The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Genesis 16:1-16
Introduction
If you live in Dallas, one of the privileges is having to deal with the enormous traffic problem on almost a daily basis. I was reminded of this problem recently when I took a day trip to check on our house. I guess living in the traffic on a daily basis you don’t realize how bad it really is until you spend some time away. To make matters worse the day I went to Dallas it was raining.
From Lewisville to Denton, it seemed to be bumper to bumper and I never got over forty miles an hour. Needless to say, I grew impatient. I was gripping on the steering wheel waiting for something to happen, waiting for someone to move. I was frustrated because I had a destination in mind, but it seemed as though I would never get there. When I crossed the state line and read the sign that said welcome to Oklahoma, I was relieved.
My story illustrates a fact about human nature: we humans don’t like to wait. We have fast food restaurants because we don’t like to wait. We will avoid restaurants if the line is to long. Just a few days ago I opted out of not receiving a nice new carrying bag that the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoman was giving to messengers because I did not want to wait in the line.
The ABC show 20/20 once did an experiment on waiting and self-control with children. The children in the experiment were given two choices. They could have a single treat, one cookie, right now. If they could wait while the reporter ran an errand, they could have two cookies. Some of the preschoolers grabbed the single cookie immediately; while others waited up to twenty minutes to receive their two cookies. Those who wanted the two cookies used all kinds of tactics to sustain themselves. Some covered their eyes so that they would not see the cookies set before them. Some rested their heads on their arms, talked to themselves, sang, and even tried to sleep. The follow-up of this study revealed that those who were able to wait and forgo the instant gratification kept that same temperament throughout their adolescence. The more impulsive kids who gave into instant gratification were more stubborn, indecisive, and stressed.
In the life of faith the waiting on God is the hardest part. Just has we dislike waiting at restaurants, in lines, and in traffic, we also dislike waiting on God to act on our behalf. It is not that we don’t want God to act; it is just that we want him to act on our behalf in our timing and not his. We know that God wants to teach us patients, but we want him to hurry up and do it.
In the sixteenth chapter of the book of Genesis we see Abram and Sarai struggling with waiting on God. They are growing impatient. In Abram and Sarai’s growing impatience we see why the waiting is the hardest part.
I. The Waiting is the Hardest Part
Verse one shows that Abram and Sarai are in God’s waiting room, “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children.” We started off with the narrative concerning Abram in the last part of chapter eleven were we were told that Sarai was barren. She had no children. Yet, God had promised Abram that he would be a “great nation” and that his descendants would outnumber the dust of the earth and the stars of the heavens, but still not child. Abram and Sarai were in God’s waiting room, in God’s holding pattern. Verse three tells us just how long they had been in this pattern, “After Abram had lived ten years in the land.”
The ten years in the land reveals the time period between God’s promise of a child which took place in chapters eleven and twelve and the current situation in chapter sixteen. They had been waiting for God to fulfill his promise of a seed for ten years.
Abram was wondering how God would fulfill this promise back in chapter fifteen when asked the Lord if it would be Eliezer, his servant, who would be the heir, and the Lord told him that Abram’s heir would be from his own body.
Now the Lord never specifically said specifically that the seed would come through both Abram and Sarai, but it sure is implied in verse one where the narrative says that Sarai was Abram’s wife. This designation of Sarai as Abram’s wife points us back to the second chapter of Genesis where we see God creating the institution of marriage. A man shall leave his father and mother and become one flesh with his wife. God’s creative intention is that there be one man and one woman in marriage and that procreation would take place through this institution.
The scene is set. We find Abram in Sarai in God’s waiting room, waiting and longing for God to fulfill his promise, but the waiting for them would be the hardest part. One reason that the waiting is the hardest part is that we are often tempted to question God’s timing and ability in our situation when he seems to be doing nothing about it.
A. We are Tempted to Question God’s Timing and Ability in our Situation
We are told in verse one than not only was Sarai childless, but that she had a maid whose name was Hagar. Hagar is an important character in this sixteenth chapter, one that we will see more of in following verses.
After the setting the scene in verse one the author reveals that Sarai is beginning to question God’s timing and ability in this situation, “So Sarai said to Abram, ‘Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.” To some degree Sarai is right about the Lord preventing here from bearing child, but she is not making a statement of fact, but instead is complaining and even blaming God for her childless situation. You need to see behind this complaint a sense of frustration on the part of Sarai, a frustration that is directed towards the Lord.
When Abram and Sarai were promised a child they were not spring chickens, but now, some ten years has passed and it is very possible that for Sarai menopause has set in eliminating any human possibility for her to have a child. Therefore she directs her frustration with the Lord to Abram, a frustration that is questioning both God’s timing and his ability.
