Make-Up: October 2, 2011 - Abraham

Sarah, Hagar, and Abraham

Bible Text:
Genesis 12:1–4a, 10–20; 15:1–6; 16–18; 21:1–21

Lesson Focus:
We can trust God to follow through on promises, even when we don't keep ours.

Big Question:
Can I really trust God?

Key Words:
TRUST, COVENANT, DESCENDANT, RIGHTEOUS

Definition of Key Words

TRUST: believing in and relying on others.

COVENANT: a contract or an agreement of promises between two parties.

DESCENDANT: someone whose family relationship can be traced to a particular individual or group.

RIGHTEOUS: justified and good. Righteousness comes from faith, and faith comes from God. Righteousness does not come from human works or merit.

Highlights

God makes a covenant with Abraham and Sarah. The promise of descendants and land and blessing first introduced in chapter 12 is reiterated, and the sign of the covenant (male circumcision) is instituted.

God hears Abraham and Hagar's pleas for Ishmael and promises to make of him a great nation, as well. Ishmael is the family line that more than one billion Muslims claim.

God "opens Sarah's womb," Abraham provides the "seed," and Sarah carries the baby and gives birth. Isaac is born of this against-all-odds partnership.

God remains faithful to the promise even when the human part of the partnership does not.

People do not somehow achieve perfection before God works with them, nor does God magically perfect them before calling on them. The "heroes" of the Bible are very real people.

DEEP Thoughts

By Genesis 13, Abram is very rich and well on the journey God commanded him to undertake. Blessings are becoming a reality for him—but still he has no heir. Along the way God continued to repeat the promise of descendants so numerous they will be like the dust of the earth and the stars in the sky, but Sarai remained barren far past childbearing years. The promise seemed to be an impossibility. Abraham questioned it, but in the end, he believed God without any proof or evidence—God's word created the faith he needed to continue on the journey. God's faith-creating word, not Abraham's merit or goodness, is the source of Abraham's "righteousness" (15:6).

Another covenant is made in Genesis 17. The promise of descendants and land and blessing first introduced in chapter 12 is reiterated, and the sign of the covenant (male circumcision) is instituted. Just because a covenant has been made does not mean things unfold seamlessly, however. When Abraham was afraid of Pharaoh, he claimed Sarai was his sister. Sarai herself also becomes more of a player in these chapters. Hagar served as a surrogate mother for Sarai at Sarai's request, and Ishmael was born. The birth of Ishmael does not fulfill the promise that God made, however. God renames Sarai as Sarah ("princess [of a nation]") and Abram as Abraham ("ancestor of a multitude") and promises them that they will have a baby together in their old age.

"Your wife Sarah shall bear you a son," God promises (Genesis 17:19). And we learn that God will establish a covenant with Abraham and Sarah's child—a nation will be built from this child of promise they will have.

Ishmael fades but is not dropped from the biblical storyline. God hears Abraham's plea for Ishmael and promises to make of him a great nation as well. And indeed, Ishmael is the family line that more than one billion Muslims claim. God hears Hagar's cries in the wilderness and opens her eyes to see a well—life-sustaining water for her and Ishmael. God is faithful to Hagar and Ishmael but gently redirects Abraham. "But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year" (Genesis 17:21). It is such a ludicrous idea, Sarah laughs, but the promise holds and the miracle gift of the child of promise comes to be when Abraham is 100 and Sarah is 90. God "opens Sarah's womb," Abraham provides the "seed," and Sarah carries the baby and gives birth. When Isaac ("laughing boy" or "laughter is born") is born of this against-all-odds partnership, the cynical laughter of doubt turns to the laughter of joy.

We learn a lot about both God and humanity in the narrative of Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah. God is a vulnerable and suffering God at times. God sees and responds to human need. God takes human action, thought, and partnership seriously. Most importantly, God remains faithful to the promise even when the human part of the partnership does not. For their part, humans actually help shape the future in many instances. People do not somehow achieve perfection before God works with them, nor does God magically perfect them before calling on them. The "heroes" of the Bible are very real people. God works for life and goodness and blessing for all, with—and in spite of—the chosen ones. Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar provide many complications and difficulties, but they remain God's vehicle for blessing the world.