Genesis 16:1-5: a reflection

1Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had a servant, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. 2Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my servant. It may be that I will obtain children by her.” Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 3Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife. 4He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. 5Sarai said to Abram, “This wrong is your fault. I gave my servant into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, she despised me. May the LORD judge between me and you.”

God had promised Abram descendants; but the years passed and Sarai remained childless. Rather than continue waiting on God, Sarai devises her own scheme to bring about the promise: she gives her servant Hagar to Abram, hoping to obtain children through her. Abram goes along with it. But the scheme, meant to help God's promise along, brings only trouble: strife, jealousy, and grief between the women, and blame between Sarai and Abram. Their attempt to force the promise by their own means bore bitter fruit.

Notice what their impatience and scheming produced: not the promise fulfilled rightly, but strife and grief. God had promised; but rather than wait on him to fulfill it in his way and time, Sarai took matters into her own hands, contriving a way to bring it about herself. And the result was not blessing but trouble: jealousy, contempt, blame, a tangle of grief. Their attempt to force God's promise by their own scheming, rather than waiting on him, brought only harm. What they tried to accomplish their own way went wrong.

That is worth taking to heart, for we too can grow impatient with God's promises and try to force them by our own scheming. When God's promise or purpose seems delayed, we can be tempted, like Sarai, to take matters into our own hands, to contrive our own way of bringing it about rather than waiting on God; but such schemes often bring trouble, not blessing. Do not grow impatient and try to force God's promise by your own scheming, taking matters into your own hands rather than waiting on him; Sarai's scheme brought strife and grief. Wait on God to fulfill his promises in his own way and time, rather than contriving your own means to force them, as Sarai's attempt to bring about the promise apart from waiting on God bore only bitter fruit; trust God's timing and way rather than scheming to accomplish his promise yourself.

Lord, you had promised Abram descendants; but the years passed and Sarai remained childless. Rather than continue waiting on you, Sarai devises her own scheme: she gives her servant Hagar to Abram, hoping to obtain children through her. Abram goes along with it. But the scheme, meant to help your promise along, brings only trouble: strife, jealousy, and grief, and blame between Sarai and Abram. Their attempt to force the promise by their own means bore bitter fruit. Show me what their impatience and scheming produced: not the promise fulfilled rightly, but strife and grief. Rather than wait on you to fulfill it in your way and time, Sarai took matters into her own hands. And the result was not blessing but trouble. Their attempt to force your promise by their own scheming brought only harm. Take that to my heart, for I too can grow impatient with your promises and try to force them by my own scheming. When your promise or purpose seems delayed, I can be tempted, like Sarai, to take matters into my own hands, to contrive my own way rather than waiting on you; but such schemes often bring trouble. Keep me from growing impatient and trying to force your promise by my own scheming, taking matters into my own hands rather than waiting on you; Sarai's scheme brought strife and grief. Help me wait on you to fulfill your promises in your own way and time, Lord, rather than contriving my own means to force them. Help me trust your timing and way.