Children of Promise

Genesis 21:1-13 

1 And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. 4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. 5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” 7 She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” 
    8 So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.  9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” 11 And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham's sight because of his son.
    12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. 13 Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”

The Lord God came to make sure Sarah got pregnant, even though Abraham was the father; divine enabling allowed them to have a child at such old and seemingly impossible ages.  There is truly nothing too difficult for our God!  Sarah then gave birth to the son who reminded them they laughed and God’s promise in the beginning, but now they held His promise in their arms and would gladly rejoice with everyone who laughed.  As the agreement stood, Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day as commanded for his part of the covenant.  When Isaac was weaned, Ishmael scoffed at the feast for God’s heir, much as his descendants do now at God’s people.  Sarah told Abraham that they needed to cast out the bondwoman with the scoffer (Galatians 4:30), yet Abraham still loved his firstborn even if Ishmael was not the son of promise.  God reassured him that this one would Father a nation because he was Abraham’s son, just not the lineage of ultimate redemption that was to be through Isaac.  The promised ones have the last laugh in a sense, for Ishmael means “God will hear" and Isaac “he laughs.”  God heard the desire for a son and heir, but His will has the last laugh against the order of the flesh by the spiritual of promise as Galatians 4:28-31 points out.  These events were both part of God’s sovereign plan and lessons for us to understand grace apart from our works or understanding of how things should go.  He makes us a nation without human borders in Christ; we are the children of His promise.