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Genesis 16
"Alternative Life Style" • 2.25.10 • Thursday Night Bible Study
Intro
- Chapter 15 began with Abram's attitude, but ended on a great high, a celebration of God's faithfulness and His promise. Similarly, chapter 16 begins with an attitude: Sarai's!
- I can just imagine Abram running home, excited to share what the Lord had spoken to him with Sarai. Of course, he has forgotten that he is covered in blood and has dirty feet!
- Abram walks in to their rather extensive, luxurious tent. "Sarai, I've got to tell you something!" Sarai, without even looking up, says, "Not like that your not!"
- "Sarai, this cannot wait!" This isn't a message about how we can often be the wet blanket to our partner's faith. However, when there is a marriage partnership involved, both husband and wife have to faith together.
- Abram has been encouraged having been in the presence of the Lord. Sarai has been home, dealing with the mundane things of life.
- The test of our faith will always come on both fronts, in the lives of both the husband and the wife. The difficulty comes when are both called to experience the "wait" training!
- For Abram and Sarai, they have been waiting on a descendant, the fulfillment of the promise of the Messianic line, for more than a decade.
- From the begininng of their marriage the story has been the same: "Sarai was barren and bore Abram no child." This brings us back into the tent and Sarai's response to God's promise.
Text
• Genesis 16:1,2 : "Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, 'See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.' And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai." : This first verse is agonizing and a testament to our struggles as well. God has promised, but there is still no fulfillment. We cannot imagine the stigma that Sarai endured.
- In ancient times, being barren was considered a divine curse.
˚ "Barrenness in ancient times was the ultimate tragedy for a married woman, since her husband’s hopes and dreams depended on her providing him with a son to perpetuate his name and inherit his estate."
Youngblood, quote by Guzik
- Her response immediately tells us a lot about Sarai. First, she is resourceful. She had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. She knows that there is more than one way to skin a cat!
- This is the first time that we hear Hagar's name.
- Where did she come from? How did they meet her? Of course, it was their little trip to Egypt.
- Second, we see that Sarai is a theologian. She ascribed her barreness to the Lord. "He has restrained me from bearing children." The word "restrained" means to be "shut up."
- Sarai attributes her barreness to God. She understood that God kept this from happening. Why does she not now accept that this is the case for the time being?
- A promise exists over Sarai and Abram. The lesson is that her logic regarding God did not go far enough. God is keeping this from happening. What should be her/my response?
- Acceptance. When God restrains, by God we must obtain! However, Sarai could not just wait. She is resourceful, theological and practical.
- Sarai says that Abram should treat Hagar as a surrogate. This was an acceptable practice in the ancient world, no doubt practiced in Egypt where Hagar came from.
- Sarai's pragmatism betrays her own fidelity to and covenant relationship with Abram. She is willing to gain this child and therefore, suggests that this might be the means to that end.
- The first sin that we observe here is Sarai's presumption. The word has interesting origins. In the 13th century, it was used to describe "seizure and occupation without right."[i]
- It also meant "taking upon oneself more than is warranted."[ii]
- Does that sound about right? Sarai has taken something that was not hers to take, namely the responsibility of bringing the miraculous child of promise into the world.
- Turn over to Psalm 19. What is missing in Sarai's methods is a clear reverance of the Lord.
• Psalm 19:9-13 : "The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression."
- Sarai’s plan was logical, but it fails in two areas. As we just mentioned, it was presumptuous.
- I was listening to a Pastor reminisce about hearing a televangelist say, "God needs you now like He has never needed you before!" That's true: He needs You and I like He has never needed you! God does not need our help to bring about His plan.
- Second, it assumes that because God has not acted, that He will not do so.
- The truth is that if He has promised, there is always a "yet" to add to each sentence.
- I trusted God and my marriage has not been healed...yet!
- I trusted God with my singleness and He has not brought a proper mate...yet!
- I have been waiting for the right job and He has not brought it...yet!
- Sarai's logic is desperate and fatalistic. It only accounts for what she sees happening. Ah, but Abram has just had a great meeting with God. What did Abram say?
