Old Testament Reading: Genesis 23

“Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, ‘I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.’ The Hittites answered Abraham, ‘Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead.’ Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land. And he said to them, ‘If you are willing that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he owns; it is at the end of his field. For the full price let him give it to me in your presence as property for a burying place.’ Now Ephron was sitting among the Hittites, and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the Hittites, of all who went in at the gate of his city, ‘No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead.’ Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, ‘But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there.’ Ephron answered Abraham, ‘My lord, listen to me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.’ Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites.” (Genesis 23:1–20, ESV)

New Testament Reading: 2 Peter 3:1–13

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:1–13, ESV)

*****

Introduction

The last time that we heard about Sarah, the wife of Abraham and mother of the nation of Israel, was in Genesis chapter 21. There we learned of the birth of Issac and the casting out of Ishmael. That was only two chapters ago in the book of Genesis, but think of this — 37 years passed between the events of chapter 21, and the events recorded for us here in chapter 23. Sarah was 90 years old when Issac was born, and here are told that she died at the age of 127.

I think it is good to be reminded from time to time that the scriptures are not a detailed record of the history of God’s people. Sarah lived for 127 years, and we know nothing at all about her life from the age of 90 to the time  of her death. The scriptures are very selective, aren’t they? God reveals what he reveals for a purpose. Moses wrote what he wrote, not so that we might have a detailed record of the history of Abraham and Sarah, but to make a point so that people of God might be edified in every generation. 

What, then, is the point of Genesis 23? What does this passage teach us? 

As we consider this text carefully we find that it highlights three things: One, Abraham’s sorrow. Two, Abraham’s sojourning. And three, Abraham’s acquisition of a sliver of land in Canaan as a burial place for his wife. And you would do well to notice that it is actually the third of these things that receives the most attention in this text. Yes, Abraham mourned Sarah’s death. And yes, he continued on as a sojourner in the land Canaan. But notice that the bulk of Genesis 23 focuses upon the negotiation between Abraham and Ephron the Hittite, and Abraham’s eventual acquisition of a sliver of land in Canaan to be used as a burial place for his people. The question we must keep in mind is, why this is emphasis upon Abraham’s possession of a piece of land?

*****

Abraham’s Sorrow

But let us begin by first of all considering Abraham’s sorrow in verses 1 and 2. 

There we read, “Sarah lived 127 years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:1–2, ESV). 

I  would like to make three observations about this sad scene. 

One, notice that Abraham and Sarah, as important as they were to the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes, were not exempt from the curse of death that has come upon all mankind as a result of Adam’s fall. From our point of view, Sarah lived a very long life. 127 years is a very long time for a person to live. But we should remember that in the world that was before the flood, men and women lived much longer than that! I suppose that some of those pre-diluvian figures — men like Enoch  and Adam — would look upon Sarah’s 127 years and say that she died too young! Furthermore, we should also remember that when God made Adam and Eve in the beginning, he created them to live forever and ever. Had Adam past the test he would have been moved out of that probationary period and into glory to live before God forever and ever. But remember, the wages of sin is death. And because all are in sin and have themselves sinned, all die. This is emphasized in the Genesis narrative again and again — so and so lived for this many years, and they died. As significant as Sarah was to the accomplishment of God’s plan of redemption, she still died. 

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, you and I ought to live our lives being mindful of our mortality. There is a ditch on both sides of the road when it comes to this. 

Some give little thought  to their mortality. They live as if they will never die. And they overlook the fact that when  they do they will stand before their maker. This might be particularly true for those who are young. Time moves more slowly for the young. And to them 60, 70, or 80 years seems like such a long way off. They often forget that the LORD might choose to take them at a younger age, and so they give little thought to their mortality. But even those who are advanced in years make the mistake of thinking little of their mortality. 

Some slip into the ditch on the other side of the road. These dwell upon the thought of death to the point of being overcome by fear. These are so mindful of the frailty of life that they find it difficult to live. 

Brothers and sisters, God’s call us to avoid both errors. We are live being mindful of our morality so that we might live humbly and purposefully, but we are also to live courageously and by faith, trusting ever in our God, knowing that he is able to bring us safely into our heavenly home.

Abraham and Sarah, as important as they were to the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes, were not exempt from the curse of death that has come upon all mankind as a result of Adam’s fall.

Two, recognize that the neither were they exempt from sorrow.

This point hardly needs to made. If you have been following along in our study of Genesis you know full well that Abraham and Sarah experinced sorrow.  

APPLICATION: Friends, do not be surprised by sorrow when it strikes. Give thanks to God for the good times, and when difficulties arise, cling to Christ and  “Count it all joy… [knowing] that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2–4, ESV).

Three, notice that Abraham truly mourned Sarah’s death. He “went in to mourn for [her] and to weep for her.”

This is truly a touching scene. Here we see Abraham’s love for Sarah put on display. Some assume that because the text says “Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah” this means that he was not by her side during her ailment, or as she passed, indicating some separation between the two. But this is not necessarily the case.  The language used here refers to mourning conducted in a formal fashion according to the customs of the day.

APPLICATION: There are, of course, relationships that are especially close — the relationship between friends, brothers and sisters, parents and children. But the relationship between husband and wife is most intimate, for in marriage the two become one flesh. It is no secret that Abraham and Sarah had their difficulties in marriage. I can think of three (maybe four) events reordered for us in the pages of holy scripture that must have put a significant  strain upon their marriage. And yet here we see Abraham and Sarah together in the end. Abraham truly mourn over her passing. Brothers and sisters, if you are married, cherish your spouse. Protect that relationship. Make it first above all  other earthly relationships. Invest into. And when wrongs committed, repent truly and be sure to forgive. May our final moments with our spouses be a touching as the one that we see here.    

Abraham mourned Sarah’s death.

APPLICTAION: See, therefore, that you are permitted to mourn even if your hope is set in Christ Jesus. 

I have noticed that amongst the Christian community mourning is sometimes frowned upon as if it is an indication of a lack of faith, or the result of forgetting the hope that we have in Christ. Notice how we no longer call them funerals, but celebrations of life. Really, I don’t think it matters what we call them. My concern is that Christian’s be permitted to mourn. Abraham sincerely mourned Sarah’s death. Christ sincerely mourned at the death of his friend Lazarus. “[He] wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (John 11:35–36, ESV).

The scriptures do not forbid us from morning. Death is an awful thing. It is, in a sense, an unnatural thing — God created us in the beginning to live forever. Death is the consequence of our rebellion. It is right, therefor, for the follower of Christ to mourn. But the scriptures do warn against grieving “as others do who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13, ESV). In other words, our faith in God and in the Christ whom he has sent should regulate our morning. 

When a follower of Christ mourns, he should, in due to time, lift his eyes up from the earth to heaven. The mourner must 

When a follower of Christ morns he should do so with the help of others. Notice that Abraham and Christ both morned in the presence of others. They did not isolate themselves from the community. Keep this in mind, friends. We live in an unusually individualistic and private society. We do a lot of things alone. Grieving is not  something that we should do all  alone, 

When a follower of Christ mourns he is to do so as one who’s hope is set firmly in God. This is what the Apostle explicitly calls the Christian to. 

Friends, the time comes for us to mourn, let us mourn well and to the glory of our God who has given us hope that goes beyond the grave through the Christ whom he has provided. 

*****

Abraham’s Sojourning

We have considered Abraham’s sorrow. Let us now briefly consider Abraham’s sojourning by looking at verse 3-4.

There we read, “And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, ‘I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight’” (Genesis 23:3–4, ESV).

The Hittites were what the inhabitants of the land of Canaan were called generally. And notice that when Sarah died Abraham had to ask them for a place to burry his dead, for he was still a sojourner. He was a foreigner who owned not a single piece of land in Canaan — not even a plot to burry his dead.  

This is significant when we considered it light of the promises of God made to Abraham concerning the land. God promised Abraham that he would have many descendents, and he had provided Isaac. God also promised that his descendents would possess Canaan, but as of yet, Abraham was still a sojourner.

APPLICATION: The fact of Abraham’s sojourning would have an impact upon all of his descendents, physically and spiritually considered. 

The Jewish people, once they finally came to possess the land of Canaan, were to be mindful of the sojourners who lived amongst them. They were to be careful not to oppress them in any way. For example, Exodus 23:9 says, “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Exodus 23:9, ESV). Furthermore, the Israelite who lived in the promise land after the exodus and conquest was to live in the land knowing that their hope was truly set in the heavenly Jerusalem, and not the earthly. 

