Heaven's Promise

Hebrews 11:11-12 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age – and Sarah herself was barren – was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
 
SOME Bible translations highlight Sarah’s faith here: Hebrews 11:11 It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child (NLT) She needed a large measure of faith, too, didn’t she? After all, Sarah had several reasons to deny God’s promise of a vast population to come from her and Abraham. How could a barren woman past child-bearing age have a son?
    This was surely the most difficult waiting of all for Abraham and Sarah. Imagine hearing God’s promise Genesis 12:7 “To your offspring I will give this land.” and nothing happens. Where is the offspring? Whose children? And God then expanded his promise in Genesis 13:16 “I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth.” Year after year, this extraordinary promise lingered. Did God really say what they heard? 
    Abraham then believed his servant Eliezer would become his heir. Sarah’s idea was to use her slave Hagar to give birth to a son (Genesis 16). And Sarah laughed when God said she would have son within a year (Genesis 18). Still God was at work. As he chose Noah to save the human race, he had chosen Abraham to father the line that would lead to Jesus Christ to redeem the human race. God remained present with Abraham.
    One way he confirmed his promise was through the ceremony of the firepot passing through sacrificed animals. (Genesis 15) The fire represented God’s holiness. In this blood covenant God confirmed to Abraham he would do as he had said. Be attentive. This is a one-way promise that cannot be undone. In faith we must believe God is holy. His promises come from heaven to fulfill his will to return the earth to a new, holy creation to bless all nations of the earth.
    God’s blood and fire covenant with Abraham foreshadowed God’s fiery presence on Mt. Sinai in Exodus when he gave the covenant of the law to Israel . It also illustrates God’s very personal presence with the nations through Jesus’ New Covenant of his body broken and his blood shed for you.
    These are God’s promises from heaven. Now we, God’s chosen, await a Son – the Son of God, the Son of Man – to complete the promise “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3)
           We may doubt or be distracted in the waiting. We may attempt to resolve our faith challenges with our own means. But be ever mindful God has called you to faith. You must know God has decided what he will do. Our faith is to know the Son will come to bless the nations of the world.