Monday: Abraham’s Doubts
Read Genesis 16:1-16. What is the significance of Abram’s decision to go with Hagar, even despite God’s promise to him? How do the two women represent two attitudes of faith (Galatians 4:21-31)?
When Abram doubted (Genesis 15:2), God unambiguously reassured him that He will have a son. Years later, Abram is still without a son.
Image © Bjorn Thorkelson at Goodsalt.com
Even after God’s last powerful prophecy, Abram seems to have lost his faith: he does not believe anymore that it will be possible for him to have a son with Sarai. Sarai, feeling hopeless, takes the initiative and urges him to resort to a common practice of that time in the ancient Near East: take a surrogate. Hagar, Sarai’s servant, is appointed for this service. The system works. Ironically, this human strategy seemed more efficient than did faith in God’s promises.
The passage describing Sarai’s relation to Abram echoes the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The two texts share a number of common motifs (Sarai, like Eve, is active; Abram, like Adam, is passive) and share common verbs and phrases (“heed the voice,” “take” and “give”). This parallel between the two stories implies God’s disapproval of this course of action.
The apostle Paul refers to this story to make his point about works versus grace (Galatians 4:23-26). In both accounts, the result is the same: the immediate reward of human work outside the will of God leads to future troubles. Note that God is absent during the whole course of action. Sarai speaks about God but never speaks to Him; nor does God speak to either of them. This absence of God is striking, especially after the intense presence of God in the previous chapter.
God then appears to Hagar but only after she has left the house of Abram. This unexpected appearance discloses God’s presence in spite of human effort to work without Him. The reference to “the Angel of the LORD” (Genesis 16:7, NKJV) is a title that is often identified with the LORD, YHWH (see Genesis 18:1, Genesis 18:13, Genesis 18:22). This time it is God who takes the initiative and announces to Hagar that she will give birth to a son, Ishmael, whose name means God hears (Genesis 16:11). Ironically, the story, which ends with the idea of hearing (shama‘), echoes the hearing of the beginning of the story, when Abram who “heeded” (shama‘) the voice of Sarai (Genesis 16:2).
| Why is it so easy for us to have the same lack of faith that Abram had here? |
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I think I wouldn't say that Abraham "lost his faith," as the lesson author does. Abraham and Sarah just decided to help God out a little. They reasoned that a son by a surrogate would still fulfill the promise. That did reveal a lack of faith, but saying "he lost his faith" has more negative connotations.
What Abraham and Sarah did will become a common theme in the Bible- people running ahead of God or trying to help God out. It seems to be a common human failing. Rebekah and Jacob tried to help God out, and that didn't end well. And I suspect Tamar, who conceived a son by her father-in-law Judah, would fall into that category. And that child became a progenitor of Christ! A major part of the nation of Israel decided to "obey the Lord" belatedly, after He pronounced a judgment on them - that they were to wander 40 years in the wilderness because of their lack of faith. This belated obedience was no obedience at all, and it did not end well. Saul took matters into his own hands to offer a sacrifice to the Lord instead of waiting for Samuel. And he lost the kingdom because "to obey is better than sacrifice."
Perhaps you can think of others who fell into the same trap. They were not abandoning God, as in "losing their faith." But they had a hard time "waiting on the Lord" and just trusting in Him while doing His will, as they knew it.
I suspect most of us have done something similar at some point in our lives - perhaps not a decision of such consequence, but a failing to wait on the Lord and taking things into our own hands.
I am so grateful that God is still as gracious today as He was in the time of Abraham and Sarah! He will forgive and work things out in spite of ourselves if we just turn to Him.
In essence you are saying he took the issue into his own hands. That to me is losing trust, which is losing faith on this particular issue. He thought he was helping God when in reality he lost patience with God. He failed to realize that God was teaching him that it was He and only He that he needs to rely on, and be patient. Wait on the Lord.
