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Genesis chapter 16~17 Key verse: 17:5 Abraham, Father of Many Nations 'No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.' Sometimes we fail and make mistakes. Sometimes we face great difficulties that we cannot do anything. At these times we easily think that we cannot change ourselves. We think we are born this way. Then we become fatalistic believing there is no change in our lives. We believe we are too old to make any new great change. However, in today's passage God makes Abram have a new start when he was 99 years old. When we are in God, we are never late. Let's learn today how God helped Abram overcome his fatalism and make a new start 1. The birth of Ishmael (Chapter 16) Look at verse 1. "Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar." Sarai was the only one loving wife of Abram. She was with Abram even before he made a decision to live a life of faith. Sarai followed him wherever he went. She was Abram's best coworker in his life of faith. But there was a serious problem she felt greatly ashamed that she could not have a child. Sarai knew how much Abram wanted a son but she could not bear a child for him. She loved Abram so much that she would give anything, but not only a child. And now it has been 10 years since Abram started his life of faith believing in God's word. It seemed impossible to bear a child. Then what decision did she make? Look at verse 2b. ""The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her."" Sarai's solution did not come from prayer or faith. Instead, she rationalized herself by saying that "the LORD has kept me from having children." Sarai thought it was God who kept her from having a baby, because she could not have a child even though Abram followed God's word for 10 years. It was God who was giving a child for her family. It seemed that there is nothing left for her to do. She fell into fatalism that this is her destiny. If we make decision out of our fatalistic mind, we easily make mistakes. When we find we have fatalism in our minds, we should look back ourselves through God's word and prayer. But Sarai made a choice that seemed best for her without asking God's direction. She suggested that Abram sleep with her maidservant and build a family through her. She decided to make a sacrifice that is hard for any woman to make. This was not a sacrifice that would bring a good result. Abram, without a second thought, agreed to what Sarai said; he slept with Hagar, and she conceived. Abram should have prayed about this; he should have listened to God's voice not to only his wife only. But because he was also impatient at this time and agreed to Sarai. Even our best coworkers can make mistakes and may give an unwise advice. Still, we are responsible for our actions. We should not be too proud in our decision. We should learn to ask God with humble attitude. Look at verses 5-6. From the very beginning, this decision brought sorrow to Abram's family. After Hagar became pregnant, she became proud and looked down on her mistress, Sarai. When Sarai complained to Abram, he said, "She's your servant; do what ever you think best." This time Abram did not try to mediate between the two women, even though he wanted a child. The order and love in his family was disappearing because of the child. Abram made it clear that his wife Sarai as the mistress of the home. So Sarai treated Hagar harshly, and Hagar fled into the desert. A great tragedy came to Abram's house. Hagar with Abram's baby fled into the desert. Abram's decision from fatalism led to this result. It seemed that there is no way to recover his family. But God helped Hagar. First, he told her not to run away, but to go back and challenge her situation. He gave her a great promise concerning her son, Ishmael. Ishmael is not the son God's covenant, but God would bless him. Our God cared about one lonely slave woman the desert. Hagar met God of Abram personally. She believed his promise and obeyed his command, and he took care of her and of Ishmael. Ishmael was a result of impatience, unbelief, compromise and human calculations. He was a son of the flesh. He could not be the inheritor of God's eternal covenant. He brought human joy and sorrow to Abram, but also tension and unrest to Abram. However, God cared for Abram's weakness and was waiting for the right time. It is always us who is impatient and make complaints. But our God knows the perfect time for us. He is the only way. Even though Abram made foolish mistakes, God forgave and helped Abram, by blessing Hagar and Ishmael. 