Genesis 16 - Sarai, Abram, and Hagar: Lessons in Faith - The Mysteries of God's Word

Discover the timeless lessons hidden within the ancient drama of Sarai, Abram, and Hagar's lives as we navigate the complexities of their choices and the ripples these created in history. Our exploration uncovers the stark consequences of Sarai's struggle with infertility, her decision to have Hagar bear a child for Abram, and the subsequent familial discord that ensues. We promise you an episode that not only provides a deep investigation into these biblical figures but also invites reflection on the impact of our decisions and the importance of patience in the face of divine promises.

Dive into the story of Ishmael, a character whose legacy and divine naming set the stage for a discussion on lineage, prophecy, and the intertwining of faith across generations. We dissect the nuanced role that Abram, later known as Abraham, plays as a patriarch to both Jews and Arabs, and the far-reaching implications of his journey of faith. Join us for a thought-provoking episode that promises to deepen your understanding of biblical history and the enduring principle of righteousness through faith, leaving you with insights to ponder throughout the week.

Transcript

Nathan Dietsche: 0:14

Welcome to another episode of the mysteries of God's Word. Today we're going to be in Genesis, chapter 16, talking about Sarai and Hagar, starting in verse 1,. Now Sarai, abram's wife, had born him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. Some quick notes on verse 1. Hagar was the handmaiden to Sarai. Sarai and Abram likely had gotten Hagar when they were in Egypt Reading verse 2, when Sarai said to Abram Behold, now the Lord has prevented me from having any children.

Nathan Dietsche: 1:00

Go into my servant. It may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. There's a lot in that second verse. Sarai said to Abram Behold, the Lord has prevented me from having children.

Nathan Dietsche: 1:21

One of the main driving motivations of ancient women was to be fruitful and childbearing, and while this became a common way of life and thinking for all women in ancient times, it had its roots in the commands of God, and it was particularly strong for Hebrew women. This desire to have children came both from the command of God to be fruitful and multiply, as well as from an eagerness to be the ancestor or the mother even of the chosen one, the Messiah. Sarai knew of Abram's deep devotion to God, which he would often probably from her perspective put above her wants and desires. And she knew of Abram's belief in God's promise that he would provide a child through his loins. But her conclusion now, after 75 years of being barren with a husband who was now 85, was she was not the woman to provide this child for Abram and God couldn't keep his promise. Through her and in her self-centeredness and self-pity, she blames God for her barrenness and she convinces Abram that God must not mean for her to have this child of promise. She says go into my servant, obtain children by her.

Nathan Dietsche: 2:52

Like so many of us, sarai comes up with her own solution to try and bring about God's promise. Sarai's solution to her barrenness was for Abram to commit adultery. It was very common during these times for the maid's servant to be considered the full private property of the wife, and that included the fruit of her womb. So according to local customs, the son of Hagar would also be the property of Sarai. However, at some level Sarai would have known that her husband sleeping with another woman would compromise the integrity of Abram's walk with God and certainly his intimacy with her. We can often see this very same false narrative playing itself out very prevalently in our time. Somehow people become convinced that through a forbidden relationship they might somehow bring about the plan of God. Make no mistake, this is not God's plan. It's Sarai's plan, and Sarai's plan focused on herself, not trusting in God.

Nathan Dietsche: 4:13

And then we read Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. Now the Hebrew form of speech here implies that Abram obeyed his wife. How twisted is this that Abram, the man of God, obeyed his wife as if she was the head of the home and he partook in a relationship he knew was forbidden, somehow believing that it was going to bring about the plan of God. This event takes us back and reminds us of the fall of man with Adam and Eve, when God cursed Adam for his sin. God said to Adam because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, you should not eat, men, when your wife asks you or commands you to do something that the Lord has forbidden you to do, do not listen. You're being set up, if not intentionally by your wife, certainly by the invisible powers that are against God's word. Stand firm, lead your family in the way of the Lord. In verse 3 we read.

Nathan Dietsche: 5:32

So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, sarai, abram's wife, took Hagar, the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram, her husband, as a wife. And he went into Hagar and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. When we read that Abram went into her, we see Abram questioning the integrity of the Lord's plan by taking Hagar as a wife. We know that God has created man in his image, male and female. God created marriage between one man and one woman for life. And here Abram is caving into the cultural norm rather than God's design. And Hagar conceived. Now Abram's first-born son will be born from an adulterous relationship. At the moment, this must have seemed like an incredible blessing to Abram now having a son. Yet this child born of sin will create trouble for his family. Not blessing Ishmael will eventually become a terrible heartbreak for Abram. And we also see that now Sarai is looking at contempt on her mistress, despite the fact that Hagar had a son according to Sarai's plan, despite the fact that Sarai was the one to take the action, instruct Abram to do it, because Sarai was doing what was popular rather than what was proper, she now has a heart issue. She now has to deal with contempt and jealousy in her heart for the woman who has been intimate and had a son with her husband.

