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"LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM-GREAT SAINTS MAKE GREAT BLUNDERS"

GENESIS 16:1-6

INTRO: The greatest errors in the spiritual life are not committed by the

novices but by the adepts. -- Eugene Peterson, Leadership, Vol. 4, no.

2. Great saints do make great blunders at times. You may be asking,

"how is that possible?" The answer is simple! We are still in this body

of carnal flesh, and as long as we are here we are going to make

mistakes and blunders and commit sins. The apostle Paul, one of the

greatest saints of God, said in Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me

(that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with

me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Salvation does

not mean that God changes the old nature, cleanses it, or reforms it.

The believer’s old nature is just as wicked and opposed to the Spirit

today as the day he was saved! Salvation means that God gives the

believer a new nature and crucifies the old one. The Christian still has

the ability to sin, but now has an appetite for holiness. The dynamic

for sin is still there, but not the desire (1). 1 John 1:8 tells us, "If we

say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not is

us." While we are in this body of flesh we will sin. NO one lives above

sin! We all sin! Journalists miss the point when they keep asking,

after each new church scandal, if a preacher's fall has shaken the

believers' faith. Sin rather confirms than challenges a faith that

proclaims human corruption. The drama of salvation is played out

against the constant backdrop of original sin. -- Gary Wills in Under

God. Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 12.

No matter how hard we try we can’t make it through a single day

without "stumbling" much less make it a life-time. Oliver B. Greene,

in his commentary on 1 John wrote: "Regardless of how consecrated

we may be, regardless of how completely we are separated from the

world, no matter how far advanced in holiness we may become, never

in this tabernacle of flesh will we pass beyond the need for cleansing!

Sin has roots; sin also bears fruits; and we must distinguish between

the two. In this verse we are discussing sin as root. ALL are born in

sin and shapen in iniquity. There is none righteous—no not one.

Through the disobedience of Adam all men are sinners. Even if it were

possible for a person to live above sin from the time he reaches the age

of accountability until he dies, if his character were absolutely

unmarked by sin, he still could not say, "I have no sin." We are BORN

sinners. In Ecclesiastes 7:20 we read, "there is not a just man upon

earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." These tabernacles of flesh in

which we live are fashioned after sin. There are those who teach that

it is possible to completely eradicate this ugly root of sin; but this is

not true. The flesh, the old nature, the root that produces fruit, is

always there. As long as we live we will be plagued with our own flesh;

but thank God, the Holy Spirit is victor over the flesh, and He is the

Divine Agent who gives US victory (2).

Let us turn our thoughts today to the great blunder of Abraham, as

we think on the subject, "Great Saints Make Great Blunders." Let

none of us think we won’t fall as Abraham did. 1 Corinthians 10:

12 warns us, "wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed

lest he fall." If we are going to overcome sin in our lives we must

heed the words of Galatians 5:16, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not

fulfil the lusts of the flesh." Notice 5 things with me:

(1) THE SON PROMISED

GENESIS 15:4—"And behold, the word of the LORD came unto him,

saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come

forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir."

A. THE CONFIRMATION OF THE PROMISE (GENESIS 15:1-4). God had made a promise to Abraham of an heir. But that had been some

time ago. Abraham because of the time that had passed was very

discouraged and doubtful that a seed would ever come from his body.

Note his words in vvs. 2-3, "And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou

give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this

Eliezer of Damacus? And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no

seed: and lo, one born in my house is mine heir." The situation that

Abraham was facing was a test of his faith. A great faith is always

tested. It is the tests of our faith that serve to strengthen our faith.

ILLUS: God is always testing us, and his testing does not come when

we are warned and ready. Anyone can pass a test then. ...

God's tests catch us unprepared, off-guard. It is when we are

confronted with some simple situation no one will know about

that the tests of life really come. When you are relaxing at

home and the phone rings and suddenly you are confronted

with a call for help, or a demand for a response-and you had

planned to relax and enjoy yourself all afternoon-what

happens then? That's the test. -- Ray C. Stedman in Man of

Faith. Christianity Today, Vol. 41, no. 3.

