Old Testament Reading: Genesis 17

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’ Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, ‘Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.’ And God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.’ And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.’ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, ‘Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before you!’ God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.’ When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.” (Genesis 17, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Galatians 5:1–15 

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” (Galatians 5:1–15, ESV)

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Introduction

Genesis 17 is all about the covenant that God made with Abram and his descendents which was sealed with the sign of circumcision. The word “covenant” appears 13 times in this chapter. Clearly, the purpose of this chapter is to communicate the terms of the relationship that God entered into with Abram and his offspring. 

It is important to  understand that when God enters into a covenantal relationship with people he does so in order to establish a kingdom. Covenants and kingdoms go together. Covenants clarify the boundaries of God’s kingdom and establish the terms for a blessed life within it. 

When God established his covenant with Adam in the garden it was to clarify the boundaries of the kingdom of creation. Adam was the head of that covenant. He was to function as king living under the authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords. He was to keep the garden and push out its boundaries. He was to fill the earth with his offspring and promote the worship of God. He  was to do this faithfully until he was permitted to eat of the tree of life. In the meantime, he was to abstain from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Clearly, a covenant was made with Adam — it was the Covenant of Works,  or the Covenant of Creation. The reward for keeping it was life eternal, the punishment for breaking it was death. Adam broke it, and now we live under its curse if we are not in Christ Jesus. The point I now making is this: the  covenant made with Adam clarified the boundaries and requirements for a blessed life in God’s kingdom. 

Here in  Genesis 17 something very similar is happening. A covenant is being established with Abram because a kingdom is being brought into existence through him. It is not the kingdom of creation. Instead, it is the kingdom of Israel. The covenant being established with Abram is not The Covenant of Works (or of Grace)m but it is the Abrahamic Covenant, which is the beginning of the Old Covenant.

Kingdoms and covenants go together. To have a kingdom there must be a king, citizens and land. And here in Genesis 17 we see that all three of these are being marked off in the covenant that God transacted with Abram. God is the supreme king over Abram and Israel, but notice that God also promised to both Sarai and Abram that kings would come from them. Concerning citizens, the offspring of Abram and Sarai would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and the stars of heaven. And concerning land, Canaan would belong to them. The covenant that God transacted with Abram made all of this clear — it marked off the boundaries of the kingdom. The people, land and kings were all identified.   Also this covenant established the terms for a blessed life within Canaan for the citizens of this kingdom. Abram and his offspring were obligated to “keep” this covenant. If they kept it they would be personally blessed in the land. If they broke it, they would be cut off from the land, just as Adam was. But nothing could undo the promises of God, for their fulfillment was contingent only upon his faithfulness, and not the faithfulness of Abram or his descendents. 

As we consider Genesis 17 we may do so in three parts. First, we should observe that the promises of God that were made previously to Abram are here restated, clarified and expanded. Secondly, we should observe that the law of circumcision was added to the promises previously made. And thirdly, we should recognize Abraham’s obedience.

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The Promises Of God Previously Made To Abram Restated, Clarified And Expanded

First, let us consider that the promises of God previously made to Abram are here restated, clarified and expanded. 

In other words, the covenant that is established here in Genesis 17 is not a brand new covenant, but it is a reiteration and expansion of the covenant that was already transacted with Abram as recorded in Genesis 15. Remember what we read in Genesis 15:18: “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your offspring I give this land…” (Genesis 15:18, ESV).  That covenant and this covenant are one and the same. And this covenant is built upon the promises that were made to Abram beginning in Genesis 12 concerning land, offspring, being blessed of God, and being a blessing to the nations of the earth. Genesis 12 through 17 all  hang together is what I am saying. The promises of Genesis 12 develop into a covenant, and when the Abrahamic covenant is fully developed, it is sealed with the sign of circumcision, as seen here in Genesis 17.  

In verse 1 we read, “When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly’” (Genesis 17:1–2, ESV). 

The Hebrew word translated as “make” in  verse 2 — “that I may make my covenant between me and you” — can be translated in a variety of ways. It is probably best to understand it to mean to constitute, or to establish by law. That seems to be most consistent with the context. The covenant that God made with Abram in Genesis 15 is here being further established with the giving of the law of circumcision. 

Note that Abram is here commanded to “walk before [the Lord], and be blameless.” Abram’s obedience was not the cause of the promises of God being made to him previously. But here we see that his obedience is commanded for the establishment of this covenant. More on that in a moment. 