Sarai is questioning not only God’s promise, but ultimately God’s character. This is the temptation that can arise when we are in God’s waiting room, a temptation that is presented before us from the devil himself.
What takes place in this sixteenth chapter is parallel with what takes place in the third chapter of Genesis. When the serpent, who is the devil, tempted eve she was tempted with questions about God’s truthfulness and God’s character. The devil at it once again, he wants Sarai to give into the temptation and begin to question God’s timing and God’s ability.
The Devil has an invested interest in tempting Sarai. You have to remember that the Lord sentenced the Devil to ultimate defeat back in chapter three when he said that the seed of the woman would crush the seed of the serpent. This was an indication of the Devil’s ultimate doom, a doom that would come through the seed of the woman, a doom that would come through the seed of Abraham, a doom that was sealed by the person of Jesus Christ. The Devil did not want the promised child to come about because he did not want to meet his ultimate destiny, one of destruction.
In the same way the devil tries to thwart the plan of God’s unfolding redemption, he also tries to thwart God’s plans for our lives when we are waiting on God to act on our behalf, in thwarting that plan he will tempt us so that we will begin to question God’s timing and ability.
It is important to note that even after chapter sixteen and all that takes place in this chapter, Sarai will still have to wait about another fifteen-years to see the promise of a child fulfilled. The reason for the long wait is that God wants Abram and Sarai to be in a situation to where only a God’s ability and power could bring about the fulfillment of the promise.
I see this temptation take place with people who sign up for short-term mission trips. They put their name down to go even though they don’t have the money. They make their needs known, but the money does not come. They begin to question God’s timing and ability almost to the point of pulling out. I tell people like that to wait because the devil wants to keep people from going to share the gospel, but God likes to get us to where we know without a doubt that he and he alone brought this about.
If we fail to overcome the temptation of questioning God’s timing and ability it can lead us to more troubles. When we begin to get frustrated with God it is then that we are tempted to look to the world for the solutions to our situation.
B. We are Tempted to Look to the World for our Solution
That is exactly what Sarai is going to do. She is past the point of no return. She has let the temptation of the Devil cast doubt about the Lord, she has let the temptation of the Devil seduce her senses, and with this she would now look to the world for a solution to her situation.
Sarai had a plan, a worldly plan, but at least it was a plan. It was more than what God was doing at this point. This plan that Sarai had concerned her maid Hagar and she tells Abram her plan in verse two, “Please go into my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” You can see the thinking at this point. Sarai is saying to herself, “God helps those who help themselves,” so I thank I will help him out. At this point, Sarai, just like Eve, wants to be God. She wants to be like God and help God out with fulfilling his promise, but in reality she is only resorting to a human solution to a divine situation.
The human solution that Sarai proposes was a common practice in their culture. If the wife was barren it was not uncommon for the husband to take on another wife for the purpose of having children. This was an accepted practice during their time. We should not think it to odd when we have surrogate mothers today. But the reality of this solution is that it was a worldly solution.
Further evidence that this was a worldly solution is found in the fact that Hagar was an Egyptian. Most likely, Abram and Sarai attained Hagar from their journey into Egypt, a journey they took because Abram, instead of waiting on God looked to the world for solutions. Also, you may remember that for the most part when God’s people went to Egypt they did so because they were not trusting in the Lord, but looking to the world for solutions. That is what Sarai is doing; she is looking to the world for solutions to her divine situation.
What may seem to be an acceptable practice to the world and a solution to a situation may not be from the Lord. The Lord intended for man to be married to one woman and to have children. Thus, the world may accept a common solution to a situation, but that does not mean that it is God’s solution to a situation.
One more temptation is revealed by Abram, when waiting on God we are tempted to listen to other voices for our supervision.
C. We are Tempted to Listen to other Voices for our Supervision
Sarai tells Abram the plan and then he would respond in the latter part of verse two, “And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.” Who did Abram listen too? He listed to Sarai. This is exactly what happened in the third chapter of Genesis with Adam, he listened to the voice of Eve. In both instances with Adam and Abram, they relinquished their responsibility of leadership. In both instances with Adam and Abram they were listening to the voices of their wives when in reality they should have been listening to the voice of God.
In Adam’s case he should have remembered that the Lord told him personally not to eat of the tree. In Abram’s case he should have told Sarai that the Lord promised him in a vision a child through Abram and his God ordained wife.
