Untitled Sermon (9)

Helping God

Genesis: The Beginning

Have you ever wanted God to do something so badly, that when He didn’t, you just kind of “helped” Him out? How did that turn out? Probably not so good.

We could learn to be better at being still and letting God do His work in His time and in His way. IF we would, we would certainly find that our lives are much more at peace and that we enjoy His blessings much, much more.

“God’s silences are often at least as profound as His statements.” - Unknown

Throughout Scripture, we see people who got in a hurry and stepped in when God was not working as quickly as they thought He should. As with us, the results were disastrous.

Why does this happen? Why can’t we just be patient and let God work? Why do we insist on interjecting our opinions and intervening when He does not work on our timeline?

It is a matter of faith that each of us must grow through. We have trusted Him for our eternal salvation. Now, we must trust Him for each and every situation.

We get ourselves into these situations because instead of resting in His promises to take care of us, we have an obsessive

Focus on our Problems

As we come into Genesis 16, we see that is exactly what happened with Abram and Sarai.

Genesis 16:1 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children:

God had promised Abram that He would give him a son and that his descendants would inhabit and possess the land. Ten years after he arrived in Canaan, Abram still had no son.

As we do, it is likely that Abram and Sarai began to analyze and maybe hyper analyze to come up with reasons why God had not come through. Maybe God was angry and decided NOT to give the son because of all the questions Abram had asked. Maybe He was so busy keeping everything else in creation operating that He forgot about His promise until Abram and Sarai were just too old and by that time He just thought that maybe by not saying anything, everyone would just forget about it. Maybe He needed a little help accomplishing His plan.

But did God need a hero to bail Him out of an impossible situation?

NO!

He has the power to do what He desires, and what He promises, He will perform! Often, God is allowing enough time to pass so that the situation becomes humanly impossible. Then He comes through and we get to see His power, His goodness, His wisdom, and His grace.

However, too often we get in the way or get in a hurry and try to bail Him out. We try to help God do what He has promised that He would do as if He is not powerful enough to do it on His own. When we do that, we are not following God’s plan. Rather we have decided to

Try it our way

When we try it our way, we are rejecting God’s way. We tell ourselves that our situation is unlike anyone else’s and that the Bible does not mean what it clearly says. We rationalize and explain away our disobedience and rebellion with self-confidence, justifying our actions with human logic and rationale.

Abram and Sarai did the same thing, but as we will find, it is always dangerous to reject God’s way to try it our way.

Genesis 16:1 … and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.

Now this sounds absolutely crazy to us today, and it is. It was then too!

It was part of the Hammurabi Code or at least a derivative of it which was essentially the law of the land in those days. The law allowed for a master to take a slave as his wife. However, he had to treat her as respectably as any other wife he had, and provide for her needs.

So essentially, Sarai was suggesting that Abram resolve the situation and help God out by following the ways of the world.

Abram had left his homeland by faith in God. He believed the promise that God gave him that he would have a son and God would give him land and that through him, all the earth would be blessed.

Abram came to the place where God led Him. He camped between Bethel (the house of God) and Ai (the trash pile). When a famine came to the land, he decided to follow his own logic and reasoning. He left the place of blessing and went into Egypt.

There in Egypt, he had his wife Sarai tell the people that he was her brother. She was taken into Pharaoh’s household where plans were made to add her to Pharaoh’s harem. Before “anything happened,” God spoke to Pharaoh and warned him about taking Sarai to be his wife. She was promptly returned to Abram and they were forced to leave Egypt.

Abram did not provide security for Sarai in their relationship. He treated their marriage as if it were something to be enjoyed when he wanted to or set aside for his own pleasure, comfort, or safety. What an awful perspective to have regarding marriage!

God ordained marriage to be between one man and one woman until death. Scripture says, “What God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”

The Jews asked Jesus about Moses authorizing them to give a writing of divorcement. Jesus said, “Moses made this allowance because of the hardness of your hearts, but from the beginning, it was not so!”

Marriage is not something to be tossed aside as easily as you throw trash into the dumpster. It is a covenantal relationship between a man, a woman, and God.

In many ways, Abram is a great example to us all, but when it came to his marriage, we see several times where he failed miserably.

I appreciate that God shows us this side of “Bible heroes.”

Men, our wives want to honor us. She wants to meet your needs and fulfill the role for which she was created. What she needs from you is love and security. Sometimes, she may come out with a crazy sounding, off the wall statement or suggestion. You would do well to prayerfully discern where this is coming from and address it biblically with grace and love.

In this situation, Abram should have realized that Sarai was blaming herself - as if she was the reason God had not given Abram a child.

Can you imagine thinking that you are the reason God is withholding His blessings from someone? We need to understand that God withholds blessings only when there is disobedience involved. He does not withhold blessings when we are obeying Him!

Regardless, Sarai volunteered to remove herself from the equation and be replaced by the youthful Hagar.

Abram should have learned from his blunder when he tried to take care of things his way when he went down into Egypt. It was a lack of trust in God. He should have just trusted the word of the Lord, and remained faithful to God, to his wife, and to setting an example of integrity and respect toward Hagar.