And listen to Peter’s words to the Christian living under the New Covenant: “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11–12, ESV)

As children of Abraham we are to maintain the mentality of a sojourner. This does not mean that were are forbidden from acquiring property or from building wealth. But it does mean that we are to live on this earth continually mindful of the fact that this is not our home. We are to store up treasures, not on earth, but heaven. 

*****

Abraham’s Acquisition Of A Sliver Of Land In Canaan   

Lastly, let us consider Abraham’s acquisition of a sliver of land in Canaan as described in verses 5 through 20. 

I will not walk you though this passage methodically given it’s length, but notice a few things. 

One, notice that the bulk of Genesis 23 is devoted to the story of Abraham’s acquisition of this land. This is the thing that Moses wants to highlight. Sarah’s death and Abraham’s mourning is only a precursor to the main story.   

Two, notice the respect that Abraham showed to the Hittites.

APPLICATION: May all of Abraham’s children learn how to sojourn from their father. Though it is true that if we belong to God we are to  live lives of holiness in the world. Though it is true that there should be a noticeable difference between the way that we live and the way that the world lives. It is also true that we are strive for peace with all men, and to treat others in a respectful way. 

Listen to Peter again, when he says, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (1 Peter 3:13–17, ESV).

The Christian sojourner is to give “a reason for the hope that is in [them]; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” The Christian is to have a “good conscience” concerning the treatment of the non-Christian, and even those who persecute them. 

APPLICATION: Perhaps you have noticed that our culture is not currently characterized by kind, gentle, and respectful behavior. It seem’s that people have forgotten how to disagree with civility. Perhaps it is the social media that had contributed to it, but there is a harshness that characterizes our discourse. I believe that Christians are called to be better than this. Followers of Christ are called solve their enemies and do good to those who mistreat them. Followers of Christ are to treat people with  gentleness and respect. Our speech is to be seasoned with salt. Friends, let us not be conformed to the way of the world, but transformed by the renewal of our minds. Here is one way that we can shine as lights in darkness — we can treat those around us with respect. 

Abraham showed respect to the Hittites. And three, notice the honor that they showed to him, saying in  verse 6, “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will withhold from you his tomb to hinder you from burying your dead” (Genesis 23:6, ESV), and again in verse 11 Ephron says, “No, my lord, hear me: I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. In the sight of the sons of my people I give it to you. Bury your dead” (Genesis 23:11, ESV).

The offer was really this — I will loan you the field. I will give it to you for your use, is the idea. But the land would not have been Abraham’s possession if he accepted this generous offer. The offer was kind and generous, but Abraham wanted to own the land. And so in verse 11 we read that he “bowed down before the people of the land. And he said to Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, ‘But if you will, hear me: I give the price of the field. Accept it from me, that I may bury my dead there” (Genesis 23:12–13, ESV). 

Ephron eventually named the price — 400 shekels of silver. It’s hard to know if this was a good price, or an inflated price. We simply don’t know enough about land prices in that time. But the point is this — Abraham bought. He did not negotiate the price. He respectfully paid what Ephron asked. 

Listen to the emphasis upon Abraham’s acquisition in verses 17-20. “So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over to Abraham as a possession in the presence of the Hittites, before all who went in at the gate of his city. After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. The field and the cave that is in it were made over to Abraham as property for a burying place by the Hittites” (Genesis 23:17–20, ESV).

Friends, the story of Genesis can be describes as the story of the beginning of the fulfillment of the promises of God made to Abraham. 

It was promised to Abraham that his descendents would be like the dust of the earth,  the stars of heaven, and the sand on the seashore — nations would come from him. But what did Abraham see? He saw only his son Issac.

And it was promised that land of Canaan would also be his. But  what did he himself come into possession of? Only one sliver of land to be used as a burial ground for his people.  

I suppose we might emphasize how little of the fulfillment of the promises that Abraham saw. But we mighty also emphaiszze the fact that the LORD did give him something. He blessed him to at least have a taste of the fulfillment. He saw Isaac, and he owned a bit of the land to burry his dead. Abraham was given a taste. 

Notice that this is how God has chosen to accomplish his plan of redemption. His plan unfolded progressively. The illustration of a seed is always helpful here. When God gave those promises to Abraham it was like a farmer dropping a seed down into the earth. And when Abraham saw the birth of Issac and when he acquired the land it was like a farmer being blessed to see the plant spout forth from the earth. How invigorating that experience must have been for Abraham to the first fruits.  It must have given him hope that indeed God would bring his promises to fulfilment.

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, the LORD has done the same for you and me. Though it is true that the Christ has come, we still have not received the final fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham. According to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:1–13, ESV).

But God has given us a downpayment. Having believed upon Christ you were “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14, ESV).

And we too have seen the firstfrutes when Christ rose from the grave. “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, just like father Abraham you and I long to see the new heaven and earth and the resurrection of the dead on the last day. And just as he did for Abraham, the LORD has graciously provided us with a foretaste and a downpayment which guarantee the full  and final fulfillment of these things — the resurrection of Christ from the grave proves that he will raise the dead who are in him, and the Spirit has been poured out upon us showing that the LORD will bring  us to glory. 

*****

Conclusion 

 Friends, may you be encouraged by these things and continue on faithful to the end. My desire is that “each one of you [would] show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:11–12, ESV).

Posted in Sermons Study Guides Genesis 23
Comments Off on Sermon: Genesis 23: A Partial Fulfillment Of The Promise Concerning Land Posted by Joe

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

• Is it easier to start well or end well in the Chritsian life? What does the story of Abraham reveal concerning this question? Discuss how this might apply to your own life.
• Should we expect to hear from the LORD in the same way that Abraham did? How does the LORD speak to his people today? Should we obey in the same manner that Abraham did? Discuss.
• What impact does our obedience or disobedience have upon our sense of assurance (our confidence that we do indeed belong to God in Christ Jesus)? (See 1 John 2:3)

Tags: Gospel Community Groups

Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups Joe Anady
Comments Off on Discussion Questions for Sermon On Genesis 22 Posted by Joe

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 22

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’ And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’ And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.’ So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba. Now after these things it was told to Abraham, ‘Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.’” (Genesis 22, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:8–19

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” (Hebrews 11:8–19, ESV)

*****

Introduction

I think you would agree with me that the story of Genesis 22 is perplexing at the start. From Genesis 12 on through to the end of Genesis 20 we have been eagerly awaiting the fulfillment to the promises of God  concerning a son for Abraham and Sarah. Finally, in Genesis 21 we hear that the son was born. And then in Genesis 22 we are startled by these words: God spoke to Abraham and said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2, ESV). 

This command is perplexing on a couple of levels. First, it contradicts the promises that had been made to Abraham previously concerning his son Isaac and the work that God would accomplish through him. How could God accomplish that work if he were dead? And secondly, this command does not square at all with what we know to be true of the character of the God of the Bible. The scriptures in other places strictly condemn and forbid the practice of child sacrifice which was (and is) practiced in the world, and yet here the LORD tells Abraham to do it. As I said, the beginning of this story is very perplexing to the reader

And what about Abraham? Can you imagine how perplexing this must have been to him? This passage  gives us very little insight into the thought life of Abraham. The reader is left to imagine what was going on in his mind and heart as he walked through this experience. No doubt, he would have been thinking what we are thinking: Doesn’t this contradict what the LORD has said to me previously? And this seems to be entirely out of character for the LORD that I know. I’m sure that these thoughts were swirling around in Abraham’s mind, but what do you think was going on in  his heart? You and I can look back upon this narrative and ask these questions, but we are detached personally. Abraham lived this story. He actually  “rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac [his son, his only son, whom he loved]. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3, ESV). And he must of agonized over these things during  the three day journey. If this story is perplexing to the reader, how much more for Abraham as he experienced these things personally. 

But please noticed how I have said that this story is perplexing at first, or in the beginning. This is an important thing to emphasize, for though it is true that this story startles the reader at the start, by the end it is clear, understandable, illuminating and very comforting. Abraham himself journeyed towards Moriah perplexed and heavyhearted, but he journeyed home encouraged, comforted and reassured in the promises of God. Indeed, his faith was greatly strengthened through this test. He returned home more certain than ever that the LORD would provide. The LORD would provide the fulfillment to his promises. And more specifically, the LORD would provide a substitute for his offspring so that, though as good as dead, they might live.