Abraham’s pessimism shows he was being tested in at least three

areas:

• Tested by Inaction. Notice Abraham’s words in vv. 2-3, "I go childless..thou hast given no seed." Several years had passed since the first promise. According to Genesis 16:3, it could have been as many as ten years. Abraham had given up. But God’s delays do not necessary mean God’s denials. Maybe God is fitting us for a greater blessing than we expect. Tested by Inequity. Abraham got to feeling sorry for himself. He reminded the Lord "to me" no seed had been given. Others have received a seed. But not "me." It is always very trying to see others, who are not even walking with God, experiencing blessings we are not experiencing. Abraham obeyed God, turned his back on the world, sacrificed to the Lord, and separated from the world, and yet, he lacked the blessing of a son. Friend, don’t be discouraged if others around you seem to prosper. God will bestow you with great blessings in his time because there is no inequity with God. Tested by Inability. Sometimes our human reasoning overrides our faith. Abraham said, "..Seeing I go childless.." this is the end of human reasoning. Abraham and Sarah were getting older by the day, and the possibility of their having children seemed more and more impossible. Inability was staring Abraham square in the face. So much so that Abraham truly believed that the heir would be his chief servant "Eliezer of Damacus" (v2), not his own son. It was customary in those days for a man without an heir to adopt a servant as an heir. Abraham thought that was his situation now because of his inability to have children (3). Sometimes God almost nearly disables us to so that we feel totally helpless apart from His power. Abraham and Sarah had reached a point where the possibility of them bearing a son was almost laughable to them. But all this served to give God more glory. John Flavel said, "Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity" (4). Our inability had nothing to do with God’s power. God fulfills His promised not because of our ability but because of His!

B. THE CORRECTION OF THE PATRIARCH (GENESIS 15:4-6).

Abraham truly believed that "Eliezer of Damacus" (v. 2) would be the

heir of promise. But God showed Abraham that his thinking was

wrong. Verse 4 says, "This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall

come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir" (v. 4). If we

listen to all the voices in the world today it will only lead us to

confusion and wrong conclusions. But the Word of God serves to

correct our thinking. The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:105, "Thy

word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." It is the

Word of God which corrects our thinking and keeps us from

stumbling. Abraham not only needed correction in his thinking, but

also comfort in his heart. God told Abraham, "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." (v. 5). Abraham was troubled by his

circumstances, but God comforts him through His Word. "God’s Word

is an enemy for depression, an escape from temptation, the promise of

the future, as well as a guide, hope, and inspiration for now and

always"—Al and Brenda Taylor (5). Verse 1 says, "..the word of the

LORD came unto Abram…" and verse 6 says, "And he believed in the

LORD…" that is where comfort is found!

(2) THE SINS COMMITTED

GENESIS 16:1-2—"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."

A. THE SCHEME OF THE WIFE (GENESIS 16:2). Sara wanted a child

desperately. In that day, a woman’s ability to bear children, especially a

son, was almost a necessity to remain married. In the eyes of people,

children were a sign of God’s blessing, whereas being childless was a

sign of dishonor and reproach (Genesis 21:6; Genesis 24:60; Exodus

23:26; cp. Genesis 30:1, 23; Genesis 33:5; Psalm 127:3; Psalm 128:3).

Sara was now seventy-five years old, and she had never borne a child.

She felt the shame and remorse, the dishonor that women of that day

felt from being childless. Throughout her life, she had been eager to

bear a son for Abram, but her desire had never been fulfilled. Sara was

childless, and now in her old age she was desperate and becoming more

and more impatient. In fact, her patience was running out, and

impatience was gaining control of her heart (Preacher’s Outline and

Sermon Bible, Old Testament 2, Genesis 2 Commentary). Note her words

in v. 2, "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.."

Sarah told Abraham that it was God who kept her from bearing. Sarah

had a lot of pent up emotion. She had been barren for years and now

she was disappointed with God and was blaming him for her barren-

ness. Each passing year diminished her hopes of motherhood and of

giving Abraham a heir. So she took matters into her own hands.

B. THE SUCCUMBING OF THE MAN (GENESIS 16:2b). The last part of

verse 2 says, "..And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai." Verse 4

says, "And he went in unto Hagar…" Abraham quickly went along with

Sarah’s proposal. He offered no argument or protest, and neither did

he seek the counsel of God to see if this was acceptable with Him.

