Key Text
Genesis 17:17 NKJV
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
Outline
A. Introduction
B. Talking Points
I. Waiting
II. Wondering
III. Writing
C. Conclusion and Appeal
Introduction
On July 2, 2014, a 97-year-old man passed away quietly in Los Angeles. His name was Louis Zamperini.
In 1936, Louis was a young Olympic runner representing the United States in Berlin. He had his whole life mapped out—he was going to be the greatest distance runner in American history. He was fast, he was famous, and the world was at his feet. Louis had written his story, and it looked perfect.
But then came December 7, 1941—Pearl Harbor. Suddenly, Louis’s running career was put on hold. He became a bombardier in the Pacific theater. On May 27, 1943, his plane went down in the ocean. For 47 days, he and two other survivors drifted on a life raft, fighting sharks, starvation, and enemy aircraft.
When they were finally rescued, it wasn’t by Americans—it was by the Japanese. For the next two years, Louis endured unimaginable torture in prisoner-of-war camps. The man who once ran gracefully around Olympic tracks was now barely surviving each day, beaten by guards who seemed determined to break his spirit.
When the war ended in 1945, Louis came home to California. He was free, he was alive, he was hailed as a hero. But inside, he was completely broken. The nightmares wouldn’t stop. He started drinking heavily. He became obsessed with returning to Japan to find and kill the guard who had tortured him. His marriage was falling apart. This Olympic champion, this war hero, was planning murder.
For four years after the war, Louis spiraled downward. His wife was ready to leave him. He had lost all sense of purpose. The man who once had his whole life planned out now couldn’t see any future worth living.
But in 1949, his wife convinced him to attend a revival meeting in Los Angeles. A young preacher named Billy Graham was speaking. That night, sitting in that tent, Louis remembered something. Years earlier, while dying of thirst on that life raft, he had made a desperate promise to God:
“If you save me, I will serve you forever.”
In that moment, everything changed. Louis Zamperini walked into that tent as a broken, hateful man planning revenge. He walked out completely transformed. The nightmares stopped. He poured out all his alcohol. And instead of going to Japan to kill his former captor, he went back to forgive him.
For the rest of his years, Louis dedicated his life to helping troubled youth, sharing the Gospel, and showing the world what it looks like when God takes the pen and rewrites our story.
This morning, we will study a man who thought he had mapped out his later years—until God rewrote them. This morning, we will study the life of Abraham.
Waiting
Genesis 17:1 NKJV
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
Chapter 17 of Genesis opens by telling us Abram’s age. He was 99 years old when God appeared and talked to him again. Why is this important? Is the Bible just concerned with small details, or do they contribute something to the story?
God never wastes details. This must have meaning and a lesson for us.
When the Bible first introduces Abram, he is 75 years old—rich, happily married, successful, famous—but he lacks one thing… a son.
Having—or not having—a son at that time was a big deal. It signaled that one was blessed or favored by God.
He was 75 years old when he received the promise of being the father of many nations.
At one point, he wavered and thought the son of promise was his servant Eliezer:
Genesis 15:2-3 NKJV
But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” [3] Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
Though he wavered, he chose to believe God’s promises. So he waited… and waited… and waited… until they started to doubt. He and Sarai talked to each other. At this stage, they were in their 80s. They began to be anxious. They began to doubt.
This is the first phase—Waiting.
God promised that he would be the father of many nations—that people would be blessed through him and his descendants. But then he looked at himself, he looked at his wife, and said, “We’re too old!”
And they began to reason.
Genesis 16:2 NKJV
So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
They were basically saying, God promised that the promised son will be through you. He didn’t say through both of us.
This story is solid proof of one-husband, one-wife relationship. God has always intended that the promised son should be from Sarah. Some argue that since God mentions that the son would be from Abram and not specifically from Sarah, there must have been other avenues. Absolutely not! The very fact that God didn’t mention Sarah assumed Abram would understand the promise included his wife.
Some say that polygamy is okay because of the many examples in the Bible of righteous men who were engaged in polygamous relationships. To such claims I ask: show even one example where it produced a happy, healthy home. There isn’t one! That was never God’s intention.
And so they reasoned: let’s take Hagar as a surrogate mother.
