Abraham – Father of Faith 5 Ishmael (Genesis chapters 16 & 17)

Abraham & Hagar Genesis 16:1-3 HCSB Abram's wife Sarai had not borne him children. She owned an Egyptian slave named Hagar. (2) Sarai said to Abram, "Since the LORD has prevented me from bearing children, go to my slave; perhaps I can have children by her." And Abram agreed to what Sarai said. (3) 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 10 years.

A Desperate Measure  Time was marching on, no son had been born, so Sarah comes up with a “pragmatic compromise”.  The compromise was culturally acceptable  Nevertheless it was not of faith  Eventually it would lead to major problems.  Taking “short-cuts” is the opposite of trusting God and often results in a very tangled and complicated life.

Hagar Flees From Sarai Genesis 16:4-9 MKJV And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. (5) And Sarai said to Abram, My wrong be upon you. I have given my slave woman into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Jehovah judge between me and you. (6) But Abram said to Sarai, Behold, your slave woman is in your hand. Do to her as it pleases you. And Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. (7) And the Angel of Jehovah found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (8) And He said, Hagar, Sarai's slave, where did you come from? and where will you go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. (9) And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hands.

Running Away From Destiny  Hagar runs away from Sarai’s cruel treatment  But unknown to Hagar her destiny lay as part of the Abrahamic line and she had to return there.  Uncomfortable situations can sometimes be God’s place of blessing!  We need to always remain with God’s people.

God Hears And God Sees Genesis 16:10-16 MKJV And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, I will multiply your seed exceedingly, so that it shall not be numbered for multitude. (11) And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, you are with child, and shall bear a son. And you shall call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah has heard your 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 live in the presence of all his brothers. (13) And she called the name of Jehovah who had spoken to her, You are a God of vision! For she said, Even here have I looked after Him that sees me? (14) Therefore the well was called The Well of the Living One Seeing Me. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. (15) And Hagar bore Abram a son. And Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bore, Ishmael. (16) And Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

God Intervenes  Ishmael = God hears  Hagar also named the place “The Well of the Living One Seeing Me”  God notices even runaway slaves  God gets people back on track in their lives  God intervenes in human affairs to accomplish His great redemptive purposes

The Ishmael Prophecy  And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. And he shall live in the presence (lit: “in the face of”) of all his brothers.  Wild, difficult, war-like contentious, proud, “in your face”  Characteristics of some Arabs to this day.  Would be very numerous “unable to be numbered..” ( > 100,000)

God Gives Abram A New Name Genesis 17:1-5 MKJV And when Abram was ninety-nine years old, Jehovah appeared to Abram and said to him, I am the Almighty God! Walk before Me and be perfect. (2) And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly. (3) And Abram fell on his face. And God talked with him, saying, (4) As for Me, behold! My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. (5) Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham. For I have made you a father of many nations.

A New Name And A New Destiny  Abram to be “multiplied exceedingly”  Abram = high father  Abraham = father of a multitude  New name, new destiny  Abraham became the father of the Jews, the Arabs, the Edomites, etc.

Be Perfect!  Walk before Me and be perfect  Abraham falls on his face before God  There is a place for careful obedience, fear and trembling before God  Grace is given to help us become holy and perfect

Exceedingly Fruitful! Genesis 17:6-9 MKJV And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, greatly so, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you. (7) And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your seed after you. (8) And I will give the land to you in which you are a stranger, and to your seed after you, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. And I will be their God. (9) And God said to Abraham, And you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you in their generations.

The Fruitful Life  Fruitfulness comes from God  God can alter the underlying course of our life  Fruitfulness is the opposite of sterility and barrenness  God can give us spiritual fruit, converts, disciples, joy, peace and the good things of life  What we “plant” – grows!  Spiritual sowing and reaping

Sarai’s New Destiny Genesis 17:15-16,19 MKJV And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah. (16) And I will bless her, and give you a son also of her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations, kings of people shall be from her…...And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed. And you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

God Chooses Our Path and Our Privileges  Sarai = little princess  Sarah = chief princess / queen  Sarah was being increased in dignity by the birth of Isaac  Chief among women in the Abrahamic line  Isaac means “to laugh” – a source of joy  The covenant would go through Isaac, not Ishmael  God determines Sarah’s dignity and Isaac’s covenant status

Incredulous Abraham Genesis 17:17-22 MKJV And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear? (18) And Abraham said to God, Oh that Ishmael might live before You! …(20) And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall father twelve chiefs, and I will make him a great nation. (21) But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time in the next year. (22) And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Via Isaac  The covenant is with Isaac’s descendants – not with Ishmael’s.  The Arabs do not inherit the full Abrahamic blessings  God decides destinies, not us  God decides dates e.g. “at this set time next year..”

God Honors Honest Reactions  God did not rebuke Abraham for being astonished  God even answered Abraham’s request to bless Ishmael  God initiates the conversation and just as abruptly ends it and goes up from Abraham  God is God!

Points To Take Home  God sees us and hears us  God determines, times, rank and destiny  God blesses us if we stay with His people  God can bless us - and make us fruitful, and multiply us  God wants us to walk before Him and be perfect  God wants us to enter into His everlasting covenant  God has never broken His promise to Abraham in 4000 years