'helping' God

[the first 19 PPT slides are from https://www.stevethomason.net/2019/09/12/a-cartoonists-guide-to-abraham-sarah-and-laughter/?fbclid=IwAR0johUt6hrDFAcU2gH8aDnPzaVOZ5QfMeeYLquwyC42Wry0hvgMtdDLuHg]

To get the full picture of what is going on in this reading, we need to go back a few chapters.

PPT:

1.   The Promise to Abram and Sarai

2.   In Chapter 12 we are told that Abram was seventy-five years old.

3.   The LORD told him to leave your country, your family, and your relatives and go to the land that I will show you.

4.   I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation.

5.   Abram was told he would be blessed to be a blessing

6.   Then there is a trip to Egypt – more on that later. After some battles, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, “Abram, don’t be afraid! I will protect you and reward you greatly.” [15:1]

7.   Abram responds that God has given him everything except children, and the promise is reaffirmed

8.   “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars. That’s how many descendants you will have.”

9.   The Lord also promises Abram that his descendants will live in the land of Canaan, and they make a covenant, complete with sacrifices.

10.        By chapter 16, Sarai and Abram are wondering about this promise of God, and Sarai gives Abram her maid servant, Hagar, who bears a son for him.

11.         Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave birth to their son, and he named him Ishmael.

12.        Here is the first part of today’s reading, another confirmation that the child God has promised will be with Sarai, not Hagar. And their names are changed to Abraham and Sarah.

13.        And Abraham laughed [17:17]

14.        A sign of the covenant is that each male will be circumcised

15.        Ishmael is not the promised son

16.        Three travellers, Sarah will have a son

17.        Sarah laughs

18.        “is anything too wonderful for the Lord?”

19.        Isaac born – Isaac means laughter

20.        Map –

a.   this is so you can see that Abraham and Sarah, along with Abraham’s father Terah and nephew Lot, left Ur headed for Canaan. But they settled in Haran.

b.   God tells Abram and Sari to move, and they do, this time making Canaan

c.    When a famine hit the land, they travelled to Egypt, there Abram pretended that Sarai was his sister – the Egyptian king did not like being deceived, so Abram and the people and animals travelling with him were told to leave.

d.   Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

21.        Trees of Mamre

So much for the introduction:

 I know many people will be preaching about hospitality based on this reading, but the thing that resonated with me this week was how we try and ‘help’ God.

 God told Abram he would have many descendants, as many as the stars in the sky. Abram and Sarai waited, not knowing how this would happen, they are past the age of having children. They wait, one year, two years, three, … ten years.

Was what God told them true??

Well if Abram slept with Hagar, the child would be his. Maybe that would fulfil God’s plan.

But that wasn’t God’s plan.

Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, 25 years of hearing God’s promise, of fighting wars, travelling, staying alive, wondering about the promise. 25 years of hoping for the impossible and wondering if it would ever come true.

And in that time, Ishmael was born.

When Isaac was weaned most likely 2-3 years of age, Hagar and Ishmael are sent away.

While I feel for Sarah, being childless for so long

I feel sorry for Hagar and Ishmael. They did nothing wrong yet are treated badly and then sent away because of Sarah’s jealousy.  God does look after them, but it reminds me of the human frailties of each one of us. and it reminds me of those whose lives are impacted by our anger and shame. Those whose lives are considered less important, less worthy, expendable.

People like refugees, drug addicts, people who are homeless or living with mental illness. People who live in other countries, especially so called third world countries.

Who are the people we think are worth less than we are?

In the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, we read of the faith of Abraham and all he did in the strength of that faith.

We talk of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Yet this story does not sugar coat the fact that Abraham was willing to take matters into his own hands.

Waiting for God to act, waiting for God to fulfil the promise of an heir, a descendent who would have many, many, descendants

I am not surprised that Abraham and Sarah both laughed. If God told me that Ian and I would have children, I would laugh to. I mean what kind of crazy idea is it that people of our age can imagine having children.

Has God ever asked you, or promised you something so outrageous you couldn’t believe it?

Have you waited, wondering if God’s promises will come true?

Wondered if your prayers are heard?

Wondered of God even knows you exist?

Do you wonder if you matter in God’s amazing and grand story?

We need to work with God, and certainly not obstruct God’s work, but we also can’t go off and try to force what God may do in the future.

Some of you will have noticed that I am not the most patient person. I don’t like having to wait; yet with illness, operation and broken ankle this year, I have had to rest and wait; and I still don’t find that easy.

Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years, a quarter of their life, for an impossible promise to be fulfilled.

What might God yet fulfil in your life?

In our life?