God Turns Hardships Into Blessings Genesis 21:1-21 Created by David Turner

God turns Hardships into Blessings All the waiting, wandering, disappointments for Abraham and Sarah are turned into joy, even laughter. God hears Hagar and Ishmael in their sorrow and turns it into joy. God can turn your hardships into joy, even laughter.

Rejoice in God! He Keeps His Promise (1-7) 1 The L ORD visited Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised. 2 So Sarah became pregnant and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the appointed time that God had told him. Rejoice in God: He keeps his promise Rejoice in His Power – He can do what he promises Rejoice in His Timing Genesis 18:10 One of them said, “I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”

Rejoice in God! Honor Him! 3 Abraham named his son – whom Sarah bore to him – Isaac. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him just as God had commanded him to do. 5 (Now Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.) Rejoice by honoring God with Obedience. He Named him Isaac (he laughs). He circumcised him on the eighth day. It was truly a miracle. Abraham was 100 years old.

Rejoice in God! Celebrate the joy with others. 6 Sarah said, “God has made me laugh. Everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” 7 She went on to say, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have given birth to a son for him in his old age!” Inappropriate laughter - Earlier, she laughed in unbelief. Now, her laughter turns to rejoicing. She laughs in accordance to Isaac’s name. She believes all will laugh with her. Sarah was 90 years old when she gave birth to Isaac. Genesis 18:12 So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?”

Rejoice in God! Make a celebration of his Grace. 8 The child grew and was weaned. Abraham prepared a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. Celebration of laughter resumes when the child is two or three-years-old. The emphasis has shifted from Ishmael (16 of 17) to Isaac (2 to 3).

Laughter Can Be Inappropriate Isaac would be 2-3 years old. Ishmael would be at this time. Laughter from Ishmael is perceived as Mocking. The word used here is a play on Isaac’s name and can mean “to jest; to make sport of; to play with,” not simply “to laugh,” Sarah becomes protective of Isaac. 9 But Sarah noticed the son of Hagar the Egyptian – the son whom Hagar had borne to Abraham – mocking. 10 So she said to Abraham, “Banish that slave woman and her son, for the son of that slave woman will not be an heir along with my son Isaac!” Genesis 19:14 Then Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law who were going to marry his daughters. He said, “Quick, get out of this place because the L ORD is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was ridiculing them. Genesis 39:14 she called for her household servants and said to them, “See, my husband brought in a Hebrew man to us to humiliate us. He tried to have sex with me, but I screamed loudly. Paul viewed Ishmael’s actions as persecution: Galatians 4:29 But just as at that time the one born by natural descent persecuted the one born according to the Spirit, so it is now.

Laughter turns to sorrow. 11 Sarah’s demand displeased Abraham greatly because Ishmael was his son. The celebration turns into a family crisis. – He has affections for Hagar. – He has affections for his son Ishmael. – He may have perceived Sarah’s actions as morally wrong. Lit. “and the word was very wrong in the eyes of Abraham on account of his son.” The verb רָעַע (ra’a’) often refers to what is morally or ethically “evil.” Its usage here suggests that Abraham thought Sarah’s demand was ethically (and perhaps legally) wrong..

Rejoice in God! He is Sovereign. 12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset about the boy or your slave wife. Do all that Sarah is telling you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted. 13 But I will also make the son of the slave wife into a great nation, for he is your descendant too.” God comforted Abraham in his family crisis. – Sarah’s intent may have been wrong, but God will use it to good. – Isaac is the child of promise. – God has big plans for Ishmael because he is Abraham’s son. Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant to harm me, but God intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.

We May Be Forced to Wander 14 Early in the morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He put them on her shoulders, gave her the child, and sent her away. So she went wandering aimlessly through the wilderness of Beer Sheba. She lost her husband She lost her home She lost her job She lost her extended family She lost her means of support for her child It was of no fault of her own God may allow us to loose everything, before he Begins to Bless

When all hope is gone – cry out to God 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she shoved the child under one of the shrubs. 16 Then she went and sat down by herself across from him at quite a distance, about a bowshot away; for she thought, “I refuse to watch the child die.” So she sat across from him and wept uncontrollably. All she could see ahead was death. She cried uncontrollably There is no mention of crying to God. Had she given up on the “God who hears?”

God Hears Us in our Crisis 17 But God heard the boy’s voice. The angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and asked her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Don’t be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s voice right where he is crying. 18 Get up! Help the boy up and hold him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Ishmael means “God hears.” Earlier, God had heard Hagar’s cries, now he hears Ishmael. God hears our cries even when we’re not calling to him.

Rejoice in God! He Provides. 19 Then God enabled Hagar to see a well of water. She went over and filled the skin with water, and then gave the boy a drink. When all we can see is death, our tears blind us to God’s provision. God rekindled hope, removed the tears and showed her the water of salvation. Hagar obeyed God!

Rejoice in God! 20 God was with the boy as he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother found a wife for him from the land of Egypt. God kept his promise – God kept his promise to Abraham. – God kept his promise to Hagar. Hagar and Ishmael were set free from bondage. Hagar connected Ishmael with her roots – Egypt.

Conclusion Wait on God! He will turn our patience into laughter. Rejoice in God! – He always keeps his promises! – Celebrate his grace with obedience! – Celebrate his grace with others! – Remember his gifts and remember them with celebration.

Conclusion Laugh appropriate laughter! – Laugh with people in celebration of God’s goodness. – Don’t jest, make sport of others or mock. Trust God to turn your crisis into blessing! – We may loose all we have before God gives us something better. – God may have us wander in order to learn our dependence is on him.

Conclusion Tears can blind us of the provisions God has in front of us. God hears our tears, even when we have given up hope.

Trust God! Wait on God! Rejoice in God! Obey God!