2 Comments

  1. Jeffrey A Potter
    December 18, 2021 @ 8:40 AM

    What I find interesting is that later on in life as Sarai suggested to Abram that perhaps God would bless Abram with a child through Hagar and not herself… and similar to the garden incident where Adam took the advice from Eve (though she were deceived) above God’s command….. Abram went with the advice from his wife.

    God allows a child out of wedlock to be born to Hagar and then allows a child to be born to Sarai.

    Drama ensues over who is kin to the throne and Abram then inquires of God what to do…and is told to listen to Sarai. Eek! That is what got him into this mess! Yet…could this have been completely avoided by just coming out with the truth to begin with? It is only conjecture that maybe Sarai was feeling guilty with her stay at Pharaoh’s place as a nice guest he could have his way with… maybe Sarai thought of making things right and “allowing” Abram to have an extramarital blessing from God… Would on the surface allow her some control as being the one that “showed Abram the way” IF and only if she weren’t to become pregnant herself.

    So with Adam not sticking to God’s command…sin entered in.
    With Abram not sticking to God…Islam was created through the “other child” (Ishmael) who was the one God was to be blessing as promised by God… we can sometimes look back and realize all the problems we bring upon ourselves and others by acting as God’s instruments outside of His instruction..

    • Annette Vincent
      December 18, 2021 @ 6:42 PM

      Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate them. I would like to respond by sharing a couple of my own.

      When Sari was a ‘guest of Pharaoh’ we are told that Pharaoh was warned not to touch her by God before he did so. She also didn’t get herself into this situation. Abram did. He told anyone who asked that she was his sister and not his wife because he was afraid he would be killed to get to her. He put her in this compromising position not once but twice. Both times God protected her purity.

      Sari’s suggestion of Hagar as a substitute for her was not seen as an out of wedlock union. Hagar was her servant and as such it was lawful for her to stand in her stead in anyway Sari chose. They didn’t have artificial inseminations in those days but the act was done as if the recipient was Sari herself.

      Abram didn’t know at this point that the child would come from Sari’s own body. Sari knew that within herself she had no hope of completing God’s promise to Abram so she did what she thought would fulfill God’s words. She was not content to wait and see. Her impatience and jealousy were her undoing and the beginning of what has become a permanent rift in the family of Abram.

      Hindsight is 20/20. If only Sari would have been patient… If Abram had said no… But then Abram wouldn’t have been the father of many nations; only two. God knew what was to come and He allowed it to proceed up to the point where it met His words and set the stage for His promise. What would Israel be without the seed of Ishmael to sharpen them? Maybe that was part of God’s plan all along. We will only know for certain when we ask Him in person.

      Thank you again for sharing and making me think. I would love to hear more of your thoughts.