Then, in Genesis 17, the LORD appeared. Ishmael was born when Abram was 86; now, at 99, the LORD spoke again.
After outlining the blessings, the sign, the changing of the name from Abram to Abraham, and other details of the covenant, the LORD said something that troubled Abraham:
Genesis 17:15-16 NKJV
Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. [16] And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”
Let’s backtrack:
- At 75, he received the promise of a son.
- At 86, they tried to “make the promise happen,” and Ishmael was born.
- At 99, when they thought the future was settled, God intervened.
Imagine living thirteen years with a definite view of what life is going to look like—only for God to intervene.
Imagine having to wait 25 years before the promise is realized, before your dreams come to fruition, before your hopes materialize.
I’m not sure where you are in your stage of life, but in ministry I’ve seen this thread in many people’s lives—this season of waiting.
In my age demographic—20s–30s—I have heard worries and sometimes anxiety over and over again. More than any other demographic I’ve talked to, this age group expresses feelings of being lost—feelings of being left out.
When I was younger, most people in their 20s and 30s weren’t as pressured as this current generation. It seems we have raised the bar—the standard—in this era.
It can feel like if you’re in your 20s or 30s and you’re not traveling, if you don’t have a master’s degree, if you don’t have a business, then something is wrong with your life.
Imagine what Abraham would have felt. Each time he saw a couple playing with their child. Imagine Abraham at lunch with friends discussing family life, unable to relate. Imagine Sarah seeing her friends excited about children of their own while she listened, unable to say anything. If anyone felt left out, it was Abraham and Sarah.
But if God is making you wait, that probably means He is preparing you for something better. Amen?
For some of us, our seasons of waiting might be an answer to prayer—praying for someone to give their life to Jesus. You have been praying for someone for months, years, decades, but still no results.
We know that God promises something! Like Abraham, we know the promises of the Bible. We know that God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us.
We know that when praying for someone, God’s will is not for anyone to perish but to have eternal life.
We know His promises. But for some reason… we have to wait.
It’s not so much the what—we know what God’s promises are. But we are anxious to have them in our own time and in our own way.
The story of Abraham tells us that we should not only believe in God’s promises; we should trust His timing and His wisdom.
One reason we may wait: God knows we tend to value what we don’t receive easily. Correct?
What’s so valuable about a diploma? It’s just a piece of paper! The fact that you had to grind for years to get the diploma makes it sweeter—amen?
The season of waiting increases the value of the thing we are waiting for.
Trust God’s promises. But also trust His time and wisdom.
Isaiah 60:22 NLT
The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.”
Wondering
So, after 13 years since Ishmael was born, Abraham lived with the expectation that Ishmael was the promised one through whom the covenant would be carried out.
But God decided to clarify the original plan. Abraham would have a son—through Sarah.
Genesis 17:17 NKJV
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
At this point, we see Abraham entering another phase of life—wondering.
He couldn’t seem to figure out how, on earth, he would have a son at that age!
For 13 years, he lived with the expectation that Ishmael was the promised son. Even now, he urged God to let Ishmael take that role.
Genesis 17:18 NKJV
And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”
Don’t we sometimes do that? We bargain with God, pushing our plans against His.
Abram was shocked. He couldn’t figure out what was happening.
…he is so overcome by the announcement that he can hardly think straight. The way he frames his doubt, “Can a man . . . give birth?” combines two different constructions for a double-barreled question (see n. 17.c.)… Probably the confused syntax reflects Abraham’s inward confusion. He is so overcome by the announcement that he changes the sentence structure in midstream. – Gordon J. Wenham, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 2: Genesis 16–50, Ge 17:17, p 26
He was trying to figure out how things would work out.
But that’s a constant theme in the life of Abraham—a constant lesson God wants to show us through his life.
It’s okay if we don’t have a clear picture of the future. It’s okay if we don’t know every detail of God’s plan for us.
When Abram was called to leave Ur, he was called to go to a place he didn’t know.What’s my life going to be like there? Is it safe? Is it conducive for my family?
He didn’t know every detail of God’s plan. What he knew was that he was called to go.
We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.
Now, we know God has promised us something—a life fulfilled in Him, an answer to our prayers. But for those of us who are anxious about planning every detail of our lives, it entails a leap of faith to entrust everything to Someone.
