Genesis 16:1-6

The Error of Works in the Promise of God

Every Sunday, we use the Lord’s Prayer as part of our worship. The Westminster Divines write in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 103, “What do we pray for in the third petition?” The answer is as follows: “In the third petition, which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, we pray that God, by his grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey and submit to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.” There are four important aspects to this answer which are in couplets. The first, is that, by God’s grace, He would make us “able” and “willing” to know His will for us. Important to note is that the recipients of God’s grace in this prayer transaction is to be passive. We are not called to force ourselves to be willing and able. Rather, we ask God for that ability.

The second couplet is, in my opinion, far more difficult. We pray to “obey and submit to his will in all things” (emphasis added). How are we to understand the “all things?” I think Paul tells us clearly in Philippians 4:12–13 “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” But what happens when God’s timing does not align with our timing? Do we still submit and obey? Or do we force the promise, or attempt to force the will of God?

Unfortunately, we are more prone to do the latter rather than the former. What often accompanies forcing the promise of God is sin. Think of someone working at a firm or company. They really desire this big promotion that will give them better hours and a higher pay. Obviously, they assume that it is God’s will for them to prosper. And so in order to make the supposed promise come to fruition, they do everything they can to force this promotion. Sometimes, this takes the form of various sins. How often do Christians lie their way to the top, or pad their resume to look better than what they have accomplished, all under the ruse of “I’m ensuring God’s will to come to pass”? Or for those of you in the military, how often does someone heighten their OER or NCOER (yearly report/assessment for military folk) in order to stand out amongst their peers? Forcing the promise is not something within our own control.

Abram and Sarai learned this the hard way. Granted, the Lord did indeed promise Abram in Genesis 15:5 “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”” Abram and Sarai put two and two together. God has promised Abram descendents. Sarai is barren. Sarai cannot produce children. Therefore, Abram must produce descendents through another woman. Logically, this makes sense. Theologically, it is a great error.

Ultimately, both Abram and Sarai struggle with a constant battle of all Christians in this life. The issue of contentment. They were discontent to rely upon what God had guaranteed and decided to take matters into their own hands. True contentment is satisfaction and joy in the Lord’s promises despite our circumstances. And so we will look at the error of works in the promise of God by looking at three things in the text. First, the situation. Second, the scorn. And third, the solution. For our doctrine, we will turn to Galatians 4:21-31 as Paul uses this situation as an analogy to our spiritual standing before God. And finally, our application will be finding contentment in circumstances.

(1) the situation (vv. 1-2)

Before God enters into a covenant with Abram in Genesis 12, which is inaugurated in Genesis 15, we are already given an explanation of the current situation with Abram and Sarai. This is not the first time we are told of Sarai’s barrenness. All the way back in Genesis 11:30 we are told “Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.” We know that this was a major point of contention with the people of God. Frequently in Scripture, we are reminded that barrenness is a curse (cf. Deut 28:18). Thus again to highlight the precarious nature of Sarai’s situation, Moses records that even up until this point, Sarai “had borne him no children.”

Instead, we are introduced to someone who may alleviate the current situation, Hagar, an Egyptian servant. Most likely, Hagar was one of the servants given to Abram during his first visit to Egypt in Genesis 12:16 “And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.” Though it is unknown in the text, it is likely that Hagar was “in her prime” so to speak for bearing children. It is interesting that Sarai begins the game of blame shifting twice in this passage. The first time is in verse 2 where she blames the Lord for being childless. The word “prevented” in Hebrew almost has a sense of being imprisoned, or locked up. Essentially, Sarai is lamenting that she is in bondage in bearing children.

Instead of seeking the Lord in prayer or relying upon His promises to Abram, she assumes that Hagar will be the one whom God will use to bring about the promise. The Hebrew used for “obtaining children” is a play on words. The verb used “banah” sounds like the word used for “children.” It actually means “to build up.” Sarai is saying that Hagar will be the means by which Sarai will build up the promise of God through this shameful act.

One of the things that need to be highlighted is the idea that sin is permissible to bring about what one assumes is God’s will. No where in Scripture does God condone sin by means of obtaining a promise. Sarai, using her own human reasoning, assumes that this is the only way that Abram will truly be blessed. Naturally, if we use to sin bring about the result we desire rather than what God desires, there will be detrimental consequences. Which brings us to our second point, “the scorn.”

(2) the scorn (vv. 3-4)

It is difficult to tell with absolute certainty what is meant by “after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan.” This has two possible options. First, that Abram lived in the land ten years until Sarai made this suggestion, which has validity to it. You can imagine that waiting and trying for ten years to have a child all to no avail that another solution would be necessary.

However, I opt for the second option that Abram “simmered” on this idea for ten years. That really highlights how profound the nature of sin can be in our own thoughts and minds. Abram had ten years to seek God in prayer. Abram had ten years to inquire of God how this would go about. Abram had ten years to say, “No Sarai, you are my beloved and I am solely devoted to you.” Instead, both Sarai and Abram are complicit in this sin. As Calvin concludes, “Therefore, although we may have stood long and firmly in the faith, we must daily pray, that God would not lead us into temptation.”