He also should have taken Sarai in his arms and assured her that she is the only woman for him. He should have provided the security she needed in their relationship by refusing to entertain the suggestion that he take Hagar. That is what Abram should have done.

Instead,

Genesis 16:2 … And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

Let me say this:

Just because the Bible reports on something does not mean God condones it. Slavery, polygamy, and other things are reported in the Bible because God does not hide the ugly. God is honest, and He shows just how wrong the actions and attitudes of mankind can be - even when the wrong is committed by His followers.

It was not God’s plan to give the promised descendants through Hagar but through Sarai. God makes that VERY clear to Abram.

Genesis 16:3 And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. 4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived:

Like Abram and Sarai, we tend to try it our way instead of waiting on the Lord and trusting in Him - as well as in His timing.

But our way results in

Undesired Consequences

When we “follow our heart” and try things in a way that we understand, there are always consequences - consequences that are undesirable.

James 1:13-16 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

Genesis 16:4 … and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Inevitably, Sarai was already pretty sensitive about the whole Abram and Hagar thing, but now with Hagar pregnant, things really got nasty. Hagar despised Sarai, and Sarai was having none of it!

Talk about a dysfunctional family that would have made a ton of money on reality TV today! Why is it that our society thrives on the misery and drama of others? But that is another topic for another time.

There was trouble on the homefront, and tensions were growing.

Sarai likely knew that she was wrong for making the offer to her husband, and now she regretted it. Admitting that would go a long way to helping restore peace in the home, but pride does not allow us to admit our wrong.

Pride shifts Blame

And that is what Sarai did!

Genesis 16:5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.

Her statement in Hebrew suggests that she was wronged by Hagar and it was Abram’s fault.

Now we see one of the first right things that Abram did in his relationship with Sarai. He yielded to her in the matter and allowed her to make the call regarding Hagar.

Genesis 16:6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee.

The problem is that Sarai was harsh.

Genesis 16:6 … And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

Hagar had taken all she could and she ran.

We often have this idea that our pride and foolish decisions only affects us. But the reality is that our foolish decisions often affect way more people than we could imagine.

Up to this point, we have been talking primarily about Abram and Sarai, but what about Hagar? Sarai seems to be trying to play the victim here, but if there is a victim, I would say it is Hagar.

She is the one ripped away from her family in Egypt to serve Sarai. Then not long after, she is given to an 85 year old man so she can give him a son.

How sad! While the culture and the laws of that day allowed for such things does not mean that God approved.

Very quickly, may I remind us that just because the law of the land says something is legal does not make it OK in God’s eyes. Just because society accepts behaviors and lifestyles does not mean that God approves - and neither should we. Just because we can do something does not mean we should.

At the same time, we should not be hateful to those who engage in those “Legal” activities. We should love them and show the love of Jesus to them. We should not allow them to influence us, but we should endeavor to influence them to turn to Jesus.

Hagar was angry over being used in such a way, and she despised Sarai for handing her off like a piece garbage. Sarai responded in anger toward her and she ran away.

How she must have felt! Used, abused, pregnant, and alone trying to fend for herself. She had no possessions of her own. No wealth. Nothing. She was vulnerable. She could have been captured and taken as someone else’s slave to be used and abused again and again.

People are not property! People are not objects to be used. People are precious creations of God, made in His image. In the midst of her despair, the angel of the LORD appeared to her.

Genesis 16:7 And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

There are a few indicators that this may have been more than a typical angel. The word angel means “messenger,” so anyone sent from God with a message could be called an angel. Today, as I stand here with this message from God’s Word, I could perhaps be considered an angel. This is the usage that it seems if used regarding the angels of the churches in the book of the Revelation.

However, this particular appearance seems to be God Himself - perhaps a reincarnate manifestation of Jesus Christ. He says to Hagar, “I will multiply your seed so that the descendants cannot be numbered.” This is a work that only God can do. The angel did not say, God will do this. Rather, He said, “I will…”

He has a message for Hagar.

Opportunity to Confess

Genesis 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

God usually starts with getting us to admit where we are. A realization and confession of our situation is a great place to start. If we are not willing to admit the truth, we cannot get the help we need.

Next, He gave her a

Difficult command

Genesis 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. 10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Assurance of His care

For her son

Genesis 16:11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction. 12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

For her

Genesis 16:13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? 14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

She who had been tossed around and treated like a thing. For perhaps the first time in her life, she was noticed - really noticed. God saw her.

Wherever you are, whatever you are going through, whatever has happened to you in life, God wants you to know that He sees you. He knows you. He cares about you. In fact, He LOVES you!

Genesis 16:15 And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. 16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.

Conclusion

Let’s stop trying to help God out and just wait on Him to work!

Maybe you can relate to Hagar today. Maybe you have been kicked around and used by people. God wants you to know that He sees you. He cares. He wants to help you. He invited you to come to Him and trust Him. Will you do that today?