When we are in God’s holding pattern we will begin to hear many voices, voices of doubt, voices of temptation, voices of despair, voices with worldly solutions, but the one voice we must listen to is the voice of the Lord.
Waiting on God is the hardest part because we are often tempted to question God’s timing and ability. Waiting on God is the hardest part because we are often tempted to look to the world for solutions. Waiting is the hardest part because we are often tempted to listen to other voices other than the Lords.
Waiting on God is the hardest part, and when we give into these temptations instead of waiting on God we will find that the troubles we are trying solve will not depart.
II. The Troubles will not Depart
Sarai may have had good intentions when she took things into her own hands, but those intentions would cause problems. There are two things that happened when Sarai and Abram decided to solve their divine situation with a human solution. The first lesson that Sarai and Abram learned is than when you fail to wait on God and resort to human solutions troubles are not solved, but instead they become worse.
A. Human Solutions can make Troubles Worse
In verses three through six Sarai and Abram begin to resort to the human solution for fulfilling God’s divine plan, “After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband as his wife.” The surrogate mother is elevated from being Sarai’s servant to becoming Abram’s wife. This designation of Hagar as Abram’s wife elevates Hagar from her lowly position as Sarai’s servant to being and equal to Sarai. The elevation also shows a transfer of authority and responsibility. Hagar was previously Sarai responsibility, but now she would be Abram’s responsibility.
Verse four tells us that Abram and Sarai had relations and that Hagar conceived. The plan was successful or was it really successful. Hagar conceived and now was expecting a child; this is exactly what Sarai’s planed hoped for, an answer to the situation. But Sarai would soon find out that, not only did she not solve her problem of being infertile; she now had made things worse.
Hagar, enjoying her elevated status and now the fact that she was carrying Abram’s child let pride take over, “He went into Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceive, her mistress was despised in her sight.” Hagar had an attitude and it was directed towards Sarai. We are told that she despised Sarai in her sight. The Hebrew word translated “despised” in this verse is the same root of the Hebrew word translated “curse” in verse three of chapter twelve where the Lord promises Abram that he will curse those who curse Abram. Hagar showed great disrespect and dishonor towards her former mistress. Not only did it make things worse between Hagar and Sarai, but also between Abram and Sarai as well.
The once quiet and peaceful home was now a battlefield. Hagar despising Sarai, Sarai in turn despising Hagar, and now Sarai would bring Abram in the mix and blame him for Hagar’s attitude, “And Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me.” Sarai in so many words attacks Abram and blames him for her problems. Isn’t that just like human nature? Instead of taking responsibility for our own sins we blame others.
Abram would respond by once again acquiescing to his wife instead of bringing leadership, “But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight.” Abram puts Hagar back under the power and responsibility of Sarai. That is, he moves Hagar back to being a servant of Sarai.
Sarai, would use her position to get back at Hagar, “So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.” The word “harshly” is the same word used to describe the treatment of the Israelites when they were in bondage is Egypt. The treatment of Hagar was so harsh that she had to flee from the home of Abram.
The human solution to a divine promise did not solve the problem. Things got terribly worse within the household of Abram. Disunity as well as abuse plagued the home. Why? Human solutions often make troubles worse. One person has rightly said, “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed more miserably.” Though the conception may have seemed like they succeeded, in reality they became more miserable because solutions without God make troubles worse. The troubles became not only worse, but they would also become permanent.
B. Human Solutions can make Troubles Permanent
After Hagar flees, she makes her way out into the wilderness and stops by spring on the way to Shur. It is by this spring that Hagar would have an encounter with the angel of the Lord. The appearing of the angel of the Lord is what theologians call a theophany. It is in this theophany that we see God addressing the affliction of Hagar.
What takes place in between the Lord and Hagar in these verses demonstrates the concern that God has for all people. Abram was God’s chosen man, but God was and is still concerned for those outside the covenant, a concern that is demonstrated in how the Lord deals with Hagar in these verses.
In dealing with Hagar we find out through the Lord that God would take care of Hagar and her child, but we also find out that Hagar’s child will be a permanent problem, a problem that arose out of Sarai and Abram’s human solution.
The Lord tells Hagar that he will “greatly multiply her descendants, so that they will be to many to count.” The angel of the Lord went on to say, “Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; and he will live to the east of his brothers.” This future sounds great for Ishmael, but it will be a future characterized with hostility. To be a “wild donkey” means to be in constant conflict. Ishmael and his descendants will always be in conflict with Abram’s promised child, Isaac.
