Promise of Isaac

Introduction: God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah and promised them a son. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk

before me and be blameless. "As for me, my covenant is with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham. I will make nations of you, and kings will

come from you. The whole land of Canaan, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God. Every male among you shall be circumcised. It will be the sign of the covenant between me and you." God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely

give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." Not long after this the LORD appeared to Abraham as he was sitting under a tree at the entrance to his tent

in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way--now that you have come

to your servant.” "Very well," they answered, "do as you say." So Abraham hurried into the tent and said to Sarah, "Quick, get the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread." Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some cream and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While

they ate, he stood near them under a tree. "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," said Abraham. Then the LORD said, "I will return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?" Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, `Will I really have a child, now that I am

old?' Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will surely return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son." Sarah was afraid so she denied she said, "I did not laugh." But He said, "Yes, you did laugh." When the men got up to leave, Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. Then the

LORD said, “Abraham will become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his people to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, and the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he promised him." Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham

circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." And she

added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."