraham and this Revelation right here in Genesis 17 so she should have already progressed in faith and Zacharias in the New Testament he’s treated even more severely because it’s like you’ve had hundreds of years to look at Abraham and and um Sarah and their story and you you also have Samson’s parents when they were able to have a son even though it seemed impossible for them you should know this by now as a as a religious leader and priest how can you not believe in the face of all this time and evidence but I’m just offering that as a possible reason we don’t know for sure why God responds to Abraham the way that he does certainly we can say that God was very compassionate and patient with both Abraham and Sarah and that they both indeed do grow in faith they do come to believe that God can indeed work a miracle for them even in their old age and Grant them a child for Hebrews 11:11 says Hebrews 11:11 by faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life since she considered him faithful who had promised by faith she comes to a place she and her husband come to a place of Faith now we might think as some Jews later did that circumcision was the prerequisite for Abraham to receive God’s covenant or for him to be counted righteous and saved before God but how does the greater chronology or the old events of of of Genesis refute this conclusion if you want to say you need to be circumcised in order to be saved or be circumcised in order to receive God’s blessings and promises how does Genesis refute that go ahead Mike yeah we’re just we’re not saved by our works we’re not saved by Deeds of the flesh all right that’s certainly true but how does Genesis actually proved this even in what we just read Dave go ahead Danny yeah God he believed God and was counted him his righteousness right we read that already right and we read that already in Genesis 15 and now we’re in Genesis 17 which means when he believed and was counter righteous was he circumcised or uncircumcised uncircumcised he was uncircumcised so this order of events is very poignant it’s very instructive Genesis 15:6 Abraham is counted righteous by belief before circumcision circumcision is given here merely as a sign it is a testimony it is a reminder of God’s special Covenant with Abraham and Abraham’s seed yes Abraham was called to be obedient in displaying that sign and actually having that sign yet the the sign is not what saved him it’s the faith it’s the grace through faith that God chose to Grant to Abraham and this argument this point that I’m making is the very same that the Apostle Paul makes in Romans 4 multiple times the New Testament writers are looking back to Abraham as an example of Salvation And Faith another question though why circumcision all the things God could have chosen to do as a sign why circumcision isn’t it a little grotesque there’s no explanation in the Bible as to why God chose circumcision as the sign of the abrahamic Covenant though if we think about it there are several aspects of circumcision that are readily observable and make it appropriate as a sign of the abrahamic promises for one circumcision is very intimate which fittingly reflects the serious and personal nature of God’s covenant promises second circumcision represents a cutting away at the most intimate level which is a concept that God will come back to in the Bible about man eating a radical cutting away or circumcision or change in the heart third circumcision would have and this goes back to something you were saying earlier Glenda it would have set apart the descendants of Abraham from most if not all of their Pagan neighbors God has in his wisdom various ways that Israel is going to be obviously separate he wanted to create a separate people as a witness to the Earth circumcision would be one of those ways and actually this would be quite apparent in even Jesus day where Hellenism Greek culture had become very prevalent around the Mediterranean and the Middle East and one of the things that the Greeks like to do was to do athletics and they did that naked and so if you want to be like yeah I’m all into Greek culture but you’re a Jew and you’re circumcised and you go into their little gymnasium when they’re all naked if you want to be like them you have to get naked too and guess what everybody’s going to notice a profound difference between you and them and so many Jews were embarrassed about this they wanted to become uncircumcised so that they could fit in with everyone else but God says I’m going to make you separate I want you to be separate forth circumcision is connected to the promise of seed and so it is appropriately reflected in the male seed bearing capacity in circumcision God is acknowledged both as the one who grants seed grants descendants and the one who will bring about the promises for those descendants for that seed we could perhaps say more but we can see even from just those four observations that circumcision serves as as an appropriate picture of different spiritual truths relating to Abraham and to Abraham’s seed but we also must note there is nothing magical or righteous about cutting away a part of the human body even the foreskin which leads to my next question is C circumcision required today what would you say no absolutely not not at all why I can I say that so confidently because the New Testament Apostles make this quite clear Paul especially in Galatians First Corinthians and other places being physically circumcised or being physically