Journey's End

After Sarah’s death and Isaac’s marriage, the Scriptures tell us that Abraham “took another wife, whose name was Keturah.” (Genesis 25:1) Incredibly, she bore him six more sons! The biblical account tells us that Abraham left everything to his son Isaac, but that he provided for his other sons by giving them gifts—after which he sent them far away from Isaac. Abraham did not want anyone intruding on God’s covenant with him and the heir to the promise, Isaac.
Finally, at age 175 Abraham died and was buried with Sarah. “Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.” (Genesis 25:8) Moses’ eulogy is rather sparse, but the New Testament writers refer to Abraham and his example over and over again. The poignant reference that he was “gathered to his people” indicates to me that he had reached the “city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

How thankful I am for the account of Abraham’s life! His failures have been laid bare, but so has his heart—a heart that wanted to know and love God intimately. Abraham’s biography also reveals God’s character to me, and shows the depth of God’s desire to relate to me, as Friend to friend and Father to child.

And so the eulogy we find in Hebrews gives us a model for ourselves. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents…. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren, was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. … By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death…. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 11: 8-12; 17-19; 12:1-2)

God grant that I will be like Abraham: ready to obey, ready to believe even the impossible, focused on a more permanent prize than material gain, with my eyes fixed on Jesus, my Redeemer and Friend.

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God Guides

Abraham was nearing the end of his life, but two major events remained: the death of his beloved wife, Sarah, and the marriage of his beloved son, Isaac. Sarah died at age 127 and Abraham acquired his own land for the first time—a burial plot.

In haggling over the property, Ephron, the seller, charged an outrageous price and forced Abraham to buy more land than he actually wanted. This purchase of a burial ground, though, was an act of faith. Abraham was in fact laying claim to the land God had promised to give his descendants.

Abraham realized that he would not have descendants if Isaac never married, and he did not want a marriage with the Canaanite women in the region. He solemnly commissioned his servant (perhaps Eliezar mentioned to in chapter 15?) to find a wife from his own people. He clearly instructed Eliezar to find a woman who would be willing to move to Canaan; under no circumstances should Isaac move to another region. Abraham was confident that the God who had promised this land to Isaac’s children would “send his angel before [you] so that you can get a wife from my son from there.” (Gen. 24:7)

The servant, well-laden with presents carried on ten camels set out on the long and arduous journey to Nahor. Abraham had modeled a life of faith before the servant, and Eliezar now proceeded in just the way his master would have done: he prayed a specific prayer. “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.” He was bold enough to pray that specific things would happen to indicate which young woman was meant to become Isaac’s wife.

How God must have appreciated his faith and daring, because He answered each request exactly as Eliezar had prayed before he had finished praying! And God went even further than Eliezar had asked: Rebekah, the young woman who fulfilled the prayer’s requirements was related to Abraham himself!

When Rebekah ran off to warn her mother to prepare for an overnight guest, Eliezar thanked God for His prompt answer. He knew that this meeting had not happened by chance, but had been orchestrated by the Almighty God “who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master.” (Gen. 24:27)

An interesting character inserts himself into the story at this point, a man we will come to know well later! Moses cleverly gives us a hint of this rascal’s nature when he discloses Laban’s interest in the servant’s wealth. (Gen. 24:30,31)

Once seated around the meal in Rebekah’s home, the servant wasted no time in disclosing the reason for his trip. He testified to Abraham’s faith that God would lead him to a bride for Isaac. He indicated how God had answered his prayer for guidance when He had sent Rebekah to the well.

Laban, Rebekah’s brother, and Bethuel, her father saw God’s hand in this errand as well. They quickly agreed to the marriage, profiting greatly from Abraham’s largesse. Although they weren’t ready for Rebekah to leave the following morning, as the servant had planned, she was ready. She and her servants were on the camels and heading for Canaan by morning.
The romantic side of us can just imagine Rebekah and Isaac’s notice of each other as she reached the field near his home. When Isaac heard the account of the God-ordained meeting with Rebekah, he brought her to his mother’s tent and married her. We are gratified to read that Isaac “loved her and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” (Gen. 24:47)

I appreciate what this story teaches me about God’s guidance. Eliezar’s approach to the daunting task of finding a wife for Isaac from people he had probably never met is a good model. He prayed on the basis of God’s character, not fearing to be specific in his request, and then resting in his belief that God would lead him. Some parallel verses fit the story and add to my understanding of God’s promises in this regard:

Psalm 32:8: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Isaiah 65:24: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

My life is not a game of Russian roulette. God has a plan for me, and has promised to reveal it. My part is to seek after Him and to follow.