Abraham’s agreeing with Sarah’s plan is a great warning to all of us to

be ever watchful. It makes no difference how long you have been saved

or what your spiritual achievements have been, you can still fail

miserably if you take your eyes off the Lord (6). Paul warns us in 1

Corinthians 10:12—"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take

heed lest he fall." Considering the great failures of the great saints of

the Bible, we ought to take particular heed to Paul’s warning. None of

us are immune to spiritual failure. Any of us can fall at any time if we

get our eyes of the Lord!

C. THE SINS OF THE COUPLE. We may call it a blunder, but God callsit SIN! Verses 3-4 says, "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.." Abraham and Sarah committed at four

sins:

• The sin of faithlessness. God had promised but they didn’t believe He would or could keep such a promise. It was impossible, they thought, for such a thing to happen; a barren woman to have a child. So many times we begin to doubt God’s promises and look for our ways to meet the desires of our heart. Psalm 37:4-5 says, "Delight thyself also in the LORD, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends. -- George Muller. Leadership, Vol. 12, no. 4The sin of prayerlessness. Nowhere do we find that Abraham and Sarah prayed about their situation. But we do see them taking matters into their own hands trying to reach the desired results. Sometimes Churches are guilty of this also. We change methods and start new ministries without ever asking God His desire for us. One of the great failures of the church is that we often try to accomplish with human systems what only God can do. -- Fred Smith, Leadership, Vol. 1, no. 1. Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
• The sin of impatience. We must wait on God for His timing. His delays are not denials. But too often we become impatient. We run ahead of God and act when we should be waiting for God to fulfill His will in His way in His time. This is exactly what Abraham and Sarah did—they became impatient and acted when they should have been waiting on the Lord. We must not become impatient and act on our own, running ahead of God. God knows exactly when to act, when to help us. He knows when to fulfill His promises in our lives. The Psalmist said in Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Simply wait on him. So doing, we shall be directed, supplied, protected, corrected, and rewarded. -- Vance Havner, Christian Reader, Vol. 32, no. 4. The sin of insistence. Many times because of our impatience we insist on doing what only God can do. There was a custom in Abram’s day that stated this: if a man’s wife could not bear him a son, he could take her maid as a second wife and have a son through her. This was a custom devised by man, not a practice instituted by God (Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible, Old Testament 2, Genesis 2 Commentary). This may have been the custom of the day, but it was not God’s plan. Abraham and Sarah were frustrated because of the lack of results. They wanted a son, and God had promised them a son. But as yet they had no son. Barren of results, the temptation to bear a son by Hagar, offered a way to get results in a hurry, to get what seemed like the promises of God in a hurry. God’s plan was for them to wait a number of years yet before they got results. But the devil always offers a short cut. So many Churches today are looking for a short cut. Barren of results, many churches often resort to flesh-appealing promotional schemes to increase their attendance. Instead of emphasizing the preaching and teaching of the Word, these churches emphasize their fleshly entertainment. These promotional programs are very exciting to the flesh. Karate demonstrations, pie and chocolate cookie contests, petting zoos, pony rides, etc., will draw a crowd like garbage draws flies; for the world (and carnal Christians) become much more interested in attending a church service if the service majors on entertainment rather than the preaching and teaching of the Word of God (7).

(3) THE SORROWS WHICH FOLLOWED

GENESIS 16:4-16

*Sin always leads to sorrow. Samuel Shaw said, "Sin itself is hell, and

death, and misery to the soul.." (8). Abraham and Sarah sinned against

God because they failed to wait on God and took matters into their own

hands. Look at the sorrows which followed:

A. IT BROUGHT UNHAPPINESS AND MISERY TO SARAH AND ABRAHAM. Genesis 16:4—"And he went in unto Hagar, and she

conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was

despised in her eyes." Sin always in the end leads to unhappiness and

misery. The once obedient and amenable Hagar now becomes

disobedient and sarcastic. The Scriptures says, "..when she saw that

she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes." After Hagar

became pregnant she began to despise Sarah. Both woman may have

been wondering what would become of Abraham’s seed. This caused a

terrible conflict between the two women. Bad things begin to happen

almost immediately when we give in to the feeling that we just cannot

wait any longer, when we cast away our patience and allow impatience

to break loose and have its way. In verse 5, we see that because of the

conflict between the two women, Sarah began to blame Abraham for her

situation. A trademark of the hypocrite is to blame others for the sin

the hypocrite is guilty of committing. Though Sarah did not commit the

sin of immorality, she advocated it earnestly. Now the troubles are

coming from following her advice to commit the sin (she called it a

marriage, but it is still a sin), she blames Abraham for the problems

while ignoring her own responsibility in the whole case. What a gross

hypocrisy (9).

