A PROMISE TO SARAH

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL:

SUMMARIZE God's promise to Sarah; APPRECIATE the promises God has kept in our lives; and THANK God for His faithfulness across generations.

FOCAL VERSES  Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7

KEEP IN MIND

"For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him" (Genesis 21:2).

AT-A-GLANCE

1. Sarah's Part in the Promise (Genesis 17:15-17)

2. The Promise Confirmed (18:9-15)

3. The Promise Kept (21:1-7)

IN FOCUS STORY

Amelia and Derek never thought that when they said " I do" seven years ago, they would ever face a problem like this one. "If you go to full term, the baby could be stillborn," the doctor said gravely. "But is there at least a chance of our daughter being born all right?" asked Derek. "Very small."

"What do we do, Derek?" Amelia pleaded with her husband. "We've got to pray about this, Derek resolved.

Amelia and Derek had always thought there wouldn't be any problems once they started a family. They had waited because they wanted to make sure they were mature enough to be parents, but now it seemed their first child wasn't going to survive.

"I think we should go full term," Amelia finally said after she and Derek had arrived home. "I know the situation looks bleak, but we've prayed about having kids and we believed God was going to bless us to be parents.

Amelia and Derek put their faith in God's promise, and not only was their daughter born healthy, but they are now in the process of adopting a son.

Sometimes a situation may look just as impossible as it did for Abraham and Sarah. However, today's lesson teaches that no matter the circumstances, God keeps His promises.

THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES

Childlessness. The culture of Abraham and Sarah was a patriarchal one in which inheritance was handed down from father to son. Therefore, it was of the utmost importance for a woman to have children because "childlessness threatened the very perpetuation of the political and economic structure of [their] society" (Redford, The Pentateuch, 74). If a wife was barren, she was of little worth and considered cursed. There were few options for childless couples - they could adopt a servant or have children by surrogacy. If a wife made her servant a surrogate for her husband, the child would actually belong to the wife. Although this was the custom, surrogacy was not without its troubles, as Scripture illustrates in the rancor among Sarah, her maid Hagar, and Abraham.

Bedouin tent. The Bedouins are a nomadic people who have been desert dwellers for thousands of years. They live in tents, allowing them to break camp whenever they need to move. Abraham lived the nomadic lifestyle and would have lived in a tent like the Bedouins. The tent in Bible time were larger than the tents of today. Abraham's tent would have had a least two sections. The front section was where the men lived and received guests. When it was warm, this section could be opened. The section for women was separated from the men by a curtain made of goat hair. Some tents had a third section for servants or cattle.

 

BACKGROUND

In His initial message, God told Abraham, who was still called Abram, to leave his home (Genesis 12:1). He promised to make Abram a great nation, make his name great, and make him a blessing to the entire world (vv. 2-3). Once in Canaan, God spoke to Abram a second time, saying He would give the land to Abram's descendants (12:7). In the third communication, God was more specific about the part of Canaan He would give to Abram's offspring, who would be "like the dust of the earth" (13:16, NIV). Genesis 15 encompasses God's fourth communication with Abram. 1) God said Abram's heir would be from his own flesh, and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars (vv. 4-5). 2) God reiterated that Canaan would belong to Abram (v. 7) through his descendants, who would endure four hundred years of enslavement (vv. 12-17) before taking possession. 3) God was even more specific about the land Abram's offspring would possess (vv. 18-21). Today's lesson text begins in the midst of God's fifth communication with Abram. Twenty-four years had passed since God made His initial promise to Abram, and God was explicit about the details of the promise. God changed Abram's name to Abraham to reflect that he would be the father of many nations. There would be kings in his lineage, God would always be their God, and Canaan would be their land forever (17:4-8). As a sign of his covenant, Abraham and all the males in his house were circumcised and, thereafter, each male would be circumcised at eight days old (vv. 9-14).

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1. What did God promise Sarah (Genesis 17:16)?

2. Why did Abraham laugh (v. 17)?

3. What was God's response to Sarah's laughter (18:13-14)?

4. What did Abraham name the child (21:3)?

 DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. What facets of this promise proved that nothing was too hard for God (Genesis 18:14)?

2. God knew that Sarah would give Abraham a son. Why do you think He waited to let Isaac be born after Ishmael? What can be said about God's timing of his blessings and promises?

3. In the In Focus story, Amelia and Derek believed in God for a miracle in the birth of their child despite a bleak situation. Where in your life have you had to exercise that type of faith?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

We live in a society that expects quick answer and quick fixes. Developing faith however, is a process that grows stronger with time.

1. Have you ever waited for a promise of God to be fulfilled? How did you maintain your trust in God while waiting?

2. How can we help new saints or the next generation to learn to "wait on the Lord"?

MAKE IT HAPPEN

1. We focus so much on waiting for a promise from God that we forget all He has already done. The next week, take time each morning to prayerfully write down at least three promises God has already kept for you. At the end of the week, set aside time to thank God for His faithfulness. Hang this list of promises where you can see it every day to help remember to be thankful.

 
 
2. The Holy Ghost is the ultimate promise of God and was made possible through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If you are saved, what are you doing to strengthen your faith? If you are unsaved, what is hindering you from being baptized in Jesus' Name and receiving the Holy Ghost? What must you do today to act on your faith in God?

 

(Except from The Apostolic Light)

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