Lesson 4
Read: Genesis 16 - www.bible.com/bible/59/gen.16
Abram and Hagar:
- Flexibility
- Deference
- Peace-loving

Sometimes positive character traits, like flexibility, deference and peace-loving, can become negative if we’re not following God closely. In this lesson, Abram listens to his wife Sarai, who is trying to “help” God give them a child.

After ten years of living in Canaan, Sarai suggested that her husband Abram sleep with her Egyptian maid, Hagar, since God had not yet fulfilled His promise of giving Sarai a child. This method of providing a child when the wife was unable to conceive was common in Abram’s time, but it wasn’t right in God’s eyes. Abram agreed to do what Sarai suggested. Abram was exhibiting the character traits of flexibility, deference and peace-loving, but he didn’t pray and ask God for His direction first.

When Hagar learned that she was pregnant by Abram, she looked down on her mistress Sarai. Sarai blamed Abram for the abuse she was suffering from her maid, treating Sarai like she was nothing.

Abram, showing deference to her and, in his peace-loving nature gave his wife the right to decide what to do about Hagar since she was Sarai’s maid. Sarai was abusive to Hagar, so Hagar ran away.

God’s angel found Hagar in the desert, beside a spring of water, and asked her what she was doing there. Hagar answered, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai.”

The angel of God said, “Go back to your mistress and put up with her abuse. Defer to Sarai and love peace. God is going to give you a huge family, so many children that no one will be able to count them. Name your son Ishmael, for the Lord has heard and answered you. He’ll be a fighting man, always stirring up trouble and at odds with his family.

Hagar prayed to the Lord, “You are the God who sees me! The Lord heard me, saw me, and then I saw Him!” She named the desert spring “God Sees Me.”

When Abram was 86 years old, Hagar gave Abram a son, and they named him Ishmael, as God had directed.

Apply God’s Word to your life:
*How do people today try to “help” God keep His promises?
*Where do you need to wait until God fulfills His promise to you in His own way?
*What consequence for a wrong choice have you experienced this week, and where do you see God’s grace to you?
*Have you ever been flexible, showed deference, and/or loved peace, but you were not following the Lord at the time? What were the consequences for you and for others?