Abraham's family troubles. Hagar, Sarah, Ishmael. The family into which John the Baptist and Jesus are born for our family healings.

God had made three promises to Abraham
1. I will lead you to a land I have chosen.
2. I will give you many descendants.
3. Third promise is dependent on first two - through you I will bless the whole world.
(No favourites).

Previously we saw how Abraham's faith was tested re the Land.
In the Land, at the first sign of a problem, he leaves and goes to Egypt.
That led to many more problems.
Eventually he returns to the Promised Land and is restored to God at Bethel.

Today Gen 15 and 16.

Ab's faith is tested re the second promise - many descendants.
At that moment he had no children.
Wife Sarah has not borne any children.
15:1After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”
But how does Ab respond?
Protest. I have a land but no children.
2-3 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”

The Lord's answer: vs 4-5 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

Exageration?

How many stars can be seen with naked eye?

Many millions.

2000 years after Abraham, just before the first Christmas, Zechariah (father of John the Baptist) sings re the promise of the coming birth of Jesus.
Tells of the purpose of the coming of Jesus. Luke 1:72-73.
To fulfil that promise to Abraham to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.

And Paul: Gal 3:29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

We who are open to Christ are counted as His brothers and sisters. Therefore, as Jesus was descended from Ab so we are spiritual descendants of Ab.

Yet Sarah still has no child.

What was Ab's response to God's promise?
6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
He believed and God counted him righteous.
This verse quoted in NT several times.
The righteousness of Ab was his faith.

He trusted God.

Because he trusted God, he obeyed.

So with us. What pleases God is not that we follow this or that rule or tradition. But that we trust God.

In God's eyes a live Church is not one that has many activities or ceremonies. (Useful though these may be) but a live Church is a community of believing, trusting, people.

As we read the story of Ab we find that Sarah does not believe but even laughs at God's Promise. (Gen 18).
==================================
2000 year later there is another promise about a birth of a child. In fact two children.

Zechariah whose wife Elizabeth has not previously been able to have children, is told that she will have a son - whose name will be John.
Zech like Sarah, but unlike Ab, does not believe it.
Because of his unbelief Zech is struck dumb until John is born.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth's cousin, Mary (still a Virgin) is told she will have a child who will be the Son of God.
What is Mary's reaction? Luke 1: 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Following the faith of her ancestor Ab, Mary becomes the first human being to believe in Jesus. (The first believer in the Christian Church.)
All generations shall call me blessed.

Remember God's promise to Ab through your descendants all nations would be blessed.

That was the fulfillmente of the promise to Mary.

The blessing is that God has become one with our humanity that we might know Him and be redeemed.

Yet Mary acknowledges her need of a Saviour.
Luke 1: 46-48 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

That is the faith that saves.

To acknowledge we need a Saviour and entrust our lives to Christ. That is faith.

So Ab believes God. He would have a son through Sarah and all the world would be blessed by his descendants.

But time went on and still Sarah bore him no children.

Sarah gives up and looks for a surrogate mother.

16:1-2 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Domestic pressure from his wife makes Abraham act hastily.
Instead of waiting on God.

Hagar expects child.
In her pride she despises Sarah.
Sarah blames Abraham.
Ab pretends to be neutral.
Says: Do as you want - it is none of my business.

Sarah ill-treats Hagar.
==============================
Domestic scene marred by false pride (Hagar); false blame (Sarah blames Abraham); and false neutrality (Abraham pretends it is nothing to do with him.)

Have our home lives ever been marred in this way?
===========================
Hagar gives birth to Ishmael.

Some Arabs today claim they are descendants of Ishmael.
(I respect that claim, even though I am not an expert on ethnic orgins and therefore cannot be sure about reliability of the claim.)
However God's purpose for Ishmael's descendents is a good purpose.
Chapter 17, God says I will bless Ishmael and his descendants.
17:20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.
God does care about Ishmael's seed.
He cares for all peoples whatever the origin of their ethnic group.
=======================================
Today (as in all history) there have been births that are not in the way God wills.
Can lead to appalling problems.
But all who are born (in what ever circumstances) are precious to God.

All human relations have been marred in one way or another and most families know about that.
=====================================
Therefore the Saviour is born into a human family.
A verse of a Christmas carol says: "His birth hallows all the human race."
He heals our divisions and wrongdoings and makes us holy.

Our own relations may have been marred by those between Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael or marred by false pride, false blame and false neutrality.

There is One who heals these relationships.
Christmas is a time for being happy among families and friends.

Even those with whom we have had problems in the past year.

That will only be a lasting happiness if, together, like Abraham, we believe in God together.

And like Mary, are able to say: My soul rejoices in God my Saviour.

Genesis 15 and 16.

Abraham's family problems. Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael.

The healing of our families in the birth of Jesus into our human family.