It is interesting to note that thirteen years had passed between that episode where Sarai gave her servant to Abram as a wife and the establishment of the covenant of circumcision as recorded here in Genesis 17 (compare Genesis 12:4, 13:6, and 17:1). Thirteen years is a long time. For thirteen years Abram lived with Ishmael as his only son. Perhaps he assumed that Sarai’s plan was a good one in those days, despite the trouble it had caused? What happened during those thirteen years? The scriptures are silent!

Application: I think there is a point of application to be drawn from this little remark that Abram was 99 years old when the Lord appeared to him, and the fact that at least 13 years had passed since the Lord had last appeared to Abram. Do you see that the vast majority of the Christians life consist of very ordinary days, and it is faithfulness in the ordinary days and the ordinary, mundane moments of life that is most pleasing to God. 

Abram’s life was truly extraordinary, and yet  even for him the vast majority of his days were ordinary day. What did Abram do in those 13 years between when the covenant was cut and then confirmed? He probably changed diapers. He repaired fences. He cared for his sheep and goats. He managed his assets. He conversed with his wife. He instructed and disciplined his son. He regularly worshipped. And ordinarily when he worshipped at the alter he did not hear a voice or see a vision. For 13 years Abram faithfully sojourned in the land that was not his own, and his days were very ordinary. And yet he walked by faith. 

I draw attention to this because I fear it is common for the Christian to assume that unless they are engaged something extraordinary, then something is lacking in their walk with Lord. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Our God is the God of the ordinary. He is pleased when his people serve him faithfully in the mundane things of life. Sometimes Christians are poked and prodded by their leaders to something radical and extreme for Jesus. And I suppose that sometimes those exhortations are appropriate. But I’m here saying that a Christian is truly radical when he or she lives out their faith moment by moment, day by day, Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day, doing very ordinary and mundane things in faith, obediently, and to the glory of God. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV).

13 years had passed, but Abram walked faithfully. And do you also see that God was very stubborn… in a good way. Perhaps a better word to use would be faithful. God was faithful to keep his promises for all that time. Abram and Sarai thought they knew new better than God, and so they took matters into their own hands — they made a mess of things. But this didn’t derail God. Not in the least! Where was he? He was sitting on his throne. He was waiting patiently to bring about his plans at just the right time. 

Notice that the Lord reiterated his promises to Abram concerning the land. 

Look with me at verse 8 where the Lord said, “And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.’” (Genesis 17:8, ESV)

Not only is this a restate of promises that had been previously made, it also is a clarification and expansion. 

Pay careful attention. The Lord spoke to Abram saying, “And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan…” God promised that Abram would possess the land, and not just his descendents. This is a problem. This is a big problem, because Abram never possessed the land. He  lived as a sojourner and he died as a sojourner. The same would be true of  Issac, Jacob, and indeed all of the offspring of Abram up until the days of Joshua.  Do you see the problem? The Lord said to Abram, “I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojourning, all the land of Canaan…”, and yet Abram went to the grave not seeing the fulfillment of this. 

How then would Abram possess the land? More than that, how would the land be to him and to his offspring “an everlasting possession”?

The New Testament actually answers this question for us when, in  Hebrews 11:10 we read, “For he [Abram] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10, ESV). And again in verse 13 we read, “These [Abram, Sarai and their offspring] all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:13–16, ESV).

The writer to Hebrews answers the question we are asking. God promised that the land would belong to Abram, and yet he went to the grave having never possessed it. Is God a liar? No, for Abram knew what God was up to. The land would be his in the resurrection. Then it would be his as “an everlasting possession”. When Abram heard and believed the promises of God he was looking forward, not to the earth land, and not to an earthly, but to a heavenly one. He understood to some degree that God’s purpose was not just to give his people a small sliver of land in Palestine, but to through him usher in a new heavens and earth through one of his offspring. That was what Abram was really looking forward to. And that is what Abram will have at the resurrection.

Aren’t you glad that we studied the book of Revelation prior to studying Genesis? There we were provided with a clear picture of the finished product of God’s redemptive work — the fully formed flower, if you will. And now we re learning about the beginning of God’s work of redemption — of things in seed form, if you will. What the writer to the Hebrews explains is that when God made the promises to Abram he understood (to some degree) that God’s plan was to through him bring about what Revelation 21 describes — and new heavens and new earth, and the New Jerusalem which would one day descend from heaven. This is what Abram looked forward to. The land will be his as promised, in the resurrection. 

