GENESIS 15 – 21 – These chapters tell of God’s covenant with Abraham. God promises Abraham a son, to be God to all Abraham’s generations, to give land to him and his descendants. God encourages Abraham that although he is childless now – in reality he will be the father of many nations. Abraham will be fruitful – his wife Sarah will be a mother of kings and nations.
GENESIS 15:6 – “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
It’s a great start but somewhere along the way Sarah and Abraham took the issue of having a son into their own hands. Sarah gave Abraham her maidservant Hagar and Hagar bore a son named Ishmael. Needless to say complications arose when 14 years later the son of the promise from God, Isaac, was born.
The problem didn’t arise because of lack of faith – the Bible clearly tells us that Abraham believed God – God could see that faith. But Sarah was desperate for a family – after all Abraham was in his late 80’s and Sarah was well past child bearing.
So while they believed God – they probably couldn’t see how that was going to work. Waiting against impossible odds is so difficult.
So let’s place another woman in the marriage bed – that should go well.
Let’s get a child by a person’s ideas on how to work things out – that’s what God gave us a mind for – right?
Except he won’t be a child of God’s promise … Ishmael will be a child of human decision. Sarah and Abraham working out their own solution will be the start of heartache, anger, pain - not just then – but on into history.
I always tend to get carried away with “Why didn’t they just wait for God?” – but of course that is why God has me read this passage so often.
Many of us (well definitely me) grab for an “Ishmael” solution when we need to wait for God’s “Isaac” answer in our lives.
God still stands by ALL of His promises in the word – He will never leave or forsake us; we will have an eternal life and home with Him; He will work everything together for good for those who love Him and are called to His purposes … there are tons of promises in the Bible. They are true no matter what our circumstances look like.
Let’s hold on for God’s “Isaac” answer to our prayers.