Godly fathers-ungodly sons-10

The sad tale of Abram’s lies to Pharaoh are now becoming known. His seeming reluctance to rely on God and instead rely on deception and putting Sarai at risk, has now shown up in Sarai’s plan.

Genesis 16:1  Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. 16:2  So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 16:3  After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. 16:4  He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight. 

It seems as now whatever Sarai says Abram does. Even though she says the LORD has prevented her, she has no problem doing things her way.

16:5  And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me." 16:6  But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence. 

Could Sarai be referring to the wrong done in Egypt? This is only the very next chapter and there is no other event in between. Now that Sarai was calling the shots, she realizes her idea was not all that good.

16:7  Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 

16:8  He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai." 16:9  Then the angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority." 

16:10  Moreover, the angel of the LORD said to her, "I will greatly multiply your descendants so that they will be too many to count." 16:11  The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. 

Now Hagar is involved in God’s plans for Abram. Her sons dependents will be too numerous to count. Unfortunately, this is the birth of the Arab nations and Islam.

16:12  "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers." 16:13  Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees"; for she said, "Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?" 

Gen 16:14  Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. 16:15  So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael. 16:16  Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to him. 

No real son yet. Sarai’s plan was full of problems. Abram’s failure in Egypt gave Sarai the opportunity and reason to do the family planning. She apparently did not trust Abram or God.

Sin always has consequences. Most often we fail to count of account for the costs of our sins.

More next Saturday.