The Son of Promise

Background Scripture: Genesis 15-18:15
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 15:1-6; 21:1-5

Introduction

Two beautiful words are found in the title of this lesson: son and promise. A son is the child and heir of father and mother. As God’s children, we are sustained by God through his divine promise and become heirs of his grace when we are born again into his kingdom and receive “the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).

We are familiar with how promises are made, kept, or broken. God’s promises, however, are not arbitrary. “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor. 1:20). God kept his promise to Abraham, although it may have seemed slow in coming. We can find forgiveness for the past, strength for today, and hope for the future as we trust Him whose promises will not fail.

Key Verse

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise (Gal. 4:28).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

When reading the Old Testament account of the births of Ishmael and Isaac, we wonder that Abraham could father children with both Hagar and Sarah and yet be regarded as a hero of faith. Did Sarai or Abram’s faith waver, bringing about the birth of Ishmael? Likely it did not breach cultural norms, but God’s promise to Adam of a redeemer did not rest upon the lineage of Ishmael. Thirteen years after Ishmael’s birth, God covenanted with Abram and changed his and Sarai’s names. Abraham’s status as a hero of faith is because he continued following God throughout the tests that he endured, not because he was without mistakes. Today we may question if God’s promises will sustain us as we face our failures. However, it is in the acceptance and surrender of our failures that we can receive grace, love, and power from our heavenly Father.

In a prophetic sense, Jesus is the Son of promise. God made a promise in the garden of Eden, and it was fulfilled in Jesus coming to earth and giving his life on the cross. In another sense, however, all born-again, faithful believers are the sons of God by promise (1 John 3:1-3). As we accept God’s forgiveness of our sin, the promises of God come to fruition in our life. To be considered a child of God is a gift; the indwelling of his Spirit and a spiritual home among the saints is not something that we deserve.

The promises of God, when grasped by faith, bring rest and quietness. When God promised a son to Abram and Sarai, there was no need to doubt that he would come. No amount of worrying or action on their part made the birth of Isaac happen sooner or delay his arrival. We do not need to doubt or worry about God keeping his promises today.

Why did God take so long to send Isaac to Abraham and Sarah? Humanly thinking, it would have seemed easier if his parents could have received him when they were younger. We, too, can sense some of the distress Sarai experienced with empty, childless arms. However, God did eventually fulfill his promise. Similarly, we may look at our present experience and feel that we will always be defined by it. A valley today may seem like a valley forever. In the light of eternity, the valley that we walk through today may then appear small. Although we cannot discern God’s purpose, the experience of today may be preparing us for God’s work tomorrow. It has been said that we can find fruit growing in the valley that does not exist anywhere else. In eternity, our lives will not be defined by how long and deep the valley was, but how we allowed God to lead us and trusted him to see us through (Ps. 23:4).

Practical Truths for Today

Looking around us, we can see many who are being governed by fear and selfishness. “Look out for yourself because no one else will” is a standard many live by. The news cycle keeps people in suspense. Partisan spirits revel in political and religious differences. In the darkness of this age, the children of God will shine as a light because they can trust the present and future into God’s hands. “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim. 1:12).

A child enters a family in a helpless condition but is received with anticipation and love. Jesus’s birth was in the humblest of circumstances. As he took humanity upon Him, He “made himself of no reputation” (Phil. 2:7). Jesus said that we must “receive the kingdom of God as a little child” (Luke 18:17). Sometimes the reality of God’s promises come in a small, quiet way without much fanfare and display.

Our inclination is to try to work our way into God’s favor. By utilizing self-effort, we compete for acceptance, envying those above us and disdaining those below us. Striving to meet the criteria, we jostle our way to the top, but Christ’s way in the kingdom of God is a different way. A Christian seeks contrition instead of boldness, humility instead of attainment, and sacrificial love instead of self-protection. He gives acceptance in place of coercion, peace in place of turmoil, freedom in place of being unforgiving, and love in place of fear. Jesus said we will be called his children in this way. What a promise!

God’s love, received as the fulfillment of his promise, will be evident to our fellowmen. When someone lives in fear, those around him will feel tension. Someone who tries to serve God chiefly out of duty can speak of God’s love, but it is with an empty sound. Someone who is secure in the Shepherd’s care will emit an aura of his love, peace, and joy. This does not mean that they will never encounter pain or disappointment but that there can still be rest and quietness in times of trial, though perhaps more obvious to the observer than the one enduring the test.

Fear and pride cause people to hide their feelings and draw back. Unresolved hurt and pain can inhibit trust and make it difficult to grasp the promises of God. Remember, nothing is too hard for God, and our frame of mind does nothing to change the veracity of God’s immutable Word. It will always rest with us to believe as Abraham and Sarah did even though it may seem like placing confidence in the impossible. They did not always have perfect trust and faith; nevertheless they maintained an unwavering belief in God’s promises.

Illustration

A sister recalls her family’s experience with other church affiliations during her formative years. Circumstances both inside and outside of her home brought inner confusion and resistance. In that confusion, family and friends applied pressure on her to surrender her life to God. As her family began to attend a local congregation of God’s people, she expected the old pressure to continue but did not experience it in the same way. Then, during revival meetings, an invitation was given. In her resistance, she kept her seat. Expecting other people to pressure her toward a commitment, she strangely experienced nothing, with the exception of an older sister who told her in passing as she was leaving, “Remember, God loves you.” Although her resistance did not leave immediately, the love and rest she experienced through God’s people softened her heart and demonstrated the Father’s love to her.

Questions

1. What does it mean to cast out the bondwoman and her son? (Gal. 4:30).
2. God’s love is promised, abundant and free. Why are there some who labor for years before experiencing it?
3. Why do we fear other people’s reaction to our weaknesses?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).