“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.” vv. 1,2.
It is one thing to have faith in a promise, but another to have patience regarding the fulfillment of it. We may be certain that Abram had full confidence in God’s promises concerning an heir for we have already learned in the preceding chapter: “Abram believed in the Lord and He counted it to him for righteousness.” But Abram allowed himself to come under the influence of one who was weak in faith. Sarai behaved as one who lacked faith as to circumstances, even though the word of promise had reached her through Abram’s lips. Nature seemed to have failed her and so she determined to turn to nature through another channel. Was this not a sad mistake, when God had already given His promise? “The LORD,” said she, “hath restrained me from bearing.” It was true, certainly, that she had thus far been restrained, but she should have counted it only a waiting period, rather than a hopeless case.
The delay was hard for her to endure and so she set about to bring an heir into the family in her own way. In her determination to work out her own problem she failed to consider the consequences of such an act as she proposed—a mistake not at all uncommon to those who act in the flesh. What sorrows she would have avoided, had she been content to leave so vital a matter with God, who alone knows the end from the beginning. As is so often the case, Sarai’s self-will eventually brought unhappiness, not to herself alone, but to the many who were involved at the time, as well as to entire future generations.
One might question: “If Sarai was the companion of a man of strong faith, why did he not show her the error of her proposal?” Faith is always a personal thing and the faith of one will not do for another, even in so close a relationship as man and wife. In this instance her own failure brought Abram down to her level (the enemy having triumphed for a time), rather than his faith lifting her up. Elsewhere the Scripture says: “Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God.” Romans 14:2222Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. (Romans 14:22). How important it is that our faith actually be before God and not just a declaration before one another. Nor can those who have no true faith, rely on the faith of another to save them.
It is to be feared that there are many about us living in the influence of godly homes or closely tied to the lives of believers, in whom faith in the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour is lacking. One will say: “I have been brought up in a Christian home”; another, “My father was a gospel preacher”; still another, “I attend services regularly and sometimes take part in religious activities.” But these dear souls cannot say, “Faith has made Him my personal Saviour too.” Dear reader, nothing in this life is more important than to know Christ in your heart by faith.
ML 06/20/1965