I would like to  consider the story of Genesis 22 in five parts this morning. One, we will consider the call of God in verses 1 and 2. Two, the obedience of Abraham in verses 3 through 10. Three, the provision of the LORD in verse 12 through 14. Four, the promises of God in verses 15 through 19.  And five, a warning concerning trusting in the appearance of things in verses 20 through 24. We will need to move rather quickly. 

*****

The Call Of God Upon Abraham

First of all, let us consider the call of God upon Abraham in verses 1 and 2. 

There we read, “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you’” (Genesis 22:1–2, ESV).

Notice how these words echo the original call of God upon Abraham when he was called to leave his homeland and go to a land that God would show him. If you were to set Genesis 22:1-2 alongside Genesis 12:1 you would see that there are very similar. It makes me wonder which journey was more difficult for Abraham? Was it more challenging for him to leave his home in Ur for the promised land? Or was it more challenging for him to leave home in the promised land for Moriah?

APPLICATION: In my experience I have found that many Christians assume the Christian life will grow easier with the passing of time? I would question that notion. It seems to me that finishing well is often more difficult than starting well. The story of Abraham would support this theory. It must have been difficult for him to leave Ur when first called by God. That required great faith. But something tells me that this journey to Moriah later in life was even more challenging. Friends, starting well in the Christian life matters little when compared to finishing well. Finishing well is what the scriptures call us to do. Those truly in Christ will  finish well, as Christ himself has said, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, ESV).

The words, “after these things” in verse 1 might seem insignificant, buy they are very important for the direct our attention to the past. One, they remind us of what happened in chapter 21 with the birth of Isaac and the casting out of Ishmael. If we had the time I would set the story of the casting out of Ishmael and God’s provision for he and Hagar right along side this story concerning the sacrifice of Isaac and God’s provision of a substitute. And if I were to do that you would see that the two stories concerning Abraham’s two son’s parallel one another. They are meant to be compared and contrasted. Also, the words “after these things” remind us of all that has transpired  from Genesis 12 up to this point. Moses wants all of that  — especially the promises made to Abraham in years past — to be fresh in our minds so that we might be prepared to absorb the shocking story that he is about to tell. 

APPLICATION: Indeed, it wise for anyone who is going through a difficult and trying time to look back upon the past and to to remember God’s promises and his faithfulness. If you are going through a season of difficulty, don’t forget to look back. Look back and remember God’s faithfulness in  your  own life, and remember God’s faithfulness in generations past. God is faithful yesterday, today and forever. 

As we go on in verse 1 we read these words: “God tested Abraham”. Now, these are Moses’ words to the reader, and not God’s words to Abraham. Moses wants the reader to know from the outset that this was a test. Abraham’s faith was tested in this event, this we know from the start. Whether or not Abraham realized that it was a test from the start, we do not know. 

APPLICATION: And here is something we must understand about our God. Though he never tempts people (James 1:13), he does test them. What is the difference,  you might ask? Well the evil one tempts people with evil to make them stumble and fall. But God when God tests his people it is for the purpose of strengthening and refining them. Tempting and testing share this in common: they both involve a kind of test. But the purposes of God and of Satan are quite different. Satan seeks to destroy. God’s purpose is for the test to purity of ones faith. When he tests those who belong to him, it is to strengthen and refine them. Sometimes God’s people pass the test. Sometimes they fail. But even when they fail God uses the failure to further refine them.     

Abraham’s faith was tested in the event that is described to us here in this chapter. And I, for one, am glad to know that it was a test from the  start, for the thing that God called Abraham to do is shocking.  God called out to Abraham, saying,  “Abraham!” And Abraham replied as a faithful servant should, saying, “Here I am” (Genesis 22:1, ESV). And then God spoke, saying, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you” (Genesis 22:2, ESV).

As I have already said, this must have been shocking to Abraham. This word from the LORD seemed, at first, to contradict what the LORD had promised earlier — that through Issac the promises of God would be fulfilled. Also, this word from the LORD seemed to contradict the character of God which Abraham had come to know so well — the false gods of the pagans were pleased with human sacrifice, but not the LORD of all creation.   

But notice this. The LORD did help Abraham along when he called him. In other words, he called him in such a way so as to soften the blow and to coax him along towards obedience. Notice ______ things about the call. 

One, though our English translations do not bring this out, in the Hebrew it is clear that God said “please” to Abraham when he delivered this command. Translated more literally the text says, “Please take your son, your only child whom you love…” It is very, very uncommon for God to  say “please” or “I beg you” or “I urge you” when delivering commands to his people. But here he does. It is as if God said to Abraham, I know this is going to sound very strange to you, please trust me. Take your son, etc. 

Two, notice that God reassured Abraham that he knew  how precious Isaac was to him. I suppose he could have simply said, Abraham, take your son Isaac… But instead he said, “Please, take your son, your only only whom you love…” 

Three, take notice of the name of the place that God called Abraham to go to. Go to the land of Moriah, God said. The Hebrew  word Moriah sounds like the Hebrew word for “provide” which will become the central theme of the story as it continues to unfold. 

A little later in the story Isaac will notice that his dad has everything needed for a sacrifice except… the sacrifice, and so he asks his father. And what did Abraham say? “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8, ESV). And after the whole ordeal was over notice that Abraham expanded upon the name “Moriah” and called the place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided” (Genesis 22:14, ESV). 

What I am saying is this: Though all of this became increasingly clear to Abraham as he obeyed, the name of the place was a clue to Abraham that the LORD would make it clear, would see to it, and would provide. Abraham was called by God to head of towards land where the LORD would provide. It is as if  the LORD spoke to Abraham and ever so subtly said, Abraham, please trust me. Take your only son — the son whom you love so very much, and go to the land of provision, and offer him up there. I do not mean to minimize how difficult fit must have been for Abraham to obey. But at the same time we should not ignore the hints that God dropped when called Abraham, so as to ease his mind concerning the perplexing thing that he was calling him to do. 

By the way, where is Moriah? Where is this mountain of provision that Abraham was called to sacrifice his son upon? 2 Chronicles 3:1 reveals that Moriah is where the city of Jerusalem would eventually be build. More specifically, Mount Moriah was the location where the temple in Jerusalem would eventually be constructed.  In 2 Chronicles 3:1 we read, “Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to David his father, at the place that David had appointed, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite” (2 Chronicles 3:1, ESV). Please keep this in mind as we continue on with our story.  

*****

The Obedience Of Abraham

We have considered the call of God upon Abraham in verses 1 and 2. Now let us consider the obedience of  Abraham in verses 3 through 10. 

As you know, Abraham’s faith was not always perfect. He had his ups and downs. He sometimes allowed fear of the unknown to get to him. But here in this episode, his faith is rock solid. He simply obeyed the LORD this he did from the moment that he saddled his donkey to the moment that he lifted up the knife to slay his son. Abraham simply obeyed the LORD. 

And what was he thinking? The scriptures reveal very little concerning Abraham’s thought life. I think it is safe to  assume that he agonized over the thought of Isaac death, and especially over the though that it would come by his hand. But the scriptures do give us some insight into his thinking. And when they do, what do we find? We find faith.  

For three days Abraham journeyed along with Isaac and two of his young men. Verse 4: “On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar” (Genesis 22:4, ESV). This is a dramatic scene. I think Abraham’s heart sank when he saw the place. How did he know it was the place? The LORD must have revealed it to him. But listen carefully to what  Abraham said to his servants. Verse 5: “Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you” (Genesis 22:5, ESV). The word “come” in the phrase “come again to you” is plural. In other words, Abraham said, “I and the boy will go over there and worship and [the who of us will] come again to you.” How could Abraham have said this to his servants given what thew LORD had commanded him to do? He said it in faith knowing that the LORD would provide somehow. The LORD would not  break his promises concerning the blessing that would come through Issac.  The LORD would provide. How? Abraham did not know, but he knew that he would. And so he said, we are going to worship, and we will return. 

Abraham’s faith is also evident in his response to Isaac’s question concerning the missing sacrifice. Uh, Dad. I see the fire.  I see the wood. But where is the lamb? “Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So they went both of them together” (Genesis 22:8, ESV).

And notice that Abraham obeyed, not half way, or three quarters of the way, but all of the way. “When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.” By the way, I think this indicates that Isaac also had faith. It is difficult to imagine that young man would not be able to escape a man of Abraham’s age in a situation like this. Issac was a willing sacrifice. “Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son” (Genesis 22:9–10, ESV).