And that’s where faith comes in.
Abraham was called the Father of Faith for that very purpose—because he trusted God despite not knowing every detail of God’s plan. He trusted the Person enough to know that His plans are in our favor.
Do you know God enough—enough to trust Him that His plans are always in your favor?
You may not know every detail of the future, but as long as you know Him, that is enough. Amen?
Writing
The story goes on to describe Abraham’s refusal to give in to God’s plan—at least at first, he was adamant. The Bible says:
Genesis 17:18-19 NKJV
And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” [19] Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.
Here, we see the human struggle of letting go of our cherished plans. To be clear, the Bible isn’t against planning.
Without vision the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18)
So, plan! But be ready to yield once God says so.
Sometimes I hear people say that following God is scary. Yes, it has an element of fear, doesn’t it? Because God doesn’t always assure us of victory and success right away. God, in His wisdom, allows us to pass through trials and failures. But we can rest in the fact that everything in our story is leading to something good.
Here in Genesis 17, we see Abraham’s struggle to yield the pen of his life to God. But praise the Lord, because later in this chapter, after talking with God, Abraham circumcised himself and all the males in his household, symbolizing his belief in and obedience to the covenant of God.
We’ll call this the Writing phase—when he gave up the pen because he learned an important lesson:
God can write better stories than we can.
Amen?
He realized that for the past 25 years, he had tried to write his story independent of God. But this time, he yielded. “God, take control.” But since there will always be human choice, the better way to frame it is, “God, let’s write it together.”
Again, there’s nothing wrong with planning. That is one characteristic of a productive, goal-oriented individual.
But life has its ways of disrupting the best of our plans—and God sometimes does that Himself—so that we realize He is the best storyteller. He can write better stories than we can.
For those of us who are still young, will you surrender the pen to God?For those already ahead in years, will you surrender your plans for how you will use the years you have? Will it be for mere pleasure, or will you still be driven by mission?
In whatever stage of life we are in, will you let God write your story?
And if you feel your life is a mess—that you blew it, that you made mistakes you can’t erase—take comfort: God can take the worst of us and make something beautiful.
Conclusion and Appeal
A month ago, I was talking to a friend who felt so lost and so left behind in life. I shared something I read that I think helped, and I pray that it will help you as well.
It’s found in one of my favorite books of Ellen White, especially in its last section—The Ministry of Healing. There’s a section there that I really like—very practical. It’s called “Help in Daily Living.”
I want to share three paragraphs I think are very powerful.
Many are unable to make definite plans for the future. Their life is unsettled. They cannot discern the outcome of affairs, and this often fills them with anxiety and unrest. MH 478.3
Does not having it all figured out scare you? She goes on:
We have not wisdom to plan our own lives. It is not for us to shape our future. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Hebrews 11:8. MH 478.3
We don’t have wisdom to plan our lives. The best of us tried! Abraham tried and lived miserably because of it.
By faith Abraham went to a place he didn’t know—that tells us the very thing we’ve learned today. It’s not about figuring it all out, but trusting God enough to be confident even without knowing all the details of our lives.
Christ in His life on earth made no plans for Himself. He accepted God’s plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps. MH 479.1
This passage isn’t against planning. “As we commit our ways to Him”—we plan. We give our plans to God. We yield once He says so… and He will direct our steps.
Too many, in planning for a brilliant future, make an utter failure. Let God plan for you. As a little child, trust to the guidance of Him who will “keep the feet of His saints.” 1 Samuel 2:9. MH 479.2
Let God plan for you. I like that line. Have confidence in Him. He is much better at writing our stories than we are.
Have confidence in Him. He will keep the feet of His saints.
God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. MH 479.2
If we could see the end from the beginning, we would understand that He always has our best welfare in mind. Would you like to be led by Him?
Before we close, I want to invite someone to sing a special song for us. I want us to meditate on the message:
(Someone sings “Better Than I”)
Highlight the following lyrics:
If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe knowing I don’t know
Is part of getting through
I try to do what’s best
And faith has made it easy
To see the best thing I can do
Is put my trust in you
For You know better than I
You know the way
I’ve let go the need to know why
I’ll take what answers you supply
You know better than I
Amen?
Let’s pray.