B. IT BROUGHT DISGRACE AND SHAME TO HAGAR (GENESIS 16:7-

11). Verse 6 says, "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." Before this act of immorality occurred,

which Sarah encouraged, Sarah treated Hagar kindly. Now she deals

with her hardly (cruelly). Sarah was so abusive to Hagar that she ran

away. When we act impatiently, we usually mistreat some other person,

perhaps several people. This was true with Sara and Abram: their

impatience had mistreated Hagar and hurt her deeply, so deeply that

she had fled from them and headed home to Egypt. Note that God knew

exactly where Hagar (the mistreated) was (Genesis 16:7-9). He knew

that she had been mistreated and had fled from Sara. God knew that

she was hurting, that her heart was broken and full of pain. Why then

would God’s messenger ("angel" means messenger) ask Hagar where she

had come from and where she was going? To arouse conviction within

her heart. She needed to sense her wrong in the affair before she would

do God’s will: return to Abram and Sara and to the household of faith.

(Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible, Old Testament 2, Genesis 2

Commentary) Hagar tried to run from her problem. But running from

our problems are never the answer. We may, by running, escape the

heat of the problem but the hurt remains. It is there in our minds and

thoughts wherever we go.

Sin leads to sorrow. Our text surely shows that. Sarah is upset. Abraham is

upset. Hagar is upset. No happiness is seen at all, and it all started with

sin. I that we could get people to see that! But notice not only did it bring

unhappiness and misery to Sarah and Abraham and disgrace and shame to Hagar, but also…

C. IT BROUGHT SUFFERING TO ISHMAEL. It says of Ishmael in v. 12,

"And he will be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and

every man’s hand against him: and he shall dwell in the presence of all

his brethren." Ishmael became the ancestor of the Arabs, who are still

hostile to the Jews. Even today the Arab descendants of Ishmael are in

dispute with their neighbors who have descended from Isaac, and

manifest a rugged independence which makes cooperation with anyone

uncertain and precarious (10).

The Arab nations of the world, as history has proven, bear his nature.

• Ishmael was to be like a wild donkey, that is, independent, obstinate, determined, stubborn, dogged, unyielding, headstrong, self-willed.
• Ishmael’s hand was to be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him; that is, he was to be violently aggressive, constantly at odds with other people and nations. In addition, his descendants would even be in constant conflict with each other (H.C. Leupold. Genesis, Vol.1, p.504).

The point is this: The Arab-Israeli conflict is all a result of this sin.

Because Sarah and Abraham took matters into their own hands and

failed to trust God and rest in His promises, we see the fruits of it to

this day!

(4) THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

GENESIS 16:9-12

*There are two things that must be done to deal with our problems:

A. DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM. Genesis 16:9, "And the angel of the

LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself unto

her hands." It must have been a hard thing for Hagar to hear and

then obey the Lord’s words, "..return to thy mistress, and submit

thyself unto her hands." It was indeed a hard thing to go back to

face her problem and "eat humble pie"; it involved "turning back"

which is the basic move in repentance and finding God’s way. But

not only returning but submitting also. Because we have not really

returned until we are willing to submit. "Return" speaks of

repentance, for repentance has to do with turning around (or, as we

would say in the military, doing an "about face"). "Submit" is the

acknowledgement that Jesus is the Lord of one’s life. "Submit" in

both Hagar’s case and the sinner’s case involves a Master and serving

(11).

B. DETERMINE TO LIVE WITH THE SCARS (GENESIS 16:10-12). The

"scars" that Hagar had to live with was that Ishmael would "be as a

wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand

against him…" (v. 12). What has been done in the past cannot be

undone. The scars remain. But we can learn to live with the scars,

and they can actually become a blessing to us. We are still living with

the scars because of the sin of Sarah and Abraham. So many today,

instead of letting their wounds heal they keep picking at them, causing

themselves unneeded pain and shame instead of resting in God and

his forgiveness and learning to live with the scars!

