Introduction
In one of
her movies Julie Andrews sings a beautiful song, one of my favorites, but its
theology is abominable. The lyrics go something like this: “Nothing comes from
nothing, nothing ever could. So somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have
done something good.” Many Christians seem to have the same kind of theology.
They believe that the good things which happen in life are the result of some
good thing they have done. So also, like Job’s friends, they think that
everything unpleasant is the result of some evil they have done.
I do not wish to challenge the fact that obedience brings blessing,
for ultimately it always does. However, God often brings tribulation into the
life of a faithful Christian in order to bring about growth and maturity. So
also, God brings blessing into the life of the Christian in spite of what he
has done more than because of anything good he has done. That’s grace—unmerited
favor. Genesis 21 is proof of this kind of blessing in the
life of the Christian.
The background to Genesis 21 is one that Abraham would have preferred
Moses not bother to record in holy writ. While sojourning in Gerar, Abraham
once again passed off his wife Sarah as his sister. The results were not very
pleasant, for Abraham was rebuked by a pagan king. The real tragedy is that
there seemed to be no genuine sorrow or repentance for the sin that was
committed. So far as we can tell, Abraham was not at a very high point in his
spiritual life when the “child of promise,” Isaac, was born to Sarah. It was at
this low ebb in Abraham’s spirituality that God brought one of the promised
blessings to pass in his life.
The Birth of the
Promised Son (21:1-7)
The
events of verses 1 through 7 can be seen in three different dimensions. In
verses 1 and 2 we see the divine dimension in the birth of the son as a gift
from God. Verses 3 through 5 record the response of Abraham to the birth of
this son. Finally, in verses 6 and 7 we have the jubilance of Sarah over the
arrival of the long-awaited child, who is the joy of her life.
AN ACT
OF GOD (Vv. 1-2)
I have a friend who is an insurance
agent, and he would be quick to tell me that an “act of God” in his line of
work is a disaster over which man has no control. Isaac was an “act of God” in
a very different sense. He was the result of divine intervention in the lives
of Abraham and Sarah, both of whom were too old to bear children. It was the
fulfillment of a promise made long before the birth of the child and often
reiterated to Abraham (cf. Genesis 12:2; 15:4; 17:15-16;
18:10):
Then the Lord took note of Sarah as
He had said, and the Lord 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).
Several
things are striking about this passage. First, we cannot miss the note of calm
assurance. There has been no suspense. The event comes without surprise,
reported as though nothing else could have happened than what did. And, of
course, this is precisely right.
Second,
there is a distinct emphasis on the aspect of fulfillment. The birth of Isaac
came without surprise simply because that was what God had promised would
happen. Four times in these two short verses the element of fulfillment is
stressed (“as He had said,” “as He had promised,” verse 1; “at the appointed
time,” “which God had spoken,” verse 2). It was God who promised the child; it
was God who accomplished His word. And this was done right on schedule. God’s
purposes are never delayed, nor are they ever defeated by man’s sin. God’s
purposes are certain. What God has promised, He will accomplish.
Third,
the son seems to be given almost more for Sarah’s benefit here than for
Abraham’s. “The Lord,” Moses wrote, “took note of Sarah … and … did for Sarah”
(verse 1). I do not think it too far afield to suggest that Sarah wanted that
son more than Abraham did. You will remember that Abraham besought God on
behalf of Ishmael, seemingly to accept him as the son of promise (cf. 17:18).
Neither did Abraham seem to take the promise of a son too seriously when
he was willing to subject Sarah to the dangers of Abimelech’s harem at the very
time she was about to conceive the promised son (cf. 17:21; 18:14). And so,
even though Abraham may not have had the desire for this child as much as his
wife, God kept His promise.
Applying
the Scripture:
No comments:
Post a Comment