Psalm 119:89 declares, “Forever, Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.” But does this mean it doesn’t stand firm here, with us?
Our sages grappled with this, finding an answer in the story of Abraham and Sarah. What God promised Abraham – "At the prescribed time, I will return to you; at this very time next year, [Sarah will have a son]" (Genesis 18:14) – did come to pass.
Rabbi Naḥman of Yafo, quoting Rabbi Yaakov of Caesarea, beautifully connects this to Psalm 80:15: “God of hosts, please return. Look from heaven and see, and remember this vine.” This "remembering," they suggest, is God fulfilling his promise to Abraham, looking down from the heavens and ensuring that the promise of descendants, as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5), comes to fruition. "Remember this vine," they say, alluding to the verse, "the Lord remembered Sarah." As Bereshit Rabbah 53 implies, the Psalmist was praying that God once again grant fertility and increase for Israel as He did for Abraham and Sarah.
But what about those times when things don't go as planned? When God seems to change his mind? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman dives into this apparent contradiction, using Numbers 23:19 as his springboard: “God is not a man, that He would lie, or the son of man, that He would reconsider.” Rabbi Shmuel points out that the verse seems to contradict itself. How can God not lie, but also not perform what He says?
Here’s the nuance: Rabbi Shmuel explains that when God decrees something good, His word is absolute. "God is not a man, that He would lie." But when the decree is detrimental, there's room for…well, let's call it divine flexibility. "He will say and not perform, speak and not fulfill."
He illustrates this with examples ripped from the heart of our tradition. When God promises Abraham descendants through Isaac (Genesis 21:12), that's a promise set in stone. "God is not a man, that He would lie." But when God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:2)? "He will say and not perform."
Similarly, when God tells Moses, "I have remembered you [and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I said: I shall bring you up from the affliction of Egypt]" (Exodus 3:16–17) – that’s a promise. But when God says to Moses, "Let Me be, and I shall destroy them" (Deuteronomy 9:14) – that's a moment where prayer and repentance can change the course.
And what about the enslavement in Egypt? God tells Abraham, "And also that nation [whom they will serve, I shall judge]" (Genesis 15:14) – a promise of eventual justice. But the initial decree, "They will be enslaved to them and they will oppress them [four hundred years]" (Genesis 15:13)? According to Rabbi Shmuel, this is where the "not perform" comes in, as the actual enslavement lasted only two hundred and ten years. As the great commentator Rashi points out, the initial decree was conditional, dependent on the actions of future generations.
Ultimately, the story circles back to Sarah. When God says, "I will surely return to you […and, behold, a son for Sarah your wife]" (Genesis 18:10) – that’s a promise kept. "God is not a man, that He would lie." And as Genesis 21:1 tells us, "the Lord remembered Sarah."
So, what does all of this mean for us? Perhaps it's this: God's promises of good are steadfast, a source of unwavering hope. And even when faced with hardship, even when things seem bleak, there’s always room for prayer, for change, for divine compassion to alter the course. The story of Abraham and Sarah, as understood by our sages in Bereshit Rabbah, is not just a tale of ancient times, but a timeless reminder of the enduring power of faith, promise, and the ever-present possibility of hope.