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A Lamb Provided

Abraham and Sarah have been given their promised heir, and all is quiet in the biblical account. I presume they were happily and busily raising this boy for whom they had waited so long. Then Moses writes the portentous words: “Some time later God tested Abraham.” (Gen. 22:1) None of us likes to experience God’s testing, but this was a test to the maximum. God told Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Gen. 22:2)

If I had been in Abraham’s shoes, I might have wondered if this were some sort of cruel hoax. Children I know have been troubled by this story. What if God told their parents to sacrifice them? Would they do it? And I suppose most devout parents have wondered the same. Do we really love God more than anything else?

Abraham had learned a great deal about God’s character and actions over the years of his pilgrimage. At last he trusted God enough to respond in immediate obedience to this most difficult test of all. The next morning he and Isaac and two of his servants were on their way to Mount Moriah. And finally, on the third day of the journey, he and Isaac headed off to worship by themselves.

Isaac was old enough (possibly a teenager by now) to realize that a most important ingredient was missing from this pilgrimage: the lamb. When he questioned Abraham about this omission, Abraham responded that “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” (Gen. 22:8)

With what emotion must Abraham have made this trip with Isaac. I sense almost an expectancy, though, in spite of the poignancy and pain of this ordeal. I believe that Abraham expected God to do something mighty and miraculous—perhaps even raise his son from the dead.

What kind of thoughts went through Isaac’s head as he was tied to the altar? Did he struggle, or had his faith grown in tandem with his father’s faith? The biblical record gives us no inkling as to the emotions going on here. Abraham knew that Isaac was God’s promised heir. Therefore, Abraham knew that something miraculous would occur in order to fulfill the remainder of the promise—that of many descendants, a land and a nation. But what a staggering step of faith to put your son on an altar and prepare this promised heir for death!

The account is descriptive (Gen. 22:9-10). The knife is raised, Abraham is ready to put his son to death, and the voice of the angel of the Lord intervenes, “Abraham, Abraham!” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” (Gen. 22:12) The all-knowing God surely knew the true state of Abraham’s heart before this occasion. But Abraham had passed the ultimate test, and there in the bushes, is the ram that he had said God would provide—a lamb that would substitute his life for Isaac’s. And in this sacred spot, Abraham called God by a different name: “ Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide”.

The angel of the Lord again called to Abraham, and reaffirmed the covenant, adding that “because you have done this and not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore…. (Gen. 22:16, 17) This time, though, the covenant takes on a stronger emphasis, as God swears by himself that this promise will be fulfilled.

A no doubt exhausted Abraham and Isaac returned to Beersheba where they stayed. The covenant which Abraham had recited to Isaac many times was now indelibly printed in Isaac’s mind for the future day when he would have sons.

This story is almost unbelievable, but it sets the stage for redemption and gives us the first occasion of a substitionary sacrifice recorded in Scripture. A few hundred years from this point, the death of another substitionary lamb at Passover would save the descendants of Abraham and Isaac. But the story portrays an even more significant substitution, a substitution in which we can take part. The story of Isaac is an image of the sacrifice of another beloved only Son. On what many scholars believe to be the same spot as Isaac’s near-sacrifice, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ was sacrificed on a cross. This sinless Son of God is the God-provided Lamb Who rescues us from the death that should have been ours. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things.” (Rom. 8:32) “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3: 16, 17)

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The Promise Fulfilled

The Lord finally provided a son for Sarah and Abraham—Isaac. With great celebration he was welcomed into the family. The old animosity between Hagar and Sarah flared again, and tarnished the festivities when Sarah noticed Ishmael (by then around 14) standing around and mocking. Who knows how Ishmael felt at this point, having enjoyed the love of Abraham into his teen years? His position of favorite was now threatened, and he had no doubt been fed plenty of unkind information about Sarah from his mother to add fuel to the fire.

Sarah was determined to remove any threat to her son, a fact that greatly distressed Abraham. God comforted Abraham with promises of blessings for both sons, but indicated that it Isaac was the heir of the promise. So Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael into the desert with provisions to sustain them.

