A Study in Genesis

Have you ever wanted something more than anything else and yet God appeared to be silent? In fact, there was no answer from Him at all? Abram and Sara undoubtedly felt like this for years. Then out of nowhere, God changes their names and promises a child to them. Nevertheless, the child would not come for some time. Chapter 21 of Genesis is the origin and the beginning stage of Isaac and the part he would play. Nevertheless, I want to take a moment and emphasize what many fail to see. They had to wait!

Waiting does not mean God does not care; in fact, it could mean He has something better for you and is waiting for you to give up on your silly idea for His. In my own life, I have seen God do this a few times. I really wanted something, and yet God said “No wait” just for me to later on realize what He was doing. Abram and Sara would become Abraham and Sarah, and the promise given to them came true. God provided Isaac.

Genesis 21:1-7“And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him--whom Sarah bore to him--Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, [and] all who hear will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne [him] a son in his old age.”

When God answers us, we should be careful to see His answer for all that it is. For instance, they wanted a child; God provided, but He also provided an answer to Sarah’s unbelief earlier. Look at Genesis 18:11-15“Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; [and] Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” 13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear [a child,] since I am old?’ 14 “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” 15 But Sarah denied [it,] saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!” God reminds Sarah about what she did in Genesis 18 here in Genesis 21.

It is recorded that Sarah laughed twice. The first time, she laughed out of a lack of faith and a failure to see God’s capability to do anything. Luke 1:37“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at [them] and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” The second time, she is recorded laughing out of the joy of what God had done. Waiting on the Lord can do wonderful things for those who trust that the Lord will do what He says; it can build a perseverance that is supernatural and designed to inspire other believers around us. For those who fail to trust, they can inadvertently mock the Lord and not have the opportunity to encourage others through their example of trusting God. In the end, Abraham and Sarah trusted the Lord, and their actions of being faithful and waiting for the promise are something we should be eternally grateful for. For without Isaac, the promise of the coming Messiah would never come. Jesus, the Son of God, would come from the bloodline of Abraham and Sarah through Isaac. Next week, we will dive into the first dispute of who would receive Abraham’s blessing from the Lord.

Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,

JL