Genesis 16 -- Four Truths

The warning for us here is that it is dangerous to depend on your own wisdom.  Sarah tried to second-guess God, and Abraham passively accepted her decision, which led to a detour in their pilgrim walk, and my commentary said, “The detour is always worse than the main road.”

Waiting:

It continued, “Faith is evidenced by four things:  Being concerned with the glory of God, a willingness to wait on the Lord, acting in obedience to God’s Word, and having God’s joy and peace within about the decision.”

Scheming:

God’s Word here was what He’d told Abraham – that he’d have a son.  God had not yet identified the mother though, and Sarah, using her wisdom , said, “It may be …, instead of “thus saith the Lord.”  Faith is living without scheming and Sarah was scheming.  “Sarah was not concerned about the glory of God; her only goal was ‘that I may obtain children by her … God’s delays are not God’s denials, but Satan whispers to us, ‘God is holding out on you!  If He loved you, things would be different.  Blame Him!’” 

I needed the reminder that “whatever is not of faith is sin,” and “In whatever man does without God, he must fail miserably, or succeed MORE miserably.”

Fighting:

Joy and peace certainly weren’t there.  “Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar were at war with each other, because they were at war with the Lord, and they were at war with the Lord because they had selfish desires warring within their own hearts.”

Submitting:

Hagar had to submit to God by returning to her mistress, unsure of how she would be treated.  Sarah had to submit to God by not mistreating her or her child.  Abraham had to submit to God by acknowledging Ishmael as his son.

Despite this detour, it’s important to remember that “God is never caught by surprise.  When He cannot rule, He overrules, and He always accomplishes His purposes.  Satan wants us to think that our disobedience detours must become permanent roads for the rest of our lives, but this is a lie.  Like Abraham and Sarah, we can confess our sins, accept God’s cleansing, and then learn to live with our mistakes.  Yes, there will be pain and regret, but God’s grace will overcome in the end … The victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings.”

Father, You have reminded me of so many unintended detours I’ve caused for myself in this life.  Please help me to use these four truths to stay on the main road from now on.  And help me to communicate these truths to my sons so that they can avoid painful detours themselves.  Help them to hear and listen, Father.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford