Our Lesson From Abraham

October 8

An example of a man who received a promise but waited long for its fulfillment is found in the story of Abraham and Isaac that is in Genesis 15, 17, 21, 22. God had assured Abraham that he and his wife Sarah would have a son who would be the progenitor of the Promised Messiah. When decades had passed and their marriage was fruitless, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands.

The method of the day was that a surrogate wife (Hagar in this case) would bear the child that the legal wife (Sarah) could not have. The need for an heir would be satisfied in this way. Romans 4:1 reiterates Abraham’s folly. Here we are told, “What then can we say that Abraham our forefather according to the flesh has found?”

What we see through Abraham is what we yearn to see in ourselves. That even after we have tried our own solution and failed to realize an answer, God is faithful. Ishmael’s birth (the child of Hagar) caused great strife in Abraham’s home. Sarah was jealous of Hagar. After Sarah conceived and bore her own son to Abraham, she was horrible to Hagar and to Ishmael. Strife between the two branches of Abraham’s family (Moslems and Jews) exists to this day!

The fruit of the promise that was meant to bless all of mankind (Jesus) was birthed in strife and wrapped in conflict because one man endeavored to fulfill God’s promise to him rather than allow the Lord to fulfill it in His time. May we learn from Abraham’s lesson and patiently wait for the fulfillment of all God’s word to us. We have learned from Abraham that it is infinitely better to await God’s perfect time than to endeavor to force His promise onto our time table.