Nathan Dietsche: 7:44

In verse 5, sarai said to Abram May the wrong done to me be on you. I gave my servant to your embrace and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between me and you. My title for this verse is Sarai Projects Blame. Sarai says may the wrong done on me be on you. So Sarai takes no responsibility for her actions of setting up the encounter between Abram and Hagar. And now she blames Abram for the results of her plan. Men, take very special note here when you disobey God and listen to the command of your wife to do sin, she will blame you for the consequences, because you were created by God's design to lead your family in the righteousness of God. And Sarai said. And then Sarai is telling Abram that Hagar looked on her with contempt. So after blaming Abram for the consequences of her actions, sarai now refuses to take responsibility for her feelings and, turning the conversation towards Hagar, she accuses Hagar of having the feelings of contempt, which are actually the feelings she has for Hagar. And finally, sarai says may the Lord judge between you and me. As a final act of trying to hide her hatred for Hagar and her own sin, sarai uses the name of the Lord to try and convince Abram that she has done nothing wrong.

Nathan Dietsche: 9:45

And in verse 6, but Abram said to Sarai Behold, your servant is in your power, do to her as you please. Then Sarai dealt harshly with her and she fled from her. We see here in verse 6, abram is unwilling to confront Sarai in her deception. Abram, having accepted and participated in his wife's plan, now finds himself caught. He's caught being shamed by his wife. He's caught by the accusations of his wife and rather than gently instruct her in forgiveness and in godly behavior towards her servant Hagar, he allows her to continue in this destructive pattern and emotional breakdown. And we see that Sarai dealt harshly with her. Sarai's bitterness turned to violent behavior. The phrase for dealt harshly with her here means to cringe, to bring suffering, to humiliate, to oppress and to do violence toward. And we see that Hagar fled from Sarai.

Nathan Dietsche: 11:03

Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. Now, if you're not familiar with the angel of the Lord. This is the first place in Scripture we see the angel of the Lord. This special angel is spoken of as if he were both distinct from Yahweh and in the first person, as if he were Yahweh. This angel of the Lord does not appear after the birth of Christ and it is believed to be one of the ways in which the Son of God would appear in the world before he came in human flesh. So the angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness and he said Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going? She said I am fleeing from my mistress, sarai.

Nathan Dietsche: 12:09

We see that the way in which the angel of the Lord addresses Hagar is meant to call her attention to where God has her currently placed and under what authority she is placed. We see the angel of the Lord addresses her as Hagar, servant of Sarai. When the angel of the Lord said to her return to your mistress and submit to her. This teaching from the angel of the Lord to Hagar is a consistent teaching throughout Scripture that we are to submit to the authorities under which we are placed. God asks Hagar here to be submissive to the authority in which she has been placed and it's important to recognize, here particularly, that submission includes authorities that have been harsh to us. And the angel of the Lord again says to her I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered from multitude. Now, in verse 10, we see a promise that the angel of the Lord gives to Hagar because of her suffering and because of her future obedience. The angel tells her that he will multiply her offspring. He promises that Hagar's son will be blessed and become the father of many people.

Nathan Dietsche: 13:37

Ishmael becomes the ancestor of the twelve chieftains in northern and central Arabia. An Arabian tradition to this day still holds that these are their earliest ancestors. And in verse 11, the angel of the Lord said to her Behold, you are pregnant and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man. His hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand will be against him. He shall dwell over against all his kinsmen. So the Lord himself gives Ishmael his name and the Lord tells Hagar to call him Ishmael, which means God hears.

Nathan Dietsche: 14:33

God heard the plea of Hagar, but God prophesies that Ishmael will be a wild donkey of a man, and in verse 13 we read so she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her. You are a God of seeing, for, she said truly, here I have seen him who looks after me. Hagar addresses the Lord as Yahweh. She invokes the name of Jehovah to the angel who spoke to her. After being the object of his graciousness, she now becomes the only person in the Old Testament to ever give God a name and she calls him the God of seeing.

Nathan Dietsche: 15:20

Hagar is in awe that she has seen the God who sees her.

Nathan Dietsche: 15:26

Therefore, the well was called Bir Lahiroy it lies between Kadesh and Beirud and Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, ishmael.

Nathan Dietsche: 15:46

So we see in verse 15 that Hagar had returned to Abram and Sarai. And Hagar bore Abram a son. She listened to the angel of the Lord, believing his promised her, and Abram called the name of his son, ishmael. Abram naming his son the name that the angel of the Lord had given Hagar shows that Abram is claiming Ishmael as his own and he believes the account that Hagar has given with meeting the Lord, ishmael is the first man ever in the Old Testament to be named by God before he was born. And finally, we see in verse 16 Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. And that time stamp of 86 years old is important here because it continues to show us the timeline of Abram. But, perhaps most importantly, it shows us Abram spent years of his life believing the Lord, following the Lord before the covenant of circumcision, and so he is the father of us all, both Jew and Gentile alike, for it is by faith alone in the Messiah alone that we are declared righteous before God. God bless you this week.