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The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. –Genesis 21:1-4
Notice the actions:
“as he had said…
“as he had promised…
“at the time of which God had spoken to him…
“as God had commanded him…
Genesis 21 with the birth of Isaac seems like it would never come and when it finally did, it’s not exactly the most exciting of the Genesis narratives. But when you think about the 20+ years preceding this birth, you may recall so many very exciting moments of the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
If you had lived it, surely all those times Abraham had jeopardized the promise (how many of us have had our wives taken into the household of foreign men…twice!) and other disasters made life seem chaotic, out-of-control, and cruel. We know because of previous obedience and laughter that Abraham and Sarah had times they believed God’s promise, and times they found it too wonderful to be believed.
Now, though, with the Genesis 21 passage, we see that things came about “as he had said,” “as he had promised,” at the time of which God had spoken to him,” as God had commanded him.”
Looking at the whole of Israel’s history up to the ascension of Christ, don’t we see exactly the same thing amplified? Messiah was to come and finally did, but in the world’s estimation, it was most inglorious. He taught pretty well, but had a bad reputation with a lot of people—especially the conservative religious leadership, and then ended up finally getting killed without many people even noticing.
Yet, loud and clear we see that in the fullness of time God sent his Son born of a woman, born under law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption. The Lord was guiding it every step of the way. From earth’s perspective it was horribly misfortunate; from heaven’s perspective, as the Heidelberg Catechism says so beautifully:
All things come not by chance, but by His fatherly hand.
And that’s the gospel! Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
The King of Love My Shepherd Is (Psalm 23)
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on a Bible book) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” Now Abimelech had not approached her. So he said, “Lord, will you kill an innocent people? Did he not himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands I have done this.” Then God said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that you have done this in the integrity of your heart, and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. –Genesis 20:1-6
Here is another story of Abraham trying his old sinful tricks again, relying on his cleverness rather than God’s promise. It didn’t work the first time, and the second time is no different. Of the many striking things in this passage, perhaps one that surprises the most is Abimelech’s protest. God tells him he’s as good as dead for taking Sarah in. But Abimelech rebuts that he’s innocent because he didn’t know who Sarah was. He offers up the claim of his own righteousness in that he had not “approached her.” In other words, well, you get it.
So, Abimelech offers up his good work to support his salvation and God lets him know sharply, “Yes, I know…and it was I who kept you from sinning against me.”
The Lord gets the glory in forgiving our sin, but the Lord gets the glory even if we don’t sin! In the gospel, in worship, in our prayers, in every part of life, we must repent not only of our sinfulness, but repent also of our goodness. It is but filthy rags. Boast only of Christ’s righteousness in you. Assign to him the glory for anything good you do because he is the only one who is good, and the only one who can justly claim his own righteousness. He does that for us.
And that’s the gospel! Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
O Father, You Are Sovereign
Holy, Holy, Holy
Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on a Bible book) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 But they [the men of the City of Sodom who had surrounded Lot’s house and were demanding he turn over the men/angelic visitors to them] said, “Stand back!” And they said, “This fellow came to sojourn, and he has become the judge! Now we will deal worse with you than with them.” Then they pressed hard against the man Lot, and drew near to break the door down. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them and shut the door. 11 And they struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house, both small and great, so that they wore themselves out groping for the door. –Genesis 19:9-11
There are so many things that can be said about chapter 19. It is both great and terrible. Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes believers can make is to assume that they are at least more self-justified than those wicked people in Sodom. But salvation belongs to the Lord! Lot’s salvation came not because he hurried to the Promised Land, but verse 16 said he “lingered.” Lot’s salvation came not because he wouldn’t settle for anything less than the Land of Blessing, but verse 20 says that he begged for a littler Sodomite city in the plain, and the story goes on.
Lot was saved because the Lord would settle for nothing less!
Of the many stark pictures of reality in chapter 19 is in verse 11 in the passage above. The Sodomites are struck blind. You’d think if you and everyone around you were suddenly struck with blindness, at least initially your sinful appetite would be turned to nausea. Not them, no, they “wore themselves out groping for the door.”
Isn’t that an accurate picture of our own depravity? And let us not take heart that their grievous personal sin of choice is just a lot worse than ours. Don’t we wear ourselves our groping in gossip, covetousness, unkindness, jealousy, self-seeking ambition, self-righteousness, etc? But thanks be to God that he reaches out his hand and brings us into the house and shuts the door (v. 10) that we may be safe not only from wickedness in the world, but from the wickedness in our hearts.
