GENESIS CHAPTER 16: WHEN MAN INTERFERES WITH GOD'S PLAN

INTRODUCTION: A Lesson in Patience and Trusting God.

Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, “Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.”  And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 3. And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar, her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 

In that time is was not uncommon for a husband to take a second or third wife which were called concubines. These women did not have the status of the first wife, but the heirs would be from Abram and Sarai in this case. Sarai may have been thinking that this is what the Lord wanted for Abram to have a child from his loins to carry out God plan. But the story continues that that was not how God intended his plan to play out. This clearly shows the impatience of Abram and Sarai to have the child that they thought God had promised them. But they took it upon themselves to accomplish the task of the heir instead  of waiting on God in his own time. 

4. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes, 5. And Sarai said unto Abram, “My wrong be upon thee; I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.”

 Hagar was caught up in a situation of which she had no control. Her mistress gave her to Abram to conceive a child.

Which she did. Hagar attitude must have changed, after conceiving when Sarai could not. There was ill feelings between Sarai and Hagar that festered into hatred, jealousy, strife and conflict. That continued down through generations to even today, between the Arabs and the Jews.

 Sarai said to Abram, "My wrong be upon you". This could have been an apology on Sarai part telling Abram that her suggestion that he listened to was the wrong one and that God would deal with Abram because of it. A man is the head of the household and the decisions no matter whose suggestions they were are his to bear.

 6. But Abram said unto Sarai, “Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee.” And when Sarai dealt hardly with her she fled from her face. 

  Sarai felt she had to deal with Hagar's attitude and she asked Abram what he wanted to do with her. He told her it was her problem, for her to deal with it. Our bible does not say how she dealt with her other than it was harsh enough for Hagar to run away back toward Egypt.

7. And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.  8. And he said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go?”  And she said, “I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.”  9. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “Return to thy mistress and submit thyself under her hands.”  

 From these verses God is in sympathy with Hagar's' situation because his angel tells Hagar that she must go back and submit herself unto her mistress. Run a way slaves were dealt with severely and that would interfere with God's plan for the child Hagar was going to have.

 

10. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “I will multiply thy seed exceedingly that it shall not be numbered for multitude.” 11. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, “Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy afflictions. 12. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”  

 Here God messenger tells Hagar who her child will become and what she shall name him. Being and Egyptian Hagar was surprised that the living God would see her let a lone take care of her. God also tells Hagar what to name the child. He will be called Ishmael which means "God Hears". The nation that God refers to here as Ishmael's descendants  which is the Arab nation. And through history they have been against a lot of their brethren and peoples around them as God fortold.

13. And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, “Thou God seest me:” for she said, “Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 14. Wherefore the well was called ‘Beerlahairoi’; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. 16. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram. 

Hagar named the place at the well that the Angel talked to her "Beer La-hai Roi" which means "The well of the living One who sees me". Hagar was so surprised at how God knew her and what she was going through. That is true of us all, we don't realize that He sees us, our needs, our problems, our triumphs. He wants to help us in our daily lives, if we live under his instructions. He sees the good and the evil and rewards accordingly.

Abram was 86 years old when Ishmael was born. 

The Road to Salvation (KJV)

Romans 3: 23, 24 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 5:8 “But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:15 “For God so loved the world That He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1 John 4:9”In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

John 6: 47, 48 “Verily, verily, I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.  I am that bread of life.”

Romans 10:9 – 14 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed: and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard: and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

If you are not saved, I pray you will accept Christ as your Savior to day. We are not promised another minute on this earth. We are but on a journey, passing though this world to the next, and you have a choice of where you will spend eternity. I pray you choose to spend it in Heaven with the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit and all those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and paid our sin debt for us. 

Seek out a Bible preaching church in your area, one where God word is preached and  is the center of their service, study and devotion.