The provisions didn’t last long however, and the searing heat of the desert was strength-sapping. Leaving her son under a bush with the little remaining water, Hagar wandered away, not brave enough to witness the certain death of her son.

God again ministered to Hagar, and now to Ishmael, again promising to make Ishmael into a great nation. The text tells us “God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.” (Gen. 21:20)

It almost seems that there are too many extraneous things to the story of Isaac’s birth in this part of Genesis. We read about the fate of Ishmael, and then are given details about Abraham’s administrative dealings with Abimelech. Maybe Moses felt that Isaac's birth was almost anti-climactic at this point!

To focus back on Isaac, though, Genesis 21 has an interesting parallel in Romans 4:18-25: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had beeen said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death or our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

We’ve seen Abraham waver a bit on his journey to promise fulfillment, but God did not count those missteps against him. Instead the record is that Abraham believed God had the power and the integrity to do as He had promised. The New Testament examination of Abraham is a great promise to us as well. Our faith is the basis on which God credits righteousness to us—faith that Jesus died for our sins and was raised to life to justify us. Praise God for the illustrative example of Abraham’s life and for the hope we have, as he did, in God’s promises.

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Relapse

You have to wonder, after all the spiritual progress Abraham had made, how he could fall into the same kind of sin against Abimelech that he had years earlier with Pharaoh! Here he is again pretending that Sarah is his sister in order to save his skin. (Genesis 20) He is on the brink of finally grasping the fulfilment of God’s promise, and he’s about to put that fulfilment into serious jeopardy.

The other puzzling thing to me about this passage is how a 90-year-old woman would be sexually attractive enough for a Middle Eastern potentate to want her for his harem. Obviously, there is something here that escapes me. I can more easily understand the propensity of all human beings to lapse into sin than I can understand the attractions aged Sarah held for Abimelech!

In any case, God tells Abimelech about the dire peril in which he and his people now exist, and explains how He has kept Abimelech from sin. Needless to say, Abimelech is furious with Abraham and confronts him, asking, “What was your reason for doing this?” (Gen. 20:10)

Abraham looks for a place to pass the buck, much as Adam had done in the Garden of Eden. He implies that he could not have been guaranteed of his safety from Abimelech’s people. He excuses his lie by saying that Sarah really is his half-sister. He says anything but that he had done wrong.

In spite of his lame excuses, Abimelech is generous to Abraham and Sarah, offering them livestock and the opportunity of living in his territory. Abraham prays to God and the curse of barrenness is removed from Abimelech’s people.

The story is a reminder to me that even the most faithful believer must be vigilant so as not to fall into the same kind of pattern of sin that had entrapped him or her at an earlier time. The old habits and patterns can so easily rear their ugly heads and the unsuspecting pilgrim can easily succumb. We will not be "home free" from temptation and sin until heaven, but we are assured that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)

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Fiery Judgment

When we last saw Abraham, he was returning home after discussing with God the pending doom of judgment on Sodom. In Genesis 19 we see a glimpse of why God was intent on destroying the city.

As the angels arrived at the city gateway, they met Lot sitting in the entrance. His sitting in the gate denotes that he must have achieved a level of prominence in the social structure of the city. Much as Abraham had offered hospitality to the three divine visitors, so Lot offered hospitality to the two angels. He does not seem to be offering a leisurely meal, however; one observes a sense of urgency as he suggests they will “go on [their] way early in the morning”. When they demurred against accepting his invitation, he strongly insisted that they enter his house where he prepared a meal and offered them overnight lodging.

Lot well knew his fellow citizens, it appears, because his angelic visitors were in grave danger of being raped by a crowd of men from the town. While homosexuality was apparently common in the city, mob violence was also present. Lot tried to dissuade the mob, even offering his daughters as substitutes. This illustration of the low esteem with which women were regarded in the culture of the time is startling and offensive. How could a father offer his daughters for rape? The only way for my mind to get around the concept is to realize that this was a very different culture. Thank God that Christ introduced a radically different approach to women!

The mob had no interest in his daughters and began trying to break down the door. At this point the angels acted and struck the men with blindness, thwarting their attempts to break into the house. Now their identity as divine, rather than mere mortals, became apparent as they began to warn Lot that he and his family must flee from the city. Lot tried to persuade his sons-in-law to flee with the family, but they thought Lot was merely joking with them.

