Genesis 15 Sari’s Plan

Abram tells Sari about God’s promise. Sari decides that God will need a little bit of help in getting this done. Sari’s plan is going to get them in ‘hot water’.

We left Abram the night after he trusted God with ALL his heart for a son of his own. The second night he received a solemn promise from God regarding his future children’s inheritance. In the morning he will face Sari and share the news with her.

We don’t know how long Sari waited after hearing Abram’s news until she presented him with her plan. We also don’t know if Abram resisted the plan in the beginning. Abram had set out for the land of Canaan eleven years before Ismael was born, so they were in the land ten years or so before Sari offered Abram ‘another way’ to have a son.

There are a few things I want to point out regarding Hagar and Abram. First of all, this was NOT a union born out of love. There was one purpose only and that was to have the son Abram was promised. Second, Sari gave Hagar to Abram as a wife. She was not a concubine. She should have had the same rights as Sari, as she was now Abram’s wife. Third, Hagar held no place in Abram’s heart beyond bringing a child into the world for him. After Sari threw a fit about how Hagar was treating her, Abram placed Hagar back under Sari’s authority. Sari had surrendered the right to ‘discipline’ her when Abram took her as his wife. She had no recourse until Abram returned it to her. Finally, Hagar was and Egyptian. She was most likely picked up, or given to Abram, when they were in the land of Egypt. Her child would carry the blood of the people who would eventually oppress the line of Jesus.

Let’s get back into the story where we left off. Abram has received his sign but he hasn’t shared the story with Sari yet.

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Abram slowly descends the hill where he had built an altar to the Lord. The very place God had entered into a covenant with him. Where God had shown him what was to come for his offspring. Abram knows this path like the back of his hand but it is dark and he is tired, so caution is exercised.

Abram pauses at the door of his tent now that he is safely back in the valley. There are still several hours left before morning wakes the whole camp. He NEEDS sleep. He has been with the Lord on the mountain top for two days. Sari has given him all the ‘space’ he needed during this time. He has decided to sleep on his pillow again, so as not to wake Saril.

Sari wakes at her normal time; before the sun is up. She sees Abram asleep on his pillow. “I wonder how late it was before he came down from his mountain. She doesn’t want to wake him but if she is going to prepare their morning meal she will have to make some noise. Doing EVERYTHING she can to minimize the noise, she sets about her normal morning routine.

Abram is roused from sleep, not by the noises Sari made while preparing their meal, but by the smells of her wonderful cooking. Abram stretches to loosen up his muscles before he even attempts to rise from his pillow. He know from experience that this is not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement and that care is required after such a long time in this position. Once the big ‘kinks’ are loosened, Abram rises to meet the morning and his wife, Sari who is just outside the tent, finishing the breakfast preparations.

Sari looks up as Abram moves through the tent door. “I was wondering if I would have to wake. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“The wonderful smell of your cooking is enough to wake the dead” chides Abram.

“I’m so glad you approve my husband. Now sit and eat before it gets cold.”

“Yes my lady” chuckles Abram. He sits down to eat his breakfast.

Sari is FULL of questions but she holds them to herself. She dutifully serves Abram and waits while he eats. Once he has finished his meal, she serves herself. Abram waits while Sari eats and clears away the morning’s work.

Abram usually goes out to the herds when he is finished eating, but today he has much to tell Sari. She feels his eyes on her as she moves but he doesn’t say a word. She’s pretty sure he wants to talk with her but he hasn’t asked her to stop her morning chores. If he continues watching and waiting, she will come and sit with him as soon as she is able. Sari refuses to rush her chores. If he is going to watch her, she wants him to see all that she does to maintain their home.

Abram smiles as he watches Sari moving with purpose. He is pleased with her movements, as a woman and a wife. He is pretty sure she is ‘showing off’ for him, in more ways than one. He loves her with abandon and is willing to wait her out.

Finally finished with her morning chores, Sari comes to sit beside Abram.

“Are you not going to see to the herds today my husband” Saria innocently asks.

“No. I wanted to spend time with you first.”

“Well, if you would have asked, I would have gladly sat with you first instead of taking up all your time with my trivialities” offers Sari.

Abram smiles, “No. I enjoyed watching you tend to your ‘trivialities’. Are you free to rest and talk with me now?”

“I have a little time before I need to begin preparations for the midday meal” offers Sari. He latches onto the words her husband has just uttered. She KNEW he wanted to “talk” about something. “What is on your heart my husband? And how may I lift the burden of it?”

“You are indeed a good helpmate. Your offer to share my burden is greatly appreciated, but this is a joy I want to share instead of a burden.”

“A joy? Please share it for my heart could use a bit of joy too” replies Sari with eager eyes.

With excitement evident on his face and in every word, Abram begins to share God’s words with his wife. “Two nights ago, my God made me a promise that I KNOW with ALL MY BEING will come to pass. He has promised me that I will have a son of my OWN!”

Sari’s eyes widen in shock. “A child of HIS own” she thinks. With all the fortitude she can muster, she wills her face to reflect excitement of Abram instead of the pain she feels. She has been waiting all her married life for the Lord to open her womb, but she still remains barren. When Abram’s God first called him from Haran so many years ago, Abram was certain that the promise included children for them. But her arms are still empty. And now he is given a promise that he takes as a certainty that HE will have a son. “Not from me” thinks Sari as Abram continues to share his story. She needs time to think about this news alone, but she has to maintain her focus on Abram; as much as her aching heart will allow anyway.

