Genesis 17: Life in Between Your Mistake and Your Miracle

(upbeat music) - Welcome to chapter by chapter, a four year journey through the greatest book given to the human race, the Word of God, the Bible. And we get to go through it, chapter by chapter, seven minutes a day and seven days a week. Join us each day and share it with others so they can join this journey that will be life changing. We will stop at unexpected places on the journey and be challenged. Some verses will create awe and wonder, and we'll have chapters that will be instructive and others find joy and comfort. We will occasionally be convicted and wanna change, but all in all, the journey's gonna be worth it. Once in a while, we may take a detour on the journey and hear from some of God's servants on their favorite passages from a chapter of scripture and let them give you their insight. Every journey needs a small detour occasionally. The best way to get the most from this podcast is read the chapter we're discussing before or after. It's His Word that transforms and you will find more and see more than I can ever articulate. Welcome to chapter by chapter and today's chapter is Genesis 17. I've never done this before, but the title and the text will take you to a portion of scripture where there is no scripture or words to even read. We will read verses all around a place that nothing seems to exist, but something really important is present there. It's about life in between your mistake and your miracle and want you to notice that space. I call it Genesis 16 and a half. Genesis 16 and a half is a blank space in the Bible. It's a space between a mistake and a miracle. Represents a hard place. That small space that could mean years, the blank space, a place in your Bible and in your life, that seems to have no letters or words. It's like a white board with nothing written, but I promise you that something is still happening. 16 and a half is in between Genesis 16 and 17. Genesis 16 represents the biggest mistake of my life. Genesis 17 represents the greatest moment of my life. Genesis 16 is Abraham and Sarah failing miserably by not believing God. They bring in a third party named Hagar who Abraham impregnated thinking this is the miracle child from God. And then Genesis 17 is where God speaks and renews the Abrahamic covenant and is promised for a miracle child and the timing of that child to be next year. He changes their names from Sarah to Sarah, from Abram to Abraham. He tells them the name of the miracle child that will be born Isaac. It was also the promise of the geographical land to Israel. In Genesis 17, 8, God says, I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession and I will be their God. He said the land is part of an everlasting possession. God doesn't leave Ishmael out, but he distinguishes between them. That Ishmael is not the child of promise. Listen to verse 20. As for Ishmael, I have heard you, behold, I will bless him. I will make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of 12 princes and I'll even make him a great nation. But my covenant, I will establish with Isaac whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year. Genesis 16 is the worst chapter of my life. Genesis 17 is the greatest chapter of my life. In between is 16 and a half. This is the blank space that is most important. Genesis 16, 16 through 17, 5 says, Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. Verse 1 of chapter 17. Now when Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. I will establish my covenant between me and you and I will multiply you exceedingly." Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying, "As for me, behold, my covenant is with you and you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." The two important verses I want you to notice is 16, 16, and 17, 1. Listen, 16, 16 says, Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. 17, 1 says, when Abram was 99 years old. Abram is 86 years old in 16, 16. Abraham is 99 years old in 17, 1. That's 13 years between those two verses. And notice 13 years of white spaces with no Bible words written. Chapter 16 is that time in my life that I regret. And I wish I could do it over again. Chapter 17 is the reason why I was born. This is what I was made for. Even if you made a chapter 16 horrible decision in your life, it's the next blank season that is crucial where many of us live most of our life. I want to describe to you what this means. God can redeem any situation and any mistake. This mistake has a child that is not wanted by the father and the best that society has for something like this is an abortion. People will choose a elimination over redemption because they don't believe in God. Without God, abortion does make sense. I made a mistake. I want to eliminate the consequences. But I need to tell you that God can redeem. And here in Genesis 16 and 17, God chooses a blunder that has catastrophic and a reward that is incredible to show us that there is always hope in redemption. What does Genesis 16 and a half mean to us practically? What do we think Abraham was doing in that blank space? This is where Abraham raised and cared for his mistake. He took responsibility. He had to look at his unbelief every day in a child named Ishmael. He was changing the diapers of Ishmael. He was teaching him how to speak, how to walk. He was rocking him to sleep every single night. Abraham was doing it with no applause, no encouragement, no one was watching except God. Let me encourage you in this season. Stay faithful, even though it seems you and you feel like what you're doing is not making a difference. Those little things matter. It's making a difference. I remember seeing a sluice saying, isn't it funny? How day by day nothing changes. But when you look back, everything is different. Everything was about to become different for Abraham. I could imagine the man with the new name is thinking, I have a new name for myself, and it's not Abraham. It's dumb. I am so dumb. I can imagine him facing his mistake and thinking you got the wrong man for this father of many nations job. And then out of nowhere in year 13, for all the superstitious people, God shows up and honors faithfulness. Out of nowhere, God gives Abraham the greatest chapter of his life. It just showed up. He was administering. He was doing podcasts, not writing books. He wasn't even preaching. He was just taking care of his mistake. His greatest chapter did not come because he was doing anything great in man's eyes, but he was doing something great in God's eyes. Genesis 17 is where I get to do what I was created for. But just before it happens, it seems it's all flat line, especially for Abraham and for 13 years. He was on a roll and then messes up in his life. And as he is taking care of his responsibilities, suddenly, the greatest chapter of his life. That's the way God does it. He does things suddenly. It's God's MO to faithful people, Joseph serving in prospering in prison. And in one day, he's the prime minister, David, taking care of sheep and then suddenly he's defeated a giant and promoted to the palace and Abraham from the worst chapter to a covenant chapter. The faithful Christian life is not an incline, but a flat line and then a sudden spike when you are faithful in the blank space. Let me give you a word of encouragement today, what you think is redundant, monotonous, boring, and unaventful is actually the prelude to the greatest season of your life. Thank you for joining chapter by chapter. Every chapter from the greatest book, the Bible, the Word of God. Seven minutes a day, seven days a week. We'll see you tomorrow.