A Lesson in Obedience from Abraham
Bible Readings
- Genesis 16:1-16 - Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 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. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 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. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 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. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face. And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. 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. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. 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. 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. 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? Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
- Genesis 15:5 - And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
- Genesis 21:1-7 - And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
If we trust our almighty sovereign Lord and wait for His timing, we will see how His faithfulness unfolds.
The Old Testament shows us the life of Abraham. He had a special relationship with God, but his faith was not perfect. Over time, Abraham learned the price of disobedience and understood the hard way that trying to “manage” events with our own hands leads to heartache.
God had promised Abraham and Sarah a child. But years passed, and they were still waiting for this promise to be fulfilled. When Sarah was already in her seventies, instead of waiting patiently, she suggested to Abraham that he have an heir through her handmaid, Hagar. The result of this decision was jealousy, family tension, and long-term conflicts.
Obedience brings the best from the Lord, but sometimes it requires waiting. When God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, he was already old. This promise was fulfilled only when he was a hundred years old and Sarah was long past the age of childbearing. Thus, all the glory in the miraculous birth of Isaac belonged solely to the Lord.
Father God gave us His Word so that we might learn from the lives of the saints. Abraham's life shows us this: obedience is vital. When we trust the sovereign God and submit to His timing, we see in our own lives how faithful He truly is.
🤔 Reflection
When have you been tempted to "take matters into your own hands" instead of waiting on God's timing, and what were the results?
Photo by Photo by Lukasz Szmigiel on Unsplash