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God is faithful

a merciful FatherAbram: A Life of FaithBiblical History

Joy and Sorrow Collide

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

The day was a day of celebration for Abraham and Sarah. Isaac, the long awaited heir had grown and was now weaned. Into this day of rejoicing, however, an old pain resurfaced. Joy and sorrow collided. Ishmael mocked the promised heir, As a result, Abraham suffered a bitter consequence, learned obedience, and found God faithful.

A Bitter Consequence

Sarah was irate. “Get rid of this slave and her son. This slave’s son will not be heir with my son.”

Abraham grieved. The whole matter distressed him. Was it not Sarah’s idea in the first place? Why did God allow it to happen by taking so long to act? Why must I give up my son, my first born son?

Abraham Learned Obedience

Still, God spoke into the situation. “Don’t be displeased because of the lad. Listen to Sarah your wife. Your descendants will come through Isaac. I will make a nation from the slave girl’s son, because he is your descendant.” It hurt. Nevertheless, Abraham obeyed.

God Was Faithful

Hagar lost all hope. Without water, in the desert, she laid her son under a shrub and wandered away. She did not want to see him die. Instead, she screamed and wept.

God heard. “What’s wrong Hagar?” he asked. “Don’t be afraid, God has heard the lad. Lift him up and hold him. I will make him a great nation.”

Then God opened her eyes to see through her angry, bitter tears, the well of water He had provided. It became the water of life for her boy. The scripture reads, “So God was with the lad, and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.” Abraham suffered a bitter consequence, learned obedience, and found God faithful.

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Abram: A Life of FaithcovenantsThe Father

Abram’s Presumption

by Esther Griggs
written by Esther Griggs

In the course of the journey, Abram and his entourage encountered severe famine. This situation forced them into Egypt where Abram, rather than consulting God, acted out of presumption. In the end, it required God to intervene. In the course of this story we see Abram’s fear, the errors he made, and God’s faithfulness to His promises.

Abram’s Fear

Abram’s wife Sarai was beautiful. She was a major part of the blessing from God. Maybe it was only a half lie but what if they killed him so they could have her? His fear was real. It played big in his thinking and caused him to strive for control over the circumstances.

Abram’s Errors

Abram’s fear overcame his faith. It caused him to make several errors. First, he forgot the promises of God. How could God fulfill His promise to make of him a nation if he were a dead man? Secondly he did not call on God for help. He likely knew the story of God delivering Noah and his family, but as of yet, in his own experience, he didn’t know God as a deliverer. Thirdly, he led his wife into deceit and left her vulnerable in a foreign country, in the home of a strange man.

God’s Faithfulness

Abram was treated well because of Sarai but God was not pleased. He didn’t scold Abram. Instead He sent great plagues against Pharoah and his household. Pharoah knew something was wrong before Abram did, and confronted him. “What is this you have done to me?” Pharoah asked. “Why did you lie? Here is your wife. Take her and go away.”

Despite Abram’s presumption and the circumstances which followed, God stayed true to His word. He continued to bless Abram. In 2 Timothy we read, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Or as written in the book of Numbers, “God is not a man, that He should lie.” What promises has God made to us? Do we allow fear to influence our actions in ways which deny His promises? In the course of this story we saw Abram’s fear, the errors he made, and God’s faithfulness to His promises.

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