Kingdom Covenant Part 3
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Covenant’, which we are posting here on Online Bible Institute. Last week, we talked about Melchizedek and the royal priesthood. This week, we will look at Genesis Chapters 15 – 17 and focus on Abram and Sarai distrusting God again and taking matters into their own hands.
Genesis 16:1-6
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian slave whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my slave; perhaps I will be built through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan,Abram’s wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave, and she gave her to her husband Abram as his wife. He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was cursed in her eyes. And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you. I gave my slave into your hands, but she saw that she had conceived, I was cursed in her sight. May the Lord judge between you and me.” But Abram said to Sarai, “Behold, your slave is in your hand; do to her what is good in your eyes.” So Sarai oppressed her, and she fled from her presence.
In Genesis 16, the narrative of Abram (later Abraham) and Sarai (later Sarah) tells a complex story of desperation, human error, and divine intervention. This story illuminates the moral and ethical challenges faced by Abram and Sarai and highlights God’s enduring faithfulness.
Abram and Sarai, unable to conceive a child and desperate to fulfill God’s promise that Abram would be the father of many nations, decided to take matters into their own hands. Sarai suggested that Abram conceive a child with Hagar, her Egyptian slave. Abram agreed to Sarai’s plan, and subsequently, Hagar became pregnant.
The decision to use Hagar as a surrogate mother led to a series of sins and ethical violations. It involved a misuse of power over Hagar, treating her not as an individual with rights and agency but as a means to an end. As Hagar’s pregnancy progressed, tension arose; Sarai dealt harshly with her, and Hagar fled into the desert to escape her mistreatment. This highlights the sin of Sarai and Abram in their treatment of Hagar, which is driven by jealousy and frustration.
Despite the human failings of Abram and Sarai, God demonstrated His faithfulness and grace. He did not abandon Hagar and Ishmael in their distress. An angel of the Lord found Hagar by a spring in the desert and made a significant promise to her—that her descendants would be too numerous to count. This divine intervention showed that God’s grace and plans endure even in situations marred by human sin. He gave Hagar a promise similar to that given to Abram, thus ensuring her protection and blessing her child, Ishmael.
The story of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar powerfully reminds us that God remains faithful even when we fail. He works through human imperfections to fulfill His divine purposes, demonstrating that His mercy and promises transcend human actions and missteps.
We will discuss this and more this weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, so join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