Abraham was perfectly obedient to God in this moment. He obeyed even to the point of lifting the knife to slay his son. And yet we might still  ask the question, what was thinking that he would be willing to go this far in  obedience to the command of God? The New Testament helps us to understand. Remember that Hebrews passage that I read at the beginning of the sermon. In chapter 11 verse 17 we find these words: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ He [Abraham] considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Hebrews 11:17–19, ESV).

This is very helpful. Here the scriptures reveal to us that Abraham lifted up the knife to slay his son believing that one of the ways that God could provide would be to raise the boy from the dead. Abraham  knew that God was able to bring life from death, and so he was obedient to the point of death. 

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, you and I should obey the LORD as Abraham did — consistently, to the end, and even to the point of death, believing for sure  that God will raise the dead and that he is the rewarder of “those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, ESV). 

Now please do not misunderstand me. You would be a fool to think that God will speak to you in the way that he spoke to Abraham. Abraham was a prophet. Abraham played a unique and very unusual role in the history of redemption. God does not speak to anyone today in the way that he spoke to Abraham. It would be very misguided and unbiblical for anyone today to wait around waiting to hear from God before knowing what to do. If you need help understand why this is so, I would be happy to explain it to you from the scriptures. In brief, the Christ has come to whom the law and the prophets pointed. All of the promises of God — the promises that were delivered first to Abraham — find their “yes” in him (2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus the Christ was the word of God come in the flesh — the panicle of God’s special revelation. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV). In other words, there is nothing left for God to reveal now that the Christ has come. The New Testament scriptures testify concerning him. The foundational age of the Apostles and Prophets is over. And now we have the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. They are all we need. 

Now, does the Holy Spirit “speak to us”? Yes! But in this sense. He is the Paraclete — the Helper — who ministers the Word of God to us. He illuminates the scriptures. He helps us to understand them and to apply them. He gives wisdom to his people so that they might live in obedience to the Word of God already given.

That is what I mean when I say that we should obey the LORD as Abraham did. It is not that we should expect God to speak to us as God spoke to Abraham the prophet. Rather, now that God has spoken to us by his Son, we ought to be found living obedient lives of faith, as Abraham did in this instance.  

*****

The Provision Of The LORD   

Abraham believed that God was able to raise Issac from the dead, if necessary. Thankfully, it did not come to that, for the LORD  provided a substitute. Let us now consider the provision of the LORD. 

Right as Abraham lifted his hand to slay his son, his only son Isaac, whom he loved, “the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven saying, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am’” (Genesis 22:11, ESV). You can almost here the urgency in the LORD’s voice, and the relief in Abraham’s. And the LORD said, “’Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided’” (Genesis 22:12–14, ESV).

I have mentioned this many times now in our study of the book of Genesis: many of the event that are recorded for us in this book (and in the Old Testament) have a prototypical quality to them. They were real events that really happened, but they also pointed forward to things yet to come on a greater scale. Certainly this story concerning the sacrifice of Isaac and the LORD’s provision of a substitute was one of those events.  

On an earthly level, Issac typifies the people of Israel who would descend from him. They, because of their sin and rebellion will deserve to be cast out of the land. But God would provide a sacrificial system by which atonement would be made for their sins. 

On a spiritual and heavenly level, Issac typifies the Israel of God — that is to say, the elect of God. All who have the faith of Abraham from amongst the Jews and Gentiles. They deserve death because of their sin. But God, beings rich in mercy would provide a Savior — Christ Jesus the LORD, the lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. He is our substitute. 

Please understand, therefore, the gospel was portrayed through Abraham’s obedience and the LORD’s provision. The message was communicated loud and clear — the LORD will provide! And what would he provide? A substitute for the children of God. The doctrine of substitutionary atonement was not invented by Christians, therefore. Far from it! Even Abraham, and all who descended from him, were taught that God would save his people from death — the death that is due to all of us because of our sin — and this he would do by sending someone to our place. 

Did you notice the little remark that Moses made at the end of verse 14? As it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided’” (Genesis 22:12–14, ESV). Moses wrote Genesis over 400 years after Abraham experienced this. He wrote Genesis after the Hebrews spent a long time as slaves in Egypt. And yet even still the saying was common — “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided”.  What mount? Moriah. The mountain where the temple would be build. The mountain where animal sacrifices would be offered up for hundreds of years. And in the place where the Christ, the lamb of God who takes aways the sins, not only of the Hebrews, but also the Gentiles, would slain as a substitute for those given to him by the Father.  

Now what do we say? Not, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided”, but praise be to God, On the mount of the LORD it has been provided, for it is finished.

*****

The Promises Of God   

I have two more points to make, and very little time to make them. We have considered the call of God upon Abraham, the obedience of Abraham, and the provision of of the LORD. Now let me say a very brief word concerning the promises of God reiterated.

These promises are new. They have already been made to Abraham unconditionally. In others words, God had promised that these things would surely happen. But now, because of Abraham’s, they are stated with even more forcefulness and clarity. 

“And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice’” (Genesis 22:15–18, ESV).

Again, these are not new promises. And the fulfillment of them was never contingent upon Abraham’s obedience. But Abraham’s obedience brought about an even more robust expression of these promises. Not only would his descendents be as the stars of heaven, but as the sand of the seashore. And not only would Abraham possess the land, but his offspring would possess the gate of their enemies, referring to their victory over their enemies. 

APPLICTAION: Friends, when we obey God we do not earn our salvation or make it sure, but we do often gain a sense of assurance concerning it. When we disobey God we sometimes wonder if we are really his. But when we obey that often brings an increase in our confidence in Christ. I would imagine that Abraham walked away confident. He obeyed. He passed the test. The gospel was portrayed before his very eyes — he was sure that “on the mount of the LORD it shall be provided”. And he was reassured concerning the promises of God that had been delivered unconditionally to him years earlier. I wonder, friends, do you have a sense of assurance? Are you confident in Christ Jesus. If you lack assurance, the possible reasons are many. But one possibility is that you lack it because you have been disobedient. The Apostle spook of assurance when he said, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2:3, ESV).

Abraham was obedient. He passed the test. And he was blessed to have the promised of God reiterated to him yet again, with even greater boldness and clarity than before. 

*****

A Warning Concerning The Appearance Of Things   

In the fifth and last portion of our text for today we are warned against trusting in the appearance of things. 

This narrative has a conclusion that seems strange at first. In verse 20 we read, “Now after these things it was told to Abraham, ‘Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.’ (Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah” (Genesis 22:20–24, ESV).

What is this about? Why did Moses provide a list of the descendents of Abraham’s brother, Nahor, as a conclusion to this story concerning Abraham and his son Isaac? 

The answer, I think, is that it sets the apparent flourishing of Nahor over and against the apparent languishing of Abraham, God’s chosen and blessed one. 

When you look at Nahor, Abraham’s brother, who did not follow the LORD, who remained in Ur and, presumably, continued to worship other god’s, what do you see? A man flourishing and blessed. 12 of his descendents are mentioned. 

But when you look at Abraham what do you see? Well, concerning offspring, he is a man that is barely scraping by. He had one son by Hagar, Sarah’s servant girl, and he had to send him away. He had only one son by Sarah, and this one narrowly escaped being sacrificed. 

But the people of God must learn to distrust the appearance of things, for sometimes things are not as they appear. Abraham was indeed blessed of God. A great multitude was truly in his loins. Indeed, God would establish his kingdom through him. And from him the Christ would be brought into the world. Judging by appearance one might be tempted to say that Nahor was the blessed one of the two. But not according to the decree of God. 

APPLICATION: Friends, you too must learn to look beyond the appearance of things. Quite often the people and institutions that appear prosperous and blessed will come to nothing, and the people and institutions that belong to the LORD seem on the surface to be so very small and insignificant. This has been a common phenomenon throughout the history of redemption, and I believe it is true to this present day.  I ask you, where is the Kingdom of God in the world today? Where is his church? Where is he working? If I were a betting man I would wager a great some of money upon God working amongst people and institutions that on the surface seem to be of little significance, for this is God’s way. Our God has chosen “what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:28–29, ESV).