As I read the account, I sense the utter urgency of the angels as they tried to speed up the tempo of the family’s departure. “Hurry! Hurry!” But even at this point they had to forcibly and physically pull Lot and his family from the city, telling them to “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back and don’t stop….”

You would think that Lot would have been sensitive enough to realize that he was in a life and death situation. But still he wanted to bargain for his life. He didn’t want to leave city living for the hills (where Abraham lived). He requested to be able to flee to a small nearby town, and the angel, amazingly, agreed. Lot and his daughters managed to reach the city, and God held back the judgment until they were safely away. Lot’s wife still longed for her old home, and her hesitation and her desire to return were her cause of annihilation.

There is so much action in this story, such a feeling of desperate haste, that the account of Abraham’s early rising is a dramatic contrast. He rose in the morning, looked over the plain and saw the devastated landscape and the smoke rising from the land. It doesn’t seem to me that Lot deserved any kind of mercy or grace from God, but the Bible explains that “when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe….” What a reminder of the importance of intercessory prayer!

Lot’s life was one debacle after another. He didn’t want to head to the hills and back to Abraham, as the angel had instructed. He wanted to control things and move to another town. Life in that town must have been somewhat threatening, though, because fear impelled him and his daughters to settle in a cave in the mountains. The sophisticated city dweller was now living in primitive circumstances in a cave. His daughters, unhappy with their situation, slept with him and bore children who would eventually influence the nation of Israel away from the God of the patriarchs and to obscene pagan practices. But even in those sad births, the hand of God will be seen as an ancestress of Jesus Christ himself will come from the Moabite people.

I read this story and feel very condemning of Lot. It is therefore very hard for me to read the description of Lot in 2 Peter 2:7 and 8: “Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)….” I can deal with the offer of Lot’s daughters to the mob on the basis of different culture standards (although not standards which I understand or approve), but I wonder how Lot could stand to stay in a city where the practices were so repulsive to him? Why did he not have more of an influence as “salt and light”? Even his sons-in-law didn’t seem to regard him with any respect.

Before I feel too smug I need to remember that perhaps I too easily accommodate cultural practices and attitudes that aren’t in tune with the holiness to which God has called me. In what ways does my life reveal an easy acceptance of the status quo? Does my behaviour toward others reveal anything of my devotion to a God of holiness, mercy and love? Before I condemn, I must do my own self-examination.

God's Friend

Several Scripture references refer to Abraham as God’s friend: 2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23. Genesis 18 seems to reveal something of the deep and intimate friendship Abraham had with God, when God and two angels stop by for a visit with Abraham on their way to bring judgment on the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

When they appear during “the heat of the day”, Abraham was relaxing under the shade trees. As soon as they came into view, he hurried to greet them and to offer his hospitality to them. I suppose that it wasn’t too often that strangers would stop by, and it would have been a good opportunity to chat and hear something about the outside world.

It doesn’t appear that Abraham initially recognizes that his visitors are heavenly ones. Whatever their origin or rank, he is eager to provide them with the best meal and offer them the most comfort possible. Moses writes so descriptively that you can picture Abraham and Sarah hastily preparing a sumptuous meal and making every effort to make their visitors feel welcomed and at home.

After enjoying the carefully-prepared repast, the visitors inquire into the whereabouts of Sarah. Then we suddenly discover who the visitors are, because the Lord announces to Abraham that in about a year Sarah would have a son. At last Abraham is given a specific timetable for the long-awaited birth!

The Scriptures humorously paint the picture of Sarah eavesdropping at the door of the tent, and remind us, in no uncertain terms, that Sarah and Abraham are old – far too old to expect to have children. As Sarah listens to the male conversation on the mat outside the tent, she laughs derisively to herself. I almost sense that she thinks that the joy of childbearing would be certainly lost on a woman of her age and energy level.

God reveals that he knows exactly what Sarah is thinking, and he gently reminds her and Abraham that nothing is too hard for Him to accomplish. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14) He forcefully states, “I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”

Sarah, abashed at the public revelation of her thoughts lies and says she did not laugh. But God lets her know that He knows perfectly well what she’s thinking and she did, indeed, laugh.
Perhaps Sarah’s faith had not progressed as far as Abraham’s had at this point. Who knows if she had understood the gravity of God’s covenant with Abraham? God’s rebuke served to push her growth along, as we can see in Genesis 21:6 where she admits that “God has brought me laughter.” (Isaac means “he laughs”.)

