Emotional Rollercoaster

Emotional Rollercoaster

Genesis 17: ¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” ¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

¹⁹ Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. ²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. ²¹ But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” ²² Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

 

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Abraham experienced some strange requests from GOD. Leave your family’s land without knowing where you are going was the first strange request that Abraham obeyed. Rename yourself from Abram to Abraham was another strange request because Abram was known.

 

Cut off your foreskin along with everyone in your household was another strange request as a sign of human promise back to GOD. But now GOD was telling Abraham that he would have another child.

 

My Observations:

• Abraham secretly said to himself “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 
• Abraham tried to steer GOD towards Sarai’s plan.
• GOD told Abraham when the child would be born, then left abruptly.

 

Abraham was probably on an emotional rollercoaster after hearing the promise from GOD. He had believed everything said up to this point, but how in the world would his barren wife have a child not? Abraham knew about his ancestors. He knew that Shem lived six hundred years and had many children well into his years.

 

But people around him were probably dying at an age younger than one hundred. He too, may have felt the effects of getting older and wondered if he would die soon. GOD, knowing Abraham’s persistence, told him “No” in answer to his statement about Ishmael being the possible chosen child. GOD left abruptly, possibly because of Abraham’s inquisitive nature. The answer was final.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD include the secret thoughts of Abraham in a conversation revealed to Moses?
• Has GOD told you a promise that seems to be taking a very long time to come to fruition?
• When GOD promises you something bigger than your imagination, how do you react?