A. INTRODUCTION: GENESIS 16:1-16
1. Promised Seed. "Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children" (Gen. 16:1). "I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth" (13:16). "Look toward heaven, can you count the stars . . . so shall your seed be" (15:5).
2. Rejected alternative. "What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer . . . one born in my house is mine heir" (15:2-3).
3. Sarai’s selfishness. Barrenness was considered a tragedy. "Take away my reproach among men" (Luke 1:25).
4. No patience. Sarai may have said, "God helps those who help themselves," or "you’re not getting any younger."
5. Quit too soon. Abram had waited ten years. "Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan" (16:3).
6. Heathen example. "Sarai said to Abram . . . go in unto my maid, it may be that I may obtain children by her" (16:2).
B. PRACTICAL TAKE AWAYS
1. We will always struggle against fleshly instincts. Abram and Sarai could not walk by faith but gave into their carnal desires, "For what I am doing, I do not understand; for what I want to do, that I cannot do, but I hate what I do" (Rom. 7:15 ELT).
2. Waiting by faith does not eliminate fleshly desires. "The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17). "The good that I want to do, I don’t do; and the evil that I don’t want to do; that is what I do" (Rom. 7:19 ELT).
3. Faith is waiting on God. "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart, wait, I say, on the Lord" (Psa. 27:14).
4. Compromise with the world is dangerous. Hagar is Egyptian and Egypt is a symbol of the world in Scriptures. Be careful of a wrong marriage with the world, it makes long-range problems.
5. Be careful of doing things for God out of personal embarrassment. Sarai was motived by tragedy, "Sarai Abram’s wife bore him no children" (16:1).
6. Be careful of nagging when you are discouraged or spiritually down. "And Sarai said (continually) unto Abram," (v.2).
7. Be careful of blaming God for your problems. "Sarai said to Abram, behold now the Lord hath restrained me from bearing" (16:2).
8. A wife can nag her husband and make carnal suggestions to get both out of the will of God. "Go in unto my maid" (16:2).
9. A husband is responsible for his decisions, no matter what the motivation. Abram could not blame his wife, Hagar, God or anyone but himself for the mess he created.
10. Usually oppressed and abused people blame someone else for their situation "Her mistress (Sarai) was despised in her (Hagar) eyes" (16:4).
11. Too often carnal believers (Abram) do not assume responsibility for their actions. Abram was responsible, but he wanted his wife Sarai to clean up the mess. "Abram said unto Sarai, ’Behold thy maid is in thy hand’" (16:6).
12. Too often, carnal believers (Sarai) blame someone when their decisions go wrong. "Sarai said to Abram, ’My wrong be upon thee’" (v.5).
13. When we get in a problem we usually:
a. Run away. "She (Hagar) fled" (16:6).
b. Run home to comfort. "By a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur" (16:7), an Egyptian border town.
14. The burden of knowledge principle. We think problems that are out of sight, are no longer our responsibility. When Hagar ran away, Abram and Sarai had a responsibility to find her, but the Bible is silent on their actions.
15. Even though the Lord is always ready to meet people with problems, He doesn’t always solve them in the way we want.
a. Not help in journey. "Return" (16:9).
b. Not escape from harsh Sarai. "Submit" (16:9).
16. God usually asks us questions before offering help.
a. Identify past sin. "Why are you running away?" (16:8 ELT).
b. Plan future direction. "Where are you going?" (16:8 ELT).
17. No matter the circumstances, God’s solution involves:
a. Repentance. "Return to thy mistress" (16:9).
b. Yield. "Submit thyself under her hand" (16:9).
18. The well was called "Beer-lahai-roi." The well of God Who sees me and hears me. God’s response to our problems.
a. God hears us cry.
b. God sees our problems.
c. God is alive.
d. God has a solution.
19. The problems we create out of the will of God remain with us. Abram got Hagar when he compromised by giving to Egypt and telling a lie when there. Then Abram compromised by trying to complete God’s will with Hagar. Ishmael was the fruit of the flesh. The enduring problems: (1) Mohammed the founder of Islam, and (2) The Palestinian peoples.
20. Abraham the man of faith didn’t wait on God. Sometimes when God delays, He is testing our faith. "The trying of your faith worketh patience . . . that ye may be perfect" (James 1:3).
*****
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God. Please contact me at etowns@elmertowns.com and tell us about your salvation experience so that we can rejoice with you.
To get Dr. Towns’ Home Page for books, www.elmertowns.com.
