October 14th, 2020
Galatians 4:21-31
When Sarah can’t see the work of God what does she do? She does it on her own. She gives her husband the slave girl to sleep with, to bear a child with.
What was she thinking? She was thinking God had promised her and her husband a child, and the promise was not in their arms, so she must need to do something. She must need to work harder, sacrifice more, even sacrifice her marital bed with her husband, for the promise to come to fruition.
We see Sarah’s actions and think she has lost it, but how often do we know the promises of God and convince ourselves we must do something to make those promises come to fruition?
Here is the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. (In synopsis and in my words).
At 75 years old, Abram is called by God and he goes. In the call he receives a promise from God. “I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…So Abram went.” (Genesis 12:2 4)
Abraham has heard the words of promise more than once, and in Genesis chapter 15, God makes a covenant with Abram. It’s not the average covenant. God puts Abram into a deep sleep and does it all. God passes through the sacrificed divided animals while Abram sleeps.
Eventually Sarah gets understandably restless. Her and her husband have been promised a child, and they are getting older. She can not see how this is going to happen.
Sarah eventually takes matters into her own hands. She gives her slave woman to her husband so the slave woman can get pregnant and Sarah can claim that child as her offspring. Brilliant, right? Not so much. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the fifteen ways this is going to go sideways. Neither Hagar, the servant, nor Sarah is thrilled with the situation once Hagar begins to blossom with new life. Sarah’s actions result in Hagar being sent off.
Abraham and Sarah receive new names and a reminder of the promise and covenant God made with them.
Behold my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
The Lord appears to them to let them know about their son who is soon coming.
Sarah laughs at the idea.
The promise is fulfilled.
Isaac is born.
When it seems laughable that this couple would have a child is when one comes about. They are beyond childbearing years. It seems that all hope is lost. Sarah has sacrificed her marital bed thinking that would bring the promise to fruition.
Yet, hope is not lost. The fulfillment of the promise has nothing to do with the age or ability of Abraham or Sarah or sacrifices they make.
The promises God has made will come to fruition. The work Christ does always bears fruit. He may use us just as he used Abraham and Sarah. But the promise is fulfilled in spite of them and because of Christ.
Christ is the fruit of the free woman.
Issac was the child of a free woman.
The fruit of our lives is not produced because of us. The fruit of our lives, the good works we do, are produced by Christ. He has prepared these things for us to do.
We are not children of slavery; we are children of freedom. The fruit produced in our lives in fruit of freedom.
We live in freedom because we are children of freedom. We do not need to live in slavery, we get to live forgiven and free.
Read Genesis 12-16. Take note especially of the promises God gives.
Loved In Spite of Self 