uncircumcised makes absolutely no difference now it was a sign and as a sign that purpose of it was fulfilled along with many other Old Testament pictures ultimately in Christ if you want to be part of the true circumcision those who are set apart to God even by this sign if you want to be a true inheritor of abrahamic blessing you don’t need a circumcision of the skin but of the heart which is only accomplished by the holy spirit in Jesus Christ in fact the Bible repeatedly warns against taking or ADD circumcision as a requirement for Christians which some of the Jews in the early church repeatedly tried to do and listen how Paul contrast True Believers with those preaching circumcision in Philippians 3:3 Philippians 3:3 Beware of the dogs Beware of the evil workers Beware of the false circumcision for we are the true circumcision literally we are the circumcision who Worship in the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh you say oh you’re really emphasizing that Pastor Dave but but why I mean we all get that right well sadly even today there are groups calling themselves Christians who teach that followers of Christ must be circumcised and they must keep dietary laws and they must follow a whole bunch of other Old Testament rituals but we’ve already seen righteousness for Abraham came by faith apart from circumcision and that sign was fulfilled in Christ circumcision was only given as a sign and picture of what would ultimately be fulfilled in our savior so no circumcision is not required today you can or you cannot sometimes people talk about oh anatomically is it like better to be one or the other I’ve heard both sides and I’ve also heard that it doesn’t matter but in terms of righteousness or spirituality it has it makes no difference you say well why did the Apostle Paul circumcise Timothy in the New Testament that was only so he could minister to a certain group that was sensitive to circum decision he says I want Timothy to be able to minister with me to be with the Jews to do that it would be helpful if he were circumcised it was not because he needed to have Timothy be righteous in that way but it was just so that he could remove a potential stumbling block to the gospel so that might be the only reason that you might think at least from a spiritual perspective to to pursue circumcision now there’s more I’d like to talk about from what we read in Genesis 17 but I think it’d be more profitable if we do that after we read our next Passage so let’s move now to Genesis 21 just to give you an idea of what’s in the intervening chapters Genesis 18 and 19 those are chapters we already looked at they give the account of the Angels visiting Abraham and Sarah and God’s assessment and Judgment of Sodom and the other cities of the valley our brother Ian brought us through that a couple several weeks ago in Genesis 20 we didn’t go over this before but Abraham sojourns in the southern land of gar and once again fearing the king of the place King aimc he fears that king aimc would kill Abraham over Sarah who apparently was still quite beautiful at 90 years old Abraham asks Sarah and says that Sarah is only his sister tell them you’re only my sister and as before the king takes Sarah as his wife but God intervenes to protect Sarah and curses the king in his household until the king gives Sarah back to Abraham this the king does and gives many gifts and along with that as a testimony to Sarah’s being unviolated by the king in fact God says I kept you away from her because because she’s someone very special Abraham and Sarah go on their way along with Abraham’s great possessions and people and thus we come to Genesis 21 so we’re going to read this one all all together verses 1 to 21 so not the whole chapter but let’s read Genesis 21: 1- 21 then Yahweh took note of 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 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 8 days old as God had commanded him now Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him Sarah said God has made laughter for me everyone who hears will laugh with me and she said who would have said to Abraham that Sarah were nurse children yet I have borne him a son in his old age the child grew and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned now Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian whom she had born to Abraham mocking therefore she said to Abraham Drive out this maid and her son for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac the matter distressed Abraham greatly because of his son but God said to Abraham do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid whatever Sarah tells you listen to her for through Isaac your descendants shall be named and of the son of the maid I will make a nation also because he is your descendant so Abraham Rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar putting them on her shoulder excuse me and gave her the boy and sent her away and she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of beerseba when the water in the skin was used up she left the boy under one of the bushes and she went and sat down opposite him about a bow shot away for she said do not let me see the boy die and so she sat opposite him and lifted up her voice and wept God heard the lad crying and the angel of God Called to Hagar from heaven and said to her what is the matter with you Hagar do not fear for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is arise lift up the lad and hold him by