By: Obed Pineda
Have you ever given a gift and the response you received was “its the thought that counts?” Although the purpose of this response is to avoid being ungrateful and disrespectful, it is actually a veiled expression of displeasure. Without a doubt, the person’s intentions are to avoid being offensive, yet this expression makes manifest the disappointment of having to reluctantly accept an unwanted gift. Disappointed because the gift confirms how little they know the person, how much they did not pay attention to them, or how little time and effort they put into the gift itself. Whatever the reason may be, one thing is sure: the thought is not what counts. Certainly, the person giving the gift had good intentions of demonstrating that they remembered an important date and did not want to arrive empty-handed. Ironically, however, their well-intended gift meant to bring joy has the opposite effect because it is not well received. Instead, it displays that no thought or effort was really put into the selection of the gift. Thus, it is evident that “good intentions” are insufficient in providing good fruits. This is the case in point for Sarai’s well-intended suggestion to her husband Abram (Genesis 16). In our preceding composition, Holy Scripture reveals Jehovah God teaching Abram to “be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10, emphasis added)! When Abram had asked the Lord “how shall I know that I will inherit it,” before providing Abram with a response, the Lord made him wait until “the sun was going down,
a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him” (Genesis 15:8, 12, addition mine). This lesson was vital for Abram to learn since it was the flaw that made him previously stumble when a severe famine made him decide to take his family to Egypt, instead of waiting on the Lord to provide him with direction (Genesis 12:10-20). Since this bitter experience, the Bible has detailed how the faith of Abram developed and became stronger with each experience he endured. Thus, it is wonderful to read that “Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan” after God had shown him that great vision in response to his question (Genesis 16:3b, emphasis added). Needless to say that Abram had verily learned to wait upon the Lord, but regrettably Sarai was still a working progress. Remember that Sarai was an equally important part of God’s eternal plan, therefore it was important that her faith be fully developed as well. Undoubtedly, Abram had shared with his wife what the Lord had revealed to him after he returned from rescuing their nephew Lot. This knowledge provides a better interpretation of Scripture as it explains, “Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar” (Genesis 16:1, emphasis added). It is a common error to read this pericope and interpret it to refer to Sarai’s barrenness previously mentioned in Genesis 11:30. The value of always reading the immediate context is yet again displayed. The text continues saying, “So Sarai said to Abram, ‘See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go into my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.’” (Genesis 16:2, emphasis added). Several important details are being given to the diligent Bible student in these two verses that are unwise to ignore. The first thing one must comprehend is that in Genesis 11:30, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Abram and Sarai were already married and had unsuccessfully tried having children; hence the reason it was already known that she was barren. Secondly, Abram was seventy-five and Sarai was sixty-five when they were called out from Haran and already had servants that they took with them to Canaan (Genesis 12:4-5). This detail becomes significant when we realize that Sarai always had maidservants she could have offered to Abram in order to provide them with a son. In addition to this revelation, history teaches us that it was a common practice in ancient oriental civilization to provide a descendant through a maidservant whenever the wife was unable to do so. In other words, Abram and Sarai could have provided for themselves a child in any moment since they had acquired servants both in Haran and Egypt. Yet, it was not until after God had strengthened Abram’s faith concerning His promise of a son to him that “Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 16:3, emphasis added). Once more, it is imperative to pay attention to the detail of time provided by the Holy Spirit. Scripture reveals that ten years had passed since Abram was shown by God the vision that reiterated the promise of a son. That means that Sarai, too, waited ten years before suggesting to Abram to take Hagar to be his wife. This begs the question: Why did Sarai wait ten years after Abram’s celestial vision to make this suggestion if she had always been barren? A proper understanding of Scripture, reveals that during that ten year span they had again tried to conceive. Although Sarai’s barrenness was already known before leaving Haran, God’s assured promise to Abram increased their faith in the possibility of Sarai becoming pregnant. Thus, Genesis 16:1 validates Abram’s and Sarai’s faith in the promise made to them by God. However, when Sarai failed to conceive yet again, we learn what prompts her to give Hagar to her husband. Observe carefully her words as written in verse 2: “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go into my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” The magnitude of Sarai’s conviction in the promise made to Abram is enlightened by Holy Writ in these two passages. Her mighty faith is first displayed in trying to conceive again (at the age of 65) despite having previously failed, and it is manifested a second time in her thought process of surmising that perhaps God was to provide this child via Hagar; not her. Although she and Abram had tried for ten years, and failed again, Sarai did not lose faith that God’s promise of a son would come to fruition. However, her mistake was losing faith in herself. For this reason, it must be noted that her suggestion to Abram of taking Hagar for a wife was “well intended,” but eschewed. This ill advised suggestion brought forth many calamitous consequences concurring with the Proverb, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, emphasis added). Indeed, Sarai meant well in making this proposition to Abram, but the Lord was not consulted again. Their (for Abram “heeded the voice of Sarai” Genesis 16:2c) “good intentions” instead brought forth strife. To be continued…