Abraham and Sarah: Partners Together
Bible Reading
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him and told him, “I am the Almighty; obey me and live as you should. 2-4 I will prepare a contract (agreement by promise)between us, guaranteeing to make you into a mighty nation. In fact you shall be the father of not only one nation, but a multitude of nations!” Abram fell face downward in the dust as God talked with him.
5 “What’s more,” God told him, “I am changing your name. It is no longer ‘Abram’ (‘Exalted Father’), but ‘Abraham’ (‘Father of Nations’)—for that is what you will be. I have declared it. 6 I will give you millions of descendants who will form many nations! Kings shall be among your descendants! 7-8 And I will continue this agreement between us generation after generation, forever, for it shall be between me and your children as well. It is a contract that I shall be your God and the God of your posterity. And I will give all this land of Canaan to you and them, forever. And I will be your God.
15 Then God added, “Regarding Sarai your wife—her name is no longer ‘Sarai’ but ‘Sarah’ (‘Princess’). 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and make her the mother of nations! Many kings shall be among your posterity.”
17 Then Abraham threw himself down in worship before the Lord, but inside he was laughing in disbelief! “Me, be a father?” he said in amusement. “Me—100 years old? And Sarah, to have a baby at 90?”
18 And Abraham said to God, “Yes, do bless Ishmael!” 19 “No,” God replied, “that isn’t what I said. Sarah shall bear you a son; and you are to name him Isaac (‘Laughter’), and I will sign my covenant with him forever, and with his descendants. 20 As for Ishmael, all right, I will bless him also, just as you have asked me to. I will cause him to multiply and become a great nation. Twelve princes shall be among his posterity. 21 But my contract is with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah next year at about this time.”
22 That ended the conversation
Sarah (Sarai) and Abraham (Abram)
Partners in Promise
When God spoke to Abram again, Abram was laughing in disbelief.
It sounded crazy an old man and woman having a child!
Surely his child Ishmael could substitute (be in place of ) this son of promise.
Ishmael would become great, but he would never be the miracle child of promise.
God’s mind was not changed.
Sarai was chosen by God to have the son of promise. It was God’s plan from the beginning. .
They were to bear a child together. They needed to walk together… grow in faith together.
They were to become of one mind,one in faith and then they would receive the blessing.
Their names were both changed by God ,as they walked God had a plan for Sarah personally.
Her name change to Sarah, showed his plan. (the mother of nations!)
His name was changed to Abraham (father of nations!)
If we follow God closely he will reveal his plans for your life.
18 1-2 God appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them.
3-5 He said, “Master, if it please you, stop for a while with your servant. I’ll get some water so you can wash your feet. Rest under this tree. I’ll get some food to refresh you on your way, since your travels have brought you across my path.”
They said, “Certainly. Go ahead.”
6 Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. He said, “Hurry. Get three cups of our best flour; knead it and make bread.”
7-8 Then Abraham ran to the cattle pen and picked out a nice plump calf and gave it to the servant who lost no time getting it ready. Then he got curds and milk, brought them with the calf that had been roasted, set the meal before the men, and stood there under the tree while they ate.
9 The men said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
He said, “In the tent.” 10 One of them said, “I’m coming back about this time next year. When I arrive, your wife Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was listening at the tent opening, just behind the man.
11-12 Abraham and Sarah were old by this time, very old. Sarah was far past the age for having babies. Sarah laughed within herself, “An old woman like me? Get pregnant? With this old man of a husband?”13-14 God said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh saying, ‘Me? Have a baby? An old woman like me?’ Is anything too hard for God? I’ll be back about this time next year and Sarah will have a baby.”
15 Sarah lied. She said, “I didn’t laugh,” because she was afraid.
But he said, “Yes you did; you laugh
Partners in Faith
Sarah specially mentioned.
God knew that if Sarah was to carry the promised child and bear the burden, her faith would need to grow.
At first she laughed, but then as she grew in faith, she realised it was God who promised.
Partners Protected
Once more, when they entered a new land Sarah was kidnapped.
King Abimelech was warned in a dream to give her back to Abraham.
The kings household was barren and Abraham prayed and the kings household had children .
Do you think that praying for the needs of others and seeing the prayers answered, helped Abraham to have faith for his own promised child?
Partners with Impossibilities
“They were both in the same boat” They were both too old! The bible puts it this way “He was as good as dead”
God gave them back their youth.
Later, Abraham even had 5 children by Keturah after Sarah died!
BUT Ketrurah’s children were not the children of promise .
Sarah’s child Isaac was the promised one, BORN OF FAITH
Partners In Waiting
Why?
Why did it take so long?
Why couldn’t Abraham and Sarah have the child in their youth like everyone else?
Abraham in fathering Isaac by faith,had been growing in faith during his long walk with God.
The “faith seed”was planted when Abraham obeyed and left Ur.This seed had been cared for and watered each step of the way until their faith in God grew and they were able to believe for the impossible.
In their old age, the scene was finally set for this great miracle.
God’s ways are not our ways.
His plans are far greater than we can ever imagine.
And she said, Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children at the breast? For I have borne him a son in his old age!
Sarah, too, had faith, and because of this she was able to become a mother in spite of her old age, for she realized that God, who gave her his promise, would certainly do what he said
8 So, when God told Abraham that he would give him a son who would have many descendants and become a great nation, Abraham believed God even though such a promise just couldn’t come to pass! 19 And because his faith was strong, he didn’t worry about the fact that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred, and that Sarah his wife, at ninety, was also much too old to have a baby.But Abraham never doubted. He believed God, for his faith and trust grew ever stronger, and he praised God for this blessing even before it happened.
Sarah gave birth to Isaac whose name meant “Laughter”
She no longer laughed in unbelief, but now she laughed in faith!
1-2 Then God did as he had promised, and Sarah became pregnant and gave Abraham a baby son in his old age, at the time God had said; 3 and Abraham named him Isaac (meaning “Laughter!”). 4-5 Eight days after he was born, Abraham circumcised him, as God required. (Abraham was 100 years old at that time.) 6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter! All who hear about this shall rejoice with me. 7 For who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a child in his old age!”