Actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino have both been in the news recently, having just become fathers at the ages of 78 and 83 respectively. (Their wives, of course, are considerably younger!) Its debateable whether it is wise for men to become fathers so late in life, but everyone knows it is impossible for women to become mothers at such an age. As every doctor would tell you, a post-menopausal child would have to be a miracle!
And this is the situation we face in our passage today. Abraham is at least 99 years old, and his wife Sarah about a decade younger. A quarter of a century has elapsed since God had first called Abram (back in Gen 12, last week’s passage) and made him some remarkable promises. Promises of land, blessing and a great dynasty. God had even changed his name from Abram to Abraham, a name that means ‘the father of many’.
But 25 years on, there was still no son from Sarah. What has happened to God’s promises? Has he forgotten them? Is he playing with Abraham and Sarah? Or is he incapable of delivering what he has promised?
As we look at our Genesis passage today we’ll see that God does have the will and power to deliver on all his promises, but not always on our timescale, and rarely according to our agenda. Like Sarah and Abraham, we need to learn patience, trust and obedience as we wait for God’s great promises to us – as Christians – to be fulfilled. Promises made to us in the New Testament. Promises not of a new baby, but new life in a new creation. Promises of the kingdom of God to come, where righteousness will reign and where sin and suffering will be no more.
But for now we have to wait. I don’t know about you, but I have to confess that I hate waiting, and I think I’ve become more impatient as our world becomes ever more interconnected and as our technology improves. We are now accustomed to next day delivery on our internet orders, instant communication with our friends and family, and immediate information and entertainment accessible at the touch of a button. So when our internet access goes down, my Amazon order is delayed, or my computer crashes, I find my temper rises and my agitation increases. We need – I need – to recover the lost art of waiting, we need to rediscover that patience is indeed a virtue.
Sadly, as we see in Genesis today, patient faith was not something that came easily to Abraham’s wife Sarah. The Reformer John Calvin once described Sarah an example of “defective faith”. That may well be so, but we ALL have defective faith to some extent, don’t we? Which means we can all learn from where Sarah went wrong, and try to avoid making the same mistakes ourselves.
Sarah’s doubt, disobedience and denial…
So where did Sarah go wrong, and what were the consequences? Well, it seems to me that Sarah make three mistakes in response to the promises of God – she doubted, she disobeyed and she attempted to deceive (x2). Three mistakes we can learn from when we are tempted to doubt, disobey or deny God’s words and God’s promises to us today.
Firstly, back in Genesis chapter 16 we’re told that Sarah doubted God’s ability to give her and Abraham a family. At her age Sarah thought the only way Abraham could become a father would be with a younger woman. So her doubt led to disobedience. Because Sarah encouraged Abraham to sleep with her Egyptian slave girl Hagar – a sinful liaison that resulted in Hagar’s pregnancy and the birth of a son called Ishmael. A son produced by the will of man, but contrary to the will of God. A child born out of an act of disobedience by Sarah and, of course, Abraham.
By trying to force God’s hand, Sarah and Abraham created conflict in the heart of their family. Hagar quickly began to despise her mistress, and Sarah envied her slave. We are told that Sarah mistreated Hagar so badly that Hagar was temporarily forced to flee for her own safety. Even after Ishmael was born, his presence, and that of his descendants, was a constant source of conflict and rivalry with the people of Israel. The story of Ishmael is a reminder, as if one were needed, that sins have consequences, often well into the future.
As we come to Genesis 18, our passage today, we’re told that the Lord came to Abraham’s camp “near the great trees of Mamre”. Its interesting to note, that the Lord appeared to Abraham in the form of three men – a subtle hint, perhaps, that God is a Trinity of three persons?
Either way, Abraham certainly accords his heavenly visitors great respect and lavish hospitality. In verses 5 to 8 we’re told that he bowed low before them and said, “Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way” He brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.”
When the meal was over, we’re told that the Lord made a solemn promise. “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.”Yet, once again, Sarah responds to God’s words with doubt. As she sat in her tent and heard the Lord’s promise, “she laughed to herself and thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Sarah’s laughter was an expression of incredulity, an audible sign of her doubt that God would (or could?) be true to his word.
Lastly, we see that Sarah’s doubts led to a denial as well as laughter – Sarah attempted to deceive the Lord, she made a hopeless attempt to ‘hoodwink’ God. Listen again to verses 13 and 15: “The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’” Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
Rather than denying her doubts and lying about her incredulity, Sarah should have been honest to the Lord about her lack of faith. She should have been like the psalmists, who are painfully honest to God about their doubts and struggles. She should have asked for the Lord’s help to hold fast to his promises, rather than attempt to hide her doubts from him. After all, he knows how we feel anyway, so it is foolish to try and hide our emotions from him. He knows what we need, if only we will ask.
But God is gracious, and does not punish or penalise Sarah for her lack of faith. On the contrary, Genesis 21 tells us that the following year he does indeed give her a child, a son called Isaac. Within 12 months her laughter of doubt would turn to laughter of joy.
With this remarkable miracle, God fulfilled his promises and vindicated his character. In fact, granting a woman a child contrary to the normal course of nature is a miracle that the Lord would perform time and again in the history of Israel:
- for example, he gave Hannah a son – who would become Samuel the prophet;
- he gave Elizabeth a child – who would be John the Baptist;
- and, above all, he granted the Virgin Mary a son, Jesus Christ – who would be the Saviour of us all.
Wait well – trust and tell!
We are still waiting, of course, for the final culmination of God’s promises to every Christian. That day when Mary’s son shall return in glory, when unrepentant evildoers will be judged, and when we shall be raised to life everlasting.
As we await that day, we should seek to avoid the temptations that Sarah succumbed to:
- So rather than doubting God’s promises, we should hold fast to his words and trust that he has good reasons for delay.
- Rather than giving up on God and living disobediently, we should seek to serve the Lord to the best of our ability in the meantime, in the daily opportunities to be Christlike that he puts on our path.
- And thirdly, we shouldn’t be in denial about the struggles and temptations we face in the world. We shouldn’t seek to deceive God when times are tough or when we are struggling to carry on. On the contrary, we need to be honest to God and ask for his Holy Spirit – his empowering presence – to strengthen and guide us when our faith is weak. He wants to help us as we wait for his kingdom to come.
The New Testament tells us, by the way, why God is making us wait. Passages like 2 Peter 3 verse 9 assure us that Christ will come again, but not before the maximum number of people have turned to him in repentance and faith – so that they too might share in his coming kingdom.
So if we want to wait a little less, and to hasten the day when Christ will come, then let’s make sure we tell our family, friends and neighbours about the hope we have. Tell them about the promise-keeping God of Abraham and Sarah – the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – who has guaranteed forgiveness and life forever to all – all – who put their faith and trust in him.