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
This Sunday is our next Community Lunch. To get more information, click here.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
Our God, Our Help in Ages Past
Fairest Lord Jesus
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on a Bible book) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him…?”
Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” –Genesis 18:16-18, 20-23
It seems that every new story in Genesis is jam-packed full of new and wonderful things that preach the gospel to us. This passage, which really must be read in its entirety to get the full effect, is no exception. It picks up on the last scene where the Lord has shown up to have a meal with Abraham to seal the covenant. As the Lord starts to leave, he speaks out loud apparently where Abraham can hear (“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do…”). It’s fascinating in that the Lord is leading, shepherding Abraham to function as a kind of mediator between God and the sinners of Sodom.
Maybe Abraham didn’t take the bait with that first question, so the Lord says that he will “go down to see” if it’s really that bad. Obviously the Lord knows already, but take a moment to appreciate how patient the Lord is with those of us who are a little thick-headed. This time Abraham takes the bait and functions now fully as a mediator: “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”
If you read the rest of the passage, you’ll find that Abraham tries to bargain with the Lord to count many sinners as righteous on the account of a few righteous men. Now, it’s not as though there are any righteous men to fit the bill; nonetheless, we see the doctrine of imputed righteousness very early on.
Our great Mediator Jesus Christ not only stands before the bar of God and pleads for the sparing of sinners on the account of someone else who is indeed righteous, but he is himself that righteous one!
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty
Like a River Glorious
Jesus Shall Reign
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on a Bible book) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” –Genesis 18:13-15
The Hebrew word often translated “hard” or “difficult” is means “wonderful” or “marvelous”. This helps us understand that Lord is not asking Abraham if there’s something the Lord can’t do. Most of us believe there’s nothing the Lord can’t do. But what he’s asking Abraham is if there is anything so good, that the Lord won’t do it. Is anything to wonderful, is anything too marvelous for the Lord?
That is the question we should ask ourselves all the time. That’s a great question for discussions for everywhere from the dinner table to the hospital room to the sleepless night. It’s a wonderful antidote to the skepticism and doubt the world, the flesh, the devil, and our own accusing consciences use to plague us. After all, for Sarah, the One who knows her thoughts can surely open her womb!
The fear for us often arises because of our sin. Yes, we know God can do wonderful and marvelous things for us. And we might even agree that he would be willing if we weren’t so sinful. But the promise to Sarah and Abraham is the same as the promise to Adam and Eve, Hannah and Elkanah, and Mary and Joseph: there is the promised baby who would come and crush the serpent’s head once and for all. This Deliverer would make us righteous and keep the law that we might become the sons and daughters of a God for whom nothing is too wonderful or marvelous for his children.
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
Come, Thou Almighty King
In Christ Alone
How Firm a Foundation
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on Reformed theology) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. –Genesis 17:19-22
The Apostle Paul uses the Genesis story to illustrate that Jesus Christ is supremely the issue of all the law and the prophets:
In hope Abraham believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. –Romans 4:18-25
What a perfect description of the Christian life: you realize that you are hopeless, but you believe the certainty of God’s promise and make it yours. To any other kind of human effort, God laughs—and it may very well put you in the enemy category for him. Are you self-justified? Is your morality and goodness giving you confidence? He just laughs at you (like he did to Abraham and Sarah for a time). Are you God justified, having righteousness counted to you because Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification? Then he’s laughing with you or over you (Isaiah 62).
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
As with Gladness Men of Old
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Good Christian Men, Rejoice
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on Reformed theology) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” –Luke 2:34-35
Ah, nothing like warm Christmas blessings huh? Can you imagine taking your child to the temple and the most faithful priest in the whole place comes out, lays his hand on your baby, and says the child will bring about the fall of many, be opposed, and pierce your own soul? That’s not exactly the stuff of Christmas cards.
But it is Jesus; that’s his life.
Here’s a scene illustrating this in Mark 2:6-8, Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things?
This made them want to kill him. Jesus taught in Luke 6:45, The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
In the Luke 2 passage above,
Simeon is telling them that Jesus will cause the falling of many in Israel…they’ll hate him for that.
Simeon is telling them that Jesus will reveal the thought of many hearts…they’ll hate him for that.
Simeon is telling them that Jesus will be a sign that will be spoken against…they’ll hate him for that.
