Genesis
chapter 16 begins with “Sarai,
Abrams wife, had borne him no children“.
In that culture that would have been shameful enough, but add to
that the fact that God had promised Abram would be the father of many
nations and Sarai’s pain is compounded. As we read, Sarai comes up
with a plan to “help God” achieve His promise. “But
she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar, so she said to Abram,
“The Lord had kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my
maidservant; perhaps I can build my family through her“.
At this point the great Abram does not seek God, does not remind his
wife of God’s faithfulness, does not lead, but we read, “Abram
agreed…he slept with her and she conceived“.
Sarai planned to make Hagar a surrogate mother, but tragically that
was not God’s plan. We next read that, when Hagar knew she was
pregnant, “she
despised her mistress“.
Then Sarai tells Abram, “You
are responsible for this wrong I am suffering“.
Again, Abram the mighty man of God yields control to Sarai, “Do
with her whatever you think best“.
Everyone knows the verse, “God helps those who help
themselves”, the problem, of course, is that is not from the
Bible. In fact, it is contrary to many verses! Jeremiah 17:5 says,
“This
is what the Lord says, CURSED IS THE ONE WHO TRUSTS IN MAN, WHO
DEPENDS ON FLESH FOR HIS STRENGTH AND WHOSE HEART TURNS AWAY FROM THE
LORD“.
Fellas, God has appointed you spiritual head of your home, do not
take this responsibility lightly.
“Sarai
mistreated Hagar, so she fled from her“.
But an amazing thing happens, “The
angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert…the Lord
told her, “GO BACK TO YOUR MISTRESS AND SUBMIT TO HER“.
The Lord also adds, “I
will so increase your descendents that they will be too numerous to
count“.
He also explains, “You
are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him
Ishmael, for the Lord heard your misery. He will be a wild donkey of
a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against
him. And he will live in hostility toward his brothers“.
Ishmael, of course, becomes the Arab people. And to this day the
hostility toward the Jewish people continues. How far-reaching the
consequences of our sin can become! This is true in our lived today,
many of us still deal with the consequences of our sin, even though
we have been forgiven and restored in our relationship with God, our
decisions from an earlier time remain with us.
Apparently
Hagar is obedient, because we are told, “Hagar
bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she
bore. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael“.
Abram and Sarai waited another ten long years before the promise was
fulfilled through Sarai. 1 Peter chapter 3 gives us an interesting
verse, “You
husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as
the weaker vessel, since she is a women; and grant her honor as a
fellow heir of the grace of life, so your prayers may not be
hindered“.
We are to honor our wives, and one of the reasons is so our prayers
will not be hindered! The Bible does not put women down as
second-class citizens, but rather teaches us that we are to treat
them with tenderness. Loving leadership promotes unity with one
another, and with God.