So back to the words lost faith in God. No he didn’t lose faith in God. He did not trust Him in the one issue. Yes you said the word trust, but I wanted to post it from my prospective.
Let us remind ourselves from todays lesson that, God respects those who with broken heart and contrite spirit, allow Him to pick up pieces and create in us a clean heart, refreshed daily(belief He forgives our sins because we asked) by Him, following through till the end. And yes if we do fall away and come back to faith in Him, he accepts us with open arms(the broken heart with a contrite spirit experience. Lets us not forget we have the assurance of salvation the only way to be genuinely joyful, without depression in our salvation. Rejoice in the Lord always also means being joyful in the Lord in my humble opinion.
The Israelite's were another example of losing trust in God through Moses because of a delay. We all remember the Mount Sinai experience. One might say they lost there faith. For many the golden calf experience invigorated their faith after realizing their error.
Amen. I believe as human we are sometimes put to a situation when we can doubt God. But God with his sufficient Grace, even with a little faith he still embraces us with his love and faithfulness to his promises.
Hi Inge. I like your examples of man foolishly attempting to fulfill the promises of God. These are Biblical examples of people attempting to do "our part" when God makes a one-way covenant with man. This was the folly of the Israelites at Sinai (Galatians 4:25).
I have often claimed that "our part" is to believe and to be grateful for God's grace freely given. Whenever we attempt to "help" God fulfill His promises by doing "our part," we inevitably mess things up. God doesn't need our help to fulfill His promises.
God didn't have conditions for Abraham when He promised him a son. Similarly, God had no conditions for Noah when He made a covenant never to flood the earth (Genesis 9:11 NLT). Abraham and Noah's response to God's grace was to love Him back, serve Him out of love and believe that whatever God said, He would do (Ezekiel 12:25 NLT).
We continue to confuse our response to God's love and grace with imagined conditions for them ("our part"). But if there were conditions for grace, then it wouldn't be grace (Romans 11:6 NLT).
Hi Sieg,
Thanks for your reply.
As I understand it, the path of error often lies so close to the path of truth that it will be nearly impossible to distinguish between the two. That may be what we're looking at. But I believe the Holy Spirit can make the truth clear to us.
I don't see God's covenant as "one-way." At all. There is always a condition for the human recipient of God's promises, whether it is in the Old Testament or the New. (See Mark 16:16, John 3:18) It started in the Garden of Eden. There was an implicit covenant of eternal life and happiness on condition of faith in the Creator God's love and wisdom, with faithfulness only being tested at "the tree." As soon as the pair demonstrated their doubt of God's goodness, the covenant was broken and Eden was lost to them. The Good News is that the Son of God stepped into the gap with a "new covenant" based on His promise and His life.
Moses tells us that Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Gen. 15:6 So it seems that, as a minimum, belief is required. If Abraham had not believed God and joined in relatives in idol worship, would God still have given him this "one-way covenant" as you see it?
Now what is this necessary "belief"? Is it mental assent, or is it something different? (The devils also give mental assent [belief] and tremble. James 2:19) I submit that this belief "counted for righteousness" is the same as faith - an implicit trust in God which is the spring of action for obedience. It is a working belief/faith. (See James 2:14-17) In fact, it is far more costly than external obedience because it requires a heart submission. The whole heart must be surrendered to Christ.
You mention the people's response to God at Sinai. What was wrong with it? Did God not want them to do as He said? Or was it something else? In Deut. 5:29. we read, "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" They did not yield their hearts but thought they could render outward obedience, which soon failed them, as they worshiped the golden calf. (Also see Rom. 9:32)
The very word "covenant" has two sides implicit in it. We need to understand just *what* the human side is. It is clearly not to try to do for ourselves what God promised to do - as in Abraham and Sarah using a surrogate to have a child or Rebekah attempting to assure the promised blessing by persuading Jacob to get the birthright blessing by deceit. Our part is not to attempt to use our good deeds as part-payment for salvation. No, we have nothing to offer in exchange for salvation. We must receive all from Christ, and we must give all to Him - our hearts, our lives and everything over which we have control or influence.
