The twentieth in a series of 24 sermons on the book of Genesis
Series Theme
Relationship is so much more than academic belief. We talk of the journey from the head to the heart.
In this series of sermon we trace the life of the patriarchs and learn how God desires a living personal relationship. A relationship which through Christ brings us into the family of God as His adopted children.
Within this series of sermons there is a mini series on the COVENANT. It is in the Covenant God makes with us that this relationship He desires is realized.
Readings reproduced on this page:
The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1996, 1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Readings
Genesis 16:1–6 (NIV84)
1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar;
2so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
3So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.
4He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.
5Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”
6“Your servant is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.
Genesis 17:15–22 (NIV84)
15God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.
16I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”
18And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
19Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.
20And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.
21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”
22When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.
Text
Genesis 21:1–7 (NIV84)
1Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised.
2Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.
3Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.
4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.
5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
7And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”