(5) THE SWEET FORGIVENESS OF GOD

HEBREWS 10:17—"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no

more."

A. THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD. How sweet is the forgiveness of God?

In Hebrews 10:17 God promises, "And there sins and iniquities will I

remember no more." Oliver B. Greene said, "Sins are forever washed

away, forever forgiven, because of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary.

The passage here stresses that the sins of the believer can never come

up against him again. His sins are under the blood, remembered no

more, cast into the sea of God’s forgetfulness (12). God never brought

up their sins again. It was forgiven and buried in the sea of His

forgetfulness.

ILLUS: Rosalind Goforth was a well-known missionary to China, who,

Along with her husband Jonathan, enjoyed an illustrious

career and ministry. But for many years, even having labored

for the Lord in China, Rosalind often felt oppressed by a

burden of sin. She felt guilty and dirty, nursing an inward

sense of spiritual failure. Finally one evening when all was

quiet, she settled at her desk with Bible and concordance,

determined to find out God’s attitude toward failures, the

faults, the sins of His children. She put these words at the

top of the page: What God Does With Our Sins. Then as she

searched through the Scriptures, she compiled this list of

seventeen truths:

1. He lays them on his Son—Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:6
2. Christ takes them away. John 1:29.
3. They are removed an immeasurable distance—as far as East is from the West. Psalm 123:12.
4. When sought for, they are not found. Jeremiah 50:20.
5. The Lord forgives them. Ephesians 1:7.
6. He cleanses them ALL away by the blood of His son. I John 1:7.
7. He cleanses them as white as snow or wool. Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 51:7.
8. He abundantly pardons them. Isaiah 55:7.
9. He tramples them under foot. Micah 7:19.

10. He remembers them no more. Hebrews 10:17.

11. He casts them behind his back. Isaiah 38:17.

1. He casts them into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19.
2. He will not impute us with sins. Romans 4:8.
3. He covers them. Romans 4:7.
4. He blots them out. Isaiah 43:25.
5. He blots them out as a thick cloud. Isaiah 44:22.
6. He blots out even the proof against us, nailing it to His Son’s Cross. Colossians 2:14. (13).

2. THE FAITH TO GO ON WITH THEIR LIVES (Genesis 17:3-9; 15-16,

19). Even though we fail God miserably and sin by our lack of faith in His promises, we must have the faith to rest in His promises and go on

with our lives even after our greatest failures. God had not forgotten

His promise and wanted to reassure both of them that even though

they had failed Him he would still keep His promise! In verse 4, God

says, "As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a

father of many nations." God had visited Abraham in the past and

given him details of His promise and confirmation of it, but that was

nearly 13 years ago, and Abraham may have discouraged and doubtful

as to whether God would fulfill His promise. So here God gives

Abraham much reassurance as to the fact that God has indeed made a

Covenant with Abraham, and it will indeed be fulfilled (14). Not only

did Abraham need reassuring but Sarah also and we see that in vv. 15-

16, 19. Even though we fail, God can and will use us for His glory if we

we turn back to Him in repentance and rest in His promises by Faith!

CLOSING: Great saints do make great blunders! But thank God, we have a

God that understands our weaknesses and forgives our sins. God

sees distress and affliction, and He hears. Since God knew Sarah

was barren, she should have cried out to the Lord. Instead she

took matters into her own hands and had to learn a lesson the

hard way. But even in their failure, God offered Sarah and

Abraham forgiveness. And He will do the same for us if we will but

return and submit.

Friend, Have you failed God miserably? God will forgive If you will

turn to Him.

NOTES: 1. Warren W. Wiersbe. Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New

Testament. p. 386.

1. Oliver B. Greene. The Epistles of John. p. 35.
2. John G. Butler. Abraham: The Father of the Jews. p. 104.
3. Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotation-Contemporary &

Classical. p. 206.

4. Wells. p. 16.
5. Butler. p. 129.
6. Butler. pp. 127-128.
7. Wells. p. 188.
8. Butler. p. 134.

10. Joyce C. Baldwin. The Bible Speaks Today: The Message of

Genesis. p. 58.

11. Butler. p. 143.

1. Oliver B. Greene. The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews.

p. 398.

2. Robert J. Morgan. Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories,

Illustrations & Quotes. pp. 364-365.

3. Butler. p. 155.