Genesis 26
The last time we were in the book of Genesis we found the Lord giving Abram a pep talk concerning His covenant to build a nation through him. Abram was coming off of a great military victory, but was still concerned that he and Sarah hadn’t been able to have a baby through the first ten years of their marriage.
[Read Genesis 15:1-6.]
Then God went through this ceremony before Abram that indicated that He alone was responsible to achieve the covenant through Abram. It was His responsibility, and after all, Creator God was fully capable of accomplishing His will.
[Read Genesis 15:18.]
But soon after this the worries came creeping back in. This time it was through the concerns of Sarah that Abram started to doubt he would ever have a son.
Now remember, Abram having a son was a divine dilemma – not a human one. The covenant depended on God accomplishing His will through Abram. It didn’t depend on the fertility of Abram and his wife Sarah. It wasn’t a human problem. It was a divine dilemma concerning humans. And God had done everything He could to help Abram understand this.
Over and over God told Abram that He would accomplish this. But instead of trusting the Words of Almighty God, Abram took some bad advice from his wife. Basically, this advice was:
1. A worldly solution for a divine dilemma
[Read Genesis 16:1.]
Remember Abram’s faithless, wasted trip to Egypt where he sold out his wife for his own safety, claiming she was his sister and allowing her to become one of Pharaoh’s wives? Remember that? Well on that trip he picked up many riches including servants from amongst the people there. Servants like Hagar.
[Read Genesis 16:1-3.]
In Abram’s day this was an acceptable practice amongst the people. Wives had the legal right to give their husband another wife to bear children through. Totally accepted. Totally legal. Maybe even considered a practical way to have kids if you couldn’t have them on your own. But even though it was considered acceptable, legal and practical, it wasn’t God’s way – it was the world’s way. So Abram and Sarah employ a worldly solution for a divine dilemma.
Could you imagine a wife suggesting this to her husband in modern America? It just wouldn’t happen. If a wife ever said something like this to her husband it isn’t a ‘real’ suggestion – it’s a test.
[Wife suggestion and gagging reaction demonstration.]
We haven’t changed much in the last few thousand years.
[Abortion/adoption example.]
When we have God-sized problems we need to go to Him with them. Taking matters into our own hands will inevitably blow up in our faces. And that’s what happens here. Their worldly solution didn’t turn out like they thought it would. So we now see:
2. A faithless reaction to their worldly solution
[Read Genesis 16:4-6.]
Did we really think it could turn out any other way? I mean, really!
So Sarah tells Abram to take Hagar to be his wife so she can bear him a son. He does, and she does. But when she gives birth Sarah feels like Hagar now despises her – so she despises her back. Now, we don’t really know if Hagar did despise Sarah or if that’s just how Sarah felt.
Now Hagar could have despised her. I mean, she didn’t have much say in the matter of becoming Abram’s wife. And what if Abram wasn’t her type? Now she’s got a kid by him. She’s forever linked to this 85 year old man. She might have been a young girl. Who knows?
But one thing’s for sure, Sarah despised Hagar. You see, Hagar used to just be Sarah’s servant. Now she’s her equal being another wife of Abram. Maybe she even has the upper hand since she’s got a child by him and she didn’t. Bottom line, Sarah’s jealous; Sarah’s envious; Sarah’s covetous; and down right hateful.
[Read Genesis 16:6.]
Not a lot of love there. Not a lot of humility there. Not a lot of patience there. Not a lot of faith there. But Abram was no better. He was just more passive about it.
[Read Genesis 16:6.]
Good answer Abram! Sarah has directed her anger for Hagar towards you and you redirect it right back to Hagar. After all, you’ve got what you wanted. You’re holding your son. Who cares about Hagar. “Do whatever you want to her.”
A sad day in the life of these three adults. They created this huge mess, yet instead of learning from it and moving on, they decided to be hateful towards each other. And obviously the pressure was so sever towards Hagar that all she could do was run away.
So one night she took off back towards Egypt. But I tell you what, she must have been desperate. Remember, she was a nothing servant taken from home to live with the exiled from Egypt, traveler Abram. Now she’s coming back home a nothing servant but carrying a non-Egyptian’s child. What kind of life did she have to look forward to? Well I guess it looked better than the one she had with Sarah.