the hand for I will make a great nation of him and God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink God was with the lad and he grew and he lived in the wilderness and became an Archer he lived in the wilderness of pan and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt all right let’s start again here with observations so the promised Day Has Come a son from both Abraham and Sarah has been born and how old are the parents Abraham is 100 and Sarah is 90 because we learned before she’s 10 years younger now do you know any couples having their first child at 190 yes lifespans were longer at that time but this birth in old age is still extraordinary both Abraham and Sarah confess before the child is born we are old we can’t have a child and yet they do they have one and consider the wait for this child Abraham and Sarah were childless when he left haran at 75 that’s the year that God gave Abram the promises and called Abram to Canaan now we don’t know how long they were married before that but surely they had been hoping for a child before Abraham was 75 just for illustration sake if they got married when Abram was 30 and Sarah was 20 then Sarah was Barren for how long if she gave birth at 90 and they got married when she was 20 she would have been Barren for 70 years no doubt the couple had renewed hope for a child after God called them and God gave Abram the promises that was at age 75 but it was still a 25e weight after that and we might give them a hard time for bringing Hagar into all this but they had been waiting for so long and they couldn’t understand why why nothing was happening consider all the hurdles they bringing about this child twice Sarah was taken by another man as wife that could have messed things up then there was the giving of Hagar to Abram which also could have closed off Sarah from bearing children forever why go to her Hagar actually can bear children forget about Sarah but through all this God was working he was protecting and he was remaining patient with this couple and at the appointed time exactly at the appointed time verse two the child of Promise was born actually you can see repetitions in verse 1 and two emphasizing that all of this was God’s plan as he had said as he had promised at the appointed time of which God had spoken Spen to him it’s not like God had an appointed time he’s like you guys keep messing it up I got to push it back no he says my plan is still going to happen exactly as I ordained it and look it’s now happened the child is named Isaac in accordance with God’s command but notice how the meaning of the name has changed he laughs was originally a reference to the weak faith of Abraham and Sarah but now what is the meaning of the phrase if you look verses 6 and 7 Sarah says God has made laughter for me everyone who hears will laugh so the scoffing laughter of unbelief and weak Faith what has it turned into joy joy the the laughter of grateful celebration and amazement what an appropriate name yes we didn’t believe at first but look what God accomplished how can we not laugh and give God praise notice that Abraham circum circumcises Isaac on the e8th day in accordance with the sign of the Covenant the command that comes with the sign of the Covenant in Genesis 17 which we looked at notice in verses 7 to8 Sarah nurses Isaac herself and later Abraham puts a great feast puts together a great feast in the day of Isaac’s weaning the day Isaac was to stop nursing this would have been about two or three years later women in ancient days often nurse much longer than mothers do today in America even up to three years old now that is just a descriptive scriptural detail that is not necessarily prescriptive a mother is not more or less righteous based on if or how long she breastfeeds now on this later day of feasting and celebration though conflict erupts again between the wives why is it notice verse 9 Sarah sees the the son of Hagar Ishmael mocking there’s a little play on words here because the word for mock in has the same root as the name Isaac it has to do with laughter so this now 15 or 16-year-old ishma is laughing at the feast but not in a good way and what does Sarah call for in response verse 10 drive out the maid and her son and notice the reason she gives for the son of the maid will not be an air with my son Isaac now that may sound kind of harsh but let’s remember how easily polygamy provokes jealousy and anger between wives and between their sons we’re going to see this happen again and again in the Old Testament it’s part of just the Lord showing you polygamy is not my design this is not good always brings Strife besides Sarah does have a point doesn’t keeping Hagar and Ishmael around confuse the inheritance and Covenant promises remember too that according to the law of Moses which doesn’t exist yet but it’s going to come who always has the right of inheritance and first blessing in a family the firstborn in fact Deuteronomy 21: 15-1 17 even says in reference to a situation of man having two wives that a man cannot make the son of the loved wife the firstborn if the son of the unloved wife was born first so according to the law of Moses the true firstborn must always receive their firstborn inheritance even if the father would prefer to give it to a different Son by a different wife so then according to the custom of the time and according to the later law of Moses who should be Abraham’s Heir Ishmael but God says it will be Isaac and now Sarah’s making a demand