Choices Cause Continuous Consequences...Yet God's Grace Comforts

Galatians 4: 21-31

The account of Abram's / Abraham's first-born son is quite dramatic and insightful.

This account reveals many things, one likely overlooked is grace.

God's grace over a child whose descendants would live outside a certain covenant, yet will be included in another covenant nonetheless.

Another 'reveal' is how God is made known and understood by those He reveals Himself to.

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” 

Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. 

When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” 

- Genesis 16: 1-5

We see the humanity in our physical / faithful forefathers.

Although God promised Abram a son from his own flesh, Sarah seems to have run out of patience.

In Genesis 15: 1-6 we read how Abram was unsure about having offspring since Sarai had not yet conceived over the many years they've been together.

Culturally in this part of the ancient world, having concubines and other 'wives' besides the first wife was common.

However, we can deduce from the content that Abram was most likely faithful to Sarai and never took another 'wife' or sex partner.

Yet in chapter 16, we read how Sarai reasons that the promise from God had yet to be realized, and she gives permission to Abram to take one of the slaves.

Abram complies...oh, man's humanity.

Chapter 14 verse 14 states there were at least 318 other men included in Abram's group, or tribal town, that traveled with him and likely were added in Harran and since thence.

This would mean that several other hundreds of people (women and children) were part of a migrating 'town' under Abram's leadership.

Lot and his tribal group had departed from Abram's tribal group by chapter 16, so it seems Hagar the slave woman of Sarai was highest in status among the hundreds of non-familial / unrelated people.

We see a sign of hierarchy when chapter 15 verse 2 quotes Abram mentioning Eliezer of Damascus as being his logical heir; a man not related by blood or familial ties, but by a social stratification of sorts.

It is very likely Sarai was knowledgable about Abram's communions with the Lord and what was promised, and it seems her choice to offer Hagar to her husband may reveal moments of doubt and desperation.

Their humanity...one which all of us can possibly relate to according to our struggles, moments of doubt, waiting for God's promises to be realized, etc..

Interesting how in Genesis 16 Sarai blames Abram for Hagar's attitude after having conceived.

I personally find it a bit humorous her blaming Abram, yet it is a very serious issue in revealing the likely embarrassment and shame of Sarai.

To be unable to conceive was culturally perceived as being 'not blessed' or possibly 'cursed' by God.

God had promised Abram an heir from his own flesh, but this promise was likely doubted by Abram and Sarai to be fulfilled through Sarai... so Abram went along with Sarai's logic-based doubt and impatience.

God's grace and patience was revealed in what came about from this pain of Sarai and distress of Abram and Hagar.

“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 

The Angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And He said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” 

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 

Then the Angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The Angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 

The Angel of the Lord also said to her: 

   “You are now pregnant 

      and you will give birth to a son. 

   You shall name him Ishmael, 

      for the Lord has heard of 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 all his brothers.” 

She gave this Name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 

So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. 

- Genesis 16: 6-16

Looking at the humanity of our forefathers (whether physical or spiritual forefathers), we can see Abram's humility before God and his wife.

To keep the peace, he suggests to Sarai she is free to do as would please her.

Due to Hagar's likely spiteful attitude towards Sarai, Sarai's likely punishing words and attitude was unbearable for Hagar...and she runs away from the tribal family group.

Yet God steps in.

Not only does God reveal Himself to Hagar, He comforts her and grants her a prophetic word regarding her child and his character.

God orders Hagar to submit to Sarai.

We see in chapter 16 God's grace upon Hagar, and His grace extended to her son with certain blessings... and how this child's descendants will be numerous.

We see how God is given a name according to Hagar's perception and her gratitude for being 'saved' from a desperate and dire situation; God's intervention was likely very impressionable for Hagar.

We can thus understand how God has been given various names and attributes throughout world history according to certain human experience (one example - Genesis 16: 13-14).

We can also differentiate between perceived names and attributes, and the Names God has Himself mentioned or taught to mankind (two examples - Genesis 15: 1-2, 7; Genesis 17: 1).

Nothing happens outside of God's will, despite man's limited understanding of God's wisdom and/or timing and/or allowance of certain 'events' to occur, even events considered 'bad' or 'wrong' or occurring due to humanity's doubt, sin, or frailty.

It was God's will to provide the heir promised to Abram through none other than Abram's wife Sarai, his flesh, as we read in chapter 17.

Yet in order for God to establish His covenant within the sign of the covenant, Isaac was brought forth by a miraculous conception in an elderly woman who had been barren her entire life.

In order to establish a distinction between peoples, and reveal God's favor among hundreds of witnesses closely associated under Abram's tribal town, in chapter 17 God introduces the covenant sign of circumcision for this unique and arguable 'international' town.

'International' town because we read about peoples hailing from at least three different places Harran, Ur (Abraham) and Damascus (Eliezer)...three locations with unique cultural ideas and varying ideas.

It was this town of hundreds who carried with them the covenant sign of circumcision, and the testimony that a son was born to Abraham through a miraculous occurrence, and another son was born in the natural way...and the dramatic conflict between both mothers and their offspring; the hostile and tensioned history of the Middle East.

We also read in that chapter how God reaffirms and clarifies that it will be through Sarai that the heir is promised...and through the son of Sarai the continuous communion of the everlasting covenant with the descendants of Abram will be established....from whom kings and the eternal kingdom will eventually be established.

In Genesis 17 verses 1-2 it seems God asks Abram a specific demand; to walk faithfully and be blameless.

These could speak to the fighting mentioned in chapter 14 when Abram, on his own, decides to rescue Lot and his family and possessions from captivity.

This activity is not mentioned nor commanded by God according to the testimony...and could be viewed as another 'reveal' of Abram's humanity and carnal response to a relative being in danger.

Another event in chapter 12 was when Abram was tempted by fear to say Sarai was his sister and not describing her as his wife to avoid trouble or possible death while traveling in Egypt.

These are human temptations we can relate to, challenges that overcome the senses despite God having already promised us many things, even to be with Abram despite the journey into new and uncharted places.

So when in chapter 17 God reaffirms His previous promises, perhaps God was building in Abram while he waited several years their fulfillment, the character necessary to receive Isaac and take on the responsibility of establishing the sign of the covenant amongst the hundreds of men under his leadership...and to carry out the unique covenant given through Isaac.

In all things, we do see God's love and grace over those He has brought into relationship with Himself.