But along the way home something amazing happens – God shows up. What we see here is another theophany where the pre-incarnate Christ appears in bodily form to someone on earth. And this time He was showing up to bring:
3. A divine solution for a worldly dilemma
Remember, Hagar’s got a huge problem on her hands. She about to give birth to Abram’s child yet she’s going back home to certain disgrace. Having his child was supposed to be a wonderful thing. Yet, it turned out to be something that seemed to devastate her life. But when things seemed to be hopeless God showed up.
[Read Genesis 16:7-12.]
What a wonderful example of the love and grace of God. The Lord knew of the affliction of Hagar and came to her to help. Personally, I think that when Hagar stopped by that spring of water it wasn’t just to drink, it was to pray. We don’t really know where Hagar is spiritually at this point in her life. We can assume she’s a pagan being an Egyptian. We can also assume that in the time she spent with Abram she was influenced by Abram’s belief in the One True God.
Nevertheless, the Lord gave heed to, or listened to, or payed attention to her needs as she traveled alone in the wilderness carrying this huge problem on her shoulders.
So God shows up and gives her the divine solution for her worldly problem – go back and submit to Sarah. Don’t run from your problems, face them. Do what’s right even when it’s hard.
“Not really the solution I was looking for Lord. Couldn’t you just afflict Sarah with leprosy or something and then Abram and I and our son can live happily ever after? Or could you find me a good man in Egypt that’ll accept me?”
[Read Genesis 16:9.]
When we’ve got a God-sized problem we need to trust His solution for the problem.
[Improperly fixing pool pump pipe story.]
God knew the only solution for the problem was for Hagar to return to Sarah and submit to her authority. (Also bringing Abram’s son back to him.)
But along with the solution, the Lord gave her some insight to what would come through her son Ishmael.
[Read Genesis 16:10-12.]
Now remember, this prophecy isn’t just about Ishmael. It also includes his descendants. So when it refers to Ishmaels’ characteristics it’s also describing the characteristics of the nations to come through him.
First of all, her son would be the beginning of huge nations and vast amounts of people.
Secondly, he would have a strong, independent spirit like the wild donkeys of the day.
Thirdly, he would be at constant war with just about everyone.
Finally, he would settle in the areas east of Canaan.
Ishmael and his descendants show up throughout the Old Testament usually causing problems for God’s people. And guess what, Ishmaels’ descendants, what we call modern day Arabs, haven’t changed a bit in the last several thousand years. Millions of people living in the Middle East constantly warring with each other motivated by a strong, independent spirit.
I’m sure that Hagar had no idea the magnitude of what God was saying at the time. But she did know one thing – God had spoken to her and had given her specific instructions concerning her problem. And as hard as it must have been she obeyed. So we see:
4. A faithful reaction to a divine solution
[Read Genesis 16:13-16.]
The Lord shows up when Hagar is at her lowest point. He lets her know that He cares for her and her problem and gives her a hard solution for the dilemma she was in. She reacts in faith and calls on His name.
As she’s worshipping God she says that she can’t get over the fact that she was able to remain alive after seeing God. What humility. Even understanding of the holiness of God.
She names the well where she was after God and His ability to see the afflictions of man.
She goes back as instructed by the Lord.
And she obviously relayed the story to Abram because Abram named his son Ishmael just like the Lord told Hagar to.
Now I’m not saying that we can definitively say that Hagar was a believer – but she’s sure acting like one! Calling on God, humility, obedience, and testifying of what God had told her. I tell you what, that’s a faithful reaction to a divine solution.
When we’ve got a situation in our lives and we ask God for help, we’ve got to be ready to follow through with His instruction no matter what it is. When He tells us to face our fears we need to face them. When He tells us to do the right thing we need to obey. When He tells us to trust we need to let go and trust. His solutions are best even when we don’t quite understand.
[Scratch test story.]
Even when it’s hard, God’s solutions are best. Trust Him – He will never let you down!
