If Abraham is born when Terah is 130 years old, does this make the birth of Isaac when Abraham is 100 years old, a natural act and not a fulfillment of God's promise?

We must understand that the promise of the Redeemer comes through the woman, not the man! This fact does not discount the man's role, but reinforces another Biblical fact: God uses both the man and the woman in the marriage relationship to fulfill His plan.

I. Genesis 3:15, The promise of the coming Savior.

1. The fact is that God gave the promise of the coming Messiah and Savior to Satan, represented by the serpent, not to the man or the woman.

2. The promise stated that the seed of the woman, not the seed of the man, would bruise the head of Satan.

3. It was naturally assumed that God would fulfill His promises through the man.

4. God doesn't use a man at all in the birth of Jesus Christ. God is the Father.

II. The promise given to Abraham and Sarah.

A. Gen. 12:2,3; 15:1-4, The birth of Isaac is according to the promises of God, not the strength of the flesh.

B. There was a misunderstanding between Abraham and Sarah that still exists today among students of the Bible.

1. They thought that the promised child must come from Abraham, but they didn't believe the promised child must come through Sarah.

2. They thought the man was the most important person in the marriage relationship, because the genealogy was always traced through the man.

3. It was naturally assumed that God would fulfill His promises through the man.

4. This point has often been overlooked by Bible scholars, but the following scriptures will reveal that the miracle birth of Isaac was not so much through Abraham as it was through Sarah.

C. Genesis 11:30, the second time Sarah is mentioned in the Bible, it is stated that she was barren. Such a truth was never stated about Abraham.

D. Genesis 15:1-4, God assures Abraham that the promised seed shall come forth from his own bowels, and shall not be the son of another.

1. Abraham is included because Sarah is an honorable woman.

2. God will not use sin (Sarah being with a man other than Abraham) to bring forth the promised son.

a. If there is sin involved in the birth of any of the promised seed (as in the case of Judah and Tamar), there must be a cleansing period as stated in the Bible.

b. The descendents of Judah and Tamar were not permitted in the Tabernacle for 10 generations, Deut. 23:2.

c. David, King of Israel was the tenth generation from Judah, who committed adultery with Tamar.

d. This is why Saul was anointed King of Israel, and ruled until David was born and became eligible to the throne. This fact does not discount that Saul lost his right to rule by his disobedience.

E. Genesis 16:1,2 - Sarah and Abraham, convinced that God will not use Sarah in the promise, consider it God's will for Hagar to bear a child for Sarah. As we now understand, this was not God's will at all.

F. Genesis 18:9-15 - God revealed to Abraham and Sarah that she will bear the promised seed, even though she will be 90 years old when the child is born.

G. Genesis 21:1-8 - Sarah bore the promised seed when Abraham was 100 years old. This makes her 90 years old.

1. It should be noted that verse 1 states that God visited Sarah, not Abraham.

2. The promises of Genesis 3:15 is to the woman, not to the man.

3. It is not a miracle that Abraham was able to conceive seed at the age of 100.

4. As has been noted by my study Old Testament Survey, Abraham was born when his father was 130 years old.

5. The miracle is that Sarah was able to conceive a child, when she was past the age of bearing children, and bear that child to full term delivery at the age of 90.

III. The promise given to Isaac and Rebekah.

A. Genesis 25:19-26 - Isaac and Rebekah were married 20 years before they had any children.

1. Isaac married at age 40, but Rebekah was barren.

2. It is very strange that Sarah and Rebekah are both barren when they are not closely related.

3. There is no mention that any other barren women in their family.

4. There is no mention that Isaac is incapable of producing children.

B. It was only because Isaac prayed for the promise that they received the promise.

1. This tells us something about promises doesn't it?

2. We ought to pray that God will fulfill the promises He gives to us.

IV. Jacob leaves home at age 71, marries at age 78, and has 12 children in the next 13 years.

V. The genealogy of Mary is given in the Bible.

A. Matthew 1:1-17 gives the genealogy of Joseph.

1. Matthew 1:16 is worded very carefully so it will be understood that Joseph is the husband of Mary, but not the father of Jesus.

2. "And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ."

B. Luke 3:23-38 gives the genealogy of Mary.

1. It is as important to understand the genealogy of Mary as it is to understand the genealogy of Joseph.

Luke 3:23 is worded very carefully, including Joseph in the genealogy, but explaining that he is not the father of Jesus Christ.

"And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,"

C. The genealogy of Joseph and Mary are traced to King David. Mary's genealogy is traced to Nathan, a son of King David by his wife Bathsheba. Joseph's genealogy is traced to Solomon, a son of King David by his wife Bathsheba.