Notice  that the Lord also reiterated his promises to Abram concerning descendents.

Not only would Abram have a multitude of offspring but nations would come from him. In fact, kingdoms and kings would come from him. And the same was true of Sarai. Verses 15-21 make it clear that all of this would be accomplished through her. So much for their half-baked plan concerning Hagar and Ismael. Sarai would have a son. His name was to be Isaac. Through him the promises of God would be fulfilled. 

Abram fell on his face and laughed at the thought that he would have a son at the age of 100, and that Sarai, who had been barren for all those years, would conceive at the age of 90. He even put Ishmael before the Lord and said, are you sure, Lord? Maybe it would be better to do all of this through him? But the Lord insisted, saying, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him [offspring is in the singular — see Galatians 3:16]. As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year” (Genesis 17:19–21, ESV).  Through Isaac the promises of God would be fulfilled. Through Isaac the nation of Israel would be born. Through him the Messiah would come. 

Along with restating, clarifying and expanding the promises previously made, the Lord also renamed Abram and Sarai. Verse 5: “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations”. The name Abraham means, father of a multitude. Verse 15: “And God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.” Sarah means princess. 

In what sense are Abraham and Sarah a  father and princess of a multitude? Well, they are to be considered in a variety of ways. Through Ishmael they would have many descendents. He would  father twelve princes. Through Issac the nation of Israel would be born.  But we must also remember the promise that in Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed. The New Testament makes it very clear that it is those who have the faith of Abraham who are the true children of Abraham, from amongst the Jews and Gentiles. Do you want to see a picture of what it means for Abraham to be the father of a multitude?  Open to Revelation 7:9 and read! “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9–10, ESV). These are the true children of Abraham. They share in his faith. They are united with him because they have believed upon his offspring, the one who has come from  his loins, the Christ, the Lamb of God who taken away the sins of the world. 

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The Law Of Circumcision Added 

Secondly, we should observe that in this passage the law of circumcision was added to the promises previously made.

Look with me at verses 9-14: “And God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.’” (Genesis 17:9–14, ESV)

What shall we say about this? Five things for now:

One, I think you all understand what circumcision is. I will refrain from describing it in detail.

Two, whereas only promise were made by God earlier — promises concerning land, descendents, kings and kingdoms — now stipulations are laid upon Abraham and his offspring. “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.” How are we to understand this? Well, we know that the promises of the Abrahamic covenant would surely come to pass. How could they not, for it was God who promised. The accomplishment of the promises were in no way contingent upon the faithfulness of man, only God. But as it pertained to the individual — to Abraham and his offspring — their enjoyment of the blessing of God in the covenant and in the land did depend upon their obedience. They were to “keep” the covenant just as Adam was to “keep” the garden — it is the same word in the Hebrew. 

Three, a positive law was imposed upon Abraham and his offspring — the law of circumcision. What is a positive law? It is a law that is neutral morally speaking, one that God simply chooses to add. There is nothing immoral about eating fruit from a tree,  is there? And yet the Lord added that positive law when he spoke to Adam saying, do not eat of that tree. If you do you’ll die. And in the same way circumcision is nothing. As Paul says, “For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God” (1 Corinthians 7:19, ESV). Circumcision means nothing to us, for it is morally neutral. But it was something for Abraham, for his offspring and for Israel, because God made it something. God added that positive law, that “every male among [them] shall be circumcised.” For Abraham or his offspring to disobey this commandment would mean that they broke God’s covenant. Just as the foreskin was to be cut off, so the covenant breaker was to be cut off from the people. 

 Four, circumcision is called a “sign”. Verses 17: “You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.” If it is a sign then circumcision must signify something, for that is what signs do! Most basically circumcision signifies that the individual to whom it applied had been set apart as one of God’s people. Circumcision marked off the people of God from the nations. Circumcision was also a reminder of the promises of God that through the Hebrew people the nations would be blessed. From them, through the process of procreation, the Christ would come. Circumcision was also a reminder of the covenant curse, that the covenant breakers would be cut off. Furthermore, throughout the Old Testament the prophets used circumcision to urge the Hebrew people to be circumcised of heart. There were many who descended from Abraham according to the flesh, who were truly in Abraham and under this convent externally, who did not have the faith of Abraham. They belonged to God in an earthly sense, but spiritually they were far from him. They were in Abraham, but not in Christ. They were circumcised in the flesh, but not in the heart.