2. Abraham, Father of Many Nations (Chapter 17) Thirteen years have passed since the birth Ishmael. Abram was 99 years old when God appeared to him again. Loot at 17:1. "When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "`I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.'" Abram had lived those years thinking that God had answered his prayer for a son. He did not pray so urgently. He enjoyed watching little Ishmael grow up. He had been busy being a father to Ishmael and busy keeping peace in his home. Ishmael gave him great joy, but Abram could not have a deep personal relationship with God. He forgot to look up at the stars and see numerous generations that would come after him. He lost his vision. He was living a compromised "Christian" life. Then God appeared to him as God Almighty. God said, "Walk before me and be blameless." This was a call to Abram to repent of his family-centered vision-less life and walk before God who had called him and who had a great purpose for his life. Abram fell face down before God in repentance. Look at verses 4-6. "As for me, this is my covenant with you： You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you." First, God changed Abram's name to Abraham. Abram means "noble father"; Abram was living a narrow, family centered life and this gave him a little joy. However, God had vision of Abraham not Abram. "Abraham" means "the father of many nations." God wanted to bless the whole world through Abraham who was living with Ishmael at this time. God had a vision that Abraham was to be, not only a physical father of one child, but a spiritual father of many nations. Second, in order to make Abraham a source of blessing for the world, God renewed his covenant with him. God wanted to raise a covenant people who would be a source of blessing for all people on earth. God had a great vision in Abraham to bless the whole world. Through this covenant people, God would send the Savior Jesus. God would raise his covenant people to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Through Abraham's descendants, through covenant people the good news of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus would be spread out to the whole world. God's greatest blessing is the forgiveness of sin and everlasting life in his kingdom that comes from a right relationship with God. God sent Jesus, as Abraham's offspring, for this purpose. This is the vision God had for one person, Abraham. God has a great hope for one man of faith. From the very beginning, God called one person with his vision. We should learn God's way of raising one person with God's hope and vision. Look at verse 8. "The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God."" God promised that the land would be an everlasting possession, given to Abraham and his descendants forever. God's promise of land was literally fulfilled during the days of King David, but this promise looks forward to the day when the whole world hears the gospel. God's promise did not end in the land of Canaan, but he was promising the eternal kingdom of God. We learn this from the book of Hebrews that "they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Heb 11:14-16) God gives us a heavenly hope. Look at verses 9-11. "Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep： Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you." The covenant which God made with Abraham was sealed by circumcision. God wanted Abraham to keep the proof of this covenant in his body to remember this covenant forever. It is painful to get circumcised. But by getting circumcision, Abraham cut himself away from a compromising life and committed himself and his whole family to God. God's everlasting covenant was sealed by blood. Then God brought out a great surprise ti Abraham. Look at verses 15-16. "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." Since the birth of Ishmael, Abraham thought that his "no son" problem has been solved. But God told him that Ishmael was not to be the covenant son no matter how much Abraham loved him. God would give Abraham a son by his wife Sarah, the mother of nations and kings. Abraham could not believe it. He laughed to himself. And he prayed for Ishmael. But God was very clear. Isaac, whose name means "laughter" would be born to Abraham by Sarah this time next year. Isaac is the only covenant son. Abraham's relationship with God rests on God's promise. Abraham accepted God's promise. He accepted God's mission and God's covenant. On that very day he was circumcised; and on that day he circumcised Ishmael and all those born in his house. This was an act of obedience that comes from faith. Abraham believed that God is God Almighty. He made a decision to walk before him in complete trust and obedience. At my company, many people said, "Only if I were at your age," or "Only if I were 10 years younger,". At first, I could not understand them, but as time passed by I began to think in the very similar way. "Only if I were a few years younger," and "Only if I were a student," . The change from the thought that I was now married, and should take full responsibility of my family. However, while meditating on today's passage, I also renewed my vision like Abram. I had the same vision which Abraham also received to be "a father of many nations". This was the vision I received when I decided to live a life of faith. I realized that if I have God's vision in my heart nothing matters. I am never late with God's word. I can live as a blessing, and a father very influential for many sheep and coworkers. I pray that I renew my vision everyday and live a life of a father of many nations. God renewed his unchanging covenant with Abraham when he was 99. Now Abraham would have a new start as a father of many nations. In God, we can always start again with his great vision. God works through and his faithfulness and helps us with his unchanging word. |
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