Yesterday I mentioned how interesting it was that God kept encouraging Abram that he would make a great nation of his offspring. Chapter 15 begins with a covenant being made between God and Abram as a promise to Abram. Obviously, God is trying to let Abram know that even when things seem impossible, God's promises are true.
But in chapter 16, Sarai decides to take matters into her own hands. She has not had any children. Yet I am sure she knows what the Lord has told her husband concerning their offspring. She becomes impatient and I am sure she is aware that she is getting older and sees the possibility of ever having children fleeting quickly. Her attitude changes. She seems to blame God in chapter 16 verse 2 when she says, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children." So, what does she do next? She tells her husband to take her Egyptian servant Hagar as his wife. You could look at this and say, "oh, but she is being so humble! She knows she cannot give her husband what he needs to fulfill God's promise, so she is giving her husband an opportunity to father a child!" But that thinking would be so wrong as well! Sarai shows that she has become impatient. She knows what God has promised, yet because God has not worked for her on her timetable she blames God and then takes matters into her own hands! How many times do we as wives, or even single women do this very same thing?
Obviously, we aren't going to tell our husbands to go and take another wife, but have we ever known in our hearts that God will answer our prayers, or fulfill one of his promises, but instead of waiting on His perfect timing, decide to try to work the situation, problem, etc out on our own? I know I am definitely guilty of this!
Think of this scenario: You and your husband are praying about an area of your lives. There is an obvious need for a new vehicle. You and your husband are praying about it for months. You know that God has promised to supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19). But, instead of continuing to wait on God's timing you decide to buy a vehicle anyway. It may not be the best vehicle, but it takes care of the need. A couple weeks later, you get a call from a friend asking if you still need a vehicle because they have one and God placed it on their hearts to give it to you.
Has this kind of thing ever occurred in your life? I know it has ours. In fact, a similar situation to the one mentioned above. The vehicle we bought cheaply and on a whim ended up costing us about 2x what we paid for it in repairs and then it died completely just 3 months later!
We need to remember that God can see the big picture. He knows what we need and he has promised us many many things in His word. We need to learn to practice patience in our lives and we also need to learn to trust God and stop taking matters into our own hands.
So, what happened next? Was that the end of the story? Nope. It just gets worse. Hagar did conceive, and then because she knew she had the ability to conceive looked down on Sarai with contempt. Sarai then gets angry at Abram and says, "May the wrong done to me be on you!" Basically, saying it was Abram's fault. So, in return, Abram tells Sarai to deal with Hagar how she pleases, causing Hagar to flee (she was probably thinking she was fleeing for her life). Thankfully, God intervened. He had one of his messengers (an angel of the Lord) find Hagar. This messenger told Hagar to change her attitude toward Sarai and to submit to her authority. The messenger also encouraged Hagar by promising to multiply her offspring. BUT, her son would be a strongly independent man, and would live a life of hostility toward others.
So, what can we learn from these two women? Obviously, we do need to wait on God's timing, allow our husbands to lead our families, and we need to trust God's promises. How are you doing in these areas? I know I need to work harder on these three things! But it is comforting to know that even when I stumble and do not follow these principals in my life, God is there to pick me up and brush me off (of course, not without consequences) and help me get back on the right track. Let's strive to be women who are patiently waiting and relying on God our heavenly Father! And let us encourage our husbands to do the same!!
In chapter 17 beginning in verse 15 we see that had Sarai (who now has her name changed to Sarah, meaning princess) simply waited a little bit longer, even after her natural child-bearing years were behind her, she could have avoided so much trial in her families life. In verse 16 God says, "I will bless her (Sarah) and moreover, I will give you a son (Isaac) by her, and she shall become nations; kings of people shall come from her!" So, how long did Sarah have to wait for God's promise to be fulfilled?? She was 90 years old when God spoke these words to her husband! So, according to verse 21, Sarah was about 91 years old when she gave birth to her first born son, Isaac!
God does keep his promises. God does have a plan that is bigger than us! We may not understand that plan. It may not be as we would want it. But thats where we need to step aside and allow God to do what is best for us and that will give Him ultimate glory! Be patient! Wait on the Lord! Trust in God!
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