that Ishmael be given the boot and it’s not as if Abraham has no love for ishmail it’s not like when Isaac was born he was like I really loved you before but forget about you it’s all about Isaac now no he he still loves ishma and now he’s got the wives in conflict and there’s confusion about who’s going to be the first born just a few years ago remember Abraham was pleading with God that Ishmael might be the child of Promise so we can understand why Abraham would be very distressed in verse 12 Sarah kind of has a point but ishmail is still a beloved Son what do we do but then God speaks to Abraham gives him Direction what does God say Abraham go rebuke Sarah for being petty and unkind no that’s not what God says God says instead don’t be distressed listen to what your wife Sarah says why end of verse 12 for through Isaac your descendants or your seed shall be named and I will bless and multiply Ishmael also because he is your descendant and by the way we begin to see that blessing that promise fulfilled in the latter part of what we read verses 15 to 21 with God’s approval then Abraham sends his son Ishmael and his wife Hagar away he’s basically divorcing her with some basic provisions and that’s it no inheritance for Abraham for Hagar or Ishmael at all everything belongs to Isaac okay we’ve made our observations let’s take both what we’ve observed in both chapters Genesis 17 and 21 and think through some more questions of interpretation is there a purely natural explanation for the birth of Isaac is all this an unexpected but fortunate coincidence no this was a miracle this is a miracle in fact this was a miracle in fulfillment of God’s promise now there were natural means involved Abraham and Sarah would still have to have intercourse together to bring this about but the conception of a child by such means in Old ma in old age it was impossible without divine intervention this is why it is a miracle but we might ask why did God make Abraham and Sarah wait so long 70 plus or maybe 70 years for a child 25 years after God gave the promise I mean God is the powerful Sovereign this is not an accident for him he he specifically ordained that it would happen this way which means that this couple and Sarah especially endured years of pain sorrow waiting hoping and trusting but why couldn’t God just have spared them all that and out of the goodness of his heart just provided them the child that they wanted so badly earlier and we could ask the question more broadly why would a good all knowing all powerful God make any of his people wait to receive what is good this question forces us again to confront the Transcendence of God how he thinks how he desires and how he acts at a level far above our own why does God make his people wait for what is good what would you say Glenda I God is a god of time if you look but he said in the fullness of time he will send the son so everything God plan is time if you see what he tell Abraham in a year after this she is going to have a child so he had everything planned so nothing that they was trying to do couldn’t go out of God’s plan he’s a god of time and when the time come it’s like how he sent his son in fullness of time he had the time for Isaac to be born okay that is certainly true it’s not as if God is just well-meaning and he just let time get away from him no he’s in control of time so everything both with Jesus Christ and Isaac’s birth and the things that happened in our lives where we’re waiting that is exactly according to God’s perfect timing but still why I mean we often think God I have a more perfect time that you should follow why are you making me wait why are you making this person I love wait why did you make Abraham and Sarah wait go ahead Mark it was a test of faith um I think of Psalm 11949 says remember the word to your slave in which you have made me wait so it was to show God’s word to be true that’s one side and and then a test of Abraham would he believe it okay so Mark’s po pointing out that this is going to ultimately be a testimony to the faithfulness of God’s word and this is going to be a testing of faith of Abraham but someone might ask isn’t it kind of mean to test Abraham’s faith that way why would that be a good thing go ahead um AR well in the New Testament we’re given an answer where Peter in second Peter he says that God is um not slack concerning his promises but his longsuffering oh now I forgot the rest of well you know he’s longsuffering towards oh dear that’s what happens when you’re a senior yeah is um but he’s longsuffering to us word not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance okay that’s true too God is Not slack it’s not as if again going back to what Glenda said this isn’t because God is inept or God doesn’t care or God just doesn’t know this is purposeful and he doesn’t plan or want people to have needlessly suffer what I think maybe you already understand but what I I’m trying to point us towards is that the reason he makes people wait for what is good is because there’s something even better that they will receive ultimately by waiting it is because God is all wise all good and glorious that he makes his people wait listen to Psalm 8411 Psalm 8411 for Yahweh God is a son and shield Yahweh gives Grace and Glory no good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly God is not a miser God never withholds any true good from his people but what is the greatest good that he can give them is it getting everything they want in this