Abram's Blunder Original

Text: Genesis 16 ; Matthew 11 ; Ephesians 1

Introduction:

Have you ever felt in life that it was up to you to make things happen? Or that maybe the reason what you desire to take place hasn't happened yet, because God is waiting on you to act and if you just do the right things God will bless. If you are like me, even when it comes to seeing God move we begin to feel this type of pressure. So we begin to look to doing things instead of looking to

God. Today we are going to look at man and woman who felt this pressure and the consequences of it.

Background:

In Gen. 15 God makes Abraham a promise. He promises to bless Abraham.

Trans: The first thing I want to you see is the nature of this promise.

I. The nature of the Promise

A. What is God Promising?

He promises Abram 2 things:

1. That Yahweh God would be Abram's shield

2. That his reward will be very great.

a. It wild include land

b. A child from which a nation will be formed

Trans: The scripture records that Abram believed God. Now look at Gen. 16. We don't see that Abram and Sarai are doubting God's promise, but rather they begin to think that they may have to do something in order to make it happen. After all 10 years had past since God made this covenant with Abram. So they decide that maybe God is waiting them to figure it all out. Maybe just maybe it this promise of blessing is contingent upon their actions. So like many of us would do we begin to formulate a plan of Action. 10 years is a long time to wait. And this plan was culturally acceptable and was often practiced by the people around them. So Abram takes Hagar as a 2nd wife and has a child by her.

I. Hardship happens when we scheme instead of trusting the promise of God.

Lets look at the consequences of their actions.

Genesis 16:1–5 CSB

Abram’s wife, Sarai, had not borne any children for him, but she owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps through her I can build a family.” And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So Abram’s wife, Sarai, took Hagar, her Egyptian slave, and gave her to her husband, Abram, as a wife for him. This happened after Abram had lived in the land of Canaan ten years. He slept with Hagar, and she became pregnant. When she saw that she was pregnant, her mistress became contemptible to her. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for my suffering! I put my slave in your arms, and when she saw that she was pregnant, I became contemptible to her. May the Lord judge between me and you.”

1. Marital Strife Gen. 16:4-5 well duh? If you don't believe that having more than one wife will bring strife into a home than there is something wrong with you.

Here Sarai was in a vulnerable state. She believed that God prevented her from having children. She probably felt as if God had rejected her from part of the promise.

So in this she comes up with a solution. Take my servant as your wife.

It was at this point that Abram should have said no, we will wait on the Lord. But maybe he too felt this to be true. Childlessness in ancient near-eastern culture as it is in some cultures today is seen as a curse. So it’s possible that

We can gather that Sarai felt the weight of this. Her guilt made her suggest a plan that was culturally acceptable but not acceptable to God.

How often do we do what is culturally acceptable without thought of whether or not is pleases God?

While this seems like a huge mistake. We too must be aware of cultural blind spots in our own lives. No doubt there are areas in each of our lives we have failed to allow the gospel to scrutinize.

While scripture gives us a synopsis of the strife that was caused by this decision no doubt this problem had been brewing under the surface the whole time. No doubt this was not a one time discussion.

2. Gen.16:11-12 God also makes a promise to Hagar. He promises that her son will be the father of many nations. Then the Lord gives a description of the type of man He will be. It describes him as a wild man. He and his descendants will be against everyone and everyone against them.

Descendant of Ishmael:

Were and still are some of the nation of Israel's greatest enemies.

Trans: When we take the promises of God and begin to believe the lie that it is up to us to get God to fulfill them we will create all sorts of mess.

Turn to

Matthew 11:8–29 CSB

8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. 11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence, and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone who has ears listen. 16 “To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to other children: 17 We played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance; we sang a lament, but you didn’t mourn! 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” 20 Then he proceeded to denounce the towns where most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” 25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants. 26 Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure. 27 All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

In Jesus day there were many that fell into the trap that in order to please God and receive his blessings one must do something. In fact, by the time that Jesus came the Pharisees had 631 laws that they were supposed to follow of those laws 248 of them were positive laws. In other words, they were laws of actions people were to perform as opposed to laws of things that people were not

to do. If you could not follow these laws then God you could not expect to receive approval or blessings from God. So this is the context that we find ourselves in Matthew 11:28-30.

Matthew 11:28-30 (HCSB)

28 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will

give you rest.

29All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am

gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

for the longest time this verse passage of scripture never really made sense to me. In the same passage their is mentioned both a "yoke" and "rest". The yoke is a symbol of work the exact opposite of rest. So there seemed to be this paradigm that didn't really fit.

Work and Rest. Then one day I stumbled upon a website for Ox enthusiasts.

Illustration:

Here is the question:

Q: Is it possible to put a trained ox together in the same yoke with

an untrained ox?

A: Yes, Although it can be difficult at first, It is often times helpful

to put a trained ox in a yoke with the untrained ox in hopes that the

ox will learn from the trained animal.

The message of Christianity is not do so God will bless. Ephesians 1:3 tells us that we have already been given every spiritual blessings in Christ and just like in the promise to Abraham there is no qualifier. He just says because you have me you have everything. God does not bless because we are good, but because he is good. The message of the gospel is be. Be close enough to the savior so as he moves, you move.