How does Genesis 21:7 demonstrate God's faithfulness to His promises? Verse Under the Microscope Genesis 21:7: “She also said, ‘Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’ ” Promise Remembered • God first promised Abraham offspring in Genesis 12:2; He reiterated it in Genesis 15:4–6 and Genesis 17:16–19. • Twenty-five years have passed since the original promise (compare Genesis 12:4 with Genesis 21:5). • Sarah’s words echo the sheer improbability of the event: she had been barren all her life (Genesis 11:30) and was now about ninety (Genesis 17:17). Impossible Made Possible • Sarah’s rhetorical question—“Who would have told Abraham…?”—highlights that, humanly speaking, no one would have predicted this outcome. • The statement “Yet I have borne him a son” is the tangible proof that God’s word overrides biological limitations. • Genesis 18:14 had set the stage: “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you… and Sarah will have a son.” The birth of Isaac answers that divine question with a resounding “Nothing is too difficult.” Marks of God’s Faithfulness in the Verse 1. Precision in timing: “in his old age” points to the exact season God foretold (Genesis 17:21). 2. Visibility of fulfillment: Sarah is literally nursing, a public, undeniable sign. 3. Joy replacing doubt: earlier laughter of disbelief (Genesis 18:12) becomes laughter of amazement (Genesis 21:6), showing God’s promises turn skepticism into celebration. 4. Covenant continuity: Isaac’s birth secures the lineage through which Messiah will come (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16). Scripture Echoes • Numbers 23:19—God does not promise and fail to act. • Romans 4:20–21—Abraham “was fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.” • Hebrews 11:11—Sarah “considered Him faithful who had promised.” • 2 Corinthians 1:20—“All the promises of God are ‘Yes’ in Christ,” reinforcing that Isaac points forward to an even greater fulfillment. Take-Home Truths • God’s promises may tarry, but they never lapse. • He loves to work in the realm of the impossible so that His glory is unmistakable. • What He begins, He completes—every time, on time, for the good of His people and the unfolding of His redemptive plan. |
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