Another unfortunate side effect is Hagar’s position. Hagar is not to be seen as Potiphar’s wife who seduced Abram into sleeping with her. Instead, as a servant, she is obeying her master, Sarai. In fact, Sarai is first taken and then given to Abram. Polygamy was a normal practice in the Ancient Near East. To be fertile was to be blessed. Thus, to have many wives was to have a greater opportunity of being blessed by the pagan gods. Something deeper is articulated by Moses. Sarai, we are told, gives Hagar to be Abram’s wife.

I am unconvinced, as some presume, that Hagar was Abram’s wife in a “legal” or “covenantal” sense. However, this is how disastrous sexual sin with another individual who is not your spouse actually can be. A casual attitude towards sexual intercourse is a rebuke the church at Corinth faced. Paul writes to them in 1 Corinthians 6:15–17 “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”

The greater sin was the sexual union between Abram and Hagar, who was not his wife. Once again, Moses is emphasizing this very point by equating Hagar to being Abram’s wife, because when two join together in sexual union they are one flesh. Yet this should be a major warning flag to anyone who assumes that premarital sex, sex outside of marriage, sex with strangers, or sex with someone who is not your spouse is anything permissible. We live in a context where sexual integrity is abolished. But, as there is nothing new under the sun, this was also an issue that Abram, a hallmark of faith, dealt with.

What was the result of this sinful exchange? Well, Sarai and Abram got what they wanted. Hagar is now with child. Concubines did not hold the same status as one’s wife. As K. A. Mathews writes, “Concubines held an inferior status to the primary wife. They are portrayed in the Bible as a servant to the husband’s primary wife but above the status of a slave.” Hagar is in an elevated position with the rest of the servants/slaves but still one step lower than Sarai. Thus, we see Hagar’s reaction.

The text states, “she looked with contempt on her mistress.” The subject throughout the clause has been Hagar, thus Hagar is the one looking on contempt. More than likely due to the union shared with Abram and the parental relationship they both share. Yet, what is being communicated is that “Hagar counted Sarai as completely worthless in her eyes.” The scorn goes both ways between both women. Hagar views herself as the one who deserves the elevated position, yet Sarai is the true matriarch.

Do you see how detrimental sin can be? Sin rarely only affects one person. There are second and third order effects that trickle down. In fact, as we will see later, even Ishmael will be impacted and left for dead because of this sinful act. Thus, Sarai derives a solution with the hopes of changing the battle of contempt.

(3) the solution (vv. 5-6)

As if the narrative was not bad enough, Sarai continues the blame game to her husband. Verse 2 and 5 form a couplet together. In verse 2, Sarai blames the Lord for her situation. In verse 5, Sarai blames Abram now for her situation. Sarai condoned the action and now is so flooded with regret, she wishes the same pain upon Abram. This is certainly not the hallmark of a biblical marriage.

In reiterating everything that transpired, Sarai calls upon the Lord to act as judge in the current situation. The irony, as Calvin writes, is that Sarai “makes improper use of the name of God, and almost forgets that due reverence, which is so strongly enforced on those who are godly. She makes her appeal to the judgment of God, What else is this, than to call down destruction on her own head? for if God had interposed as judge, he must of necessity have executed punishment upon one or other of them.”

Her hope is that the Lord would judge between what has happened. However, she is the one who permitted the sinful action. If the Lord were truly to judge between her and Abram, both would be stricken. What Sarai and Abram need are God’s grace and mercy, which, is actually what they receive.

Abram acts as arbiter between the conflict amongst Sarai and Hagar. His solution is thus: “Behold, you servant [Hagar] is in your [Sarai’s] power, do to her as you please.” Abram is showing to Sarai that she is indeed the matriarch of the family. Hagar is merely a concubine, and nothing more in the relation between Abram and Hagar. However, Sarai acts out of accord as we would expect.

The solution is Hagar’s expulsion from Abram, for now at least. The verse states, “Sarai dealt harshly with [Hagar], and [Hagar] fled from [Sarai].” The word harshly can denote violence. However, it is unlikely Sarai was physically hostile towards Hagar. Typically, it refers to affliction. It is the same word used for the Isarelites in Egypt, Exodus 1:11 “Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.”

Sarai’s solution was to treat Hagar with such hostility and disfavor that she would eventually leave. And that is precisely what happens in verses 1-6. This short discourse, though over the course of ten years, results in Abram receiving a child, discontent and hostility between Sarai and Hagar, and Hagar’s expulsion.

The main problem at stake is the issue of works as it relates to the promises of God. From Genesis 12 onward, there was a constant refrain of Abram calling upon the Lord, building altars, and worshipping him. Genesis 16 is a bit of a turning point. Neither one of them call upon the Lord, nor seek His guidance. Instead, they assume through their own human efforts they would be able to accomplish what God has promised.

Doctrine: Works or Grace? Galatians 4:21-31.

Application: Finding contentment in circumstances.

Use 1: Be comforted with God’s timing

The Lord’s timing is not always lined up with what we believe His timing should be.

Psalm 130, my soul waits for the Lord

Use 2: Be consistent with prayer

There is one thing we do not see in Genesis 16.1-6 from Abram or Sarai, and that is prayer unto God. Already, Abram has built altars and worshipped God during the various promises that were given to him. For some reason, we do not see the same level of piety from Abram or Sarai.

Use 3: Be content like Christ.

Joy set before him

Pleasing His Father