Genesis 16 Sermon

Gen. 16:1-16

Let God Judge

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July 8, 2018

Lynchburg, Virginia

EXHORDIUM

         This story is a divine reminder of waiting on the Lord. When we take matters in our own hands and justify our behavior, the result is a pile of trouble. All of the parties in this event are culpable for various sinful actions. And even in the sins, the Lord is gracious and kind to them. 

         We should learn at least two lessons from this passage. One, wait upon the Lord. Do not justify your bad behavior by impatience or blame shifting. Two, the Lord is gracious, kind, long-suffering and quick to forgive. Even though the parties here are guilty, Sarai, Abram and Hagar, God forgives them all and looks upon them with favor.

         We need to wait upon God and resist the desire to take things in our hands and sin. But if we do this, falling to our fallen human nature, then we need to humble ourselves before the Lord, receive His forgiveness and move on. He is able to overcome our sinful desires. 

         We need to also remember that there are dire consequences for sins, even after forgiveness is granted. The issues with Hagar and Ishmael do not end here when Hagar returns to Sarai. We have a later incident where we see the strife continues. Furthermore,

Ishmael is a wild man, finding contention with Isaac’s seed. The strife between Hagar and Sarai continues in their children as we get to see the ongoing strife between the covenant of flesh and the covenant of the promise.

EXEGESIS

Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose namewasHagar. ²And 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. 

She was right. The Lord had kept her from bearing. God had spoken to Abraham telling him that he would have offspring. However, the promise was not yet clearly through Sarai. But both Abraham and Sarai should have believed that it was. Abraham had but one wife. He believed God that he would have offspring. At this point, he must have believed that there were other options.

Sarai did not believe that the promise would come through her. We see that in the actions that she now takes. She is trying to claim that Hagar’s child will be hers but she knows that cannot be the case. Even later, when God makes it clear that the offspring will issue from 90 year old Sarah, Sarah laughs at the thought.

And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 

This whole scene is wrong. Sarai takes the promise in her own hands and botches it completely. Abram hearkens to his wife. Keep in mind that he is a king, a prince, a man of great authority. It was not uncommon for such men to have multiple wives or concubines. But Abram should have known better. God’s plan was one man and one woman for life. But he falls to the temptation both of having another wife and also of making God’s plans come to pass.

God never condemns Abram for taking Hagar. But we do see a great deal of heartache and trouble that shows itself through this relationship.

³And 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.

Keep in mind that this whole thing was orchestrated by Sarai. You would think she would have thought through things, especially given her age at this time. She was 76. She should have known that a woman, given the chance to bear a son to such a great man as Abram, would likely feel haughty about it. Hagar was a handmaid, a servant, basically a slave to Sarai. But in conceiving Abram’s child, she rose above her mistress.

Furthermore, Hagar was an Egyptian, not from Abram’s tribe or family. Abram at this point is made up of many nations. He becomes the father of many nations.

Gen. 16:4  And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 

Abram has relations with Hagar and she conceives.  As soon as she realized that she was pregnant, she despised Sarai. Why? Because she knew that she was likely the favorite now of Abram. She had done something for Abram that his own wife could not do. 

Another aspect of this is how the arm of the flesh works. Sarai and Abram take it upon themselves to produce an heir. It works to some degree but only dramatically complicates the Lord’s plan. Instead of Sarai being happy and Abram being content with her, we now have a love triangle that is about to break out into all sorts of envy and cruelty. 

Sarai is not the only envious and cruel person. Hagar is cruel. Later on, Ishmael persecutes Isaac. Ishmael saw himself as the first born of Abram, a special place but he did not submit to God’s plan for Abram’s heir. 

It is important to make plans. It is important to understand what the Lord is doing and submit to His will. We need to be careful when we manipulate the situation and justify our behavior along the way. The end justifies the means is a bad ethic.

⁵And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrongbeupon 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. 

Sarai is a piece of work. It is her plan. She wants Abram to take Hagar as wife. She wants Hagar to get pregnant and produce offspring to Abram. And that is exactly what happens. And as soon it does, she flips and blames everything on Abram. Of course, to some extent she is right, even though her heart is not right. Abram is the head of the house. He must take responsibility for what both he and his wife have done. It would be wrong of him to now blame her.

Sarai calls upon God to judge who has committed the greater wrong. The Lord judge between me and thee. Sarai is wrong on this point. God does judge and He chooses to bless Abram even though Sarai has encouraged Abram to sin.

This story is not unlike Adam and Eve. Eve conceived the sin and got Adam to buy in. Here, Sarai conceives the sin and it gives birth to great mischief that encompasses Abram. In both instances, the husbands must take full responsibility for their actions.

Remember that this is the same Sarai who was commended in the New Testament for calling Abram, Lord. She is a humble and submissive wife. However, in this instance, because of the desire to hasten God’s promise, having fallen to the flesh, she adds to her sin, through anger and blame.