Five, in the days of Moses many, many more positive laws would be added to the law of circumcision and imposed upon Israel as they were redeemed from Egypt. Like circumcision, they do not apply to us — the observation of the Passover and other feast days, ceremonial washings, dietary restrictions, and the like. Circumcision would remain the sign of the covenant under Moses, for the Abrahamic Covenant would give birth to the Mosaic. But many more laws would be imposed. Obedience to these laws could not bring about the forgiveness of sins, but if obeyed they would lead to blessings for the people of God as they lived in the land. To disobey would mean that the people would be cut off and taken into captivity. 

Application: It only seems right that I should at this point say something about the importance of keeping God’s law. 

There is a moral law that all should be exhorted to keep, especially the Christian. We are to keep God’s moral law, as it is summarized in the ten commandments, not because we can be saved by it, for we have all transgressed it. We are to keep it because it is right, and out of gratitude for the salvation that has been freely given to us sin Christ Jesus.  The Sabbath command belongs to moral law, for at it is core it has to do with the proper worship of God and was established at creation. The Sabbath pattern was revealed first to Adam, and not to Abraham or Moses. This is significant. 

It is also important to recognize that there are laws found on the Old Testament that no longer apply to the people of God, for they belonged to other covenants that have been fulfilled by Christ, and have thus passed away. I am  here referring to positive and ceremonial laws. You are not bound to keep those. Do not allow anyone to tell you that you are. You may eat pork and shellfish, brothers and sisters. You need not observe the seventh day, Jewish Sabbath along with the many festival days that were attached to it — our rest day is Sunday, the Lord’s Day, for he is risen. And if the Lord blesses you with a son, you do not have to circumcise him. It simply doesn’t matter anymore, for the Christ has come. He has already been born from Abram’s loin’s. The covenant people of God in this New Covenant era are no longer identified by their ethnicity. Who you father or grandfather is simply does not matter, for the Old Covenant has passed away, and the New has come. And how do we come to partake in the New Covenant which was ratified in Christ’s blood? Not by physical birth, but by a new birth, by which we have been enabled to believe and to confess that Jesus is Lord and Christ. 

But we do have positive laws of our own in this New Covenant era. And just as circumcision mattered greatly to Abraham and to his descendents, these positive laws should matter greatly to us. There are two for us — baptism and the Lord’s Supper.  Let us be sure to observe them carefully, faithfully and with reverence. If you have faith in Christ I ask you, have you been baptized upon profession of faith? I suppose that some might say, what does it matters? It is just a ceremony. It is just a sign. And while I agree that being dipped under the water is, by itself, a morally neutral activity, baptism is of great importance to the Christian. For Christ has commanded that his disciples be baptized. By it the New Covenant people of God are marked off as his own in the world. And something similar might be said about the Lord’s Supper. Let us be careful, faithful and reverent when partaking of these signs which Christ, the  Lord of the church, has instituted.

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Abraham’s Obedience

Two things have been observed thus far: One, the promises of God previously made to Abram are here restated, clarified and expanded. And two, in this passage the law of circumcision was added to the promises previously made. The third and final observation is this — and this will be very brief — Abraham obeyed. 

Look at verses 22: “When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.” (Genesis 17:22–26, ESV)

That must have been quite a day in Abraham’s household. Certainly there were hundreds of men — probably over 400 men — who where a part of his clan by this time who needed to be circumcised on that day. I wonder what they thought? It must have been quite aa scene. It was certainly a bloody scene (which I think is significant in an of itself). But the point is this: Abraham  believed and he obeyed, and so did those who were with him. 

Application: I wonder, are you prepared to live in obedience to God even when doing so seems strange to those looking in from the outside. Are you willing to obey when obedience to God is uncomfortable or unpopular? Abraham must of felt this pressure, and yet he obeyed. 

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Conclusion

Abraham obeyed because he believed. He believed in the promises of God. His faith was in God and the Christ who come from his loins. Abraham, by the grace of God, was able to look past the fleshly and the earth to see the heavenly, spiritual and eternal things they signified. He did not just see land, offspring and a bloody sign. He saw Christ. And he saw the new heavens and the new earth which would be purchased by him. “For he [Abram] was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” May we have the faith of Abraham, and my that faith be accompanied by the obedience of Abraham as well. 

