Read Genesis 16

In the last lesson we learned that Abram had gone into Egypt. He did not trust God to protect him so he asked Sarai his wife to say that she was his sister. Of course the result was that Abram’s deceit put Pharaoh into God’s condemnation. In this lesson we will learn that Abram once more takes matters into his own hands instead of trusting God to do what He says he will do.

Abram left Egypt and went back into Canaan. God had promised to make Abram’s offspring into a great nation. Abram believed God but before this could happen Abram had to have offspring. His wife Sarai was barren and beyond normal child bearing years. Sarai told Abram that he should have a child with Hagar, Sarai’s servant. Abram agreed that Sarai was beyond child bearing years and that if he was going to have a child he would have to do something else. Abram took Sarai’s advice and had a son with Hagar. Of course this only led to problems between Sarai and Hagar. Sarai knew that Hagar was with child and Hagar became very hard for Sarai to deal with. Abram told Sarai to deal with Hagar however she saw fit. Hagar ran from Sarai.

Genesis 16:7-8 tells us that the Angel of the Lord found Hagar by a fountain of water in the wilderness and told her that she should go back to Sarai and submit unto her. The angel told her that her seed would be multiplied geatly, enough so that it could not be numbered. The angel told her that she was with child and that she was to name the child Ishmael. He would be a wild man and would have all types of enemies. We are told that Abram was eighty-six when Hagar had Ishmael.

Abram was trying to "help" God carry out His plan and sinned in that He did not trust God. In doing so he was helping fulfill God’s promise that many kings would come through him because Ishmael would father a country of the gentile nations around Israel.

EXAM QUESTIONS

1. _________, _______ wife was ________________ and

beyond ________________________ years.

2. _______ knew ________ wanted _______________ so

she told ___________ to have a _______________ with

her __________ _______________.

3. The _______________ of the _______________ told

_________________ she was to name the ____________

____________________.

4. The _______ would be a ________________ and would

have _____________ ________________ Genesis 16:12.