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

Sarai obviously thought that Abram would choose Hagar over her. Hagar was younger and had provided an heir. But Abram proves faithful to Sarai. He tells Sarai to do whatever she will with Hagar.

This does not justify Sarai’s treatment of Hagar. She treats her harshly. In fact, so harshly that Hagar realizes that she has no hope of help from Abram and flees.

Calvin adds the observation that the reason for Hagar’s flight is likely her unwillingness to submit to Sarai. This explanation comports well with what the angel of the Lord tells Hagar, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”

Thus, it was incumbent upon Sarai to repent of her haughtiness towards Sarai. She was blessed with a child through the union that was planned by Sarai and Abram. Of that she was innocent. But having conceived, she thinks of herself too highly, perhaps thinking herself Abram’s favorite wife and the mother of his children over and above Sarai who was now old and barren. She had to humble herself back to her position as servant and concubine.

It is clear in the narrative that Abram honors Sarai as the wife and gives her free reign in what to do with Hagar and the child.

Gen. 16:7  And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 

Sarai had taken refuge by a fountain. The angel of the Lord finds her and asks her why she is there. She explains that she had fled from Sarai. We were told in the previous verse that Sarai treated her harshly. It was also clear that Abram did not stick up for her. It seems like she has a pretty good case against Sarai and Abram. 

Verse 8- ⁸And 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. Calvin uses this verse an example of civil authority. Hagar was a maidservant, a slave girl, and is called this by the angel of the Lord. Calvin rejoices that even in his day in Geneva, slavery had been abolished. He counts that as a blessing from the Lord. But he uses this verse to say that the Lord had respect to the civil system. He goes on to cite the need to obey those authorities in our lives, even if they are treat us hardly, as Sarai treated Hagar. Their authority is not cut off. Granted, their authority does not give them just cause to treat servants or employees unfairly or harshly. We are told in the New Testament that Christian masters must treat their slaves well. 

We can infer from this that all in authority are given this same charge. Treat those under your authority with respect and honor. Do not lord it over them. But we should also be reminded that those under authority are enjoined to bear even hard treatment with patience and perseverance. This would include wives, children, citizens, employees and any other relationship to authority. This authority and submission is not absolute. But neither is it to be easily thrown off.

⁹And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

The angel of the Lord does not take up her cause. He promises to bless her but not by taking vengeance upon Sarai or Abram. He simply tells Hagar to return to Sarai and submit to thyself under her hands. 

To submit here is to humble herself under Sarai’s hands. That seems odd. It appears that Sarai is the one who ought to be humble. Hagar is treated unjustly and is encouraged by God to return to that unjust treatment. However, in doing so, she earns a great reward.

Gen. 16:10  And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 

To some degree, the promise that Sarai and Abram were trying to manufacture does indeed come to pass. However, it is not counted towards Abram or Sarai. This blessing of a multitude is to Hagar. 

In this regard, Hagar’s despising of Sarai has a long life. Her son, Ishmael, despises Isaac and the ensuing offspring become enemies. This becomes the ongoing battle between the sons of Seth and the sons of Cain. The sons of the promise verses the sons of the flesh.

¹¹And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou artwith child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. ¹²And he will be a wild man; his handwill beagainst every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. 

The Lord promises to bless Hagar. God has heard her affliction and rescued her. God also heard how Hagar despised Sarai. God will also hear how Ishmael persecutes Isaac.

¹³And 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? ¹⁴Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it isbetween Kadesh and Bered.

Hagar now acknowledges that God was watching over her. She can go back and submit to Sarai because she here submits herself to the Lord. She compares herself to God and finds herself lacking. Prior to this, she had only taken not of her own condition. She was with child by Abram and mistreated by Abram’s wife. She failed to take into account the great blessing that had been bestowed upon her, both to be in the house of so great a lord and lady, and afterwards to be with child without violence done to her person. She is now granted an additional blessing that she will have a son who will become a great nation. In all of this, she failed to see that God’s hand was on her for blessing. Instead of gratitude towards God, she lashes out at her circumstances and her mistress. She has now been humbled and the result is blessing from the Lord.

         Beerlahairoi- The well of him who lives and sees.

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

It is clear that Hagar related the vision of the angel to Abram. We are told here that Abram names his son Ishmael. So, Abram submitted to the vision of the Lord and agrees on the name both with Hagar and the Lord.

Keep in mind that it is not until the next chapter, after another 13 years, that the Lord explicitly tells Abram that he will have a son by Sarai. Abram may have still been wondering if Ishmael was his rightful heir, the answer to the promise of God.

EXHORTATION

         Wait Upon the Lord- The end does not justify the means. We are called to do our duty before the Lord. When we justify our bad behavior because it brings about some supposed good end, we give the lie to God’s ways. That is the way of the flesh. But God’s ways are right and the outcome is up to Him.