God's relationship with Sarah and Abraham is relevatory:
1. He will fulfill His promises.
2. He will fulfill His promises in His own time.
3. He wants to use the periods of waiting as times of growth for us.
4. Above all else, He wants us to grow in our trust of Him.

God’s purpose in this visit was not only to give Sarah and Abraham a timetable for their son’s birth; He was also on His way to mete out judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. We read God’s thoughts as He mulls over whether or not to make Abraham privy to His plans. As God reflects about this, He affirms his unique relationship with Abraham, and He informs Abraham of His plan.

God is not acting on the basis of mere complaints about Sodom and Gomorrah’s sinfulness, but He is going to judge for Himself whether they indeed deserve to be punished. We might surmise from the text that God doesn’t know what is going on in these two cities. God, the omniscient One, is fully aware of the nature of these cities, but the Scripture figuratively indicates that He, as Judge, is not acting on mere hearsay, but is determining justice on the basis of His own observation.

As the angels continue on toward Sodom, Abraham stands before the Lord, and in interesting dialogue begins to pray for the souls of Sodom. He has relatives in the city, and does not want them to suffer the distress of destruction. (This is not the first time that Abraham has intervened for Lot and the citizens of Sodom. See Genesis 14.) We glimpse Abraham’s compassion as he pleads with God for the salvation of the city. Had Abraham been calculating that there might be ten righteous people living there? For some reason, he stops asking when he has determined that God will save the city if ten righteous people can be found there. In answer to Abraham’s prayer, God agrees to save the city for the sake of ten righteous souls. God and Abraham finish their dialogue and Abraham returns home.

Abraham has come a long way in his relationship with God. He is now at the point where he can come to God very directly with his concerns, and in this case we see him interceding on behalf of others. This story parallels some of the prayers of Moses, who intercedes for the people of Israel when all they deserve is God’s anger and wrath. Both men were willing (and close enough in their relationships with God) to pour out their hearts in prayer and petition for the benefit of other needy people.

Abraham’s prayer was based on God’s mercy, not man’s merit. His prayer was based on the fact that God, the Judge of all the earth, would only do right, and never evil. “Will you really sweep it [Sodom] away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Abraham was not bargaining with God. He desired more than anything else to see God’s compassion given to his relatives and to know God’s ways more intimately. Even though he certainly knew the reputation of Sodom and Gomorrah, he was sure from what he already knew about God, that God would not measure out punishment unjustly.This passage encourages me to keep praying for others who may not even know their great spiritual need. The ministry of intercession is a worthy one and a necessary one. Just as I depend on the prayers of others on my behalf, I can go to God on behalf of people who may not have the energy, the boldness or even the awareness that they need His help.

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Abram was 99 years old and God’s promise of a special son and heir through Sarai had still not been fulfilled. At this point, Ishmael was a 9-year-old boy. God came and renewed His promise (initiated in Genesis 15:8, confirmed in Genesis 17:2 and established in Genesis 17:7.) , calling Himself El Shaddai. (The name, “God Almighty”, expresses His ability to nourish us abundantly, as well as His power and His strength.) Abram had been waiting for endless years for God to use His power and provide an heir, and certainly could have felt hopeless at this point. God pointed out Abram’s responsibility: “Walk before me and be blameless” and He promised, “I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

If Abram had been wondering about God’s ability to act, he expressed no doubt, but fell facedown in worship. In this extremely moving encounter, God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, meaning “father of many.” It is interesting that God said, “I have made you a father many.” While the promise still had not been fulfilled in human terms, in God’s view it had already been accomplished.

God mercifully restated His covenant with this elderly man, indicating that He had not forgotten the covenant and the deed was already done. God had already made Abraham the father of many nations.

God explained His part of the covenant, and indicated that if Abraham was going to receive the covenantal blessings he would need to lead a blameless life. Abraham would show his commitment to a radically different lifestyle by a radical act—his own circumcision and that of all the males in his household. What seems like a strange covenantal requirement to us was actually part of a self-maledictory oath, according to the NIV. If Abraham and his descendants did not live blameless lives before God, God could cut them off from His promises.