*****

Conclusion 

Almighty God, grant that the words which we have heard today, with our outward ears, may by your grace be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honor and praise of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Genesis 22
Comments Off on Sermon: Genesis 22: The LORD Will Provide Posted by Joe

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

• What does the name “Isaac” mean?
• Compare and contrast the laughing of Sarah with the laughing of Ishmael. What does this reveal concerning their attitude towards the promises of God?
• Discuss how the sorrow of sending Ishamel away was the natural consequence of Abraham’s sin. How might the Lord use the consequences of our sin to refine us. When we suffer under the consequences of our sins does this mean that God is angry with us?
• Where do we see evidence of God’s mercy in this passage? How has God been merciful to you in the midst of pain and suffering (of any kind, but even pain caused by your own sin)?

Tags: Gospel Community Groups

Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups Joe Anady
Comments Off on Discussion Questions for Sermon on Genesis 21 Posted by Joe

*****

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 21

“The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.’ 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.’ And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.’ And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, ‘Let me not look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt. At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, ‘God is with you in all that you do. Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, so you will deal with me and with the land where you have sojourned.’ And Abraham said, ‘I will swear.’ When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had seized, Abimelech said, ‘I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.’ So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock apart. And Abimelech said to Abraham, ‘What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs that you have set apart?’ He said, ‘These seven ewe lambs you will take from my hand, that this may be a witness for me that I dug this well.’ Therefore that place was called Beersheba, because there both of them swore an oath. So they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army rose up and returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines.” (Genesis 21, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Galatians 4:21–31

“Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written, ‘Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than those of the one who has a husband.’ Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? ‘Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.’ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.” (Galatians 4:21–31, ESV)

*****

Introduction

The text that we are considering this morning is divided into three parts. One, the story of the birth of Isaac found in Genesis 21:1-7. Two, the story of the casting away of Ishmael found in verses 8-21. And three, the story of the covenant transacted between Abraham and Abimelech is found in verses 22-34. 

Naturally, the sermon today will have three points which correspond to these three stories. First, we will consider the promises of God fulfilled in the birth of Isaac. Secondly, we will consider the pain caused by the sin of Abraham and Sarah committed years earlier (along with God’s mercies). And three, we will consider the faithfulness of the LORD to be present with his covenant people in their sojourning.   

*****

The Promises Of God Fulfilled In The Birth Of Isaac

First, let us look upon verses 1 through 7 to consider the promises of God fulfilled in the birth of Isaac. 

In verses 1 and 2 we finally hear the news that we have been waiting for. “The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him.” (Genesis 21:1–2, ESV)

The tension concerning Sarah’s barrenness has been building ever since it was first mentioned in verse 30 of chapter 11. There we read, “Now Sarai was barren; she had no child” (Genesis 11:30, ESV). And that tension has increased with the passing of time and with each promise uttered by the LORD concerning a child for Abraham and Sarah. Those promises which were reiterated and clarified from time to time were comforting, no doubt. But they also increased the anticipation. When, LORD? When will Sarah and Abraham have this child? Time is certainly running out!

Finally, the time has come. The text says, “The LORD visited Sarah”. This indicates that the birth of Isaac was supernatural. It was not a virgin birth, as it was with the birth of the Christ. Indeed, Isaac was conceived by the ordinary means of procreation. But it was supernatural and miraculous none the less. The LORD visited Sarah. She was now 90 years old. She had been barren all her life. Abraham was 100. And the LORD miraculously enabled her to conceive.

When we read verses 1 and 2 did you notice the emphasis upon this being in fulfillment to the promises of God?  Hear it again: “The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him” (Genesis 21:1–2, ESV). Three times the text emphasizes that these things happened in fulfillment to God’s promises.  

Have you ever wondered why the LORD made Sarah and Abraham wait so long for their son? I suppose we may never know all of the reasons, for there are “secret things [that] belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV). But I think it is safe to say that at least three things were being accomplished through the waiting. 

One, the faith of Abraham and Sarah was being tested. Would they go on believing the LORD when the fulfillment of his promises seemed impossible to them? Would they persevere in the faith with the passing of time? Their faith was being tested, so that it might also be strengthened. Faith that is true gets stronger when it is tried and tested. Abraham and Sarahs faith grew stronger as it was tested over time. 

APPLICATION: Friends, the LORD allows our faith to be tested from time to time, doesn’t he? This he does in a variety of ways. But if our faith is true, the testing is it is for the purpose of strengthening our faith. Just as the body and mind will not grow stronger if they are not tested, neither will our faith. Faith, if it is true faith, grows stronger when it is tested. Faith, if it is false faith, will wither before the heat of trials and tribulations. 1 Peter 1:3-7 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3–7, ESV). 

Abraham and Sarah’s faith was tested as the fulfillment to the promise was delayed. 

Two, the ability of the LORD to bring life from death was put on display as Sarah and Abraham waited long for their promised son. 

You would do well to notice that barrenness is a bit of a theme in the book of Genesis. The earth was barren (that is, empty and void) when it was first created, and yet the LORD formed it into a place suitable for life, particularly human life. For 90 years Sarah was barren. Rachel, the wife of Jacob (the grandson of Abraham) was also barren (see Genesis 29:31). In each instance the LORD overcomes barrenness and makes that which is dead to live.  

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, the LORD has done the same for you and for me — indeed, for all who have faith in Christ Jesus. He had taken that which is dead and he has made it alive. “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…” (Ephesians 2:1–2, 4-5, ESV). What the LORD did for Sarah’s womb, he has also done for your soul. You were dead (according to the soul), but God has made you alive in Christ. He has “visited you”, and by his Spirit he has enabled you to believe. He has opened your blind eyes, unstopped your deaf ears, and has breathed the breath of life into your lifeless soul — by grace you have been saved. 

The ability of the LORD to bring life from death was put on display as Sarah and Abraham waited long for their promised son.

Three, the faithfulness of the LORD was also demonstrated to Abraham, and through him, to the world as  he and Sarah waited long for their promised son.

The LORD is faithful. He always keeps his promises. He cannot lie or change his mind. The people of God sometimes doubt his faithfulness with the passing of time. But the story of the long awaited birth of Isaac demonstrates that God will  always keep his promises, even if the wait seems unreasonably long. 

Brothers and sisters, this is how Paul the Apostle interpreted and applied the story of the birth of Isaac in his epistle to the Romans, chapter 4 verses 16-22. He writes, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his [Abraham’s] offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was ‘counted to him as righteousness.’” (Romans 4:16–22, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, the promises of God were indeed fulfilled in the birth of Isaac.  The LORD was found  faithful. And Abraham obeyed the LORD. He “circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him” (Genesis 21:4, ESV), for circumcision was the sign and seal of that covenant which the LORD had transacted with Abraham. 

And notice the joy. Indeed, it is a very joyous thing to see the fulfillment of the promises of the LORD. “And Sarah said, ‘God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.’ 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’” (Genesis 21:6–7, ESV).

The last time that we heard of Sarah’s laughter, it was laughter of unbelief. Here is a joyous laughter. By the way, the name Isaac means, he laughs. Indeed, the birth of Isaac caused Sarah to laugh with joy. Not only was this the joy of having a child after so many years of barrenness, but also joy in seeing the promised of God fulfilled in their proper time.  

*****

The Pain Caused By The Sin Of Abraham And Sarah

From the joy of verses 6 and 7 we transition rather abruptly to the pain and sadness of verses 8 through 21. And that brings us to the secondly point of the sermon today. Brothers and sisters, consider carefully the pain caused by the sin of Abraham and Sarah committed years earlier (along with God’s mercies).

Perhaps as many as three years had passed from the birth of Isaac to the events narrated in verses 8 through 21, for verse 8 says, “And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned” (Genesis 21:8, ESV). Children in that culture were sometimes weaned as late as three years of age. Perhaps Isaac was 3, and that would put Ishmael at the age of 16. Ishmael is called a “boy” and a “child” in these passage, but the Hebrew word can also be translated as “young man”. Indeed, we are to picture Ishmael as a young man — probably 16 years of age. 

In verses 9 we learn that at the feast that Abraham made for Isaac,  “Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing” (Genesis 21:9, ESV). The Hebrew word translated “laughing” here in verse 9 is that same word that was translated as “laugh” in verse 6. Clearly this is a play on words, for the Hebrew word can either mean to laugh with joy, or to laugh in a mocking way. Sarah laughed with joy at the birth of Isaac, but Ishmael laughed to mock Isaac, the son of promise. 

