ABRAM REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE WEALTH OF THE RESCUED KINGS
Genesis 14:21-24 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. (22) And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, (23) That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich: (24) Save only that which the young men have eaten, and the portion of the men which went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion.
GOD CONFIRMED HIS PROMISE TO ABRAM TO MAKE HIS HEIRS A GREAT MULTITUDE
Genesis 15:2-6 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? (3) And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. (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. (5) And he brought him forth abroad, and said, 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. (6) And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
GOD FORETELLS THAT ABRAMS OFFSPRING WILL BE IN BONDAGE 400 YEARS
Genesis 15:13-15 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; (14) And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. (15) And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
All of these blessings required Abram to have great faith because his wife Sarai was barren. They were both past the age of having children. Once again; Abram tries to do it his way; instead of Waiting on the LORD. Sarai gives her husband her handmaid to be a surrogate and produce an heir. Instead of waiting for God’s blessing, they rushed things and brought a curse upon their marriage and forthcoming family.
Genesis 16:3-4 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. (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.
God never intended for a man to have more than one wife. Although it was a custom in the Old Testament times; every example cited of a man having more than one wife, is a story of jealousy, contempt, frustration and unhappiness. After Sarai give Abram her handmaid, she becomes despised by her handmaid. Jealousy sets in and Abrams household is not happy. So he tells Sarai to do what she wills with Hagar. Sarai basically drives her away, but God hears Hagar’s affliction and makes a promise to her and sends her back to Sarai and Abram.
Genesis 16:5-11 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. (6) 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. (7) And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. (8) And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. (9) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. (10) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. (11) And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
Sometimes we think that the men and women that God used in the Bible times were somehow beyond human. We tend to remember only their greatness. They are known for the miracles that God has done through them. But the spiritual pillars of ancient times were just as human as we are today. They made mistakes. Even Abram, who is looked upon as the, “Father of the Faithful,” even he had moments that were lacking faith and patience to wait on the LORD. This is our human nature and we can continue to strive to overcome it and ask God for the strength to do so; or we can give up. It should be comforting and reassuring to all that we can overcome our flesh and walk with Christ; not by our own power, but through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Father in Heaven, help me to overcome my flesh. Give me the faith and the strength to walk with you. Fill me with the Holy Ghost. Make your vision for my life vivid and real. Praise the LORD! I thank you Jesus. I pray all of this in the power of the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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