Christ gave all to save us. We must give all to be saved by Him - recognizing that we don't have much to offer. Nevertheless, He accepts our "all" in exchange for His infinitely greater "all."
I don't believe Abraham "lost his faith" - because I find that the realities of faith within the context of a fallen world are more dynamic and complex than that. Faith is not something you have one day, lose the next and then regain it back again some days later.
God knows that, as fallen humans, we are unfortunately very vulnerable to doubt and discouragement. And Satan knows this too and exploits it. Some individuals will be more vulnerable than others. The disciple Thomas appears to have particularly struggled with doubt at times. As a generalisation, we are particularly vulnerable to experiencing doubt when we are tired, fatigued or otherwise over-whelmed or 'run-down'.
I believe and find that God understands our experience as humans all too well. (Hebrews 4:15-16). For this reason I believe God has abundant compassion towards us when we struggle with doubt - seeking to encourage us through our doubt. And being aware of this, we too can respond to others with compassion when they struggle - and even towards ourselves when we struggle (Philippians 3:12-15).
I offer 1 Peter 5:8-9 to each person who is wrestling with doubt today - the knowledge that you are not alone in your struggle, even thought it may well feel like it.
Phil, I agree with you. I do not think Abram lost his faith. Rather he was trying with human effort, to “ help God out”, to fulfill the promise. That was likely the intent of his action.
It is interesting that in Chapter 15 when God renews His covenant with Abram and Abram prepares the sacrifice, Abram is asleep and God Himself performs the responsibility of walking amongst the divided sacrifice and burning it up. In ancient days this would always be done by the Vassal king in the presence of the Suzerain king to remind the Vassal that he will end up like this sacrifice, cut to pieces and burned, if he breaks the covenant. God does this for Abram as Christ does it for us, without our participation, asleep as it were.
Abraham and Sara simply decided for themselves, without asking God. They tried to act according to what they thought it would be wise! Nonsense. When we try to do things without asking God for it, things may get complicated! As it surely became, to this day! Altough Abraham is considered the father of faith, he was just as human as we are... making mistakes when self is placed first.
The word *Faith* seems to have deleloped different meanings over time.
For example we hear people say: I am of a certain FAITH, meaning a church, a denomination of certain doctrines.
Doctrines of a church sort of thing.
It's also an identity (your faith/church) once revealed may bring hostility or friendship.
We also hear of people being disfellowshipped from a denomination, if they denounce certain doctrines of faith.
The definition of FAITH in Hebrews 11:1-2:
1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the reality of what is not seen.
2 For by it our ancestors won God’s approval.
Now most of the people mentioned in Hebrews 11 had doubts, and never got the *reality in their life time*, but were *approved FOR their faith* that would not let go, they were consumed by their faith.
Does the writer of Hebrews mean to imply that the reality of faith is a great motivation/impact in your life aka Spiritual in nature ?
OR
Simply that the person of Faith in Hebrews 11, did not get to see what was promised, but were rewarded with a better blessing a *heavenly city* ?
Revelation 20/21/22
39'All these were *approved through their faith* but they did not receive what was promised,
40 since God had provided *something better* for us, so that *they would not be made perfect without us.*
How and when will the *something better city* for us, as Christians, be a blessing to them to make them perfect ?
Inge and Phil, thank you for your explanations which are quite sufficient to understand the difference between really losing faith or just demonstrating human weakness.
Inge, since you mentioned Tamar in your comment, who also took things into her own hands to come up with a good solution, I just want to add a point here, which should not be neglected. Judah was actually the one to blame for her actions because he promised her his youngest son after the death of Enan and Er. Although Judah argued that he wanted to wait until Shelah was older, it was clear that he had no intention of marrying off another son to Tamar out of fear that he might also die assuming she was the cause of his sons‘ downfall instead of acknowledging the sins of his own children, which was unjust towards Tamar.