Notice that this is the interpretation that the New Testament gives, for Paul refers to this laughter of Ishmael as persecution in Galatians 4:29, saying,  “But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now” (Galatians 4:29, ESV). This was not joyous laughter. This was not innocent laughter. Ismael was mocking the boy and was known to persecute him. Sarah knew this intuitively, and so she, being concerned for the welfare of her son, demanded  that Ishmael, the son of the bondwoman, be sent away from the son of promise. Verse 10: “So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac’” (Genesis 21:10, ESV).

Notice that this grieved Abraham to core. In verse 11 we read, “And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son” (Genesis 21:11, ESV). No doubt, Abraham loved Ishmael very much. The thought of sending him away with Hagar at the age of 16 grieved his heart. 

APPLICATION: Friends, have you noticed that our sin often has consequences? Sin makes life messy and complicated. Sin entangles. It wounds. It divides. Sin, which is any lack of conformity unto or violation of the law of God, always has consequences which grieve the heart and infuse life with a bitter taste. Do you want a good and pleasant life? Then keep God’s law! Notice I did not say that life would be without struggle altogether if we keep God’s law, for even the righteous suffer in this world. But I am saying that an obedient life is a blessed life. To walk with God and in obedience to him in this world is a blessed experience. It produces a blessed life, even if it is a difficult  life marked by suffering. Indeed the scriptures are true: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:1–3, ESV).

16 years earlier Abraham and Sarah decided that God needed their help. They concocted a plan involving a Sarah’s bondwoman, Hagar. Perhaps God would give Abraham a son through her, they reasoned. After all, it was clearly impossible for Sarah to have a son. And now Abraham and Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael are reaping some of that bad fruit which sown so many years earlier. It’s a sad story, isen’t it? It would probably be a good idea to put yourself in the sandels of each of the characters and to look at the situation from their unique perspective. And if you do you will see that the situation is sad and painful for each of them, but in different ways. I’m sure that each one of them — Abraham and Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael  — shed many tears in the days in which the bitter fruit of the sin of Abraham ripened. 

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, I wonder if you will learn from this story? I wonder if you will learn from the scriptures, that the wages of sin is death?  Or will you be one of those who has to learn the hard way, that is to say, by  experience. You do understand that there are two ways to learn this truth that sin is bitter, don’t you? You can learn it by believing, or you can learn it by experience. How much better it is to learn it by believing. 

God’s word says, “My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path; for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you, delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech, who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil, men whose paths are crooked, and who are devious in their ways. So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words, who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed; none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life. So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.” (Proverbs 2:1–22, ESV)

I’ll let you read this story again for yourself so that you can more thoroughly consider all of the pain that the sin of Abraham caused once that bad fruit had fully ripened. But there is something else I would like to emphasize before moving on to the third and final point of the sermon, and that is that God shows mercy to his covenant people even as they suffer under the consequences of their own sin. 

Where do I see that in this text? Well, in two places. 

One, the LORD did speak to Abraham to give him clarity over what he should do as he agonized over the decision that was before him. Verse 12: “But God said to Abraham, ‘Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring’” (Genesis 21:12–13, ESV). God, in his mercy, spoke to Abraham to help him know what to do as he stood perplexed in this messy situation. And he also comforted him concerning Ishmael, whom he undoubtably loved as a son, saying, “I will make a nation of” him, “because he is your offspring.”

Two, I also see the mercy of God displayed in his care for Hagar and Ishmael. Evidently they got lost in the wilderness. They found themselves without water. Hagar thought Ismael would die, so she left him in the shade and walked away, because she could not bear to witness the death of her son. But what does the text say? Verse 16: Hagar “lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up…” (Genesis 21:16–20, ESV).

Do you see that in the midst of all of this pain and suffering which was the result of sin, God was merciful to his covenant people. (If I had more time I would go to Galatians 4:21 and following to show how Paul interpreted this event. When he looks at Isaac the son of Sarah and Ishmael the son of Hagar he sees two covenants represented. This agrees with what I have said earlier about considering Abraham in a double capacity. There are two aspects to the Abrahamic Covenant — one fleshly and one spiritual; one earthly and one heavenly. In Abraham there are two kinds of offspring. There are children of Abraham according to the flesh, and there are children of Abraham according to faith in the promise. Ishmael descended from Abraham according to the flesh, but he laughed at the promise, not because he rejoiced in it, but to mock it. Isaac was the child of promise. Through him the nations of the earth would be blessed.  And what did the Apostle to Christians, most of the being Gentiles and not Jews? “So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman” (Galatians 4:31, ESV). This is all very important if we are to understand the story of the Bible and know the relationship between the Abrahamic, Mosaic and New Covenant’s. But explaining all of that would take too much time. Perhaps I’ll recommend a book on that subject soon.) For now I am content to say, brothers and sisters, consider the mercy of God shown to sinners even as they agonize under the weight of sins which they themselves committed. 

APPLICATION: This should not be difficult for you to apply to your own lives. I have already shown you that sin carries consequences. And you probably thinking to yourself, no kidding! I’ve experienced that first hand! But here I am emphasizing another more comforting truth — God does not abandon those who belong to him. He does not turn his back on them because they have sinned. Far from it! He is in fact full of mercy and grace. He draws near to his covenant people the sustain them, even as they suffer the consequences of their sin. I cannot say the same for the one who is not in Christ. Those not in Christ suffer in this world, but without the hope that the Father is using it for their God. But those in Christ know, “that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). And we are encouraged that even the discipline of the LORD is for our good. Hebrews 12:5 askes, “Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees…” (Hebrews 12:5–12, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, our sin has consequences. It produces turmoil and pain. But God is gracious still. He often uses the “natural consequences” (so called) of our sin to disciple us if we are his children. And this he does because he loves us in Christ Jesus.  

*****

The Constancy Of The LORD To Be Present With His Covenant People In Their Sojourning   

The thirdly and final point will have to be very brief. As we look upon verses 22 through 34 let us simply consider the constancy of the LORD to be present with his covenant people in their sojourning. 

Here in this story Abimelech and the commander of his army come to meet with Abraham to enter into a treaty with him.  Though more could be said, notice three things. 

One, in verse 22 Abimelech and his commander approached Abraham saying, “God is with you in all that you do” (Genesis 21:22, ESV). Even non-believing king was able to recognize that God was with Abraham. In other words, Abraham was blessed of the LORD! 

Two, this is to be contrasted with what we just learned about Ismael. Ishmael, the son of the flesh, mocked the son of promise. He thought little of the blessing of the LORD upon the house of Abraham. But Abimelech the foreign king saw it. He saw that Abraham was blessed of God. This seems to indicate that the same sort of thing will happen in the future. Some who would be born from Abraham’s loins would be like Ishmael who misunderstood mocked the promises of God made to him and the blessing of God that were upon him. But others who were not born from him — who not of his clan, but were of the nations — would call Abraham blessed. This is indeed how things would go within ethnic Israel and with the grafting in of the gentiles under the New Covenant. Read the New Testament and see. 

Three, the text concludes with these words, “And Abraham sojourned many days in the land of the Philistines” (Genesis 21:34, ESV). This reminds us that Abraham was promised, not only a son, but also a land. The land promise was still unfulfilled — he owned not a sliver. And yet Abraham went on to sojourn amongst the Philistines walking by faith and not by sight. 

 APPLICTAION: Brothers and sisters, how is your walk? Are you walking by faith and not sight? Are you living for the world to come? Is your hope in the new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells? My prayer for us is that we would “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1–2, ESV).

*****

Conclusion 

Almighty God, grant that the words which we have heard today, with our outward ears, may by your grace be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honor and praise of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Posted in Sermons Joe Anady Genesis 21
Comments Off on Sermon: Genesis 21: The Promises Of God Fulfilled In The Birth of Isaac Posted by Joe

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

• How should the doctrine of unconditional election produce humility within the believer? How might the rejection of it lead to pride?
• Is it ever right to say of non-believer, that person is a good person? In what sense might they be good? To what degree? How is this possible?
• What are some ways that we might tend to the garden of our souls to be sure that we don’t succumb to temptation?

Posted in Study Guides Gospel Community Groups
Comments Off on Discussion Questions for Sermon on Genesis 20 Posted by Joe

*****

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 20

“From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, ‘Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.’ Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, ‘Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.’ Then God said to him in the dream, ‘Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.’ So Abimelech rose early in the morning and called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid. Then Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, ‘What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.’ And Abimelech said to Abraham, ‘What did you see, that you did this thing?’ Abraham said, ‘I did it because I thought, ‘There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father though not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife. And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to her, ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, ‘He is my brother.’’Then Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, ‘Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.’ To Sarah he said, ‘Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.’ Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, and also healed his wife and female slaves so that they bore children. For the LORD had closed all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife” (Genesis 20, ESV).

