A Lapse of Faith

God had promised Abraham would have children as numerous as the sand of the sea.  He went to Canaan when he was seventy five, and Sarah was sixty fie.  Ten years later, they still have no children, and while Abraham believed God’s promise, he began to feel it was up to them to make it happen.  Sarah felt guilty that she had been unable to give Abraham a son and suggested a way they could make it happen, in Genesis 16:1-3.  “Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.  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.  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.” 

We often hear that Christians are to pray as if everything depended on God and to work as if everything depends on us.  As a result, we begin to spend hours praying in an effort to get God to take action.  In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus said, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.   Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”  After all, as Jesus explains in Luke 18:1-7, God is not like a corrupt judge who doesn’t care about what is right.  While it is true everything depends on him, we can trust him to keep his promises without nagging at him.

When we get the idea that everything depends on us, we cast doubt on God’s ability to do what is needed.  God doesn’t need us to accomplish his purpose.  He just asks that we do what he told us to do and trust him to produce the proper results.  When we begin to nag at him, or when we begin to try to force things to happen we are no longer trusting him, and as Romans 14:23 says, “…whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”   Even a man of faith such as Abraham can sin by not trusting God with the outcome of certain things. 

Sin always leads to further problems, and this was no exception.  Instead of trusting God to provide when he was ready, Abraham and Sarah tried to force the issue by using a surrogate.  Genesis 16:4-6 tells us, “And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.  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.

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.” 

Although Sarah had suggested Abraham have sex with Hagar, when Hagar got pregnant, it began to cause problems, implying Sarah was not capable of having a baby and thus was less than complete as a woman.  Sarah became Jealous of Hagar and demanded Abraham do something.  She became so emotionally abusive toward Hagar she eventually left.  The baby she was carrying was Abraham’s and even though it was the result of sin, Abraham still had the responsibility of providing for and raising the child.  God convinced Hagar to return in spite of the conflict between herself and Sarah, in Genesis 16:7-14.  “And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. Ge 16:8 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.

And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.  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 affliction.  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.

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?  Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.”

Because he was Abraham’s son, the baby would be blessed, although he would have a much different attitude than his brother.  Sin always has consequences, and sometimes they are difficult to resolve.    Even today the Bedouin tribes are in almost constant conflict with each other as well as the peoples around them.    The conflict between Sarah and Hagar has affected the attitudes of generations of Ishmael’s descendants. 

Hagar returned and Abraham supported her and Ishmael for several years. Genesis 16:15 tells us, “And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.  And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.”