Of course, the story takes an odd turn after that as we read in Genesis 38. I‘m not trying to justify Tamar‘s actions, yet we see here that the devil acts not only on our minds and hearts, but when necessary to make us sin towards God, he also makes use of involving a bigger trap to make us fall. So let‘s be attentive and apply what Phil noted 1 Peter 5:8-9.
Romans 4:18-22 says that Abraham "believed against all hope", "without weakening in his faith", "did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God", and "was fully persuaded that God had power to do what he promised". Today's lesson is titled "Abraham's doubts". How does this match?
I was blessed by the It Is Written video this week. The teacher there had these insights (with some of my own thrown in)...
Abraham never doubted he was getting a son. He doubted the "how". Abraham and Sarah assumed it was impossible for them to have a biological child together. Considering Sarah died at 127, she was most likely menopausal around the time she suggested the Hagar plan. After menopause you really face your mortality ("body as good as dead" says Paul in Rom. 4:19). A childless woman can feel ready for the compost pile, going from a reproductive person to a non-reproductive person. "Will I now have this pleasure" (Gen. 18:12)? In my personal story, after a hysterectomy I sometimes feel that I've transitioned from a "womb-man" to just "man", no womb. Menopause can be a time of loss and grieving and disorientation.
Abraham was 86 when Ishmael was born. 13 years later (when Ishmael would be having his Bar Mitzvah and welcomed into adulthood), when Abraham was age 99, God confirmed His covenant with Abraham and specifically said that Sarai - now to be called Sarah - would birth the longed-for child. Abraham laughed at this - Sarah was at least 13 years post-menopausal. Sarah laughed too. It seemed impossible before menopause as they had tried so often without success. But now it was just ridiculous. And yet, Abraham and Sarah showed their faith because they were intimate with each other (perhaps even at a discomfort to Sarah) and in the natural biological way conceived Isaac. Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100. And Sarah nursed Isaac herself (Gen. 21:7-8)! With God all things are possible.
Question in Study : How do the two women represent two attitudes of faith (Galatians 4:21-31)?
Sarah and Hagar: Two Covenants
21 Tell me, you who want to be under the law, don’t you hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.
23 But the one by the slave was born as a result of the flesh, while the one by the free woman was born through promise.
24 These things are being taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery — this is Hagar.
25 Now Hagar represents Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, childless woman, unable to give birth. Burst into song and shout, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate woman will be many, more numerous than those of the woman who has a husband.
28 Now you too, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 But just as then the child born as a result of the flesh persecuted the one born as a result of the Spirit, so also now.
30 But what does the Scripture say? “Drive out the slave and her son, for the son of the slave will never be a coheir with the son of the free woman.”
31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of a slave but of the free woman.
Revelation 12
The Woman/covenant, the Child, and the Dragon
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
2 She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven crowns.
4 Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.
5 She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rulefn all nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne.
Answer to question. The two women representing covenants:
One is carnal, the eternal covenant in the Godhead is Spiritual.
Shalom 🙏
If we believe in God’s perfect timing, what would we make of having to wait for ‘perfect timing’ in our life? If we place faith in the 'promises' of our heavenly Father to appear as proof, this will leave us wide open to ‘jumping the gun’ when we get impatient and want to see ‘results’ - now.
After having done all we can do, I think our faith’s focus should not be on demanding to ‘seeing results’, but on being faithful and patient, waiting on God’s timing to be perfect – no matter how the circumstances look. Jesus demonstrated this perfectly!
For Abraham it was needing to wait for the promised seed to establish the people who would inherit the land. For us it is the Life eternal at the end of our life here on earth.
We know that our faith will encounter many challenges, though we have the promise of God’s Word that HE will be faithful!