“…And then He told me again that my offspring would inherit this land. I know He said it before, but this time He confirmed it with a sign! He made a covenant promise with me on the altar I built to Him when we first arrived here.”

Abram pauses his story. He is not certain if he should tell Sari about the affliction and struggles he has been shown in the future. She seems to be a bit overwhelmed by what he has already shared. From the look in Sari’s eyes, he decided that he has shared enough.

When Abram falls silent, Sari waits a little bit to see if he is going to continue. When he remains silent, she feels that she must ask a question or she will burst. “Did your God tell you any more about the child you are to have? Did He say when it would happen; or how?”

“He didn’t say when but I expect the how should be pretty obvious” offers Abram with a chuckle that dies in his throat as he watches Sari’s face. It finally dawns on him what she is actually saying. “She has been baren all these years. Is she doubting God” Abram thinks. Abram reaches out and touches Sari’s face as a tear slips through her strained mask. “Have faith” Abram says in a reassuring voice.

Abram’s eyes are so full of confidence that Sari weakly smiles and nods her head. To end this painful conversation, Sari tells Abram that it is time for her to begin preparing the midday meal.

“We could skip it and talk longer if you would like” offers Abram.

Sari shakes her head “no” as she begins to rise from her cushion. “I have much to do today. I will ponder your words and those of your God for a while. I think best while my hands are immersed in bread.”

“All right. I will leave you to your tasks then.” Abram rises from his cushion and takes hold of Sari’s shoulders. He locks eyes with her before speaking. “This is GOOD news Sari. You will see.”

Sari remains silent. Abram gives her a kiss on the cheek and leaves for the flocks. It is a good thing that his servants are so expertly trained. He could be gone for hours and nothing would go undone. But he has been occupied for more than a day. He needs to check in on everything.

Sari brings out her bowls and board for making bread. She is so familiar with this routine that she can complete the task with little attention directed to it. As she begins to kneed the bread on her board, it as if each press of her hands is equaled by Abram’s words pressing into her heart. She can hold back her tears no longer. They silently slip over her lashes and down her cheeks. She does nothing to stem the tide that started as a trickle and worked its way into a mighty river before she abandons her kneading. Sari melts into her cushion and bitterly weeps.

Sari is angry with herself for giving into such despair. She thought she had come to accept her barrenness some time ago, but Abram’s words are fresh wounds to her heart. “I don’t have time for this” she admonishes herself. Sari quickly washes her face and returns to her work. She is determined to figure out a way through this. It may take some time, but she will survive and Abram will have his promise from his God. After making this promise to herself, Sari looks down at the bread she has been working. “Well, I don’t need to worry about salt” she says out loud to herself with a brief smile.

Two days pass and Abram and Sari barely speak. Sari busies herself whenever he is present so she has no time to sit and talk. Abram has learned over the years that it is best to let Sari work through whatever she is dealing with when she gets like this. He loves her enough to stay out of her way and patiently wait until she is ready to talk.

As the evening meal concludes on the third day since Abram shared his God’s promises, Sari finally speaks.

“My husband” Sari quietly opens the conversation.

“Yes my wife. What may I do for you” asks Abram with warmth in his voice.

“I have a question about the promise that your God made to you.”

“What is it my love?”

“Did your God tell you ‘who’ would bear this child for you?”

“No. He didn’t. I just assumed that it would be you, my wife” Abram says gently. He knows her pain in this area for he shares it.

“Then perhaps He has another in mind for my body has not allowed me this joy so long that I doubt there is any ‘hope’ left in it.”

“You are my wife. None but my wife will bear my child” Abram responds with conviction.

“I agree my husband, but consider this” Sari rushes into the idea she has been working out before Abram can object. “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her” (verse 2).

“I don’t know about this” replies Abram.

“I give you my servant Hagar as your wife.”

“You are certain about this” Abram asks while searching Sari’s eyes.

“I am” Sari states with certainty.

When morning comes, Abram, Sari and Hagar gather together for the ‘ceremony’ that will make Hagar Abram’s wife alongside of Sari. This is a marriage of ‘necessity’ only. There is no love between Abram and Hagar. Hagar’s only tie to this position of wife will be the child she bares for Abram.

Abram goes into Hagar’s bed for the next week. Then he waits to see what will develop.

(to be continued)

Trusting God for something your heart has already been broken over is harder than trusting Him with something new. “I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. God just wouldn’t answer me.” Or “His answer was ‘No’. Why should I keep pounding my head against a brick wall and leaving my heart exposed to be hurt again.”

I’ve had those kinds of ‘prayer situations in my life. And when I run into them, I quite often wonder it He doesn’t have a ‘Plan B’ waiting in the wings. I wonder how many times I put my ‘Plan B’ in place when I simply should have kept waiting. Now that Sari’s plan is in motion, she is going to see the disaster that NOT waiting can bring.

Father God, thank You for Your promises. Thank You that You haven’t struck me dead when I throw my plans into the mix. I have made my share of messes! And You have faithfully rescued me from each of those meses. It AMAZES me how MUCH You love me! Enough to take me by the hand and lead me in the places YOU prepared for me to walk; even when it means cleaning up the mess I made of Your plans.