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 16

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, ‘Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.’ And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!’ But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.’ Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her. The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?’ She said, ‘I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.’ The angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Return to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel of the LORD also said to her, ‘I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude.’ And the angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.’ So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’ Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.” (Genesis 16, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Hebrews 12:1–11

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:1–11, ESV)

Introduction

Perhaps your are beginning to recognize a pattern to the story of Genesis. The pattern is one wherein the Lord states or reiterates his promises to his people, his people struggle to trust in God’s word and to obey his commandments, particularly when the fulfillment of his promises are delayed, and yet the Lord remains faithful to his promises — indeed it is true, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13, ESV).

This pattern — the pattern of God’s promise, mans struggle to persever in faith, and God’s faithfulness to preserve his people and his work — is clearly present in the Genesis narrative.

In Genesis 12 God made promises to Abram. He responded in faith — by no means should we loose sight of this — but he also struggled to walk faithfully. When their was a famine in the land he went down into Egypt and, being afraid of what might happen to him, he took matters into his own hands, and lied concerning his relationship to his wife Sarai, saying only that she was his sister. Though Abram was in this moment found faithless, God remained faithful — for he cannot deny himself.

We noticed a similar pattern in the life of Abram’s nephew, Lot. When things got difficult he was so quick to move far away from Abram and the land that had been promised to him. He seemed to be somewhat enamored with the pleasures and prosperity of that land, and so off he went. It seems that Lot lost sight of the promises and purpose of God as he went the way of the world. The results were disastrous, and yet God was faithful to preserve him.

Now it Sarai’s turn. It should noted that in Genesis 15 God reiterated his great promises to Abram. More than that, God made a covenant with Abram! And what is the next story that is told to us? It is the story of Sarai’s lack of faith. Again, the results are disastrous. But again, the Lord is merciful and kind. He is faithful to preserve his people and to bring about his purposes.

This pattern is one that we should get used to, for it will be repeated over and over again throughout the scriptures. And it also a pattern that we see in the lives of God’s people to this very day. God promises; we are tempted to disbelieve and to go our own way; but God is faithful — he keeps his promises and preserved his people. Indeed, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13, ESV).

There are three things that need to be noted about this text. Firstly, we must recognize that though Abram and Sarai had faith, they sometimes struggled in their faith. Secondly, we must observe the tendency that Abram and Sarai had to take matters into their own hands when their faith was weak — the results were disastrous. And thirdly, we must again take note of the tenderness of our God. Indeed, he is so very merciful and kind. He is patient with his people, and faithful to preserve them.

Abram And Sarai Sometimes Struggled to Believe

First of all, notice that though Abram and Sarai had true faith, they sometimes struggled to believe.

The scriptures are very honest concerning the weaknesses of our heroes, aren’t they? Is it right for us to highly esteem Abram and Sarai? Is it right for us to consider them to be hero’s of the faith? Yes, it is right! The writer to the Hebrews spoke so very highly of them when he wrote, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore” (Hebrews 11:8–12, ESV). Abram and Sarai are here put forth as paradigms of faith; models to be imitated. But they were far from perfect. Though their faith was true and big, it was not without flaw. Abram and Sarai struggled from time to time.

Look with me at the first half of verses 1. There we read, “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children” (Genesis 16:1a, ESV). This is a problem. This is a big problem, especially when we consider all that had been promised to Abram previously. The promises concerning descendents and a nation possessing the land of Canaan all hinged upon Abram having a son. And remember that the Lord had clarified his promises to Abram. His heir would be a natural heir, and not a legal one. Abram would have a son from his own loins.

It is not difficult to sympathize with Sarai at this point. Surely she believed in the promises of God. And surly she longed to see the fulfillment of those promises. I do not believe that it was merely her desire for a child that drove her to do what she did here, but mainly her desire to see the promises made to her husband fulfilled. What wife desiring to have a child of her own what suggest what Sarai suggested? Would it not be far better to adopt a child? Would that not be the same as far as Sarai was concerned? In both instances she would have a son that came not from her womb. Why then she suggest what she suggested — that Abram take her servant into his embrase? It could only be that she longed to see the fulfillment of the promises of the Lord. The Lord said that Abram would have a son, and Sarai began to assume that she was the problem. With the passing of time she began to doubt whether the Lord was able to bring life from a womb that was dead. Here it is Sarai, and not Abram or Lot, who struggled in the faith.

