The True Son of Promise
For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
Both Abraham and Sarah had laughed at the prospect of a child being born to a couple their age. They had thought that they could attain an heir through Sarah’s bondwoman Hagar. In fact, Abraham had pleaded that Ishmael (his son through Hagar) might be considered his legitimate heir (Genesis 17:18).
But God fulfilled His promise in His own time in the way He intended. Abraham and Sarah had to wait for God to provide the true son who would inherit their physical possessions and be the heir of the promises God made to Abraham.
This is an important lesson for Christians. We are instructed to wait patiently for God (Psalm 37:7; James 5:7). This means fighting off feelings such as “God has forgotten about me” or “the circumstances are too hard for God to act.” Such feelings can lead to our falling into the same trap that Abraham and Sarah did—trying to bring about God’s will in our own way.
God kept His promise through Abraham exactly as He said He would, with no need for humanly devised shortcuts or solutions! Isaac, the true son of promise, was miraculously born to a 90-year-old woman—obviously well past the normal age of childbearing—and a 100-year-old man.
For more information on the promises God made to Abraham, read the article “Promises to Abraham.”
Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Isaac: Sole Heir to the Promises.”