- "No way! I'm a one woman man! I only have eyes for you baby! God will give us a child. Let's trust Him in the means and in the ends!"
- Sadly, Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Why did he not just go to the Lord and hear His voice? Why did he not get a little confirmation? Abram, you are killing me!
- Sarai's sin is presumption. Abram's sin is passivity. He obeys Sarai's proposal.
- I don't mean to indict Abram for listening to His wife. Husbands need to listen to their wives. But, before acting, husbands need to lead their wives and hear the voice of the Lord together!
- Unfortunately for them, Abram did not do that.
• Genesis 16:3,4 : "Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes." : Verse 3 of this chapter is just beyond me. Sarai presented this Egyptian maiden to her husband to be his wife!
- Whoa, his WIFE!? Yep, the word is wife. Abram is now a polygamist. God's plan was one man with one woman for a life. Here, for the sake of being expeditious, Abram flubs on that plan.
- I think that we can say that God never fulfills His plans by contradicting Himself. "Oh you want to be rich? Well, let's go rob a bank!"
- Their actions are now contradicting God's plan for their life. This is confusion.
- Abram is 85 years old when this marriage takes place. The honeymoon happens and a few months later, Hagar conceived.
- Sarai got her wish. Hagar did have a baby, but she also bore a nasty new attitude.
- She saw that her pregnancy gave Abram happiness and she looked down upon Sarai.
• Genesis 16:4 (NLT) : "So Abram slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress Sarai with contempt."
- Presumption, passivity and now in Hagar, we see pride!
- What did she do? Maybe it was sly suggestions or cruel verbal digs. Whatever the case, it was ugly. We always get more than we bargained for when we rush ahead of the Lord.
- This was a very negative experience and it just got worse for Abram.
• Genesis 16:5,6 : "Then Sarai said to Abram, 'My wrong be upon you! I gave my maid into your embrace; and when she saw that she had conceived, I became despised in her eyes. The Lord judge between you and me.' So Abram said to Sarai, 'Indeed your maid is in your hand; do to her as you please.' And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her presence." : Sarai is very upset. All that she was a few verses ago is lost. Here, she irrationally puts the blame on Abram!
- She obviously did not read the verse that says that she presented Hagar to be Abram's wife!
- She came to Abram with an acknowledgement that she was wrong but that her wrong was on Him. In a way, she is absolutely right. Abram should have gone before the Lord.
- He should have protected her from following through with such a foolish plan.
- Her words to Abram are especially harsh: The Lord judge between you and me.
- The words might have a modern equivalent in this statement: May God get you for what you did to me! First, this situation brought tension between themselves and their slave.
- Now that tension enters into their relationship.
- Abram not knowing exactly what to do tells Sarai that she can do whatever she pleases with Hagar. He calls Hagar "your maid." He does not claim her as his wife.
- Again, Abram abdicates his role. He needs to stand up and do what is right. Instead, he defers to his wife, who is livid and will likely not act in the most gracious way.
- Sarai, in her indignation, oppressed and afflicted Hagar and she eventually left.
- Let's step back here for a moment. These people of faith made a horrific mistake in not trusting the Lord to change their situation.
- They independantly involved this servant and elevated her to a status that benefited their purpose. When it went wrong, it's the unbeliever that gets the shaft!
- Please don't tell me that not being faithful is not costly! This is an injustice on varied levels.
- Hagar took advantage of a situation to elevate herself. Yes, that's true. But what do you expect from someone who is not of the faith?
- What do you expect from someone who values the world's system? She must choose according to her desires. It's the faithful ones who have the choice to believe or not believe.
- Let's take a quick moment then and recap this first portion of chapter 16. You know that you have an Ishmael on your hands when:
I. It's Your Idea From Inception To Consummation...brainstorm sessions
II. It's Easily Explained...methods
III. It Makes Sense To The World..."Oh that's this:"
- When you have an Ishmael, you can also note these "Ish"ues: Pain, tension and confusion!
• Genesis 16:7-9 : "Now the Angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. And He said, 'Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?' She said, 'I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.' The Angel of the Lord said to her, 'Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand.'" : Hagar has been walking a while and comes to this spring. Note that the Angel of the Lord found her.