Did God expect Abraham to live a life of perfection? Of course not—He knew Abraham better than that! But He did expect that Abraham’s thoughts and energies would be focused on pleasing Him.

In a parallel move to his renaming of Abraham, God had a new name for Sarai—Sarah, signifying that she would be the mother of kings. At this point, Abraham fell face down again, laughing to himself in disbelief. The thought of Sarah and his having children at their advanced age was too comical for belief!

If we wonder how Abraham might have felt about his 9-year-old son, Ishmael, his love was apparent when he asked God if Ishmael couldn’t be the heir to the promise. God was clear that Ishmael would indeed be blessed, but the heir to this covenant would be Isaac. God was sovereign, and the heir of His choosing had not yet been born.

Abraham’s response to God was immediate. On that very day, he and the men in his household were circumcised. In spite of the things he still could not understand, he believed God and was eager to live under God’s blessing.

It’s really amazing to see Abraham’s immediate response to God’s instructions. In spite of the years of waiting (or probably because of them), his relationship to God had grown and deepened and he demonstrated his belief in God’s promises by fulfilling his part of the covenant. As Abraham’s spiritual descendants, God expects us to commit ourselves to holy living as well. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us “to be holy and blameless in his sight.” The apostle Paul clearly describes the fact that, even for the believing child of God, sin will always be a struggle (Romans 7:21-24), but he also affirms that fact that “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1,2). I am called to be like Abraham, focusing my life on God and pleasing Him. “Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Philippians 3:23)

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God Sees Me

Abram had just had a significant encounter with God. God had renewed his covenant in a solemn ceremony, and it seemed that Abram was comforted and content. God had hardly stopped reaffirming his promise, though, before Sarai came up with an idea to help God fulfill this divine plan. After all she was far too old to have a baby at this stage, so why shouldn’t Abram do what everyone else in that culture would do—have a child through Sarai’s maidservant, Hagar.

I would think that Abram’s faith, for which he had been commended so recently, would have been strong enough to resist this temptation. But the text tells us, “Abram agreed to what Sarai said.” Hagar, the servant, became pregnant by Abram, and she began to taunt her mistress for her barren state. Sarai, who had dreamed up this brilliant idea in the first place now blamed Abram for the hostility in family relations. (This blame game has been seen before in the story of Adam and Eve’s fall, and has been characteristic of the human race ever since!)

Admirable Abram was not very admirable in this tale. Conflict was not something that energized him, and it was much easier to wash his hands of the situation. “Do whatever you want with Hagar,” he told Sarai. Sarai put her resentment into action, making things so bad that Hagar ran away.

Hagar may have removed herself from the persecution of Sarai and the disinterest of Abram, but she had not removed herself from the presence of the Lord. We read that “the angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert”. He exhorted her to go back to her mistress, but not before he had ministered to her and comforted her with a promise concerning her son. (Genesis 16:10-12)

Somehow this promise would not comfort me—I would not want my son to live in “hostility with his brothers” nor “with everyone’s hand against him”, but in spite of the predictions of future of difficulty for her son and in spite of the exhortation to return to Sarai, Hagar was comforted. The name the angel gave her son, Ishmael—“God hears”, would be a constant reminder to her of this angelic meeting in the desert. And as the text goes on, we realize what Hagar realized. This was no mere angel who ministered to her, but the Lord himself. She was amazed to “ have now seen the One who sees me” and survived. Rather than being destroyed she had, in fact, experienced spiritual healing. So strengthened in spirit she returned home, bearing the son, Ishmael, to Abram.

The short term results of trying to fulfill God’s promise themselves caused a rift in the relationship between Sarai and Abram and a rift in the relationship of employer and employee. The long term results go on in incessant conflict in the Middle East. I wonder in what ways I may have prolonged the fulfilling of God’s will in my life by too often trying to take matters into my own hands?

This story is a sad one, but it also comforts. God was not too lofty to care about the needs and hurts of a lowly slave. He compassionately dealt with Hagar and was aware of her hurt, as well as her responsibilities. Hagar discovered the truth of Job 31:4: “Does he not see my ways and count my every step?” Knowing that God knew her through and through and having experienced his loving care, she was fortified for the future.

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