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Genesis 16 – The Covenant Tested by Impatience
(Part 16 in the “God Keeping Covenant” Series)
Introduction
In Genesis 15, Abram believed God’s promise — but time passed, and no child came. In Genesis 16, faith is tested by delay. Sarai, tired of waiting, urged Abram to have a child through her Egyptian maid, Hagar. Abram agreed, and Ishmael was born.
Though this decision created lasting tension, it teaches a timeless lesson: When we try to fulfill God’s covenant by human effort, we produce conflict instead of peace. Yet even then, God remains merciful and faithful.
Theme: God’s covenant promises must be fulfilled by faith, not by flesh.
Genesis 16:1–2 – The Temptation of Impatience
- Sarai said to Abram: “Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.”
- Instead of waiting on God, Sarai tried to “help” Him.
- Covenant Lesson: Impatience often leads to compromise. Covenant faith waits for God’s timing.
- Illustration: Like a baker opening the oven too soon, impatience spoils what God was preparing perfectly.
Genesis 16:3–4 – Fleshly Solutions Bring Strife
- Abram took Hagar, and she conceived. When Hagar saw she was pregnant, she despised Sarai.
- What began as a plan of the flesh created division.
- Covenant Lesson: What we start in the flesh cannot produce covenant peace.
- Illustration: Like planting weeds among wheat, disobedience grows faster than faith — but brings thorns, not fruit.
Genesis 16:5–6 – The Blame Game
- Sarai said to Abram, “My wrong be upon you!” Abram told her to do what she thought best. Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar, and Hagar fled.
- Covenant Lesson: When we step outside God’s will, we often end up hurting others and ourselves.
- Illustration: Like steering off course and blaming the GPS, Sarai’s frustration was misdirected — the issue was unbelief, not direction.
Genesis 16:7–9 – God Finds Hagar in the Wilderness
- The Angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring and said, “Return to your mistress and submit to her.”
- Even though Hagar was a servant and victim of circumstance, God saw her.
- Covenant Lesson: God’s mercy reaches even those on the margins of the covenant.
- Illustration: Like a shepherd finding a lost sheep, God pursued the one who felt forgotten.
Genesis 16:10–12 – The Prophecy of Ishmael
- God promised Hagar a son named Ishmael (“God hears”). He would be strong, independent, and live in conflict with others.
- Covenant Lesson: God blesses even the consequences of our mistakes, but blessing is not the same as covenant promise.
- Illustration: A teacher may show mercy to a student who disobeyed, but that mercy doesn’t change the lesson plan — it only shows grace.
Genesis 16:13–14 – “You Are the God Who Sees Me”
- Hagar called the Lord El Roi — “The God who sees me.”
- Even in pain and exile, she realized God’s care and compassion.
- Covenant Lesson: God’s covenant grace reaches where human understanding fails.
- Illustration: Like a lighthouse shining through fog, God’s eyes never lose sight of us, even when we lose sight of Him.
Genesis 16:15–16 – Ishmael’s Birth and Aftermath
- Hagar bore Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old.
- The promise still hadn’t arrived, but God’s plan was still in motion.
- Covenant
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