You only have to look to the Middle East and Israel to see the nature of the permanent problem that was brought about by Sarai and Abram resorting to a human solution. There is a great deal of talk about peace in the Middle East and peace between Israel and the Arabs, but it will truly never happen. It won’t happen because the Lord says here that there will be constant conflict between Ishmael and his half brother Isaac.
Every time you read about an explosion in Israel or Israel attacking the Palestinians, remember that the conflict is the fruit of not waiting on God. Remember that when we resort to human solutions to divine situations that not only do the troubles become worse; they can also become permanent.
How can we avoid the mistakes of Abram and Sarai? How can we avoid giving into the temptations that come when we are waiting on God to act on our behalf? How can we avoid human solutions that only make troubles worse and at times permanent? The answer is found in the heart.
III. The Answer is in the Heart
The answer for waiting on God is found in the dialogue between the Lord and Hagar. In this dialogue the Lord reveals a truth that Abram and Sarai knew, but because of their impatience they forgot. What the Lord promises Hagar and how Hagar responds reveals the great truth of this chapter, the truth that helps God’s people wait for God to act on their behalf. The answer is found in who God is and can only be attained from within the heart of God’s people. If God’s people are going to wait for the Lord, and not resort to human solutions, they will need a heart that prays.
A. A Heart that Prays
The dialogue between Hagar and the Lord says nothing about prayer, but the implication of God’s people praying is there. The implication is found first in the name that the Lord gave to Hagar’s son, “Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son; and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has given heed to your affliction.” The name Ishmael means “God Hears.” It does not say that Hagar prayed but the indication is that the Lord heard her affliction. He heard her crying out because of the harsh treatment at the hands of her mistress Sarai. Therefore, the Lord says name him God hears.
We are told that when Hagar goes back to live in the house of Abram and gives birth to the child that Abram named him Ishmael. Hagar told him everything the Lord told her when he appeared to her in the wilderness.
Every time Abram and Sarai said the name Ishmael they would be reminded of their failure to fervently pray as they waited on God. Every time they heard the name Ishmael they would be reminded that God hears and they should have prayed to him instead of resorting to human solutions. To many times God’s people have the attitude “when all else fails, pray.” But the reality is “all else will fail, unless we pray.” Abram and Sarai would find this out the hard way.
Are you in God’s waiting room? Then pray. God hears you and he sees the affliction that you are in. Don’t give into the temptation of questioning God. Don’t give into the temptation of looking to the world for solutions. Don’t give into the temptation of listening to other voices for direction. Pray fervently to the Lord for he hears you and he sees you, he knows what you need and when your need it. The answer for waiting on God is found in a heart that prays. It is also found in a heart that believes.
B. A Heart that Believes
Hagar believed what the Lord told her and her belief is demonstrated in verses thirteen and fourteen, “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God who sees;’ for she said, ‘Have I even remained alive after seeing him?’” What a great declaration of faith and hope. She believed the promise of God and she put her hope in the promise of God and then she would make her way back to Abram and Sarai as the Lord commanded her.
God puts us in his waiting room, in long holding patterns for a reason. He makes us wait so that we will learn to seek him in prayer and take him at his word. He makes us wait so that he can produce with in us a character that perseveres. He makes us wait so that we can learn to trust in his wise and sovereign will. The quicker we learn to submit and yield to his wise and sovereign will, the less trouble we will bring upon our self, and more blessings he will shower upon us.
As I was preparing this message a secular song, one that I listened to as a teenager, kept coming to my mind. The title of the song is The Waiting and Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers wrote and performed it. The song is about a man who is waiting on a relationship to flower into full-blown love, but the chorus of the song really speaks to the journey of faith and walking with God. In fact the chorus is where I got the title to this chapter. Listen to the words of the chorus:
The waiting is the hardest part
Everyday you get one more yard
You take it on faith; you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part
Yes, on the journey of faith the waiting is the hardest part. It is hard because of the temptations that will come as we wait for God to act. It is hard because when we give into those temptations and resort to human solutions apart from God the troubles will really not depart, but become worse and possibly permanent. The answer for waiting is found in the heart, the heart that knows God hears and sees and therefore prays and believes yielding patiently to God’s wise and sovereign will.
Are you waiting on God? Are you waiting for God to give you guidance? Are you waiting for God to give you deliverance? Are you waiting for God to act in a particular situation? Pray, believe, and wait patiently because the Lord hears you and sees you. Pray, and believe, because “The Lord fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” Keep waiting, God will act on you behalf in his perfect timing.
Maybe your not waiting on God, but instead God is waiting on you. Maybe you are among the many that God is patiently waiting on to come to Christ by faith. How long will you make him wait? Today is the day of Salvation, come to Christ; don’t wait any longer.
