Genesis 16: A Story of Impatience and its Consequences

Genesis 16 tells the story of Sarai, Abram’s wife, and her impatience in waiting for God’s promise of a child. Feeling frustrated, Sarai suggests a plan involving her Egyptian servant, Hagar, to fulfil God’s promise in their own way. Abram agrees, and Hagar becomes pregnant.

What Happened?

• Sarai’s Impatience: Sarai, unable to have children, becomes impatient with God’s timing.
• The Plan: She offers her servant, Hagar, to Abram as a wife to bear a child for them.
• Conflict and Mistreatment: When Hagar becomes pregnant, she begins to look down on Sarai. Sarai responds harshly, mistreating Hagar.
• Hagar’s Flight: Hagar flees into the wilderness to escape the harsh treatment.
• God’s Intervention: An angel of the Lord finds Hagar and encourages her to return and submit to Sarai. The angel also gives her a promise about her son, Ishmael.

Why is this Important?

This story highlights the dangers of taking matters into our own hands instead of trusting God’s timing. Sarai’s impatience leads to conflict, pain, and a complicated family situation that has ripple effects for generations. It also demonstrates God’s compassion and care, even in the midst of our mistakes.

Study Questions

1. Why was Sarai so impatient? What does this tell us about the challenges of waiting on God’s promises?
2. How did Abram respond to Sarai’s plan? What does this reveal about his faith and leadership?
3. How was Hagar treated? What does this show us about the dangers of power imbalances and mistreatment?
4. How did God intervene in this situation? What does this reveal about His character and concern for those who are suffering?
5. What promises did God make to Hagar? How does this demonstrate His faithfulness even in difficult circumstances?
6. What can we learn from this story about trusting God’s timing? How can we avoid making the same mistakes as Sarai and Abram?

Challenge

Think about a time when you felt impatient or frustrated waiting for God to answer a prayer or fulfil a promise. How did you respond? What can you learn from this story about trusting God’s plan and timing, even when it’s difficult?

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Genesis 16 unfolds a narrative fraught with the consequences of human impatience and misguided attempts to fulfil God’s promises. Sarai, despairing of bearing a child, proposes a plan that deviates from God’s design: she suggests that Abram take her servant Hagar as a wife, hoping to build a family through her.

Spurgeon aptly captures the heart of the problem, highlighting the danger of trying to hasten God’s timing: “They were both wrong in this matter… They were too much in a hurry; they could not wait God’s time, and so they must needs try to help Him.” This impatience reveals a lack of trust in God’s ability to keep His promises.

Matthew Henry echoes this sentiment, observing that Sarai’s plan was “a project of her own, contrived without Abram’s consent or the approbation of God.” This highlights the folly of attempting to bypass God’s will, even with seemingly good intentions.

The consequences of their actions quickly become apparent. Hagar, conceiving a child, begins to despise her mistress, leading to conflict and bitterness within the household. Matthew Henry points out the inherent danger of such arrangements: “Those that are brought up in families as equals are apt to forget the difference between them and their superiors.”

Spurgeon further emphasises the moral implications of the situation: “Sarai had done wrong, and she was now suffering for it; she had sown the wind, and was reaping the whirlwind.” This serves as a stark reminder that even well-intentioned actions can lead to unintended and painful consequences.

Ultimately, Hagar flees into the wilderness, where she encounters the angel of the Lord. This divine intervention offers a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. Spurgeon sees this as a testament to God’s mercy, even in the face of human error: “The Lord is very pitiful, and full of compassion… He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”

Matthew Henry also underscores the importance of seeking God’s guidance in all things: “It would have been much more for Sarai’s interest if Abram had kept to the rule of God’s law instead of being guided by her foolish projects.”  

In conclusion, Genesis 16 serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of impatience and relying on human schemes instead of trusting in God’s perfect timing and plan. As Spurgeon eloquently puts it, “We must wait for God, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”