APPLICATION: Friends, this application has been made before, but it is good to make it again. We too can be tempted to doubt God with the passing of time. Sometimes the Lord moves more slowly than we would like or expect. Sometimes his ways are not our ways. And with the passing of time comes the temptation to doubt.

Now, our situations do not mirror Abram’s and Sarai’s exactly. They had received very specific promises from the Lord pertaining to the details of their personal lives — Abram would have a son. He would become a great nation. His decedents would inherit a particular land. Indeed, it is true — God has given us many promises to cling to, but they are not nearly as specific as this. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, to finish the work that he has begun in us, to bring us safely home, etc. But never has he promised that we will be married, have children, be prosperous, healthy and wealthy. Abram received promises like this, but those were for him and not us. Those promises made to Abram effect us. We benefit from the fulfillment of them in Christ Jesus. But the specific promises were for him, and not us. This is why I say, our situations do not mirror Abram’s and Sarai’s exactly.

Nevertheless, here I am acknowledging that all of God’s people have hopes and desires of their own. They bring their desires to God in prayer, and it is right that they do. And when God delays in his response, the people of God can be tempted to doubt, just as Abram and Sarai were tempted to doubt as it pertained to the fulfillment of the specific promises that were made to them.

Perhaps you desire children. You’ve prayed for it, but the Lord has not answered in the way that you wish. Perhaps you desire to marry, but the Lord has not provided an opportunity. Perhaps your health is poor, or you finances strained. You’ve asked the Lord to act, but he seems distant and silent. These unanswered prayers, these unmet desires, can be used by the evil one to sow seeds of doubt. And if we are not careful to tend to the garden of our life, we can be overrun by the weeds of discontentment and unbelief.

Let me say three things that I hope will help the people of God to walk faithfully while experiencing delayed gratification in this world.

One, it is important to have a clear understanding of what the Lord has promised you, and what he has not. I feel for those Christians who have believed the lie that God has promised things that he has not promised in his word. Some have been encouraged to read all of the promises found in Holy Scripture and to claim their as their own, ignoring the fact that some of those promises were made to others, and not to them. Others have been taught that God’s supreme desire to make them happy, healthy, wealth and prospers. These saints are bound to be disappointed when they find the Christian life involves sorrow, sickness, suffering and even death. It is not that God has failed them. It is that they harbored expectations that are not reasonable or grounded in truth. The saints feel as if God has failed them, but it is because they have first believed a lie. Believers would do well to put John 16:33 to memory, wherein Christ says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV).

Two, understand that God’s timing might be different than yours. Sarai stumbled in this regard. She knew the promises of God, but from her perspective, the Lord was moving too slowly. 10 years had passed since she and her husband had entered the land, and still no child! Perhaps you also are struggling with the timing of the Lord. You have prayed for relief, and it has yet to come. You’ve prayer for the salvation of a loved one, and so far, nothing. You have asked the Lord to move in some particular way, and from your perspective it seems as if your request has fallen upon deaf ears. Friends, the Lord is not deaf or distant. He is the God who hears and sees. He is always near. This is why Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, ESV). But sometimes his timing is different from what we think it should be. Brothers and sisters, God’s timing is also ways best. He is never early or late in the accomplishment of his decrees. Everything that happens in the world, including the little details of our lives, happened according to the eternal decree of God, for his glory and the good of his people. It is mysterious, I know!

Three, it is also important to understand that the will of the Lord might be different than yours. It is good and right that we bring our desires to the Lord in prayer, but we should always remember that his will might be different than ours. When we pray, we should pray like Christ when he said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42, ESV). His was an honest prayer — he brought his sincere desire before the Lord. He prayed in faith — surely he knew that God was able. But his was also a humble and submissive prayer — ”Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done”. Whenever we bring our desires to the Lord in prayer we should come with this same attitude of humble submission to his will in all things. His will might be different than yours, and the servant of God will be please to see the Lord’s will accomplished above all.

May the Lord help us to walk faithfully in this world while experiencing delayed gratification.