New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18–31

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’ Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Corinthians 1:18–31, ESV)

*****

Introduction

I can certainly understand itif when I was reading Genesis chapter 20 you thought to yourself, this sounds like familiar story — didn’t we cover this text already? Indeed, the story told in Genesis chapter 20 is very much like a story told in Genesis chapter 12 which we considered only a couple of months ago. The two stories are not identical. They differ in some important ways. But the similarities are hard to miss.

In both stories Abraham and Sarah were on the move and came into the presence of powerfull kings. In chapter 12 they sojourned down to Egypt, and here in chapter 20 we are told that they traveled down towards the Negeb, which is the dry desert region in the southern part of Canaan, and from there to the east towards Gerar. Egypt we are familiar with. Gerar, not so much. But notice that sojourning in both of these regions had the same affect upon Abraham. He began to fear that the powerful ones in the land would notice his wife and take her as their own, either because of her beauty or for the purpose political advancement, and do him harm. In each instance Abraham walked in fear and not by faith as he urged his wife to lie about her identity, saying only that she was his sister. 

Now, as you know there was some truth to that lie. Sarah really was the half sister of Abraham.  She was “the daughter of [his] father though not the daughter of [his] mother.” This sounds very strange to you and me. In fact, the law that would come to Israel through Moses forbid marriage between such close relatives. But  remember that  Abraham lived before the giving of that law and was brought up in a pagan land where marriages of this kind were not forbidden. And so there was some truth to the lie. Sarah was “indeed [Abraham’s] sister, the daughter of [his] father though not the daughter of [his] mother… (Genesis 20:12, ESV). But it was still a lie — for a half truth is in fact a lie. The full truth was that Sarah was Abraham’s wife. 

Here in Genesis 20 we learn that it was their agreed upon mode of operation to lie in this way. When Abraham was called by Abimeleck, king of Gerar, to explain the deception he said, among other things, “And when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, I said to [Sarah], ‘This is the kindness you must do me: at every place to which we come, say of me, ‘He is my brother’” (Genesis 20:13, ESV). We know that Sarah told this lie in Egypt and Gerar, for the scriptures tell us about those events. But I wonder, how many other times did Sarah and Abraham lie given that it was their agreed upon tactic since the day they left Ur? We simply do not know. But it is possible that Sarah and Abraham told this lie many times. And it is also possible that their plan worked in every other instance. But in these two instances — in Egypt and Gerar — the same terrible thing happened. Sarah was taken into the kings harem, the king and his servants were struck with some kind of curse or plague, the LORD then appeared to the pagan kings to warn them so that  Abraham was found out and confronted by these kings, after which he was rebuked by them,  given gifts, and sent on his way. So yes, this story should sound very familiar to you. It is basically a repeat of the story told in Genesis 12:10-20. 

But here is my question. Why the repetition? Why did Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, decide to tell what is essentially the same story twice?  Stated a little bit differently, what role does this particular story play in the overall narrative of Genesis? What is its purpose?

I think there are three answers to that question. One, this story is told to promote humility within the children of Abraham. Two, this story is told to prevent pure pessimism concerning the wickedness of the nations. And three, to persuade the children of Abraham to tend to the garden of their souls, lest when they think they stand, they fall. 

*****

To Promote Humility Within The Children of Abraham

First of all, let us consider how this story promotes humility within the children of Abraham. 

Immagine being one of Abraham’s physical descendents. Imagine being Issac, Jacob or any one of the people of Israel who lived under Moses up until the death, burial and resurrection of the Christ. If you were one of these children of Abraham according to the flesh then it was rightly said of you that you were one of God’s chosen people. You, having descended from Abraham’s loins, were set apart in the world as distinct from the nations. You belonged to a holy people. Prophets walked amongst you. You were in a unique covenantal relationship with God. Your people were entrusted with the promises of God. From you the Christ would come. Indeed, it was a great privilege to be one of God’s chosen people in that Old Covenant age.

Paul spoke of the privileged position of the Hebrew people when he wrote, “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 9:4–5, ESV).

The Hebrew people, who descended from Abraham according to the flesh, were God’s chosen people. When I say that they were chosen, I mean of course that they were chosen according to the flesh. Their nation was set apart from the other nations and given a place of privilege in the world. They were indeed a people uniquely blessed by God. And with this privilege came the temptation to grow puffed up with pride. 

What I am saying is that the story of  Genesis 20 is meant to deter pride and to  promote humility amongst the Hebrews. How so? Well, the story demonstrates yet again that the election, calling and blessing of Abraham was not based upon something deserving within him, but purely upon the grace of God. Therefore, when the Israelite thought considered their election by God it should have produced humility, and not pride.

I say that the story demonstrates yet again that the election, calling and blessing of Abraham was not based upon something deserving within him, but purely upon the grace of God, because evidence for this is peppered throughout the Abraham story. For example, Abraham was called, not from a holy and righteous people, but out from amongst an idolatrous people. Joshua highlighted this when he spoke to the nation of Israel concerning their heritage, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods” (Joshua 24:2, ESV). What was Joshua’s point? Was it not to demonstrate to Israel that Abraham their forefather was called by the grace of God alone, and not because of something deserving within him. Abraham’s election, therefore, and Israel’s election, was not a reason to boast. To the contrary, it was a reason to stand before the LORD with humility and gratitude in the heart. Not only was Abraham chosen and called by grace, he was also preserved by the grace of God alone. Peppered throughout the history of Abraham are stories highlighting his flaws and imperfections. And this story is one of those. 

Abraham looks really bad in this story, doesn’t he? He lied yet again. He made a mess of things. And God himself had to intervene to preserve Sarah as his wife.

By the way, all of this should be considered in light of the promises made both to Abraham and Sarah that together they would have a son. That was all threatened when Sarah was taken into the kings haram. Not only was Sarah endangered, but so too was the fulfillment of the promise of God concerning a son. How in the world would Abraham and Sarah have a son now that Sarah belonged to Abimelech, king of Gerar? Perhaps you have noticed that this is a major theme in the narrative of Genesis. An offspring as promised both to Adam and to Abraham, and that offering is always being threatened. 

Notice also that when Abimelech, king of Gerar, finally confronted Abraham, Abraham ended up looking very foolish. Ironically, Abimelech appeared to me more righteous than Abraham, God’s chosen one. Verse 9: “Abimelech called Abraham and said to him, ‘What have you done to us? And how have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin? You have done to me things that ought not to be done.’”  

The point is this — Abraham  really made a mess of things when he decided, yet again, to live being driven by fear instead of living by faith. Moses did not bury this unflattering story when he wrote Genesis and delivered it to Israel. Instead he highlighted it. This he did, in part, to check pride within ethnic Israel. This he did to promote humility within the children of Abraham. It is as if Moses said this, but in the form of a narrative: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God’” (1 Corinthians 1:18–29, ESV).

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, I do not know of any within this congregation who are descendents of Abraham according to the flesh. In other words, I don’t know that there are any among us who are of Jewish descent. But if you have faith in Christ  — that is to say, if you have the faith of Abraham — then you are his children according to the Spirit. The scriptures are very clear concerning this, saying, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:27–29, ESV). And again the same Apostle writes, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all [Abraham’s] offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be’” (Romans 4:16–18, ESV).

If you are in Christ, you are a child of Abraham. You are his offspring, perhaps not according to the flesh, but by faith. And the scriptures also call you chosen ones, or the elect of God. Again you chosen not in a fleshly way as the Hebrew people were, being set apart in the world based upon ethnicity. But you have been chosen in a spiritual way. You have been chosen in Christ Jesus. You have been particularly selected to belong to God through faith in the Christ whom he has sent. How any Christian who claims to have the scriptures as their authority for truth can deny this, I do not know, for it is so plainly set forth in scriptures.

In John chapter 17Jesus himself prayed for a particular group of people who were given to him by the Father. He prayed for them, this is, for the elect, saying, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours” (John 17:9, ESV).

In the book of Acts we have record of the preaching of the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike. But in one place we are told that “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48, ESV). This is the doctrine of election. Many heard the gospel proclaimed that day in Antioch in Pisidia, but it was those who had been “appointed to eternal life” who believed.

