A Word from Genesis 16

Do you find it difficult sometimes to wait on God’s promises? After all, the scriptures are filled with encouraging teaching about what God intends to do for His children. And yet, when we look at the world—and look at our lives—it’s easy to wonder sometimes, isn’t it, both how and when those promises will be fulfilled? And maybe that’s why we should listen to today’s word from Genesis 16, which offers both a warning and a hope.

God had promised Abram that he and his wife Saria would have more descendants than the stars in the sky. But they were old when God gave that promise. And after many years of waiting, they weren’t getting any younger. And so, they decided to take matters into their own hands, which the Bible describes like this: “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, ‘The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.’ And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.” (16:1-2)

Now, if you know the story, you know that things went downhill from there. The resulting pregnancy created tension between Hagar and Sarai—not to mention Sarai and Abram! And so, Sarai got rid of Hagar by sending her into the wilderness. And that should warn us, I think, about the danger of taking God’s promises into our own hands. We’re not wise enough to know how and when God’s promises should be fulfilled.

And yet, the story offers hope, too. Because even in the wilderness, God didn’t abandon Hagar. He appeared to her and told her that she, too, would have descendants too numerous to count. And as a result, Hagar began to call the Lord, “the God who sees me.” (16:13). And isn’t it good to know that even when we’ve failed to wait on God’s promises, He sees us, too?

So today, let’s trust. And let’s wait. And let’s look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises. Because “the One you calls you is faithful; and He will do it.” (1 Thes. 5:24) Amen.