Scripture: Genesis 17:15-22 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
Devotion: A few days ago, in a list of people that received a second chance from God, was Abraham. Today, we are diving into a part of His story. You see, God originally made His covenant with Abram back in Genesis 12. This is when the Lord promised to make Abraham a great nation. This means that Abraham (Abram, at the time) would have children, which he did not at the time of the covenant.
Fast-forward a bit to Genesis 15, and God speaks to Abraham (Abram). But Abram cries out that he is still childless, so he does not understand how the promise that God made to him will come to fruition. He says that a servant will have to be his heir. But the Lord reminds him of the covenant that was made and says that he will bear a son of his own flesh and blood.
In Genesis 16, the chapter is kicked off with the information that Abram’s wife had not yet bore him any children. So, she takes matters into her own hands and gives her husband her slave, Hagar. Hagar conceives and births a son, Ishmael.
That brings us to Genesis 17. When the Lord yet again tells Abraham that he will have a son by his wife, Sarah. As we look throughout the Bible for examples of second chances, this is a great one to turn to. Abraham was impatient, and the Lord reminded him of His promise. Sarah was impatient and took matters into her own hands, and God reminded Abraham of His promise. Even beyond that, God promises to bless Ishmael, the child who was born out of lack of trust in the Lord’s timing.
Over and over again, we see that God’s ways are higher and better. And when we go our own way, He is slow to anger. He reminds us of His love and faithfulness. I am so grateful that we have a God who is longsuffering, constantly reminding us of who He is and His plans for us.
Reflect:
- Do you relate at all to Sarah and Abraham taking matters into their hands? Have you ever done this in your own life?