April 23rd, 2021- Birth of a promised child-Gen 21 tells of Isaac’s birth. Abe is 100 and Sarah is 90!
Verse 2 says at the very time God had promised him. Nowhere was there a recording of a time when God’s promise will happen so we must be patient and wait on the Lord. That promise was made in Gen 12:2, 15:5 and Gen 17 where he said He’d make Abe a great nation and Abe’s offspring will be as numerous as the stars and when He changed the couple’s names, respectively but that promise was fulfilled 25 years later. Sarah saw that the son of foolishness was a mockery to her and told Abe to send him away. The boy and his mother were sent away and it hurt Abraham but God said to do it and He would make that boy a nation too. God said to do it and Abraham didn’t argue or gripe, like we would. This is faith! Remember that faith comes from God and the tests show us our faith so when we show a lack of faith, it is because we allow tests to become temptations and we fail. When we are tested, we should respond swiftly, like Abraham will do in the next lesson…
When Hagar had lost hope, God gave her a well and told her that the boy will grow up and become a great nation. He became an archer and his mother got him an Egyptian wife.
Abe made a treaty with Abimelech and lived in Philistine land for a long time, with his family. Big test in our next chapter.
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