Abraham: Following In The Footsteps Of Faith Sermon #10
Genesis 16:1-16
THAT TROUBLE WITH HAGAR
Intro: It is amazing the depths to which God's Own people can sink. Here
is Abram, a man who is following God by faith. He has believed God
enough to leave his homeland and his family behind. He has trusted God
through battles and trials that would have made many men turn around in
defeat and return home. Yet, for all his faith and his good deeds, Abram is
still a human. He is still made of sinful flesh and there is still within him a
pull towards the world and all its allurements.
We all know what this passage is about. Sarai and Abram try to help
God give them a son by having Abram take Sarai's maidservant Hagar as
his wife. Of course, this was never God's will for their lives, but, as with us,
this did not stop them from rushing headlong into it anyway. Their decision
brought with it far reaching consequences for them and for our world today.
As we have time this evening, let's spend a few minutes in this passage. I
want to preach for a while on the thought That Trouble With Hagar.
I. V. 1-4a THE REASONS FOR THE TROUBLE
(Ill. While all the reasons behind this fiasco are far too many to mention,
there are three reasons that warrant mention this evening.)
A. The Acceptance They Were Desiring - In that society, it was
considered a disgrace for a couple to be childless. In our day, many
couples choose that lifestyle for themselves and that is okay. Others
have that choice forced on them by physical reasons. In Abram's
day, regardless of the reasons behind it, if a couple had no children,
they were mocked, looked down on and largely were not accepted
in society.
This was a society that also thought nothing of multiple
marriages. If a man like Abram were to take Hagar as a concubine,
or secondary wife, no one around them would think a thing of it. If
that concubine were to bear a child, it would be considered to be the
child of the first, or primary, wife. In this way, Sarai could get the
child she desired and be accepted in the community. (Note: God's
children are often guilty of lowering their standards to those of the
community around them in order to fit in better. It is better to please
God and be rejected by men that it is to please men and be rejected
by God! There MUST be a clear line of demarcation between the
people of the Lord and the world around them, 2 Cor. 6:17.) (Note:
Many churches are falling into that trap this evening!)
B. The Baggage They Were Dragging - The Bible tells us that Hagar
was an Egyptian. She is part of the possessions that Abram brought
back with him from his sinful journey into Egypt, Gen. 12:10-20.
Had he never journey to that country, there would have been no
Hagar to marry! He is still reaping the harvest he sowed in Egypt!(Note: You never go into sin and come out clean! There is always
some reminder, some evidence that you were there! That is the Law
of Sowing and Reaping, Gal. 6:7-8.)
C. The Promises They Were Doubting - Gen. 15:1-6 tells the story of
God's great promise to Abram. When the promise was given,
Abram reacted in faith, but as time has gone by, Abram has begun
to doubt. He, along with Sarai, decides that God needs help in
fulfilling His promise. After all, God only said that Abram would father
a son; He didn't say by whom he would father that son! (Note: It is
my conviction that doubt towards the Word and promises of the Lord
accounts for more of our troubles than anything other single thing.
We can read what He has promised us, but when the promise isn't
fulfilled immediately, we begin to doubt and try to find way to make
it happen ourselves. When will we ever learn that: A. God always
keeps His Word, Heb. 6:18; Rom. 4:21; Psa. 119:89; B. God is a
God of order and that He doesn't run on our schedule, (Ill. Jesus -
Men needed a Savior for 4,000 years before He came, but God sent
Him "in the fulness of time", Gal. 4:4.); and C. God doesn't need
our help to accomplish His will, Psa. 50:12.)
II. V. 4b-9 THE REACTIONS TO THE TROUBLE (Ill. All three of the participants in this fiasco reacted differently to the
situation. All three reacted differently, but it is worthy to note that all
three reacted badly. By the way, when sin and its problems, or any
problem from any source, for that matter, arrives in our lives, most of the
people in this room will react to it in one of the three manners I am about
to share with you.)
A. V. 6 Abram Reacted By Being Unaccountable - He tried to
pretend that there was no problem and that if there was a problem,
it was Sarai's to deal with. He totally ignored his responsibility in the
whole situation. (Note: Many people try to deal with their problems
by simply ignoring them. This will never work! Left us settled, small
problems grow into bigger ones in a short time. Ill. 2 Sam. 13:1-39 -
David ignored the problem of Amnon and Tamar and the problem
grew until Absalom took matters into his own hands and killed his
brother!) (Note: Therefore, whether it be a problem in the home, on
the job, in the community, at school or in the church, it must be
confronted and dealt with or it will get out of hand. Just ask Abram!)