Abram And Sarai Had A Tendency To Take Matters Into Their Own Hands

The second thing for us to notice about this passage is that Abram and Sarai had a tendency to take matters into their own hands when their faith was weak. Abram took matters into his own hands when he and Sarai went down into Egypt. He was afraid. And instead of living in simple obedience to God, he acted according to his own wisdom when he asked Sarai to lie, saying only that she was his sisters. Sarai complied with Abram’s request and the results were disastrous. In verses 1b – 6 of this passage we see that Sarai did something similar — instead of living in simple obedience to God, she acted according to her own wisdom when she urged Abram to take Hagar as his wife. Abram complied and the results were disastrous.

Sarai, being frustrated and discouraged by the delay of the fulfillment of the promises of God, concocted a plan. She desired to see the Lord’s promises fulfilled. And when the fulfillment did not come as soon as she thought, she began to reason within herself, saying, perhaps my barrenness is the problem? Perhaps I am hindering the fulfillment of these promises concerning a son for Abram. All of the nations around us have the practice of husbands taking more than one wife. Perhaps that is the solution for us. Hagar, who is young and fertle, can bear the child, and we will raise him as our own. After all, the Lord said that a son would come from his loins, but not my womb.

The plan was not an unreasonable one, especially if we consider the customs of the nations that surrounded Abram and Sarai. Her plan would have seemed perfectly reasonable to them! But there was one problem. In the beginning God established that marriage is a union of one man and one woman for life. In Genesis 2:24 we read, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, ESV). Certainly, Abram and Sarai were aware of this design, and Sarai’s plan was a clear violation of it.

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, never should we be opposed to winsomeness, ingenuity, creativity and prudence in the Christian life. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with being diligent, responsible and wise while waiting upon the fulfillment of God’s promises or the answers to your prayers. The scriptures everywhere teach that God is both sovereign and yet we are responsible. It is right for us to take action when waiting upon the Lord. For example, if you are praying for the salvation of a loved one, it is right for you to do good to that person and to share the gospel with them winsomly. Salvation is of the Lord, but this is your responsibility. Sarai was wrong to do what she did, not because she was proactive, but because she violated God design for marriage when concocted her plan. Sarai was indeed free to act, but only within the bounds of God’s revealed will. The same could be said of Abram when he went down to Egypt with Sarai. He was not necessarily wrong to go. And it was right for him to be concerned for the protection of his wife and for his own preservation. He erred when he encouraged his wife to tell a lie! That was out of bounds for him, for it was a violation of the law of God. I have noticed that the people of God are tempted in similar ways to this present day. When longing to see the answers to their prayers they are often tempted to go ever so slightly outside of the boundaries that God has established to bring about the desired results.

A young woman wants to wed. And after years of searching she has not found a suitable partner. She knows what the scriptures say. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14, ESV). Indeed she is free to marry, “whom she wishes, only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39, ESV). And then along comes prince charming. He is kind to her. He mature and responsible (he is even more mature and responsible than the single Christian men that she knows). And so she begins to rationalize, saying to herself, it’s been so long. God has ignored my prayers. And my happiness is important, isn’t it? Who know, perhaps he will come to faith after we wed. How bad can it be given what nice guy he is, etc. Her proactivity is not the problem. The problem is her willingness to transgress the boundries that God has established in his word.

I could put one hypothetical situation before you after another to demonstrate that the people of God are tempted in the same way that Abram and Sarai were to the present day.

The scriptures clearly call husband and wives to take certain roles in the marriage relationship. The husband is to lead with a self-sacrificing love. The wife is to respond in loving submission. And yet so many today reson the scriptures away, saying, that is outdated, or, this might be true for some, but not for us. Is their room for creativity, wisdom and diversity within our marriage relationships. Indeed! But within the bounds that God has established.

The scriptures are also clear that the people of God are to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. On that day, which is the first day now that Christ is risen, we are to cease from work and recreation to assemble together as the people of God for worship. The writer to the Hebrews exhorts to “not [forsake] the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25, NKJV). And yet so many in our day cast aside the forth commandment along with the New Testament example as the rationalize their behavior. I’m tired, they say. I’m busy. I need the money and therefore must work. This is a day for family, etc. Now, the fact that you are tired, busy, in need of money and desirous of family time must be addressed. These are important concerns! But the solution must be found with then bounds of God’s law.

I might also make a similar point as it pertains to giving cheerfully unto the Lord.

