Feelings, Thoughts, and Actions

Feelings, Thoughts, and Actions (Genesis 17:15-27) *All verses in NKJV*

Context/History:

– 24yrs earlier, God promised Abram that he would “inherit the land” and be “father of many nations”, but it’s been a long time now, and he is old, his wife is barren, and he had no children…

– Abram and his wife got tired of waiting, couldn’t see a possible way for the promise to be fulfilled, and took matters into their own hands… Abram had a son, Ishmael, by Hagar, Sarai’s maidservant. 

– Now Abram is 99, his wife is 90, and his illegitimate son, Ishmael, is 13 years old… God comes again to restate the promise, and make a covenant with Abram…

– 2 weeks ago: Pastor Crystal preached about Abram getting a new name… Abraham!

– When God establishes a covenant, He gives you not just a new name, but a new identity. A new name signifies a new mission/identity and a change of nature. (Father of Many Nations.)

– Last week: Pastor Kevin preached about the new symbol of the covenant: Circumcision. 

– Abraham had to have some skin in the game!… every male had to be circumcised. 

– In this same moment of Abraham getting a new name and the circumcision being declared, we find tonight’s verses…

Genesis 17:15-27, 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.”

17 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?” 18 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. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” 22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; 27 and all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

– I try to put myself in Abraham’s shoes… what was he feeling and thinking? 

– Abraham was known to be a great man of faith, so I want to grow in my walk and learn from his actions…

1. Feelings.

– Gen 17:17, 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?” 

– When I first read this, it sounded like Abraham was feeling exasperated. After so long, with all the obstacles, with no possible way… I picture a headshake and a huff, “Seriously God?! How?!”

– …even the NLT uses the words, “[Abraham] laughed to himself in disbelief.”

– These are human emotions. You want to believe because God is so great, but everything you see and know to be true says it isn’t possible… it’s natural to feel doubt…

– Sometimes what your brain is saying by faith, and what your body is feeling, don’t match up… (Example: trauma induced fear and anxiety vs knowing in your head you are safe.)

– As I studied the scripture some more, I found that based on the Hebrew word used here for laugh, it is better interpreted as a joyous laugh, not one of unbelief. 

– Abraham’s laugh didn’t seem to be one of cynical doubt, but instead of rejoicing in something he knew was impossible by all outward appearance, but that God could perform.

– This is confirmed by the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans:

Romans 4:16-22, Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

– Abraham can’t see how it is going to work, and needed to trust God… Learn from this example!

– Abraham didn’t let his feelings stop him from believing the promise God had for him.

– Don’t worry too much about your feelings. You can’t always control how you feel, your feelings will betray you… You can “take every thought captive,” and “practice self-control” of your actions, but sometimes your emotions and body have a mind of their own… don’t condemn yourself for it…

2. Thoughts.

– Gen. 17:18, And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

– When I saw this, it sounded like Abraham was basically saying, “I can’t have kids naturally, and Ishmael is already here. God, why can’t you use him to fulfill the promise and covenant?!” 

– It’s human nature, right? Abraham has put in 13 years into this solution… this could work, just tweak the plan a little to fit what I’ve already done… I don’t want to start over… I’ll make it work!

– That’s NOT what Abraham was thinking at all! 

– Abraham made a mistake with Ishmael. This was not God’s plan…

– Abraham realizing now that mistakes have consequences, and Ishmael was a son he loved, he did not want Ishmael to be left out or forgotten by God.

– Abraham was thinking about his son, and not wanting him to be punished for his mistake. 

– Abraham’s thoughts were for his family, not for himself.

– He didn’t take this moment before God to plead his own case, or ask for concessions for himself, but chose to fight for his son, and make his request known to God. 

– Phil. 4:6, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

– God is gracious! Ishmael will be blessed, but the covenant with be through Isaac.

– You can’t always control your feelings, but you can take every thought captive! (Many thoughts jump into your head, but what you do with them matters. Meditate on them, or capture them.)

– 2 Cor. 10:3-5, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

– Example: 2 easy and tangible ways to do this:

1. Turn off the noise!! All the bad influences that come at you through Social Media, talking heads, movies, TV, etc… Turn it off and it won’t make a home in your head.
2. Counter every negative thought from yourself or others with scripture. Your brain speaks fear and anxiety, you remember verses about peace and hope. Someone tells you lies, you remember the truths of the Bible… (That’s why it is good to memorize some verses, or at least read your bible often…)

– Phil 4:8-9, Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

3. Actions.

– This is the biggest lesson we can learn from Abraham: Regardless of how he feels or what he thinks, he is still immediately obedient to what God commands him to do.

– Gen. 17:23, So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house … and circumcised [them]… that very same day, as God had said to him. 

– Abraham was immediately faithful. 

– It is okay to “patiently wait on God” for the big stuff, but there are many, many things we already know he commands of us that we can do right now, today! (Love, give, serve, think of others better than ourselves, worship him, evangelize, etc…)

– This reminds me of a parable that Jesus told:

– Matthew 21:28-31a, But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” 

They said to Him, “The first.” …

– Regardless of how we feel, or even what we think, our obedience to God and His word is shown through what we do.

– Self-reflection moment: Do your words say you trust and believe God and His promises, but your actions show no movement? You say “God is first,” but your actions are self-seeking or selfish?

– Do you believe it? Do you have faith? Where are your actions to back that up?

– James 1:22, But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 

– Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. His faith was displayed by his immediate obedience to God and his commands. He was faithful.

– Can the same be said about you? Why not? What needs to change?

– prayer –