B. V. 5 Sarai Reacted By Being Unreasonable - Sarai was miserable
because of the pride and haughtiness of Hagar, so she tried to make
everyone else around her miserable too. She tried to blame Abram
for the problem. She tried to blame Hagar for the problem. She
even dragged God into the problem. She fleshed out the proverb:
"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" (Note: There are
many who approach the problems of life with a similar attitude. If
they are unhappy, they want everyone else around them to be
unhappy as well. So, they get grouchy, mean-spirited, short-tempered and become hard to get along with. Lest we forget, this
is not a Christlike response to trouble and problems, Ill. Gal. 5:22-23; 1 Cor. 13:4-8! He would have us learn to handle the problems
of life without attaching others or attempting to make them as
miserable as we are!)
C. V. 6b-9 Hagar Reacted By Being Unavailable - Hagar decided
that the answer to her problems was flight. She just packed up and
left to get away from the problem. (Note: This is the most common
response of all! When problems arise at church, don't seek a
solution, seek a new church. When problems arise on the job, don't
fix it, find a new job. When problems crop up in the marriage, don't
work it out, just find yourself a new mate. Ill. The giants of Canaan
and the children of Israel. They ran from the them first time,
Numbers 13-14; but before their descendants could claim the land,
they had to be faced and defeated, Deut. 9:1-2.)
(Note: I would just call your attention to the fact that God sent Hagar
back to the family, 16:9. He did this for several reasons, but among
them is the fact that God intended to use this situation to help each
of these three people to learn to face their problems His way.
Abram had to face it. Sarai had to deal with it. Hagar had to live in
it. God's business isn't to make you happy. He wants to make you
holy! Forcing you to face your problems is one way of
accomplishing that end!)
III. V. 10-16 THE RESULTS OF THE TROUBLE
(Ill. Proverbs 13:15 says, "Good understanding giveth favour: but
the way of transgressors is hard." Numbers 32:23 says, "...be sure
your sin will find you out." These and other verses remind us of the
sad truth that sin brings with it troubles and trials. The situation before
us tonight is no different!)
A. V. 11-12 A Difficult Son Was Born - Ishmael is called a wild man.
(Note: Many parents seem determined to raise their own "wild men"
through lack of standards and discipline in the home!) He would be
difficult to handle and would be aggressive towards others. Ishmael
represents the difficulties that arise when sin is allowed to divert us
from God's path for our lives. Remember, sin brings it's own club.
Ishmael is a picture of that truth. What might your sin give birth to
in your life? Remember - Gal. 6:7-8!
B. 21:9-11 A Dysfunctional Family Was Burdened - As Ishmael
grew, the tensions surrounding him grew as well. In other words, the
sin of Abram and Sarai, even after many years, still brought
heartache and trouble into the home! (Note: I would just remind you
that your sins, no matter how small and insignificant you may think
them to be, always affect you and those around you! They poison
your spirit, they sabotage your family and they hinder your walk with
God. Many families are burdened this evening by the so-called
hidden sins of those in that family! The answer to sin is to drag it
into the light, Pro. 28:13. Sin cannot live when it is brought out of
the darkness into the marvelous light of the glory of God, John 3:19-21.)
C. V. 10-12 A Divine Plan Was Bolstered - Even though this sin was
accomplished by the will of men, it was going to be used for the glory
of God. Those involved could not see how things would play out in
our day. Yet, much of the trouble the world is dealing with this
evening, especially in the Arab world, is a direct result of Abram's sin
with Hagar. The Arabs are going to figure heavily in God's plan for
the end time events. (Note: You see, nothing, even our sins,
catches God by surprise. He can take the worst of our failures and
use them for His glory. That is not an excuse for evil, but a reason
to get up and go on after we fall. Therefore, when sin is committed
in your life, do not run from it. Rather, run to the Lord and fine the
cleansing and forgiveness He offers thought grace, 1 John 1:9.)
Conc: So many areas of our lives have been addressed in this message
that I would be surprised if there was a single person in this room who has
not been spoken to directly this evening. While we live in this world, there
will be sins and there will be times when we react badly to the trials and
problems of life. But, my friends, those sins and those bad reactions do not
have to mark our lives! There is a place, called the altar, where we can go
to find the help, forgiveness and restoration we so desperately need. If this
text has spoken to your life this evening, please bring it to the Lord and let
Him have His way in your life!
