Episode 278 - "The LORD does what he said he would do" - Genesis 21:1-7

The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. 2 And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” 7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

I hate to treat these first seven verses of Genesis 21 by themselves because what we have here is just part of the story. Yet this section reveals important theological truth for us to understand today, and I don’t want to gloss over it.

Notice verse one, “The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. What is this revealing? Who was the original audience, and why would they need to know this? The answer to this latter question is the Israelites whose parents came out of Egypt and who themselves were about to be led into the land God had promised Abraham and his descendants. Their parents had witnessed God do amazing things but quickly and repeatedly fell into disobedience. They wouldn’t consistently obey what the LORD told them to do. They did not trust him. It was important for this generation who was entering into the Promised Land to trust and obey the LORD.

This first verse strongly affirms that the LORD is faithful to do what he says he will do and fulfill his promises. Is that important for people who identify with the LORD today? Absolutely! Verse 2 continues to affirm that the LORD’s fulfillment of his promise matches the timing of the fulfillment as well. The LORD left no ambiguity as to what he would do, and he acted in exact accordance with that promise.

Verses 3-4 also reveal something very important in the story, for the understanding of the Israelites entering the land and for us today. Abraham responded to the LORD’s fulfilling his promise by obeying the LORD’s command to circumcise his son Isaac. That was the sign of the covenant the LORD made with Abraham. The right heart or attitude of obedience to the LORD should be one of desire and willingness. It should not be obeying as though out of duress. It seems to me that the spirit of both Abraham and Sarah is one of gratitude and amazement at what the LORD has done for them by giving them this miracle son. The way Moses tells this story makes it feel like Abraham didn’t waste any time responding in obedience to the LORD because of what the LORD did for them. Moses reminds his audience of the miracle quality of Isaac’s birth by stating that Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. (v. 5)

Do you remember what happened when the LORD visited Abraham and Sarah at their tent and revealed that Sarah would have a son by Abraham about the same time the next year? Sarah laughed. The context of that scene suggests that skepticism was coincidental with her laughter.

But now I hear a sense of amazement and joy. She laughs because it’s so unlikely for a 90-year-old woman to have a child, much less if the man is 100. It’s funny. I laugh, too, when thinking about it. Just as long as it doesn’t happen to my wife and me. We would not find that too funny.

We have some good thoughts for this week. The LORD is faithful to his word and promises. In light of who the LORD is and what he does, we should obey him with joy and amazement.