Genesis 16:1-2 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, "See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her." And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.

Eleven years had passed since God made His initial Covenant with Abram. He still did not have a child, and the Promise of God seemed no closer. God had done wonderful things for Abram, and through these activities in his life, He had been steadily developing Abram. The Lord was developing the father to whom He could entrust Isaac. For it was on Isaac, also, that the redemption of the world would rest.

Character takes time to develop. The type of character qualities that would establish Abram as a model of faith, and next to Christ perhaps THE model of faith, took development. There would come in a few years a test from God that few, if any, could pass. God Himself would put this task to Abram, so now God Himself knows what needs to first be developed in Abram.

But sometimes it is the ones around us who grow impatient. They may not have had the same intensity of experience with God as we have had. They may begin to “interpret” the ways of God and make suggestions as to how we may be able “to help God out.” But man’s ways are never God’s ways, no matter how sincerely they are presented. To substitute our ways of “helping God” for His ways of achieving His purpose is Sin, and Sin brings death to much in our lives, or affects our lives and the lives of others forever. This was to be Abram’s experience.

I.    Wrong Counsel

Who do you trust? From time to time I download programs or articles from the Internet. My virus security software on my computer puts up a warning window each time I am about to download, giving me the name of the source of the download and asking if I can always trust this source, so the warning will not have to keep coming up. After all, if the source is a reliable company site, why continue to worry about that source?

Abram could have used such a warning window. We know what it means to receive advice from an unreliable source. We “take it with a grain of salt”, we are suspicious at the very least. We have a built-in warning system that says not to take their advice for granted.

Abram gives us that cautious attitude in Genesis 14. After rescuing Lot from the invading kings, Abram refused the advice of the King of Sodom.  That king had offered to leave all the spoils of victory with Abram, taking only the residents of Sodom back. But Abram knew that didn’t sound right, because it would give the impression that Abram was himself being recognized for delivering the captives and property. Abram insisted that all recognition go to Jehovah, and thus ignored the advice.

But in today’s text, we find Abram “heeding” the advice of Sarai, advice that clearly compromises God’s revealed will for Abram. Why, in one instance, does he immediately refuse wrong counsel, and yet here he accepts wrong counsel? It all has to do with the source. After all, Sarai is his wife. She is a trusted source. But as we know, her counsel would prove not only wrong, but also harmful to Abram and the family.

Sarai suggested that they follow an accepted custom of the world around them. They could have a child by the handmaid in their home. Besides, they were past childbearing years. What is fascinating here is that God saw and heard what was being planned, knew it was not the Lord’s preference for Abram, and remained silent. God did not intervene; Abram would have to learn by experience how serious sin was. he would also learn how deeply a covenant with God could affect others and history though his decision.

Even more so, this experience would help to teach Abram about his own faith in God, and make it possible thirteen years later to receive Isaac, and years later to entrust Isaac back to God in sacrifice.

In every circumstance of one chosen of God, God’s very nature is that He is able to help us “know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

Sarai’s counsel, though sincere, did not come from God. She obviously knew that a child should come through her husband, but she didn’t think God could bring this child through her. And that is where some of us are. We get a clear direction from God’s word, but we think, “There must be more to this than meets the eye.”

II.  Consequences of Wrong Decisions.

Sin carries awful consequences. Sin is devastatingly real in its consequences in every person alike. There are no favorites or exceptions. As great a man of faith that Abram was becoming, sin brought lasting consequences. To the end of time, the consequences of Abram’s sin at this moment in his life are being felt very powerfully.

Sin always has far-reaching consequences. But, Abram would increasingly take sin seriously. He was learning, with all God’s interventions, to trust all God says and obey Him completely, regardless of the “appearances” or the counsel of others, even those who were dearly loved!

“Godly counsel” is never a substitute for a word from God! God may use our friends to speak His word to us, but mere counsel from godly family or friends is never a safe substitute for God’s Word and obedience to Him.

III. Obedience.

God is looking for hearts that are loyal to him so He can show Himself strong on their behalf (2 Chron. 16:9). This moment in Abram’s life is enormously instructive for us.

The world waits to see what God can do through life, when your life is wholly yielded to God. And I believe that one day, before God, He may let us see what could have been done, if when He called, we obeyed.

From Abram’s experience in the birth of Ishmael, never again can anyone say he does not realize what can happen when we follow the counsel of others as a substitute for God’s counsel in our daily lives.

(Read Genesis 16:3-12.)

Where are you going? Hagar had let herself get too high and mighty in front of Sarai. She perhaps thought too much of herself, and Sarai was more than ready to put her back in her place. She was treated harshly, and found no respite for her situation. So she did what many people do who feel trapped in a corner, she ran away. She was from Egypt, and to Egypt she ran.

When the Lord confronted her at the spring, he asked her about her destination, not so He would know, but so she could confront the reason for her actions. “I am fleeing from my mistress,” she told the Lord. The Lord, who had remained silent when Abram and Sarai made the original wrong decision, now spoke up with Hagar. Why? They would learn a valuable lesson about trusting in God, whereas Hagar needed to be protected from her quick decision. No doubt she too was taking a direction that was outside of God’s will for her, and he counseled her to return and submit. It might not be enjoyable, but it was her duty, and until the Lord moved her, she should obey the Lord.

He then blesses her child! While he is not to be the chosen heir of Abram’s inheritance, he still enjoyed the privilege of being Abram’s son. This assurance was enough for Hagar to return and give birth to Ishmael.

(Read Genesis 16:13-16.)

Hagar came to understand an important principle about our Lord. He is the “Lord who sees”. She thought no one in the world knew what was happening to her. Her mistress was cruel to her; her master had washed his hands of the whole thing. She had no one to turn to. Maybe that is why she ran. Pride, stubbornness, rebellion are also reasons why we choose to run rather than to submit. The pressures, real or imagined, bear down too heavily upon us. We try to explain to some, but we get blank stares or easy explanations to our dilemma.

But God sees. And God understands every detail of what is truly happening to us. He even understands our situation better than we do ourselves. 

Proverbs 3:5-7

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.