life is it experiencing physical Comfort is it receiving relief from painful circumstances Jesus says he came to bring his people Abundant Life in John 10:10 but what is the essence of that life John 173 this is the eternal life or this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent and Jesus also prays in John 1724 father I desire that they also whom you have given me be with me where I am so that they may see my glory but you have given me for you love me before the foundation of the world so brothers and sisters I know you’ve heard this before but we must hear it again we must grasp the following truth if we want a steadfast Faith the greatest good we can have in life and Eternity is to see know and enjoy our glorious God God often displays his greatness he often shows us his glory brings us into a deeper relationship with him by putting us into hard circumstances even putting us into situations that seem impossible and we are tempted to compromise or despair but often when there is no hope left in such circumstances except for God that’s when God steps in sin and he powerfully rescues and vindicates say God you’re just making us suffer so you can have this glorious entrance why is that good so you can know him so you can see him so that you can learn to trust him that’s what Mark was getting at before with the testing of Faith God’s just like I’m going to test you and test you and test you that’s just what I do because I like to annoy people like that no it’s because I’m going to draw you closer to me I’m going to show you how wonderful I am so that you can find your satisfaction in me ultimately and not in the things of this world it is in this way that God grows us in faith causes us to know him more leads us to treasure him Above All Things even the blessings of the earth just as we ought to do I I like I think Emma shared this with me a quote from a preacher Puritan I can’t remember who but somebody who said something along the lines of there’s no Christian who’s gone through Affliction and at the end of it says I am not better for what I suffered if you’re thinking biblically if you truly know the Lord and when you go through a trial and when you come to the other side of it you say God was doing good to me the whole time if I hadn’t gone through that trial I wouldn’t be as blessed as I am now that’s the way God does it because he’s giving us the greatest treasure which is him always him this is what God did with Abraham and Sarah it was for their ultimate good it was for their good that he made them wait and not just their good it was for our good because we have their example we are to learn from their lives that we can wait on we can trust the same faithful Yahweh God at the perfect time God will provide exactly what is right and good for us just as he did for them he’s the same God until then we must wait in faith and obedience so we can’t help but discuss all that and not think about application has God put you into such a situation in your life right now are you waiting for something good are you waiting for deliverance from Temptation or difficulty are you waiting for Vindication under persecution and mistreatment if you’re not in a situation like that well guess what you will be soon this is part of what it means to live before God in this world this is how he blesses his children even Abraham after going through all this is not done going into Faith just wait till next week but we can learn even from what we’ve already seen in these two chapters you can trust God and his wisdom and his love and his power he knows your needs he is zealous to do you good he knows your suffering and your pain he’s not callous to your heart he he ministers his comfort and presence even to you in the midst of it but his love will not settle for giving you something less Le and the best God Is Not An indulgent father he is a good father so what are we to do continue in faith and obedience at the perfect time God will provide for you for you are his precious child he cares for The Sparrows he cares for the flowers nobody else cares about those he says how much more valuable are you to me than they he himself to be your Shield all the while Look to Him for your life not the passing things of the world World God wants your eyes fixed on him for there you will find satisfaction and true security one other question we should ask how is it right that God instructed Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael isn’t such an act unloving to them and even unfair to ishma who was technically Abraham’s first born now this dismissal we should note in some ways was a blessing because in so doing Abraham was granting Hagar and her son Freedom she’s called a Bond woman in the New Testament what does that mean she’s a slave she was a slave wife yes I know that’s weird there’s a lot lot about that ancient time in culture which we could talk about another time but in a sense by sending her away he was giving her her freedom but it was a hardship at the same time they are sent with only basic Provisions they sent away with both only basic Provisions she would have to travel she apparently look looks to travel back to Egypt that’s why she ends up in the in the wilderness she was leaving Canaan for Egypt and she gets lost on the way she’s wandering and she and her son nearly die in some ways it was a blessing but in other ways it was a trial but God proved faithful to her and her son so that they were not truly abandoned and as to whether this