Sermon Tone Analysis
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What Do People See?
“To Tell the Truth” began as a TV program and was broadcast from 1956 to 1968.
The central premise of the original series was that the individual who was who they said they were would truthfully answer all questions by the celebrity panelists.
Two or three other pretenders gave what they felt were the best/believable answers or lied.
Over the last few weeks we have allowed the Book of Genesis to give us an overview of the life of Abraham, who will father Isaac, who will father of Esau and Jacob.
The Book of Genesis provides for us the record that Esau fathered six sons and Jacob fathered 12 sons.
Up to this point in our study of Abraham, we have noted the multiple times that the LORD appeared to and spoke to Abram/Abraham.
From what we read, God’s promises to Abraham and Sarah were increasingly clear and repeatedly affirmed.
With that in the back our minds, I would ask you consider the life of Abraham.
For our purposes today, we will not use of TV format but that of a Shakespearean play.
While the fulfillment of God’s promises seemed humanly impossible, the LORD had asked a question to make an emphatic statement to Abraham and Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?”
God’s call of Abram - subtitle/God’s Covenant with Abram - Genesis 11:31-12:1
Scene 1 - God appeared to Abram in Mesopotamia
From everything that we read, the LORD was very patient with Abraham.
Some wonder if the LORD was too patient.
But then can we ever be too patient?
Having noted that, I am encouraged because our LORD is probably more patient with me than I deserve.
The same might be true for you.
Scene 2 - Tarah and Abram moved to Haran
Scene 3 - After the death of Tarah, God removed Abram from Haran to Canaan
With that bit of context, I must confess that I found & 21 very difficult to process.
- God’s Covenant with Abram - - 20
Scene 1 - The LORD said to Abram - I will bless you, in you all families of the earth will be blessed
Scene 2 - Egypt - Following Abram’s advice, Sarai told Pharoah that she is Abram’s sister - a truth = a lie
On the one hand, we have God’s promise of Isaac being born finally fulfilled.
Along with that Hagar and Ishmael were sent/headed off on their own and cared for by the LORD as He had promised Hagar 13 or 14 years earlier -
- God’s Covenant Applied - -14
Scene 1 - Abram and Lot separate- Lot to the Jordan Valley, Abram land of Canaan
In the other hand, the events of Isaac’s birth and Hagar/Ishmael’s heading out on their own are sandwiched between 2 other events in the life of Abraham that pull at my heart and make me shake my head.
So overwhelming and interconnected did I find this series of events, I was very tempted to focus on the shoulder events rather than God’s promise fulfilled and God’s promised protect provided.
Scene 2 - Abram rescues Lot and others from Sodom and Gomorrah
To be true to our text/context, we cannot disregard those two sandwich events.
They are part of the record of God’s grace and care.
They underscore God’s grace and care.
But in considering them we will do our best not to allow them to eclipse the heart of these two chapters.
First of all:
Scene 3 - Meetings with Melchizedek and the King of Sodom.
- God’s Covenant Explained - Genesis 15
God’s Promise Fufilled - 21:1-7
Scene 1 - God’s Covenant with Abram - Not Eliezer but Abram’s very own son
Scene 2 - Covenant affirmed by God - smoking fire pot and flaming torch pass between the 1/2’s of the animals that God commanded Abram to kill.
- God’s Covenant Confounded - - 20
Scene 1 - Hagar given to Abram as a wife and is so doing denied God’s promise
Scene 2 - God’s promises affirmed/Isaac promised
Scene 3 - Abraham lied to Abimilech saying Sarah was his sister
Scene 1 - Isaac born
Scene 2 - God protects Hagar and Ishmael
Scene 3 - Abraham’s Treaty with Abimilech - trust me - my men dug the well at Beersheba
WOULD YOU HAVE BELIEVED ABRAHAM?
TRUTH AND TRUST ARE INSEPARABLE!
The LORD did as He had said and as He had promised.
What the LORD had promised multiple times and explained again and over the last 25 years has at last been fulfilled.
What Abraham and Sarah had questioned and tried to do their way, the LORD did HIS way in His time.
What had seemed impossible had become possible.
The account is strikingly simple and devoid of anything other than the core facts.
The LORD visited Sarah - she had been in the tent, had laughed and had not been part of the conversation that Abraham had with the 3 visitors
The LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.
Genesis
Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age (her old age).
at the time of which God had spoken to him
Abraham called the name of his son Isaac
Abraham circumcised Isaac at 8 days as God had commanded
ABRAHAM WAS 100 YEARS OLD WHEN HIS SON ISAAC WAS BORN TO HIM.
Sarah said, “God made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”
Isaac means he laughs
potential reproach on Sarah who laughed in the tent - 18:15
conveys shared joy - laugh over not at
Sarah - “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?
Yet I have born him a son in his (not my) old age.”
As one commentator pointed out:
“Sarah, throughout is no visionary; she had faith,
but her bent was domestic and physical.
- no doubt providentially for Isaac had the ordinary needs of a child, who must be enjoyed for himself as well as for his destiny.”
2. God’s Promised Protection Provided - 21:8-21
Context for the needed protection - 21:8-14
Isaac the child grew and was weaned - age about 3
Abraham planned a feast day - weaned plus Isaac had passed the earliest years when many young children died
Ishmael (about 16) laughing at Isaac.
laughing not as in fun but probably at bit of tension/derision
incompatibility of natural and spiritual
Ps 83:
Sarah’s words - more true than she knew
God’s comfort to Abraham and his displeasure - 21:12, 13
Abraham’s actions - bread, water and sent them away - into the wilderness.
Promised protection provided - 21:15-21
We cannot read this without memories reverting to 15 or 16 years ago when the LORD promised Hagar that He would protect and care for her.
Gen 16:
water in the skin gone
the boy calling out
Hagar left Ishmael whom she thought was dying under one of the bushes and waiting a good way off/bow shot - 50 to 75 yards/meters - guard towers on the Great Wall of China - 2 bow shots apart - 150 yards.
Let me not look on the death of the child
Hagar lifted up her voice and wept
Angel of God called from heaven:
What troubles you Hagar?
Fear not for God has heard the voice of the child where he is.
Up! Lift up the boy and hold him fast in your hand for I will make him a great nation.
Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water and gave the boy to drink
AND GOD WAS WITH THE BOY AND HE GREW UP.
HE LIVED IN THE WILDERNESS AND BECAME AN EXPERT WITH THE BOW.
Ishmael lived in the wilderness of Paran, and Hagar, his mother, took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
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