WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 21, 2018
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THE BIRTH OF THE PROMISED SON
(GOD keeps HIS promises)
(Genesis 18:1-15 and 21:1-7)
In biblical times in the
land of ancient Palestine, inns, hotels, and motels were very scarce, and so
many travelers had to rely on its citizens to be hospitable towards each other.
Here in Genesis 18 we see the seriousness exhibited by Abraham in his desire to
welcome strangers in his home as he offers three men (angels) a royal welcome
into his abode.
One day around noon Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent when
he espied three men standing nearby. This passage tells us that Abraham jumped
up and ran to meet them, bowing to them, showing the greatest of respect and
acknowledgement, even calling them “LORD” (this indicates that he knew that
they represented Divinity before him) and requesting that they abide with him
for a while.
Abraham offered that they rest in the shade of one of Mambre’s oak
trees, and allow his servants to bring them water to drink, and to wash their
tired feet (v.4). In addition, he offers to prepare them fresh food (not
leftovers), for them to be filled before they continued on their way (v.5). And
so we see here, the great lengths to which a person should go to welcome
another person into their home, because we never know (like in this case) when
we may be entertaining “an angel of the LORD”.
Notice that the first verse in this chapter indicates that “the LORD”
appeared again to Abraham, and so at least one of these men was an actual
“Theophany” of CHRIST, or, represented one of several Old Testament appearances
by CHRIST JESUS” (Genesis 18:20-21 and 22:11-17, Exodus 3:2-3, Joshua 5:13-15,
Numbers 22:21-35, and Judges 2:1-5).
And so, after the three angels accepted Abraham’s invitation, he ran
back to the tent and instructed his wife Sarah to help him prepare the meal for
them. After the food was prepared, Abraham took it and served it to his honored
guests, and then, respectfully waited for them to finish eating.
One of the angels then requested to know where Sarah was, and Abraham
responded that she was in the tent. “The angel of the LORD” then informed
Abraham that by this time next year HE would return and Sarah would be nursing
their very own son, conceived of their own bodies in their old age. Sarah, who
was listening from their tent, laughed silently to herself, thinking, “How
could a worn-out woman like me have a baby? Especially when my husband too, is
so old”
However, the LORD divinely perceived Sarah’s thoughts and said to
Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, “Can an old woman like me have
a baby?” Is anything too hard for the LORD? The LORD then iterates HIS previous
statement to Abraham, and upon hearing it again, Sarah became afraid and denied
that she had laughed. However, the LORD rebuked her telling her “That is not
true, you did laugh”.
The promises GOD makes to us are often concerning things that are
“humanly impossible” to achieve, and despite our doubt, HE humors us, and
brings those promises into reality anyway. Here in this passage we see, for the
first time, GOD actually giving this aging couple “an exact time-frame” for the
birth of their son, who would be named “Isaac”, and HE reminds them that
nothing is impossible for HIM to do. GOD is able to work with us through our
limitations and imperfections, even when we exercise less than “mustard-seed
faith” in HIS divine, unlimited abilities.
THE BIRTH OF ISAAC
Genesis 21:1-7
In Genesis 21, verses 1-7,
we see GOD’s promise to Abraham and Sarah finally being realized, and it is
exactly at the appointed time. The silent laughter of both Abraham (Genesis 17:17)
and Sarah (Genesis 18:12), because of their unbelieving spirit, is now turned
into loud laughter of joy that can be shared by both, their family, and
friends. And it had been made possible because they had both finally, through increased
faith, turned themselves over to GOD, whole-heartedly and completely.
This account in the lives of this aging couple serves to remind us
forever, and to assure each of us individually, that, the seemingly impossible
things in life are put here to serve as proof, that all things become possible
for us when we serve the Almighty, sovereign GOD, the CREATOR of the universe,
in total faith.
As “human beings” living in this world, we seem to always attempt to
solve our problems by taking matters in our own hands. However, after we become
Christians, we need to develop a different mindset, calling on the advice found
in GOD’s Word, and the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, to lead and guide us out of
our own, self-imposed predicaments.
Unfortunately though, we often continue on in “our worldly mindset” long
after we’ve professed to have accepted the wonderful gift of salvation, and
vowed to GOD that we are ready to place our lives into HIS protective hands. We
seem to have a difficult time resisting the urge to try and move forward
without the help of the only wise GOD WHO is physically invisible to us. We
have to have faith in someone (GOD) other than what we see physically every
day. As human beings, our mind finds abstract things hard to grasp and embrace,
because we have to do so with our spirit, through our faith.
When we develop an experiential relationship of friendship with GOD, we
can then allow HIM to work in our lives through prayer, and by being patient
and waiting on HIM to answer at perfectly the right time. Our trust in GOD
should buttress our patience, so that, over time, we won’t see GOD as not
moving fast enough, and begin to take foolish and prideful measures, thinking
that we need to “help GOD out”.
The
only real way we can help GOD, or ourselves, is by being obedient to HIS Word.
When we foolishly attempt to interfere with GOD’s speed, we often end up
sinning against HIM, and thereby, we delay HIS promise and blessing that HE has
already prepared for us.
Abraham and Sarah are one of Scripture’s greatest examples of people who
delayed their blessings and promise from GOD, by trying to “help GOD out”.
First they brought their servant girl, Hagar, into their bedroom to try and
produce a child totally outside of the will of GOD’s plan for them. This human
act, of course, eventually caused a lot of strife in their family, and, as a
result, they ended up waiting seventeen more years for their promised son,
Isaac, to be born through their union.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
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