- This is the first time that we see or hear of the Angel of the Lord in scripture. What we are about to read about Him reveals that He is much more than an Angel.
- The Angel of the Lord is mentioned more than 50 times in the scripture.
- This may be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Himself. Who does He come to? This Egyptian woman in serious distress.
- Hagar is pregnant, thinks that she has no future, and has nobody to turn to. She is out in the wilderness, wandering around and the Angel of the Lord finds her.
- I love that even though the representatives of God failed this woman, God Himself takes the initiative to show her His own interest and concern.
- There is no wilderness where God's hand cannot reach!
- He came looking for this dejected woman. Notice what he calls her: Hagar, Sarai's maid.
- He does not acknowledge her relationship with Abram. He calls her Sarai's maid.
- He asks, but never needs the information. When she tells Him where she has come from and why, the Lord gives her a word that she does not want to hear.
- Then the Angel of the Lord tells her to do something that she likely had not thought of, namely returning to the situation that she was in.
- “What!? Return to my abusive employer?” "Return to that lousy marriage?" Go back and humble yourself.
- Most of the time, God's answer is the least popular answer, but it's always the right answer.
- The Lord calls us to trust that the difficult, unpopular decision is the best for us and brings the most glory to him.
- Sarai had been cruel and Hagar feared that if she remained, they might even kill her. Besides that, what would become of her future?
- Why do I believe that these might have been her thoughts? Look at what the Angel says:
• Genesis 16:10-12 : "Then the Angel of the Lord said to her, 'I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.' And the Angel of the Lord said to her: 'Behold, you are with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the Lord has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; His hand shall be against every man, And every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.'" : The Angel says that He will multiply Hagar's descendants. Hagar's future is covered. Her descendants would be as Abram's: Innumerable.
- God tells Hagar, at this spring, that she would have a son. Now, there is no sexism involved in this, but having a son is what a woman wanted.
- Ishmael's name would remind Hagar forever of God's faithfulness, because His name literally means "God hears."
- What an awesome moment! The people of faith have failed you. They have hurt you and afflicted you, but they are not God! God hears and sees!
- What He sees about Ishmael sounds somewhat disturbing. He'll be a wild man. Literally, he'll be a donkey! The NLT helps us to round out the meaning.
• Genesis 16:12 (NLT) : "This son of yours will be a wild one--free and untamed as a wild donkey!"
- He would be a man of conflict, aggresively acting against his brothers. One could look at history and see that this has been the case.
• Genesis 16:13-16 : "Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, 'Have I also here seen Him who sees me?' Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, it is between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram." : God sees our pain. He sees the injustice. He sees.
- We don't know how He does it, but He is able to reach out to the one who is hurting the most.
- That is and has always been His heart.
- Abram has a son at 86. But he also has a tense situation. He has a strain in his marriage.
- He has a son that will delight his heart, but who will never be acknowledged by the Lord as the son of promise. One day too soon, he will have to send both the boy and his mother away.
Conclusion
- Consider these four points as we draw to a close tonight.
I. Look Out For Obstacles.
- Obstacles are God’s way of stopping His person from making a terrible mistake. Sometimes obstacles are meant to be overcome.
- Knowing the difference requires that we stop and ask for wisdom, which God promises to any that would ask.
II. Watch Out For Satisfying Your Flesh.
- We should be very cautious about undertaking a work that appeals to fleshly appetites.
- We tend to believe that the grass is always greener somewhere else.
- Sometimes we want something so bad that it blinds our spirit from what God truly calls us to.
III. Don’t Let Pressure Be Your Gauge.
- We should hesitate to undertake any work when our primary reason for doing so is to relieve pressure. Whenever I feel pressure to do anything, my first action is to sit and wait.
IV. The Lord Is Master Of The Ends And The Means.
- We should never work when our methods are inappropriate to our goals and to our God. Performing God’s will with fleshly methods equals the wrong thing every time.
- Wanting to bring about God’s will, should resign our hearts to see it done the way He wants it to happen.