was unfair to Ishmael as an inheritor we must remember the nature of God’s blessing Bings particularly His blessings to Abraham do the blessings of Abraham come as what is due to all the physical descendants of Abraham or as a gracious gift to certain chosen ones in Abraham’s descent the answer is it’s the latter Ishmael was the firstborn and he was circumcised but Ishmael was passed over in inheritance because God chose that the promises would pass to Isaac Instead This theme of God’s choice rather than man’s due by descent or Merit it is consistent throughout Genesis consistent without the scriptures throughout the scriptures but in Genesis we see Isaac over Ishmael Jacob over Esau Joseph before all his brothers in contrast to custom and even the later Mosaic law why because God wants to show that his Blessing even salvation blessing comes by grace unmar favor and not by works or descent we’ll see this too later in the people of Israel who are rejected by God in the wilderness God will destroy an entire generation of disobedient Israelites to prove that being an ethnic descendant of Abraham does not mean that you are a son of abrahamic blessing this is exactly what John the Baptist preached in Jesus day don’t tell me you’re a son of Abraham God can raise sons of Abraham out of stones and Paul says the same in Romans 9 6 to8 quoting one of the passages we read today Romans 9:6 to8 but it is not as though the word of God has failed in in many in Israel rejecting Jesus for they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants but through Isaac your descendants will be named that is it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants really what we’re seeing again here in Genesis 17- 21 is Sovereign election Sovereign Grace God has Mercy on whom he Wills to have mercy what are some implications of this truth I’ll give you three God’s gracious Choice means that no one should trust in works or lineage for salvation just because your parents are Christians or because you go to church doesn’t mean you know God you must ask does my heart really belong to God am I circum CCIS in heart have I truly repented and believed second God’s gracious Choice means that those without spiritual pedigree or Works should not despair Gentiles can be saved just as much as Jews notorious Sinners can be saved just as much as the seemingly righteous who are actually self-righteous and hypocritical because it’s not about your works or Merit or pedigree it’s about God’s gracious Choice God’s gracious Choice also means that God is the one who deserves Glory thanks and praise not we not any men why should you be the Isaac and not the Ishmael before God why should you be placed in the into the tree of abrahamic blessing and not others especially if you’re a gentile there is no reason except that God chose to pour out his love on you he chose to be gracious to you therefore how should you live a life of gratitude trust and obedience walk worthy of the Salvation that you have received not to save yourself or to keep your salvation it’s already been accomplished by Grace but just as a in a way a sign of obedience uh um what am I say a sign of Salvation a a a response of obedience and gratitude just as Ephesians 4:1 says even this God’s grace to Abraham and Isaac it was written for our instruction that we may learn from their experience to worship trust and Obey just as God’s spirit Wills for us to do all right we’ve come to the end of our time today if you have questions or comments you can come share them with me afterwards or send me an email this certainly sounds like a good place in the scriptures for and then Abraham and Sarah they lived happily ever after and there were no other issues for him or for Isaac faith is Vindicated the child has arrived we can just close the book well no because this is just the next step in God’s Great Plan of Redemption and God is not done growing and displaying the Salvation faith of Abraham next time we’ll see Abraham put to the ultimate test with a command to sacrifice this long awaited beloved Son right when he’s probably of age to get married and to start the next line of descent God says I want want you to sacrifice him to me how will Abraham respond to that it’s amazing our brother hos will lead us through that next time but that’s it for today let’s close in prayer Lord again I I think of the song lyrics It’s Your Grace from beginning to the end it’s your grace we can never comprehend how you drew the ones who ran from you you what can we do but offer you praise Lord thank you that you not only made known your gospel to us but you accomplished what we could never accomplish for ourselves which was the circumcision of the heart you had to give us new Hearts God because we would never turn to you we would never actually choose your salvation but you made us alive you made us one of your seed and you drew us after yourself so that we could become inheritors even of these amazing salvation blessings from Abraham in Jesus Christ we thank you for Jesus Christ we thank you for this text today I pray God that we would Revel in your salvation but also learn to trust you especially in the times of painful waiting you are not being unkind to us you’re are being kind in a way that we did not expect help us to trust and believe that even when our feelings and our understanding Lord of circumstances don’t correspond with that help us to believe your word over the feelings of the Flesh in Jesus name amen amen thank you everyone