We see the “sign spoken against” in Luke 11:29, As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.
In the same way that the prophet Jonah went to the Ninevites and announced God’s judgment because of sin, Jesus came to announce God’s judgment because of sin. Interestingly, the Ninevites repented for a time, but the generation at the time of Jesus did not. They spoke against him as a sign from God.
That generation (those who speak against him) is still with us, even at Christmas. Do not be deceived, however, God is not mocked. In all this “speaking against,” he has the last word!
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this Sunday.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Angels We Have Heard on High
Away in a Manger
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on Reformed theology) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” –Luke 2:8-12
Some commentators have suggested that for there to be shepherds out in the field near Bethlehem watching their flocks by night indicates these were not just any shepherds watching just any sheep. These shepherds were watching sheep all night long to make sure they stayed pure for sacrificial use at the temple. Now this is interesting. If this is the case then these guys were acutely aware of cleanness (required in the sacrifice) and uncleanness (their condition because of their job). They couldn’t ever get purified…perpetual uncleanness.
And who among us doesn’t know of his or her own perpetual uncleanness because of sin! Imagine what good news it was, and not just your garden-variety good news, but good news of great joy, that the Savior was at hand. The One who makes sinners clean has finally arrived. And not only that, but just in case you doubt it, here’s a sign to confirm: he came among the uncleanness of a barn.
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this fourth Sunday of Advent.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Joy to the World!
Our Community Advent Lunch is this Sunday following the worship service. For more information, click here.
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on Reformed theology) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Then Abram fell on his face . –Genesis 17:1-3
Abram had developed a little habit of talking back to God. In chapter 16 the Lord comes to him and says, “Fear not, I am your shield and very great reward.” You’d think that would elicit a very humble, “Thank you,” but Abram protests a bit: “Oh Lord, what can you give me? I don’t have a son.” God is patient, reiterates the promise, Abram believes, and is then justified by God through faith alone. Wow!
Then in the Lord’s incomprehensible generosity, he repeats and somewhat expands the promise of the land to Abram. Again, gratefulness is in order, but Abram doubts aloud, “Oh Lord, how can I know you’ll do this?” Then we are treated to one of the top five most glorious scenes in scripture. This is where God calls covenantal curses upon himself to assure that Abram and his true children will inherit nothing less than the New Heaven and the New Earth. Upon the cross we see that those curses were upon the Lord, not because he didn’t keep his promise, but because we broke it. Wow!
Chapter 16 is the Sarai and Hagar incident, which was a really bad deal. However, apparently Abram has grown in grace a ton through it because several years later in the passage above, God comes to him again and commands him with promises. This time, at ninety-nine years old, Abram has the proper response: verse 3, “Abram fell on his face.” The Lord is long-suffering, merciful, patient, and loving with sinners he’s making into his sons and daughters…even if they don’t get it until they’re ninety-nine years old.
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this third Sunday of Advent.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates!
Jesus Comes with Clouds Descending
Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on Reformed Treasures) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
 So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. –Genesis 16:3-6
Abram is a hero of the faith. There is no question about it and he is a major part of the great cloud of witnesses which inspires us to run the race set before us. Thankfully scripture includes stories of his fallibleness too. This is one of them. Sarai suggests they not believe the promises made to them and set out in their own strength and understanding. In a real way, she suggests they should justify themselves rather than wait on the Lord to do it. Rather than pastor her, Abram basically says, “Sure, whatever.”
Then, as these things are wont to do, it goes awry quickly and he has two very unhappy women on his hands. Rather than step in and pastor them both, he turns on the evening news, so-to-speak, and lets them go at each other. What a pastoral and family disaster!
Our Great Shepherd, our True Pastor, Jesus Christ is not like this. By his Spirit, he constantly reminds us of his promises when we doubt them and start leaning on our own understanding. After we mess it up, he gets involved and continues speaking to us in the word as it is preached. He never takes the hands-off approach, but leads us in paths of righteousness, because, after all, it is for his name’s sake.
And that’s the gospel. Come hear it preached and enacted in the supper with Jesus this second Sunday of Advent.
The related hymns we’ll sing are:
O Worship the King
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Sunday school for children (in Genesis) and adults (on Reformed Treasures) is up and running! Coffee and other treats are served at 9:15, teaching begins at 9:30, and we break to get ready for worship at 10:15.
Visitors are always welcome!
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