Paul clearly teaches that if we are in Christ it is because we were chosen by God. In Romans chapters 8 he teaches that those in Christ were foreknown and predestined. Later in the same chapter he calls those who have faith in Christ “God’s elect”. What does it mean for someone to be “elect”? It means that they have been chosen by someone for something. In this instance it is the Christian who has been chosen by God for eternal life in Christ Jesus. How is this not clear. If what Paul mean to say was that Christians are those who have chosen God, then why does he call them the elect — that is, the chosen ones? Would he not have said that Christians are the choosing ones, or the electing ones if what he meant to emphasize was our choosing of God rather than God’s choosing of us? No friends, it was not we who first chose God, but God who chose us before the world was created. This he explains more fully in Romans 9 as discusses, and I quote, “God’s purpose of election”. 

I could set before you many, many passages from Paul’s letters to demonstrate to you that if you are in Christ it is ultimately you were chosen by God, but one of the clearest passages is found in Ephesian 1:3 and following where we read, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he [the Father] chose us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, if you have faith in Christ it is because God chose you even before he created the heavens and earth. He knew you as his own before you were even born. He predestined you. He chose you and set you apart. When Christ prayed that priestly prayer in John 17, he prayed for you, and not the world. When died, he died for you, and not the world. No where do the scriptures ever teach that Christ shed his blood to atone for the sins of those who were not given to him. Remember how he said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11, ESV). And in another place, “for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28, ESV) — many, and not all. And yet again remember that husbands are to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25–27, ESV). Friends, this Christ did for the church, and not for the world. 

Friends, if you love Christ it is because he first loved you. The faith that you have is a gift from him. It did not originate in your mind and heart. For “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). Even your perseverance in Christ is by the grace. He will finish the good work that he has begun in each of his children. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29–30, ESV). Your salvation in Christ is God’s work, not yours.  

Now, I do not doubt for a moment that you have done many things along the way. You did, in fact choose Christ. At some point you decided to turn from sin and to Christ. You, in that moment, believed upon him and called him Lord. It was you who did that, and not God for you or on your behalf. And even today you are choosing to remain in Christ. You are persevering in him. And this you must do to the end. These choices are real choices. You have made them freely and willing. But here is the deeper truth that the scriptures also reveal. All of this is a gift. It is all by God’s grace. You have turned from sin to believed upon Christ because he has freed you from your natural bondage to make you willing and able to believe. 

Abraham was chosen by the grace of God, and not because of something deserving in him. 

So too, Israel was chosen by the grace of God, and not because of something meritorious in her!

Listen to the how the LORD spoke through Ezekiel the prophet concerning Israel’s beginnings. Ezekiel 16:1: “Again the word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. ‘And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment…” (Ezekiel 16:1–7, ESV)

Was Israel chosen by God? Yes they were! According to the flesh they were chosen by him. Not all in Israel had faith. In fact, many did not. They were a chosen nation. But they were chosen by God’s grace, and not because they were deserving. 

And the same is true for all who are chosen by God to have salvation in Christ Jesus. Their election is based, not upon some foreseen good in them, but in the sovereign good pleasure of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV). And in another place we read, “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then [Paul says] it [election] depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:15–16, ESV)

Brothers and sisters, do you see that the narrative we are considering today in Genesis 20 — indeed, all that the scriptures have to say concerning the election of Abraham, Israel and those united to Christ by faith, Jew and Gentile alike — is meant to promote humility amongst the children of Abraham. If our election and calling is grounded in the grace of God alone — if it is all unconditional and unmerited favor — then there is no room for boasting. But if our election and calling is grounded in something in us — an inherent righteousness, or faith that is foreseen by God, or some other meritorious thing — then there is room for boasting.

I can make this really simple by asking you the question, why did God choose you? That he chose, elected, selected and called the one who has faith in Christ is the plain teaching off scripture. But here I ask you the question, why? And if your response begins with the words, “because I…” Then it proves that you have badly misinterpreted the scriptures, for then you would have grounds for boasting. 

And so I ask, why did God choose you? And I pray that none of you would dare say, Because God foresaw that I would believe. Or, Because God noticed that I was searching for him. Or, God saw that I was morally upright. Or, God knew that I would work hard for his kingdom. None of these answers will do, for they contradiction the plain teaching of scripture that your election “depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” Indeed, if these answers were true, then you would have reason to boast before God and man, for the ground of your election and calling would then be found in you. 

But here is the truth, “God… has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3–6, ESV). And though “…you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind… God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:1–10, ESV).

*****

To Prevent Pure Pessimism Concerning The Wickedness Of The Nations

I have two more points to make in this sermon and only a very short time to make them. These will more like observations than fully developed points. 

Why the story of Genesis 20? One, to promote humility amongst the children of Abraham by clarifying, yet again, that Abraham was chosen and called by grace alone, and not because of something meritorious within him. And two, to prevent pure pessimism concerning the wickedness of the nations.

Do you remember the story of Genesis 19? There we  were told of the great wickedness of Sodom and Gomorra and the destruction of that place, God’s wrath having been poured out upon it. If we are not careful we might assume that all of the nations, and all of the non-believing peoples within those nations, are as wicked as them. 

The doctrine of total depravity is a very important doctrine. It recognizes that “Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.”

But it would careless of us to assume that all men are equally wicked. It would also be careless for us to assume that men and women never do good, for the do! Indeed, no one is good but God alone. But men and women — even those who are not in Christ — do do good! But even this is by the mercy of God. 

Is this principle not clearly illustrated in this passage? Did not the heathen king Abimelech act more righteous than Abraham who was chosen and called by God, and made righteous through faith in the Christ who would come?

Abraham did what he did because he thought that “there [was] no fear of God at all in [that] place, and they [would] kill [him] because of [his] wife” (Genesis 20:11, ESV). In fact, it seemed as if the people of Gerar feared the LORD more than Abraham did (at least in this moment) (v. 8). Abimelech was deeply distressed over the thought of almost having committed such a “great sin”, namely the sin of taking another man’s wife as his own (v. 9). And Abimelech, after confronting Abraham, did the right thing. He “took sheep and oxen, and male servants and female servants, and gave them to Abraham, and returned Sarah his wife to him. And Abimelech said, ‘Behold, my land is before you; dwell where it pleases you.’ To Sarah he said, ‘Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated’” (Genesis 20:14–16, ESV). In this instance Abimelech walked with “integrity” in his heart. His hands were innocent (v. 5).  

But why? Notice what the LORD said to Abimelech in verse 7: “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her” (Genesis 20:6, ESV).

This is why I say that this passage prevents the children of Abraham from pure pessimism concerning the wickedness of the nations, for it reveals that LORD is merciful to restrain evil in the world and to promote good even amongst those who do not worship God.

The  doctrine of common grace, as some call it, is an important compliment to the doctrine of original sin. It helps to understand it can be that we are surrounded by many who are not in Christ and yet seem to be such good people. They are not good in an ultimate sense. Nor are the good with God, for none are apart from faith in Christ. But there are “good people in the  world”, and this also is owed to the mercy of God.

*****

To Persuade The Children Of Abraham To Tend To The Garden of Their Souls Lest, When They Think They Stand,  They Fall 

Thirdly and lastly, the story that we encounter in Genesis 20 ought to persuade the children of Abraham to tend to the garden of their souls lest, when they think they stand, they fall. 

Here I am making only this simple observation. Think of how old Abraham and Sarah were at this point. Think of how many times the LORD had given his promises to them, and how many times he had proved himself faithful. And yet here they are making the same mistake that they had made so many years ago when they went down into Egypt. 

Application:  Bothers and sisters, we cannot grow complacent with sin. We must fight against it daily and be forever vigilant in our battle against temptation. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:6–8, ESV). “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:12–13, ESV).

*****

Posted in Sermons Study Guides Joe Anady Genesis 20
Comments Off on Sermon: Genesis 20: By Grace You Have Been Saved Posted by Joe

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT HOME OR IN GOSPEL COMMUNITY GROUPS

• How do we know that Lot was a righteous man? What evidence is there for his compromising? How  might a genuine Christians compromise today?
• What do we learn from the destruction of Sodom? How might Genesis 19 serve as a warning to our culture?
• If God’s will is often different from our will, why pray? 

Posted in Study Guides Joe Anady Genesis 19
Comments Off on Discussion Questions For Sermon on Genesis 19 Posted by Joe