These are but a few examples of how Christians might reason the clear teaching of scripture away. They say to themselves, yes, I know what God has said. But certainly my situation is different. And in order to bring about this desired result, I am sure that the Lord would approve of me stepping out of bounds just this one. After all, the ends justify the means, don’t they?

This was the error that Sarai made. She assumed that the Lord needed her help, all the while ignoring his design for the marriage bond. Verse 1: “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, ‘Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.’ And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.” (Genesis 16:1–4, ESV)

Notice a few things about these four verses.

One, Abram was complicit in Sarai’s sin. Sarai concocted the plan, but Abram participated.

Two, notice that the language used in this passage echos of the language used to describe the original sin of Adam and Eve. Just as Eve, thinking that she knew better than God, brought the fruit to Adam and urged him to eat, so too Sarai, thinking that she knew better than God, brought Hagar to Abram and urged him to lay with her. And in verse 2 we are told that “Abram listened to the voice of Sarai”. This is also what led to Adam’s sin. Remember Genesis 3:17: “And to Adam [The LORD] said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life…” (Genesis 3:17, ESV).

The two situations — Adam’s eating of the forbidden fruit and Abram’s taking Hagar as wife — mirror one another. God had just entered into covenant with both men. The functioned as federal heads, or representatives for others — Adam for humanity, Abram for the Hebrews. And not long after the covenant’s were transacted, they both fell.

Three, notice that the result of Sarai and Abram’s sin was disastrous. When Hagar “saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.” This means that she look upon Sarai with a haughty, prideful look. Perhaps Hagar assumed that she would be Abram’s favorite now. Sarai, being enraged at the arrogance of her servant, and being driven by a jealous spirit spoke to Abram, sating, “‘May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!’ But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your servant is in your power; do to her as you please.’ Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her” (Genesis 16:5–6, ESV).

What a terribly sad story. What a mess we make of things when we choose to go our own way and to sin against the Lord. Oh that we would learn from Adam and Abram, Eve and Sarai, and choose the much better way, which is to live a life of simple faith and obedience.

Our God Is Tender And Kind

The third and last point of this sermon today has to do with the kindness of our God. Can’t you see that is so very merciful and kind? He is patient with his people, and faithful to preserve them. He is the “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18, ESV). Indeed, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3, ESV)

This is so clearly demonstrated in verses 7-16. After Sarai was harsh with Hagar, Hagar fled from her. “The angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?’ She said, ‘I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai.’ The angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Return to your mistress and submit to her.’ The angel of the LORD also said to her, ‘I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude’” (Genesis 16:7–10, ESV).

This is a very interesting and revealing text. The phrase, “The angel of the LORD found her…” gives the impression that he was seeking Hagar. Of course we know that the Lord does not need to search for anyone, for he knows and sees all things, past, present and future. But isn’t it wonderful to think that he Lord does “search” for people. He “pursues” them.

And consider who it is that he pursued. She was not someone powerful person or of noble pedigree. The Lord pursued Hagar, the servant of Sarai. And we should remember her ethnicity. She was an Egyptian! This must be considered in light of what has been said before and what will come later. Abram, according to promise of God, would be a blessing to the nations. Here we see that God was concerned with others besides the Hebrew people in the days of Abram — he pursued Hagar the Egyptian. We should also remember the promise made to Abram, that many nations would emerge from. Here we learn that nations would emerge, not only from amongst the Hebrew people through the son of promise, but also through the son that would be born to Hagar.

Verse 11: “And the angel of the LORD said to her, ‘Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.’ So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’ Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram” (Genesis 16:11–16, ESV). Truly, the Lord is merciful and kind. He sees the affliction of this people. He pursues us even in our sin, and he calls us to repentance, even when it is hard.

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, it is good for us to think often of the kindness of our God. He has been so very tender with us. Do you see it? Do you recognize his kindness? Have you thought of the way in which he called you to repentance? Have you considered the patience that he has shown you? Have you contemplated the many wonderful gifts that he has showered upon you, all by his mercy and grace?

Conclusion

The Lord was kind to Sarai and Abram despite their sin. He would fulfill the promises that he made to them, for they were unconditional.

The Lord was kind too Hagar. Yes, he urged her to return to Sarai, for this was right. But he pursued her, comforted her in her affliction, and richly provided for all her needs.

And the Lord has been very good to you and me. Let us not forget it. Let us often consider the kindness of God and give him thanks for his tender mercies.