GOD’S NEW PROMISE

But God’s promise was not only for material prosperity. It went far beyond that. It may be what we have been looking for – namely, God’s hand stretched out to lift up fallen man, sinful man.

Let us hear God’s words to Abram. They are very solemn words, God’s own words. So I shall read them with great care and reverence:

“I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless. Between you and me I will establish my covenant, and I will multiply you exceedingly.”

When Abram prostrated himself, God continued to speak to him: “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you ; Kings shall stem from you. I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land of Canaan , as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.” (Gen. 17, 1-8)

But the difficulty remained-Abraham and his wife Sarah were old and had no children. How could they be the founders of a new race, God’s own people?

“Abraham prostrated himself; but in his heart he said, laughing at the thought. `Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?…’ God said to Abraham : `Your wife Sarah is to bear you a son, and you shall call him Isaac. It is to him and to the race which shall follow him that I will make good my promise.” (Gen. 17, 17-19)

Sarah too laughed when she heard the message, knowing well that she was old and no longer subject to the lot of womanhood.

“But the Lord said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, and say, `Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?’ Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do?’ At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son’. `I did not laugh,’ Sarah said, lying because she was afraid. But he replied, `Oh yes, you did laugh” (Genesis 11, 13-15)

 A NEW PEOPLE

God had stepped into human history again. Abraham’s son, Isaac, was born. And over long years his descendants grew into a numerous people. They had times of prosperity, and they had hard times. But God was in the midst of His people, preparing them for the special task that He would perform through them.

This is a good place to pause and ask myself whether the story of God’s call to Abraham strikes a note in my own heart. Could this really be God coming to help us again after the failure of our sinful rejections?